What can we learn from the HSE and Department of Health ransomware attacks?

Ireland appeared to be shaken to the core by the recent cyberattack on HSE and the Department of Health, but once past the initial shock, is it time for an in-depth look at the Irish cybersecurity infrastructure and whether such attacks could not have been anticipated, detected or prevented. In 2017 the National Health Service … More What can we learn from the HSE and Department of Health ransomware attacks?

World Consumer Rights Day: Protecting consumers’ rights online

On March 15, 1962, the US President John F. Kennedy called on Congress to enact legislation to protect consumer rights – he was the first world leader to formally address the issue. Since 1983 this date has been marked as World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer movement uses this day every year to mobilize action … More World Consumer Rights Day: Protecting consumers’ rights online

So you thought your personal data was deleted? Not so fast

It may be impossible to delete your personal information from Houseparty and other social media services – despite privacy legislation! My colleague Jake Moore recently published a blogpost Houseparty – should I stay or should I go now? The post intrigued me, not just for the title taken from the great 1982 song by the Clash. Jake, … More So you thought your personal data was deleted? Not so fast

Crooks threaten to leak customer data stolen from e‑commerce sites

A hack-and-extort campaign takes aim at poorly secured databases replete with customer information that can be exploited for further attacks. A number of e-commerce websites from multiple continents have had their customer databases stolen, with an unknown seller offering at least 1.62 million rows of personal records for sale on a public website. The online … More Crooks threaten to leak customer data stolen from e‑commerce sites

The most popular passwords of 2018 revealed: Are yours on the list?

Besides the usual suspects among the worst of passwords, a handful of notable – but similarly poor – choices make their debuts. Password security company SplashData has released its annual list of the most commonly used passwords on the web, and the picture isn’t pretty. The number one spot belongs to ‘123456’, which is followed by another … More The most popular passwords of 2018 revealed: Are yours on the list?