Microsoft strengthen Office 365 security

Responding to the ever growing threat of cyber crime, Microsoft has ramped up their security efforts for their Office 365 platform. Users will now benefit from better visibility, control and security of data when using the cloud based services.

In a blog posted on the Microsoft website, Bret Arsenault, Chief Information Security Officer for Microsoft, explained that their new approach “empowers customers to accelerate their adoption of a ‘protect, detect, respond’ security posture”.

Whaling – a dangerous new cyber threat

One of the most recent cyber security threats to come to our attention is the ‘whaling’ scam. This is a highly personalised form of phishing used to trick victims into giving away sensitive information and access to networks.

What is it?

Most phishing scams target a wide range of people and hackers will send their scam emails to a large number of recipients. However ‘whaling’ is different in that cyber criminals approach one ‘high value’ target with a highly personalised message instead.

Ubiquiti Networks, a provider of high-end wireless networking products, recently fell victim to a whaling attack which resulted in losses of $47m (£30m) for the company.

Ransomware: could you be blackmailed by hackers?

Ransomware is one of the most recent threats to your online security. We look at what it is, how it works and how you can protect your business effectively.

What is it?
Ransomware, as the name suggests, is a form of malware which locks away a victim’s files and then requests payment from them to have them returned.

In 2013, Cryptolocker attacked around 250,000 computers worldwide stealing personal files and refusing to return them unless a ransom was paid immediately, which a high amount of victims went ahead and did.

Ransoms are paid through a digital currency such as Bit coin, which allows transactions to be made anonymously.

Hackers are taking over LinkedIn profiles – what can you do?

A recent investigation by the security firm Symnatec has uncovered that hackers are creating fake profiles on the social networking site LinkedIn in an effort to scam users.

LinkedIn was established in 2003 and is a social networking site used by over 400 million professionals worldwide as an online form of business networking.

As well as allowing businesses to connect with each other, it is also provides a reliable way for recruiters to headhunt potential employees by sending them ‘connection requests’ which allow them to be able to send each other messages – a feature which hackers are now believed to be exploiting.

Dell computers admit to security flaw

Computer giant Dell has acknowledged a “profound security flaw” in computers sold to customers that could leave them open to attacks from hackers, allowing them to harvest important personal data such as bank details.

Dell has released a statement which explains that a security certificate ‘eDellRoot’ pre-installed on some Dell laptops has “unintentionally introduced a security vulnerability”.

What can we learn from the TalkTalk hack?

TalkTalk is the latest major company to fall victim to a significant cyber attack during which some of their customers banking details may have been accessed.

While TalkTalk has gone on to say that the details accessed may have only been partly exposed, users are being warned that they could be targeted by opportunistic cyber criminals.

It is relatively common that in the aftermath of a high profile attack hackers and other cyber criminals seize on the confusion and concern of customers by attempting to trick them into handing over sensitive information.

Beware of Facebook dislike button scam

Facebook users are being targeted by scammers’ just weeks after Facebook announced they are close to developing a long awaited ‘dislike’ button.

On the 15th September, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced that the social networking giant was “very close” to developing a ‘dislike’ button which will allow users to show empathy toward fellow users at times when a ‘like’ would not be suitable, such as when a loved one passes away.