5 Reasons why Windows XP is still alive and kicking in the UK in 2017!

The BBC has today revealed that the UK’s second largest police force continues to run Windows XP on one in every five of its computers. The findings, obtained through a freedom of information request, found that 1,518 of Greater Manchester Police’s computers were still using the obsolete XP operating system. That figure represented 20.3% of […]

Your favorite websites may soon become inaccessible in Google Chrome

You’re probably very familiar with the little padlock icons and green address bars that appear in your favorite web browser’s address bar whenever you visit a secure website: These indicate that the connection between your web browser and the web server is secure, and around 60% of all websites now serve content exclusively over https. […]

The state of security in the UK P2P lending landscape – Platform Responses

Two weeks ago I published an in-depth article into the current state of IT security in the UK P2P Lending Industry. At the time of my research last month (February 2017), the vast majority of P2P sites simply ignored my direct correspondence, however since publication, a number of companies are now responding. Their responses are […]

The state of security in the UK P2P lending landscape

With interests rates at all time lows, and market uncertainly making it harder these days for individuals and businesses alike to obtain loans and credit from high street banks, or to achieve a decent return on their savings, more and more people are turning to Peer-To-Peer (P2P) lending. What is P2P lending? P2P is the […]

Selective Breach Notifications – Good or Bad?

Earlier this week, a serious data breach at UK-based payment processing company GoCardless came to light… well, sort of! It’s common place now when a large business suffers a data breach, for them to post a public statement on their website and on social media, and also send out a notification to all their customers […]

GoDaddy – providing a safe haven for scammers and cyber criminals

You’ve most likely heard of “GoDaddy” – they’re arguably one of the largest domain registrars and hosting providers in the world. Managing over 61 million domains names, over 5,000 employees globally and annual revenues of over $1.6 billion (USD). All reputable hosting providers have published Terms of Service set out for what is and what […]

Computer glitches hit RBS & Natwest customers… again! [UPDATED]

Customers who bank with RBS, Natwest or Ulster Bank have today been experiencing issues when attempting to make payments with their debit cards. It is currently understood that the problems are affect both online and in-store purchases for thousands of customers, although at time of writing ATMs and online banking services are understood to be […]

As the internet transitions to https, Certificate Authorities need to up their game!

There’s nothing more satisfying that visiting a website and seeing a nice little green secure padlock in your browser’s address bar: This indicates that your connection to the website is “secure”, and so any forms you fill in on the site (which may contain your passwords, personal or financial information, etc) will be encrypted and […]

TalkTalk hit with record £400,000 fine over poor security

Today, UK Telecoms company TalkTalk has been issued with a record £400,000 fine by the ICO for security failings that allowed a cyber attacker to access customer data “with ease”. The full 17-page report can be found here, however, here is my brief summary of 10 key points from this report: A successful Cyber Attack […]

5 ways to evaluate a software vendor’s attitude to security… based on their “Release Notes”, “Version History” or “Change Log”

Almost every software vendor today provides a dedicated web page or a bundled text file with their software outlining the latest “Release Notes”, “Version History” or “Change Log”, and listing the new features and improvements that are included in their latest software update. Some lists are more detailed than others, but look a little closer […]