Why good cyber hygiene is a strategic imperative for UK SMEs
No company is immune from a cyber-attack, with large and small being targeted. As technologies advance and cybercriminals hone their skills, evolve their tactics, and find new vulnerabilities to exploit, companies can no longer ask the question of if a cyber attack will occur but when and how it will happen.
While the number of data breaches is cause for concern, the cost associated with them is equally alarming. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the global average cost of a cyberattack has ballooned to $4.45 million, increasing by 15 percent over the past three years. Even more sobering is that it shows no signs of easing, as global cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.
Understanding LLMs, privacy and security -- why a secure gateway approach is needed
Over the past year, we have seen generative AI and large language models (LLMs) go from a niche area of AI research into being one of the fastest growing areas of technology. Across the globe, around $200 billion is due to be invested in this market according to Goldman Sachs, boosting global labor productivity by one percentage point. That might not sound like much, but it would add up to $7 trillion more in the global economy.
However, while these LLM applications might have potential, there are still problems to solve around privacy and data residency. Currently, employees at organisations can unknowingly share sensitive company data or Personal Identifiable Information (PII) on customers out to services like OpenAI. This opens up new security and data privacy risks.
WhatsApp now lets you hide your IP address, but there are a couple of catches
In a sea of messaging apps, WhatsApp remains one of the most widely used, its popularity buoyed by end-to-end encryption. Meta has now added a new feature aimed at "those who are particularly privacy-conscious".
There is a new option to protect your IP address by hiding it from other WhatsApp users during calls. This is important as IP addresses can reveal quite a lot, including location. While the new call relaying privacy measures are likely to be welcomed, there are a couple of significant caveats to keep in mind.
Privacy tool DoNotSpy11 updated with Windows 11 23H2 support and the option to disable Windows Copilot
Microsoft is just one of many tech companies that people view with suspicion when it comes to privacy. Over the years, Windows has been infected with all manner of privacy-invading telemetry features and settings -- particularly in the case of Windows 11 -- and there has been a fightback from users and software developers alike.
DoNotSpy11 is a tool that empowers concerned users to protect their privacy by blocking telemetry and disabling features of Windows. Now the software has been updated, and DoNotSpy11 version 1.2.0.0 introduces full support for the latest Windows 11 23H2 and makes it possible to disable the AI-powered Copilot.
Unveiling the true value of privacy
Ask your clients, your friends, or anyone on the street: nobody likes to share their data, especially with people or companies they don't know. We routinely press 'no' on pop-ups asking for cookies in our browser, and of course you’re just as likely to say 'no' to any proposal to share your data to improve a product, even anonymously. People value privacy, even if that's somehow in contradiction with the fact that some of us also share the most private moments on social media.
Does this diffused privacy awareness influence how companies relate to their customers and manage their products and services? Well, not quite. Most of the time, organizations simply don't implement anything which would truly protect the privacy of their users. They typically say things like "your data is protected" or "we are trusted by big companies". And even where regulations and policies are in place, this might not always force these organizations to have particular protections, even when it comes to very sensitive data like health data or financial information. Why? Is it not possible to do more?
Mission data privacy: Empowering consumers in an era of rapid change
Whether browsing online for clothes or catching up on the latest news, we’ve all had that unwanted internet cookie pop-up appear. At face-value they may seem harmless, but cookies are a goldmine of private information, posing a serious risk to your data privacy. Today, consumers face a new predicament surrounding attitudes toward their valuable data. When personal data is stolen by a cybercriminal, that offense is the online equivalent of a physical robbery, but the severity of data theft is being overlooked.
From a regulatory standpoint, concerns over data privacy have prompted stricter actions from governments and organizations globally as they try to grapple with the challenge of striking a balance between data security and user privacy. Now, in response to increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics, there must be a shift from slow, reactive regulation towards adopting more proactive strategies that both anticipate and mitigate against potential risks. This will be key to shaping a secure, privacy-conscious future.
What IT teams need to know about Google's privacy changes
It’s no secret the depreciation of third-party cookies has been a popular topic of conversation in the industry. Now, however, Google is making changes that will eventually lead to the demise of third-party cookies. The tech giant is rolling out its Privacy Sandbox initiative in the latest version of Chrome and for Android. With any big privacy change, there is a ton of controversy and impending regulations that may mean the Privacy Sandbox is not the futureproof solution brands hope it is.
So, what can IT teams do to help marketers take back control of their data collection strategies and ethically reach customers during this time of change?
Google Chrome will soon offer to hide your IP address for added privacy and security
Google is preparing to launch a new Chrome feature which will give users the ability to hide their IP address. Previously known as Gnatcatcher, the feature is now called IP Protection and makes use of proxies to help prevent online tracking.
IP Protection is described as "a privacy proxy that anonymizes IP addresses for qualifying traffic". One of its primary aims is to limit the possibility for fingerprinting as a means of tracking users online, which is something that has become increasingly common as steps are taken to block, and even kill off, third-party cookies.
Microsoft Edge may be using your browsing history to inform Bing Chat AI -- here's how to stop it
AI is just about everywhere now. Its ubiquity makes it nearly impossible to avoid, and Microsoft is just one of the big tech firms to have thrown everything at artificial intelligence.
As well as adding AI to Windows 11 with Copilot, Microsoft has also brought a generous dose of it to its Edge browser courtesy of Bing Chat. What users of this feature may not be aware of is that their browsing data is being used to personalize Copilot, meaning that a huge amount of potentially revealing information is being shared with the artificial intelligence tool.
Global Encryption Day: Protecting our first line of defense
Today, Global Encryption Day 2023, marks the perfect opportunity to reflect on what has been a highly challenging year for the technology.
Encryption acts as a fundamental safeguard of data privacy, securing data both during transmission and while at rest. It often serves as a primary defense against hackers and is indispensable in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information. With the risk of reputational damage and massive fines for those who are breached, it is essential for any organizations looking to ensure regulatory compliance.
Your 'personal' personal information
Let’s talk about the personal information that belongs to you, your personal personal information. What is your level of tolerance for the amount of data collected about you? Are you willing to provide your email to get a 15 percent discount? What if it’s 50 percent? What if it’s your phone number, too? These are all questions that we are faced with almost everyday and everyone has a different opinion.
One of the biggest problems is knowing what you are signing up for, and what personal information may have already been obtained. When you first visit a site, cookies and other technologies can automatically collect your IP address, set trackers, and more. Once you enter your personal information into other places, you may unwittingly allow yourself to receive direct marketing, allow the business to sell your information, or allow it to be shared with others for purposes you were not anticipating.
Microsoft Edge is snooping on your Chrome browsing activity; here's how to stop it
One web browser spying on another? Surely not! However, if you are using both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, Microsoft's browser could be grabbing all of your browsing history from Chrome every time you launch it.
If you decided to jump from Firefox to Chrome, from Edge to Firefox, from Opera to Edge or any other combination, you will probably have taken advantage of the option to import browsing history, saved passwords and so on. But you likely don’t want this cross-browser communication to continue indefinitely. Here’s how to check whether this sneaky data swapping is happening in the background and how to stop it if it is.
Google is testing a new option so you can keep your super-recent browsing history secret
Your browsing history can be very revealing; there are countless reasons for not wanting a list of the sites you have visited to be seen by others. While it can be hard to maintain complete privacy, there are steps you can take on a local basis -- such as simply deleting your browsing history.
It is easy to see the deletion of browsing history as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and for a very long time it was very much an "all or nothing" approach. Over time, Google and others introduced options to limit how much browsing history should be deleted, and now Chrome users are being offered even more fine-grained controls.
Is banning the right solution to dealing with problem apps? [Q&A]
Lots of apps are potentially transmitting and saving user data without express permission and this has led some administrations to consider bans.
In May, Montana passed the first bill to ban TikTok statewide due to data concerns, and India has banned 60 apps, including TikTok, claiming they were transmitting user data back to China.
90 percent of testing professionals are concerned about AI bias
A new survey of over 3,000 digital testing professionals reveals concerns about bias, copyright issues and privacy.
The study from testing specialist Applause shows that 90 percent of respondents expressed concern, with 25 percent 'very concerned' that bias may affect the accuracy, tone or relevance of the content produced by AI.
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