Author Archives: mike

Given the serious nature of this vulnerability, it is worth taking the unusual step of explaining what it is and what makes it so serious. The vulnerability can be found within certain versions of a software component called OpenSSL. This … Continue reading →

As you may be aware, the University has been subjected to an NTP DDoS attack which caused multiple short intervals when the Internet was unavailable. Given the intensity of the attack, JANET (our “ISP”) have implemented a firewall rule that … Continue reading →

One of the questions that arises from time to time is just how often do we get scanned by some kind of attacker looking for vulnerabilities? This is a bit of a tough question to answer as it involves looking … Continue reading →

This post is a bit more technical than the usual, and covers a kind of attack that is not only the kind of attack we may fall victim to, but an attack that we could participate in! Defences against this … Continue reading →

Many laptops these days come equipped with web cams – just look closely at the top of the screen and see if you can see a small hole there – and there has always been concern about malware that might … Continue reading →

Nearly all of us use accounts on numerous web sites. Hopefully we are all paying attention to best practices as far as security goes and have a different password on each site – no I don’t always do that either! … Continue reading →

In recent years there has been a new trend amongst malware authors – the introduction of so-called “ransomware” where a criminal demands money to unlock your PC. As this trend is continuing, and as we have seen an instance or … Continue reading →

Sophos have published a list of key things to do with your smartphone to keep it secure :- http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/10/08/10-tips-for-securing-your-smartphone/ And now is a good time to review that list. Most of us spend more and more time with our smartphones, … Continue reading →

The Information Commissioner has released some statistics on the number of reported incidents. The interesting thing about the statistics are :- The overwhelming majority of incidents are caused by human error of one form or another. It might seem that … Continue reading →