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?
How do you manage IT properly without an IT Manager?
IT Management Made Easy Technology has the potential to greatly enhance not only how your staff communicate and collaborate with each other, but also enhance how they deliver services to the clients they work with. IT Management as a Service (ITMaaS) is Kinetics...
Highlights of Microsoft Inspire – Day One
"Live from .. not Las Vegas .." Microsoft Inspire is their annual showcase business event for their IT partners like Kinetics. We’ve been attending this conference in the US for many years. Normally we’d be in the US this week to learn, share, network and grow with...
What you need to know about the massive global ransomware cyber-attack over the weekend
The Risk Is Real. Over the weekend, thousands of businesses were caught up in a global cyber-attack that is being blamed on a Russian hacker group called Revil. It is disappointing when geo-politics impacts everyday business, and the reports talk about President Biden...
(yet) another reason Why paying ransomware demands hurts. (The FBI agrees)
We don't negotiate with terrorists Recently, we asked the question if organisations should pay ransomware demands. There is a balance between desperation and the uneasy knowledge that you might be funding further criminal attacks on the community. We’ve just read a...
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...