Tag Archives: Security

Cyber-attacks On UK Sports Industry

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The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) report cyber-attacks on UK sports industry have increased. At least 70% of sporting institutions in the UK have suffered a security incident in the past 12 months.

Some of the cyber-attacks on UK sports industry are disclosed in the report Cyber threat to sports organisations. They include blocked turnstiles at stadiums after systems were taken offline by ransomware. This almost led to the cancellation of a football match. A £15,000 loss to a racecourse after a staff member fell victim to an eBay scam. It promised equipment that never materialised. Similarly, organised criminals tried to sabotage a Premier League transfer deal by hacking into emails worth £1m.

The NCSC said cyber criminals tended to use common tactics. They target the sports industry with cyber-enabled fraud and shutting down critical systems with ransomware.

Cyber-attacks On UK Sports Industry

Sports industry urged to reform cyber security after £1m Premier League phishing scam.
Greater awareness is needed by the industry as attacks increase.

Cost of the damage by cyber-attacks on UK sports industry

About 30% of the incidents reported to the NCSC caused direct financial damage to the victim. On average £10,000 per attack and the biggest single loss clocked in at £4m. Some 40% of the reported incidents involved malware and a quarter of those were ransomware attacks.

“Cyber security might not be an obvious consideration for the sports sector. Sports are slowly returning as lockdown eases. The impact of cyber criminals cashing in on this industry is real.” Said Paul Chichester, operations director at the NCSC.

Chichester added, the sports sector struggles to recover from the impact of Covid-19. Organisations could reduce their risk by paying more attention to increasing their security of attacks.

“Sport is a pillar of many of our lives. We are eagerly anticipating the return to full stadiums and a busy sporting calendar” he said. “I would urge sporting bodies to use this time to look at how they can improve security. In conclusion, acting now will help protect them and fans from the consequences of cyber-crime.”

British Olympic Association

Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association, said: “Improving cyber security across the sports sector is critical. The British Olympic Association sees this report as a crucial first step. It will help sports organisations to better understand the threat and highlights practical steps to improve cyber security.”

Rugby Football League

Tony Sutton, chief operating officer at the Rugby Football League, added: “The issue of cyber security is one that all sports, including rugby league, take seriously. We are growing our digital capabilities and online platforms. Protecting the governing body, members, customers and stakeholders are important and we welcome the guidance from the NCSC report.”

Make sure you are protected

Unfortunately, LIS are unable to predict when your team will win their next match. However, enjoy watching your favourite sport whatever the result.

Above all, do not make the same mistake as the sports industry. Do you have any concerns about your IT security? Then contact the LIS Help Desk and our friendly team will recommend the latest solutions to upgrade your security. However, stay safe, secure and protect your business.

LIS – SECURING YOUR DIGITAL WORLD

#CyberCrime #Security #ITSupoort #Sports

Understanding Cloud Security

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The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase of employees working from home. Understanding cloud security when moving to the cloud for remote working is crucial. This sudden change means that remote access to software and data are important.

Read the latest UK Tech News article from their Editor Mark Baker.

Cloud computing provides employees with the ability to work from any location. As long as they have internet access, they can work within a virtual desktop or remote infrastructure. Some companies are reluctant to move towards remote working. However, others are following the trend in offering flexible working hours to their employees as an incentive – which can also be cost-effective. We would encourage our clients to implement cloud computing within their IT infrastructure.  It will enable them to enjoy the benefits of remote working and much more.

Understanding Cloud Security

Understanding the challenges of cloud security. Stay grounded as cloud security becomes more complicated. LIS are here to keep you protected and give you peace of mind.

Understanding Cloud Security provides flexibility

Cloud technology is what enables employees to work from any location. The main benefit is it gives them access via a virtual environment to the same information they would have in the office. Collaboration and communication tools ensure that your team can keep in touch with clients and their colleagues. This enables your staff to complete work at the same level as they would be able to from their office desktop.

Employees can access documents and data that they need by using specific credentials to maintain security. At the same time, it gives them flexibility to work from home or any other location. This can be useful when you have multiple office locations. Cloud technology provides a greater level of flexibility and shared access to information centrally accessible via a single server.

Increasing security for remote working

Do you have concerns about understanding cloud security? Cloud computing can actually work towards increasing your overall security levels as a business. Security measures can be put in place. Such as user-specific passwords and encryption of files when there are attempts to open these by unauthorised users. Additional security measures can be implemented in the event of mobile devices or laptops being lost or stolen. This helps to prevent a security breach. So, you do not need worry about cloud computing compromising high levels of security in favour of remote working capabilities.

Scalability for growing businesses – in the office and remotely

Cloud computing also enables your business to accommodate a large increase in a remote workforce. Since employees can use their own mobile devices and laptops without incurring additional hardware costs. They can also access internal information via the cloud wherever they choose to work, and on any device. As long as each user is provided with access details, employees can easily be granted access. All of the information that they need is at the touch of a button, without them ever having to visit the office. This is ideal when there is restricted physical office space and there is no restriction on the number of remote workers.

Cloud computing and the future

Cloud computing can offer a greater level of flexibility, security and scalability for any business. Contact the LIS Help Desk to discuss cloud setup and maintenance services. We offer support contracts for cloud support and advice on an ongoing basis if required.

Almost everything in the digital world is connected to the cloud in some way or another — unless it is kept in local storage for security reasons. As companies find new ways to organize, process and present data. Cloud computing will become a more and more integral part of our lives.

#CloudComputing #WFH #DeviceSecurity #CyberCrime

Hackers can cause injuries

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Video games have been around for ages. However, technology has improved and games have become more sophisticated. More people than ever are playing especially online. Did you know hackers can cause injuries? Read this BBC report and make sure your devices are protected.

Bullets rained down from all angles but Abdelrhman Badr kept calm. Suddenly an enemy burst through a window. Abdelrhman swung round to face the soldier and save his team. He lined up his sights for a fatal shot and squeezed the trigger but… his screen went black.

All of a sudden his computer shut itself down without warning. The game he was playing had never caused problems before. He reached down and looked inside his computer, which he liked to leave open and on display in his bedroom.

Instinctively he touched one of the components, swore and pulled his hand back. The graphics card was so hot it had burned his fingers. The 18-year-old from Sheffield hadn’t realised it yet, but this minor injury was caused by crypto-jacking.

Hackers can cause injuries

Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for clever ways to turn new technology into money-making opportunities. Cryptojacking is one of their latest innovations

What is cryptojacking?

Crypto-jacking is the unauthorised and illegal use of someone’s computer to collect Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies. Criminals are using ransomware-like tactics and poisoned websites to get your employees’ computers to mine cryptocurrencies. Here’s what you can do to stop it.

Cryptojacking is the unauthorized use of someone else’s computer to mine cryptocurrency. Hackers do this by either getting the victim to click on a malicious link in an email that loads cryptomining code on the computer. They can also or infect a website or use an online advert with JavaScript code. This will auto-executes once loaded within the victim’s browser.

How cryptojacking works

Cryptojackers have more than one way to enslave your computer. One method works like classic malware. You click on a malicious link in an email and it loads cryptomining code directly onto your computer. Once your computer is infected, the cryptojacker starts working around the clock to mine cryptocurrency while staying hidden in the background. Because it resides on your PC, it’s local—a persistent threat that has infected the computer itself.

An alternative cryptojacking approach is sometimes called drive-by cryptomining. Similar to malicious advertising exploits, the scheme involves embedding a piece of JavaScript code into a Web page. After that, it performs cryptocurrency mining on user machines that visit the page.

How to prevent cryptojacking and make sure your secure

We are unable to help you level up or give you any tips to improve your gaming. We would recommend that you do not touch any parts of your computer systems. The story above illustrates, hackers cause you injuries. Leave it to the experts.

However, contact the LIS Help Desk to make sure your business systems are protected. We offer the latest Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam and Office 365 Security packages. Protect your company with our IT support contract. This gives you peace of mind to enjoy your pastimes – or maybe the latest online game ????.

#CyberCrime #burn #HotDevices

Twitter accounts hacked

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The news broke recently that major US Twitter accounts were hacked in a Bitcoin scam.

The Twitter accounts of notable billionaires were hacked, on Wednesday afternoon. These included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla founder Elon Musk, rapper Kanye West, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Politicians’ accounts, including Joe Biden and Barack Obama, were also affected soon after. “I am giving back to the community,” the tweets read. “All Bitcoin sent to the address below will be sent back doubled!”. The link to the Bitcoin wallet is consistent throughout all the tweets, suggesting a cryptocurrency scam.

The bulk of the messages have been deleted, though screenshots remain of several affected accounts:

Twitter has acknowledged the problem, but we are still very short on detail. The Biden campaign stated that the platform locked his account immediately after the breach, and removed the tweet. As part of the Twitter’s effort to solve the problem, verified accounts were restricted from tweeting for several periods on Wednesday night. The internet was alive to rumours of the removal of the verification badge.

Twitter accounts hacked

What’s the scam?

Hackers broke into the high-profile Twitter accounts and sent fake tweets offering $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.

For instance, the message sent from  Elon Musk’s account said, “All bitcoins sent to my address below will be sent back double the amount. If you send $1,000, I will send back $2,000.” Likewise, information spread from Bill Gates’ Twitter handle said: “Everyone is asking me to give back, and now is the time.”

How did they do it?

Whilst there has been no official announcement of the method the hackers used, there are strong and consistent rumours originating from those who should know the truth. It appears that high level administration accounts were compromised, possibly through some form of social engineering, phishing or some say an ex-employee. Doubtless the truth will out. Either way this is a timely remind to lockdown your admin accounts!

Lessons for us from Twitter accounts hacked

There are no free lunches and no easy money. As an investor, you should always doubt information or schemes that offer to you an opportunity to make quick money in a very short period. The financial victims were just greedy. The other victim is the end user who places their trust in a large organization that we should be able to be rely upon to secure our data.

“Hackers had complete access to Twitter. They could post anything from any account. But they chose to seek bitcoins through false promises. People should be more careful. Most crypto giveaways that ask for contributions are scams. We hope this brings awareness, and Twitter users do not fall for these kinds of scams again,” said Arjun Vijay, Co-Founder and COO, Giottus Cryptocurrency Exchange.

Emergency response

Twitter earlier had to take the extraordinary step of stopping many verified accounts marked with blue ticks from tweeting altogether. Password reset requests were also being denied and some other “account functions” disabled. You may be sure that behind closed doors the Twitter investigation with the assistance of the FBI will be exhaustive. The reputational damage from the Twitter accounts hacked can not be over estimated.

Does your business also need an emergency response?

We would strongly urge you to review who has adminstrator rights to your world. Are you immune to this cyber threat? At the end of the day Twitter suffered from poor house keeping by a large corporate.

Protect your business with LIS

With immediate effect, we will add our Office 365 Security package to all our customers, at no cost. Amongst other benefits this gives you a monthly review of all users with administrator access and alert/approval for any changes that may occur. Irrespective of whether the change came about through staff action, hacking or some form of social engineering. We would offer it to Twitter but that horse has bolted ????.

A strong defence against cyber-crime is essential for your business. Protect your business data and sensitive information as it flows across your organisation. Our solutions enable us to understand where you are vulnerable. We can take proactive steps to help prevent and respond to threats, in order to reduce the potential risk to your business.

Contact the LIS Help Desk to migrate to Office 365 if you don’t already subscribe. Take advantage of our Office 365 Security Package special offer. Make sure your data and email are fully protected.

Our Office 365 Security Package is a bundle of software tools, that includes:

Finally, if you need them our managed anti-virus and anti-spam protection services can be deployed within minutes. LIS provides essential protection for your business, defending you from email viruses, spam and malware.

Do not gamble with your business security – we give you peace of mind!

Social distancing

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Google’s new AR tool will visualise social distancing

Google has a new tool, called Sodar, to help you measure your social distancing space – available for Android users now. Google’s new Sodar experiment helps you keep social distance by using Augmented Reality (AR). It overlays a digital guide that shows if you are two meters away from someone or not.

Find our more in a recent article published by The Times newspaper. Social distancing is an effective way to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Now Google is offering a new tool that uses AR to help you enforce it.

“Sodar” is an experiment created by Google which is designed to use AR. It puts a virtual two metre (just over 6 feet) social distancing boundary around you. That’s the distance that’s generally recommended to keep between two people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Since this is using AR, don’t expect the line to be perfectly precise, but it should be somewhat close. In recent tests, it seems accurate enough. It also really puts in perspective just how far that distance actually is.

Social distancing

Sodar – use WebXR to help visualise social distancing guidelines in your environment. Using Sodar on supported mobile devices, create an augmented reality two metre radius ring around you.

How does it work?

Notably, Sodar only works on Google Chrome and only on Android devices. The first time you access it, you’ll be greeted with some permissions. Those include for AR directly as well as camera access for Google Chrome if you’ve never granted that before. After giving it a look at the ground to calibrate the sensors, the line appears.

Keep in mind that AR based solutions are not fool proof in their assessment of our real world. Despite all the advancements treat the boundary suggested as a guideline rather than a measure of accuracy. In matters of health and public safety, it is better to err on the side of caution. Still, it’s a good tool to have to reinforce the ideas of social distancing and just how

much distance is needed.

Business support

We are unable to predict when then world will get back to normal. However, we are able to businesses get back to work. As well as helping you colleagues work from home. Contact The LIS Help Desk to discuss, IT support, networking, security and telecoms. Our friendly team will be happy to help and discuss the latest technology for your business. LIS helping businesses stay safe!

#SocialDistancing #Android #StayBack