News From the
Cyber Security World
Online Security Tips from Ascent Cyber Glasgow!
Implementing effective cyber security measures is a huge undertaking for any business. The amount of time and resources it can take to learn the ever-evolving, intricate cyber security landscape is the very reason why so many businesses fall victim to cyber-attacks every day. This is why we’ve been helping businesses…
Scottish Data Breaches in 2021 & 2020
In 2021, there were 1,862 data breaches worldwide, a 68% increase from the year before, with 1,108 data breaches occurring in 2020. Let's look at the some recent data breaches to occur in Scotland.
How To Get Into Cyber Security In The UK
Digital security technologies are getting more and more advanced each year to withstand increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. High-profile cyber-attacks in recent years include WannaCry in 2017, which affected the NHS and cost the UK £92 million. To answer the rising demand for defence against data breaches, growing numbers of young…
Cyber Security Challenges for Small Businesses in the UK
What are the cyber security challenges facing the UK’s small businesses? There are two challenges that small businesses in the UK must face when tackling the issue of protecting themselves from cyberattacks – cost and understanding. With our experience in the UK cyber security industry, we’ve found that these two…
What is Cyber Essentials?
So, what is Cyber Essentials? Well it consists of a self-assessment form that is completed by a business before being reviewed and passed by an assessor and accreditation body respectively. “Just another tick-box exercise?” I hear you ask then, and the answer is unequivocally, no! This scheme provides a stable…
Changes to Govt guidance for UK businesses
OK, so it’s fair to say that there’s a lot going on in UK politics at the moment! Amongst all the headlines, one you may have missed is the evolution of the Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme, of which we are Accredited Practitioners. The National Cyber Security Centre is undertaking a…
Leicester City FC Hacked
Leicester City FC announced in June that a hacker had broken into the club’s online shop and manage to steal fans financial details including cardholders name, card numbers expiry date and CVV numbers. This may affect anyone who has made a purchase through Leicester City FC’s online shop. ICO (Information…
3 Most Common Phishing Scams & How to Spot Them
One of the most common scams you will encounter in your day to day lives is a phishing scam. These can vary from very clever and intricate emails made to look like they have been sent by a genuine company or tailored to your own specific details, all the way…
ICO to Investigate Government Data Handling
Ouch! The UK Government hasn’t had it easy of late and this new blow is a bit of a sore one. ICO, the Information Commissioners Office have announced that they are questioning the Government over the way it handles and processes data gathered from their website, Gov.uk. It follows claims…
How Secure is Your Business Facebook profile??
How Secure is Your Business Facebook profile?? Public have been educated about ANOTHER security issue in Facebook!! This time, a third-party developer of Facebook application has been storing personal user’s data on Amazon’s servers. Sounds good enough, but in reality, they were storing them in an unsecured manner that allowed…
Don’t let Zombies into your business!
Ever heard of a Zombie Computer? Not one that’s risen from the dead… although that would be interesting! A zombie computer is one that has been hijacked and controlled by a third party, usually through malware, viruses and trojans. Have you ever wondered why you’ve got hundreds of spam emails…
How secure is your eCommerce?
The eCommerce market is expected to grow 20 % until the end of 2019, reaching nearly £3 trillion. eCommerce platforms are boundless in potential growth but also become a target for cyber-attacks. By now, we have all heard about card skimmers, if not they are small devices used to collect…
Don’t be a lemming and follow others off the cliff!
This crisis has knocked the business world for six! Regardless of your size, we have all been forced to change our working patterns in ways that were unimaginable only a few short months ago. Suddenly we have the vast majority of the workforce working from their own homes on a…
Funny Hacks: The Trouble with Road Signs
Have you ever been trundling along the motorway and found yourself doing a double take at a ‘Zombies Ahead!!’ road sign? Although these can be quite funny, they are not always a result of a bored employee, or in-house prankster. Yip, you’ve guessed it, even road signs aren’t safe from…
Honda hit by Ransomware Attack
The Japanese car maker Honda has been hit by a cyber attack, knocking out systems and causing all remaining production to stop. It’s another blow to car manufacturing in the UK, which has clearly been on a downward trend for many years. COVID-19 has caused massive disruption to many businesses…
Chrome informs users when their password is hacked – here’s some of the worst!
Google Chrome web browser has a neat feature where they will now inform users when their passwords have been hacked. If the user attempts to log into any website using a password that’s already been compromised, a warning will appear. You can love them or hate them, but in the…
Protect Scotland: What does Scotland’s new contact tracing app mean for data privacy?
The Scottish Government has launched its Protect Scotland app, to assist in Covid-19 contact tracing efforts. In the first day alone, the app has been downloaded by over half a million people, which will undoubtedly be seen as a hugely successful launch. The long-term success of contact tracing apps relies…
Social Engineering?
What is Social Engineering? We’ve all hear a lot about it lately, but do we actually know how to defend ourselves from becoming a target of new techniques used by hackers during Covid? Social Engineering is new technique used by hacker’s human behaviour with the purpose of gaining information, access, or any…
Cyber Attacks increase by 59%
Interesting article here from American website Small Business Trends, highlighting the increased number of threats faced by small businesses not just in the US but worldwide. Some pretty stark statistics illustrating that vigilance and awareness is key when it comes to tackling this threat. Great training is vital, alongside clear…
UK Construction Firm hit by Cyber Attack!
In a year already riddled with challenges and difficulties in both our personal lives and in businesses, it is of no surprise that cyber criminals are compounding the effects of COVID-19 and delivering more destruction, this time to UK contruction firm RMD Kwikform. Based in Walsall, with over 1400 employees…
What is Cyber Essentials? Your FAQs Answered!
What is Cyber Essentials? Cyber Essentials is a Government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, against a range of the most common threats and cyber attacks. It is a simple, but effective level of cyber security that will give you peace of mind that you have…
Cyber Security – Our FAQs!
Some business owners don’t know where to start when it comes to cyber security, but putting provisions in place to protect yourself and our business from online crime and cyber threats doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions around cyber security, and our…