Author Archives: mike

Staying Safe with USB Storage

Posted on 2014-09-02 by mike

When considering any kind of USB storage, it is worth remembering that encryption is not just required (if you are storing personal data) but a pretty good idea everywhere. If you lose a USB memory stick or a larger USB … Continue reading →

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Diagnosing A Phishing Attack

Posted on 2014-09-01 by mike

People are constantly trying to get your account details in one way or another. One of the ways is to simply ask you to tell them your account details. And one of the most common ways of asking is to … Continue reading →

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Slaying The Internet Hoaxes

Posted on 2014-08-21 by mike

One of the things you quickly learn about the Internet is that it is full of hoaxes. Things like the following that arrived on my Facebook feed this morning :- Whilst it is fairly easy to see that this one … Continue reading →

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Have You Changed Your Password Recently?

Posted on 2014-07-18 by mike

When was the last time you changed your account password(s)? More than a year ago? Then it is probably time you changed your password :- University Staff Passwords University Student Passwords Changing your password regularly accomplishes several things :- It meets the … Continue reading →

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Dealing with Spyware and Adware

Posted on 2014-07-16 by mike

Malware comes in many different forms, and two of the supposedly less damaging aspects are spyware and adware, which keep track of your activities and display advertising selected by your activities. This sounds relatively harmless, but there are concerns. Firstly … Continue reading →

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Enhancing SSH Server Security

Posted on 2014-06-19 by mike

Every so often after I run security scans, I think about investigating making ssh more secure. Normally I don’t have the time to do it, but this time I have made the time. It turns out that whilst the ssh protocol … Continue reading →

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Operation Tovar – Taking Down Zeus-P2P/CryptoLocker

Posted on 2014-06-03 by mike

The mainstream media has been spreading reports about Operation Tovar so it is worth expanding on that information. Operation Tovar is an international co-operative effort by various anti-crime agencies to take down the Zeus-P2P command and control servers. Whilst valuable, it … Continue reading →

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Security Conference: 30C3

Posted on 2014-04-28 by mike

The content pointed to here is a bit more technical than is usually posted here, but this blog is not just for introductory material. Basically I’ve been through many of the 30C3 videos and picked out some of the more … Continue reading →

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Updating Servers: Painting The Forth Bridge

Posted on 2014-04-22 by mike

Unfortunately the old analogy does not work as well as it used to, as the Forth Bridge is not being painted constantly (and in fact was never the case!). However there is a permanent maintenance crew working on the bridge, so it … Continue reading →

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Heartbleed: Password Advice

Posted on 2014-04-11 by mike

This is of course a rapidly changing situation, so the advice may well change. The main Heartbleed blog entry has a bit of information about what to do about passwords, but to make it more plain … University Accounts In … Continue reading →

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