Smartphones, ransomware and Microsoft Office macros are featured in this week’s cyber security news. The post covering cyber security and the Ukraine Russia conflict has be updated several times this week – make sure you are aware of the latest developments and have actioned the National Cyber Security Centre’s advice, linked to in the post.
The Microsoft flip-flop story of “to block or not to block” Office macros has (hopefully) been resolved this week – with the “blocking VBA macros in files from the internet” being the default. (I have written an article for the cyber security training website CyberAwake, looking at the good, the bad and the ugly around the issue of macros – it is due to be published next week, and there will be a link in next week’s round-up.)
Smartphones have always been a target for threat actors, highly capable, internet connected computers, constantly in the hands of many people who do not truly understand security or privacy – loaded with all of their personal and private information! In the past few weeks there appears to have been a rush of malicious apps discovered in the Google Play Store and iPhone users are not exempt, there is Pegasus and Hermit spyware for high value targets and text message phishing campaigns for the rest of us.
Ransomware stories this week cover, free ransomware software available for less skilled threat actors, the malware author just wants 20% of any ransoms collected to ransoms being returned by law enforcement agencies. You need a cyber security plan to avoid being a ransomware story. To go with that cybersecurity plan you need an incident response plan – I know that next week’s staff training at Octagon, is being run by Martin, our operation’s manager and he is going to be running through an aspect of our incident response plan, to check we are prepared. That is the type of incident response plan you need.
The “Because IT’s Friday” post this week is back in space.
This is a weekly round-up of the articles from Smart Thinking Solutions, our specialist cybersecurity, governance and compliance web site.
The articles are mostly quick reads to give you an overview of the cybersecurity threat landscape facing businesses today, with links to the sources. Many of the posts have action points or top tips to help you navigate these threats to your organisations.
Sometimes they are just there to make you smile!
Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security) – by-line and other articles
