Category: Privacy

Snooping, Hacking and Deception

Posted on

Newly Identified Defendants

The arena of International Law, Digital crime and Money creates an absolute boiling pot of complex, interconnected issues that can sometimes be difficult to understand. The case of Microsoft Corporation, Plaintiff verses Defendants in a Civil Action No. 1-24-cv-2323 in Virginia USA where the plaintiff disabled the abuse of their system and then took legal action is bedtime story reading.

The defendants were truly global and included end-users of a hacked system. Defendants were named and shamed but apparently the legal counsel of the plaintiff had personal information leaked publicly (Doxing). 

So much for privacy.

No one in the case is off-limits and brings a point that privacy is a gargantuan task nowadays where even high-level operatives are vulnerable to attack and exploitation.

Every run Data classification for our personal stuff?
Posted on

It’s not business it’s personal

Ever tried watching a small business owner struggle to send private data securely? Inadvertently, they fallback to sending passport or credit card details over WhatsAPP. Not so bad as it’s end-to-end encryption right?

“WhatsApp does collect certain metadata, such as information about your contacts and communication times. This metadata is not protected by end-to-end encryption and can be shared with parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) and, under certain circumstances, with law enforcement agencies.”

So this is not so bad and you have nothing to hide right?

Not many small business owners have the time or money to spend on drilling down to the right controls that should be in place for their business and naturally use what they use in the personal lives which often means the bare minimum.

Additonally, unless directly linked to finanical issues Data protection comes in last. So what can be done prior to a data breach incident for small business?

Firstly, take the personal pulse out of the mix and work with someone who is tech savvy and thinks like a business person with risk in mind.

Happy, Cyber Truck hunting.

Posted on

Power-On Self-Test

Business and Personal life continuity in our new lockdown era ramps up the criticality of pings.

Cut off anyone’s internet access and with seconds that are flapping around like a fish in the floor. Within minutes their brain will implode and after an hour irreversible brain damage will kick in. Well, a slight exaggeration but you get me point.

Over 90% of our service requires an internet connection and it much cheaper now.
So with these old vulnerabilities in plain view why craft up new malware and exploits. Just reuse the classics, this Christmas, for example, we may see the same threats resurfacing. Privacy is so 2018 as many “bend the knee” to be tracked to “protect” society.

If you really want to socially distance yourself and isolate simply kill your WiFi, job done. No constant stream of toxic global pandemic news sending your brain into panic and disbelief but no entertainment [Sad Face?].

Time to dig up all DVDs or maybe actually talk to the person you live with…if you are lucky enough to co-habit.

Anyhow, my Internet Diet of 24-hours is over and I’m back online uploading this article.

Poor old UK Government has no idea what to do next

Posted on

Hidden

Not feeling much about anything lately….

Hiding online is a task nowadays but achievable if you can bring yourself to the point of disabling your gadgets.  The problem is your connections’ social media ramblings.

Safer away from folk

Posted on

28 Years ago, I should have known better

On reflection, I now crave the simplicity of my life in the 90’s.  The flow of data was slower, less widespread and simpler to secure as not many people knew it was there in the first place.

Today, we are swimming in data flows and everyone is their own system administrator.  iOS Beta 3 is now available, I can’t see the differences but no doubt the vendor is crunching an exabyte of test device data.  I’m still hooked on the Screen Time application.

I’m part of the generation that didn’t realise what it actually meant to push all end-users to be Network-centric and eventually dependent.  Now, turn off the Network and all hell breaks loose.  The option to live an offline digital life is now cumbersome, awkward and attracts suspicion as to why you are “not online”.

Data availability

28 years ago I knew users would have to be on the network to make data availability work, now I realise that helping to create that dependency was a mistake.  And like South Londoner, Michelle Wallen sang so wonderfully as Pica Paris “I Should’ve Known Better”.

Back in days of the BootLeg

Of course, it creates a nice arena for Data Privacy specialist like me.