Unfortunately data security breaches are becoming more and more common which means that UK businesses are being forced to reevaluate their cyber security practises and data leak protection schemes. The issue of UK data security breaches is especially apparent given the fact that, in October, British Gas was the last of three companies (including Marks & Spencer and TalkTalk) to fall victim to a data breach in the space of a week. It is important that we learn from these breaches and that businesses do everything they can to avoid it happening to them.  Read more...

If you are like most business people, you probably utilise Google on a daily basis, using it to solve a variety of issues and answer queries. However, you may have never considered the types of data (and the amounts) that Google stores each time that you use it. While Google doesn’t make the extent of its data storage completely clear, it is not kept a secret: the data is there for you to access and remove if you wish. Here is a short list of the types of data that Google will store about your business, and how you are able to take control of the process.  Read more...

The European Court of Justice has just ruled the Safe Harbour Agreement between the European and the United States invalid after Austrian law student, Max Schrems, brought it to their attention.

Schrems alerted the authorities following Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s mass surveillance operations. This decision will mean that changes are made in the way that personal data is transferred between companies, but what does it mean for individuals in Europe and the companies with which they regularly interact?  Read more...

Until now, you may never have heard of Dridex, a new strain of malware. That might be about to change – this year alone they have managed to steal over £20,000 from UK bank accounts. Microsoft Office users should be alert, prepared and know how to stay safe from Dridex.

Dridex malware was designed to effectively eavesdrop on a victim’s computer use in order to yield personal information, such as usernames, passwords and secret answers. The ultimate aim? Breaking into bank accounts and stealing cash.  Read more...

The EU is preparing to release new data protection regulation reforms. Whilst the exact details have not yet been released (and it will be a number of years before the new laws are actually put into practise), it is never too early to begin preparing your business for the changes. Preparing your business now means that you can ensure that you are completely on top of your current responsibilities before tackling any new ones that the regulations might require. Of course, the impact that these data protection changes might have on your company will vary from business to business, but here are just a few ways in which you can prepare:  Read more...

It is critically important to protect sensitive data in business. However, in many organisations, not enough is being done to educate staff about how they can effectively protect their data beyond, creating a secure password. A myriad of other systems exist that can further your efforts to protect business data. Two-factor authentication, or 2FA is just one of those systems.

There are many benefits of two-factor authentication,, but do they actually outweigh the disadvantages of the processes involved in having them in place?  Read more...

It has never been more important that companies handle their Big Data applications effectively. A new report from Swiss cybersecurity firm BinaryEdge suggests that poorly configured applications using Big Data could be leaking more than one petabyte of sensitive data. This is worrying, because a large amount of this leaked data could be accessed without authentication.  Read more...

For the majority of us, the delete key is simply a useful tool that means the data that we no longer need is out of our way. That said, most of us rarely take a moment to think about where those files go after we have hit the button. After all, if the data is not sensitive or is for personal use it is usually not a huge concern. However, when it comes to the disposal of sensitive business data you will need to find a better and more secure, way of deletion – the delete key is not sufficiently secure. So what actually happens to data when it is disposed of using the delete key?  Read more...

It is vital that your company has a process in place to deal effectively with End of Life data security. This security is important, not only for your own business data, but also for any data you may hold about your clients. An effective security system is important for all types and formats of data storage, including that found on handheld devices, hardware, sound recordings and hard copies. This security may not necessarily be a simple process, but these ten tips should set you along the right path toward creating an effective End of Life data security system.  Read more...