If you need to send a file online, but that file is too big to send by email, there are several simple, effective and secure alternatives.  Here are some suggestions: - Use file compression to shrink the file size anyway before sending/transferring. For example, try RAR compression instead of ZIP.  Open source 7-Zip provides effective file compression. - Upload your file to a cloud-based storage service and share / retrieve from there.  For example, Google Drive (offers up to 15GB of free storage), Dropbox (offers 2GB of free storage space and a variety of sharing options.), Microsoft’s OneDrive (offers 5 [...]

Apple Inc has found itself at the centre of a security alert after a bug in group-calling of its FaceTime video-calling feature has been found to allow eavesdropping of a call’s recipient to take place prior to the call being taken. Sound, Video & Broadcasting As well as allowing the caller to hear audio from the recipient’s phone even if the recipient has not yet picked up the call, if the recipient has pressed the power button on the side of the iPhone e.g. to silence/ignore the incoming call, the same bug was also found to have allowed callers to [...]

Research by consumer Group Which? has revealed that hundreds of popular models of car are vulnerable to “keyless theft”. Keyless Car Theft Keyless car entry systems enable owners to unlock the doors of their car with the brush of a hand if the key fob is nearby. If the car has keyless start-stop, once inside the car, the keyless system allows the user to simply press a button to start and stop the engine. These systems work by using an identity chip in the fob that constantly listens out for radio signals broadcast by the car. These radio signals can [...]

The UK government is urging organisations that benefit from European Union (EU) research funding to sign-up to a UK-led replacement scheme now in order to guarantee that their Horizon 2020 project funding can continue after Brexit. What Is Horizon 2020? Dating back to 2014, Horizon 2020 from the EU, is the largest ever European funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of 79 billion euros and is set to run until 2020.  It is aimed at improving Europe’s global competitiveness in research and innovation.  Applications for the funding are open to registered businesses, charities, partnerships or research organisations [...]

The fact that the voiceprints of more than 2 million people have been added to HMRC’s Voice ID scheme since June 2018, to add to the 5 million plus other voiceprints already collected, has led to complaints and challenges to the lawfulness of the system by privacy campaigners. What HMRC Biometric Database System? Back in January 2017, HMRC introduced a system whereby customers calling the tax credits and Self-Assessment helpline could enrol for voice identification (Voice ID) as a means of speeding up the security steps. The system uses 100 different characteristics to recognise the voice of an individual and [...]

Psychologists from the University of Calgary have published a study in the JAMA journal of Paediatrics, which found that 2-5 years olds who engaged in more screen time received worse scores in developmental screening tests. The Study The toddlers in the study were from 2,500 Alberta homes between 2011 and 2016.  Their families or caregivers were asked to report on how much time the toddlers spent in front of screens. The toddlers were reported to be averaging 2-3 hours per day screen time, and their families/caregivers filled out standard questionnaires about the basic motor and communication skills of the toddlers.  [...]

In Windows 10, the Tasks experience in Outlook.com (powered by 'To-Do') means that when looking at your inbox, you can save time and create tasks by dragging and dropping an email to your task list. You can also easily schedule items by dragging a task to your calendar. Your tasks then travel with you on the To-Do app. You can see how it’s done on the Windows Blog here: Go to https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/16/windows-10-tip-schedule-items-by-dragging-a-task-to-your-calendar/#WX3WrBWATdGxSk48.97

A report from the Cyber Security Research Group and the Policy Institute at King’s College London, has suggested that the government could help combat high cyber-crime levels by naming (and shaming) companies with poor cyber-security. Who? The Cyber Security Research Group at King’s College London brings together experts with backgrounds in international relations, security studies, strategic studies, intelligence, public policy, informatics and computer science in order to promote better research into cyber-security.  The other research partner in this case, the Policy Institute at King’s College London is an independent research institute focusing on using evidence and expertise to tackle societal challenges. Cyber-crime Levels The [...]

Google has been fined a massive 50 million euros (£44m) for breach of GDPR dating back to May 2018 and relating to how well people were informed about how Google collected data to personalise advertising and the matter of consent. Who? Google (Alphabet Inc) has been fined £44 million by the French data regulator CNIL.  The two complaints that brought about the investigation and the fine were filed in 2018 by privacy rights groups noyb and La Quadrature du Net (LQDN). Even though the fine is eye-wateringly large, the maximum fine for large companies like Google under GDPR could have [...]

Password-based authentication has long been known to be less secure than other methods such as multi-step verification or biometrics, but a massive leak of a staggering 87GB of 772.9 million emails, 21.2 million passwords and 1.1 billion email address and password combinations recently shared on hacking forums has brought the inherent weaknesses of password authentication into sharp focus. What Leak? The massive leak of 2.6 billion rows of data from 12,000 files dubbed Collection #1 onto hacking forums was revealed in a blog post by security researcher Troy Hunt, who is most well-known for managing the ‘Have I Been Pwned’ service. In his [...]