This sounds like a nightmare that could never happen.
US soldiers have been putting sensitive information online in non-secure third party websites. It defies belief, yet we’re reading that it happened. The story popped up on ‘Gizmodo’ .
It is alleged that US Soldiers were saving sensitive information on a couple of common flashcard sites, presumably of things they were trying to memorise and learn. It seems these are common learning tools used in universities to help students memorise facts. That works well so long as the facts aren’t top secret! Even worse, their settings were on ‘public’ not ‘private’!
It is a classic warning about the risk of people, however well intentioned, saving critical data online in places the organisation is unaware of, and can’t control. That’s why our KARE FOUNDATION proactive cyber-security plan helps identify use of these sites in your organisation.
Shadow IT is part of our 10-point cyber-security check list
While there is no single layer of technology that can guarantee you will be safe from hackers, you can reduce your risk by adding layers of protection. How many of our 10-point check list are in place for you?
Improvements in Outlook calendars
Outlook is getting a faceliftToday’s pressures demand we jam more activity into less time. There seem to be more meetings, workshops and events than ever, even if many are virtual. Unfortunately, managing these commitments doesn’t seem to get any easier. Most of us...
Windows 11 – Coming soon to your PC?
This morning, we're hearing about Windows 11 coming to a PC near you within a few months (ahead of "the holiday season" in the US) So, do you care? We're a bit curious. Microsoft have had a patchy record with Windows (pun intended). Every second version seems to be a...
Pretending to be you or your colleagues
Just because it seems safe, doesn't mean it is. On some emails, you might see a warning that marks them as being ‘external’. This gets added as the email comes into your organisation. The idea is a simple one – if you see an email marked as external, then you will be...
Avoiding ad trackers when you browse the ‘net
Your own personalised stalker It always seemed slightly creepy that your computer shows advertising that is strangely accurately targeted at things you might have been interested in. On the surface, that seems quite useful. If you have to tolerate ads on your...
Did you know that Microsoft Word has an option for sharing documents with colleagues so they can read and comment, but not change them?
Review Mode Now you can share documents with colleagues so they can comment, but NOT change your hard work. You can turn it on when you share by clicking on the “People you specify can edit >” line of the sharing window. That will mean they can open your document...
Phishing emails are getting smarter every day
In the old days (ie last year!!), a dodgy email had a whiff to it – there was something that triggered your subconscious. That’s because some phishing emails were really badly written with terrible English. But others just had a sniff about them- something that made...
A cyber-criminal only needs to get lucky once. You have to stay ahead of them all day, every day
"A cybercriminal only has to be lucky once, while a defender has to be lucky every minute of every day.” - Combating Ransomware - A Comprehensive Framework for Action: Key Recommendations from the Ransomware Task Force. The message we hear from governance boards over...
Do you know where all your organisations data is? You don’t know what you don’t know
What is 'Shadow IT'? Shadow IT refers to the various web tools informally in use within most organisations. These tools are often chosen without reference to IT or to management in general. They are often used for all the very best reasons. Your colleagues have work...
Learn why use of Teams is growing at lightspeed
Learn why use of Teams is growing at lightspeed: In this webinar we looked at what new capabilities are driving increased usage. We then discussed which are most applicable to kiwi businesses, to help shortcut your learning on which you can apply to your...
Bad news email attachments
Some emails are more than just bad news No one likes bad news! But sometimes it can’t be helped. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. One of the most common ransomware attacks is through a compromised attachment in an email. It’s easy to say “only open stuff you expect” but...