TalkTalk warns customers of data hack

By on March 13, 2015 in Blog, Security

It seems with every passing month comes news of another high profile security breach. Now telecoms company TalkTalk confirms it has been the victim of a hacking scandal affecting thousands of users.

TalkTalk has emailed customers to warn them of the scam in which hackers stole account numbers and names from the company’s database. Believed to have taken place last year, the theft was uncovered following a sudden rise in complaints about scam calls between October and December 2014.

[themecolor]Stolen data used to defraud customers[/themecolor]

Worryingly, fraudsters have been using the stolen data to trick customers into handing over bank details. TalkTalk sent the email out to its entire client base – around four million customers in total – although the data theft is thought to have only affected a small number of these. The company has been unwilling to announce the exact number, but has confirmed it is in the “small thousands”, according to some press sources.

A spokesperson for TalkTalk said: “We have now concluded a thorough investigation working with an external security company, and we have become aware that some limited non-sensitive information may have been illegally accessed in violation of our security procedure.

“We are aware of a small, but nonetheless significant, number of customers who have been directly targeted by these criminals and we have been supporting them directly”.

[themecolor]Legal action now underway[/themecolor]

The information stolen includes names, addresses, phone numbers and TalkTalk account numbers, but the telecoms company is confident that no sensitive or payment data went astray. Its internal systems were targeted through a third party who had access to its network. Legal action is now being taken against this unnamed party.

Scammers have been using the information to pose as TalkTalk customer service staff and tricking people into handing over bank details or paying for security software and services they don’t need.

TalkTalk have urged their customers to get in touch if they have any concerns regarding data security.

 

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Smartphone-charging furniture unveiled

By on March 13, 2015 in Blog, Mobile devices, New technology, Product releases

Items of furniture that incorporate wireless smartphone charging spots have been unveiled in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress.

No longer will homeowners be scrabbling around to find their phone charger; Ikea has come to the rescue by developing the Home Smart range of lamps, bedside tables and office furniture – all of which feature a charger.

Eighty models, including the Samsung Galaxy S6, will be compatible with the household items, which use the QI wireless charging standard. Ikea says that a special wireless charging cover will be needed for phones that don’t support this standard – which include the iPhone 5 and 6, plus the Samsung Galaxy S5. This cover is available to buy in store.

[themecolor]Ikea to launch new range in April[/themecolor]

The furniture, which has been designed in typically sleek Ikea fashion, is aimed squarely at both the home and office market, and will go on sale in the UK and USA in April. The range was created after extensive research and many home visits, in which Ikea’s team noted how ‘people hate cable mess…they worry about not finding a charger and running out of power’.

QI is not the only charging standard that is being developed; attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show would have seen a non-inductive system called WattUp, which can apparently charge items which are located in a 30ft radius, according to the BBC.

Speaking about the Home Smart range, Ikea’s Jeanette Skjelmose said: “Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler.”

The items will additionally include a USB outlet so that devices other than smart phones can be charged. The range is priced from £30.

With device charging now a primary concern for furniture designers, forecasters have claimed that this will be one of the biggest trends to hit the market in the coming years. In response, green campaigners have called for consideration to be paid to the environmental aspects, such as the time when owners decide to upgrade their furniture and sell on or throw out what they currently have.

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How secure is the cloud?

By on March 13, 2015 in Blog, Cloud computing

In 2014, the cloud was hitting the headlines on almost a weekly basis. Online storage was being talked about for all the wrong reasons, such as ‘The Snappening’, where thousands of Snapchat images were leaked by hackers, and the iCloud breach that saw nude pictures of Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities distributed online.

Questions and concerns have been raised about the security of ‘the cloud’ but is there any substance to these fears?

[themecolor]Risk and reward[/themecolor]

Hackers clearly stand to reap great rewards by breaking into a cloud than attacking a single computer, especially since all sorts of businesses are now choosing to store customer data this way. Therefore, cloud providers have had to redouble their security efforts to deal with this risk.

However, the level of security required can vary depending on what’s being protected. Government documents, for example, are going to be safeguarded using additional layers of security, whereas consumer documents and photos don’t need as much protection. Indeed, there is more than one type of cloud – public, private or hybrid to name but a few. One size does not fit all and cloud-enabled resources needed to be considered carefully on a case by case basis.

In a bid to increase customer confidence, some cloud providers are now opting to demonstrate their security credentials by proving they conform to certain standards. Microsoft recently became the first major cloud provider to adopt ISO 27018 – the world’s first international standard for cloud privacy.

It is argued by some that, because of this increased security, the cloud is much better equipped to protect people’s data than any individual. After all, physical data centres are constantly monitored, as is the cloud itself.

[themecolor]Data breaches aren’t always the fault of the cloud[/themecolor]

In the case of the iCloud ‘hack’, the cloud wasn’t at fault. The devices were hacked, not the cloud itself, which is why the attackers were able to gain access to private photos. Moreover, vulnerabilities can be introduced to the cloud if a user installs an application containing a virus or malicious software onto their device. Making the cloud secure is not just the job of the provider; software writers and the devices’ manufacturers are equally responsible.

Since almost every web-based service uses the cloud in some way, it’s nigh-on impossible to avoid using the cloud. Ultimately, it falls to the user to decide how much data they want to share, and with whom.

If you have questions regarding cloud security or wish to discuss your own online storage strategy, call our team on 01293 871971.

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A seismic shift for faster computing

By on March 13, 2015 in Blog, Tips & tricks

The shift key on your computer keyboard can be used for so much more than capital letters and the special characters that appear on the number keys. Our tips and tricks article this month describes 3 ways in which Windows 7 and 8 users can use the shift key to work faster and smarter.

Launch a new instance of a program

Many users use the Windows taskbar as a handy launch pad for the most commonly used applications such as Windows Explorer, your favourite browser and your primary business software.

Opening these programs requires a simple click of the icon but what about opening a second instance of the same application? For example, you may wish to open a fresh browser window alongside one that is already populated. Or you might need to open two instances of Windows Explorer in order to drag and drop files between different locations on your network.

Just hold down your shift key and open the program by clicking on the icon. A second, fresh instance will appear on screen.

screenshot1

Copy a file path to the clipboard

Have you ever wanted to send someone a file path to an important document or make a note of a link for your own future reference? There is a handy function available in Windows Explorer but it requires the shift key to access it.

Just hold down your shift key and right-click a file or folder in Windows Explorer. This will reveal a ‘Copy as path’ option, which copies the link to your clipboard. Now you can simply paste that link wherever you need it.

screenshot2

Secret right-click options for sending files

Just like the ‘Copy as path’ option, Windows hides away some other useful links which require the shift key to make them fully available.

The basic Send to tool, which appears when you right-click a file or folder, is a handy tool to move documents to a different location or send them via email. But there are additional options that you can reveal by holding down your shift key.

Just hold down you shift key as you right-click a file or folder and an array of new locations will be added to the basic ‘Send to’ menu.

screenshot3

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Hardware giant Lenovo victim of cyber attack

By on March 13, 2015 in Blog, Security

Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo has become a victim of a cyber-attack that took down its website and redirected traffic.

Coming at a bad timing for the company, the hack took place just a week after it publicly apologised for pre-loading adware called Superfish on to some of its laptops, making the gadgets vulnerable to hackers.

This most recent attack took down Lenovo’s website for several hours on Wednesday 25th February and showed a blank page, which stated that the site was unavailable due to maintenance. In addition, the URL lenovo.com redirected users to a slideshow of bored-looking teens, set to the song ‘Breaking Free’ from High School Musical.

[themecolor]Taking steps to protect user information[/themecolor]

The company said in a statement: “Unfortunately, Lenovo has been the victim of a cyber-attack. One effect of this attack was to redirect traffic from the Lenovo website. We are also actively investigating other aspects of the attack.

“We are responding and have already restored certain functionality to our public-facing website. We are actively reviewing our network security and will take appropriate steps to bolster our site and to protect the integrity of our users’ information and experience.

“We are also working proactively with third parties to address this attack and we will provide additional information as it becomes available.”

[themecolor]Lizard Squad and Superfish[/themecolor]

Hacking group Lizard Squad claimed responsibility for the DNS attack via its Twitter account. It is thought that the slideshow images depicted the hackers themselves and clicking on the slideshow took users to the Lizard Squad Twitter page. This group is also thought to be responsible for several other high profile cybercrimes including the PlayStation Network and Xbox breaches over Christmas.

Following its attack, the group posted screenshots of emails allegedly sent to lenovo.com addresses, including one discussing the Superfish software.

Lenovo is already in hot water; the preloaded software has landed the company in court under accusations of ‘fraudulent’ business practices. The adware was found to hijack browsers and insert third-party ads into Google searches, but has since been disabled.

Whilst there is every chance these attacks were targeted in their nature, if an organisation with the technical and financial resources of Lenovo can fall prey to hackers, it may be worth considering the vulnerability of your own organisation.

If you have any questions regarding online security, please call our team on 01293 871971.

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New client welcome pack

By on February 16, 2015 in Blog, Company news

All the M2 Assist Service Desk contact information is currently available on the website, but if you like to have all the information at your fingertips, we have introduced a new Welcome Pack. This has been produced for our clients with an aim to make the process of contacting the IT Support Service Desk easier. The M2 Assist welcome pack includes a ‘Guide to IT Support’, which outlines the Service Desk process and provides all the information needed to contact the M2 Computing team. It also includes details of M2’s referral scheme, where customers can earn rewards for introducing M2 Computing to a new client.

Tanya Haeffele, General Manager comments “The new pack provides everything a new customer needs to know about the M2 Computing IT Service Desk process. We have also included plenty of Service Desk contact cards to distribute within the business so all customers have the contact details to hand if they have any issues with their IT.”

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Apple reports biggest profit in history

By on February 16, 2015 in Blog, General, Topical

Technology giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple often polarise the marketplace, evoking strong differences of opinions between fans and detractors of the products and services they provide.

But love them or hate them, it turns out most people actually do love Apple, with the firm declaring the largest profits ever made by a public company in the three months to 27th December 2014. It’s thought that record sales of iPhones during the past year were mainly responsible for Apple posting a profit of £11.8 billion (£$18 billion) in its first fiscal quarter.

[themecolor]Demand for iPhones ‘staggering’[/themecolor]

Christmas sales of iPhones reached a phenomenal 74.5 million units in the final quarter of 2014. Well ahead of most analysts’ expectations, the devices lifted the company’s revenues by 30 per cent, thanks mostly to demand for the larger iPhone 6 Plus model.

The sales surprised even Apple itself, with the firm’s chief executive Tim Cook describing the demand as “staggering”. Even disappointing sales of the iPad could not make a big enough dint in the company’s success, despite its tablet sales falling by 22 per cent in 2014 from a year earlier.

Apple’s whopping revenue tops the previous profit record set by multinational oil giant ExxonMobil in 2012, following a surge in oil prices at the time. The tech giant’s cash pile amounts to more than the total market value of Disney, Pepsi or Amazon, notes dailymail.co.uk.

The net effect thrusts the firm to the top spot as the world’s most valuable company, with a market capitalisation of £428.5 billion ($650 billion).

[themecolor]China emerges as largest iPhone market[/themecolor]

China remains a strong market for the US-based company, where Apple became the number one smartphone manufacturer in the last quarter. Claiming the iPhone has “transformed” the mobile phone industry, BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones says: “A lot of this, at the moment, is about China, where this brand has got extraordinary cachet. They [Apple] sold more phones in China in the last quarter than they have in the United States.”

Apple’s next product – the Apple Watch – is a venture into the wearable technology sector. On schedule, the watch is to begin shipping this April.

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Workplace wellness named ‘primary objective’ among employers

By on February 16, 2015 in Blog, General, Topical

Working on a computer all day has long been blamed for a sedentary lifestyle, failing eyesight, repetitive strain injury and more besides. Now new research has revealed ‘wellness’ to be a prime focus of 82 per cent of employers, ahead of increasing staff productivity.

Respondents to MetLife UK’s annual UK Employee Benefits Trends Survey named staff health and wellness initiatives as top of their benefits objectives. They were far keener to find ways of improving employee health than identifying tools to increase productivity (cited by 72 per cent of respondents) or address the workforce’s diverse needs (69 per cent).

Of the wellness benefits available, the most popular among employees themselves was flexible working. Almost three-quarters said they wanted to make use of this perk if it was offered to them. Two-thirds expressed an interest in preventative care, 59 per cent would use an on-site gym and 42 per cent would take up any financial counselling.

The survey also found that just 14 per cent of employees considered themselves energetic at work, which is not surprising given the majority sit down all day.

A study by epidemiologist, Steven Blair, cited in a microsoft.com blog, found that men who endured a sedentary lifestyle were 64 per cent more likely to develop heart disease. Worse still was the revelation that even those who participated in regular exercise could not fully counter the effects of excessive inactivity.

Of course it’s vital that employers take wellness seriously; sickness costs the UK economy billions every year. However, there are lots of initiatives that businesses can introduce to promote good health, in addition to those cited in the MetLife UK survey. These include Cycle to Work schemes, subsidised fitness club memberships and the provision of healthier food options in the canteen, to name but a few. Free initiatives might include creating a lunch-time walking group or insisting on meetings where participants stand or ‘walk and talk’.

What’s more, fit and well employees are proven to be more productive!

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Is Microsoft HoloLens the future of computing?

By on February 16, 2015 in Blog, Microsoft

When Microsoft announced it would be making Windows 10 available as a free upgrade to users of Windows 7 and Windows 8, it was the prospect of the tech giant offering something for nothing that grabbed the biggest headlines.

But as the dust settles, following last month’s grand unveiling, much of the hype regarding Microsoft’s next operating system is now focussed around the Windows Holographic technology, which will be built into the new release.

It seems that even the size and clunky appearance of the accompanying HoloLens glasses cannot dampen enthusiasm for this impressive innovation, which will enable Windows 10 users to interact with holograms all around them.

The vision is certainly very exciting and, if reality lives up to expectations, Windows Holographic technology could revolutionise the way that companies do business.

Imagine the prospect of an architect sitting with you in your new house, walking you through a 3D layout before a single brick has been laid. Imagine if a telephone-based engineer, rather than describing to you, could actually point you to the tap you needed to turn in order to get your boiler up and running again.

So what could possibly go wrong? Well, whilst most users would hope this new technology proves to be an instant success, the potential spoke in the wheel is bandwidth.

After all, we all know how unpredictable streaming video can be on a standard UK broadband connection. So whilst Windows Holographic may be embraced more quickly in countries like Japan, a country whose internet infrastructure puts ours in the shade, it remains to be seen whether we will be ready to reap the full benefits of this new technology from day one.

[themecolor]Transforming your world with holograms[/themecolor]

This promotional video provides a glimpse into the ways Windows Holographic might transform everyday computing for businesses and home users alike.

[youtube_video]aThCr0PsyuA[/youtube_video]
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Millions of Android devices ‘infected’ by popular apps

By on February 16, 2015 in Security

Users were given a stark reminder last month that they should exercise the same level of caution when installing apps onto mobile devices as they do when downloading software onto their work PCs.

Three Android apps have since been removed from the app store by Google, but not before they’d managed to infect millions of phones and tablets.

[themecolor]Bogus pop-up ads[/themecolor]

Popular free card game app Durak is the main culprit, having been downloaded up to 10 million times, according to Google Play. The “adware” within the app was causing phony pop-up ads disguised as authentic system notifications; the pop-ups advised users to download new software in order to improve gameplay speed, according to reports.

The recommended software links often automatically installed unwanted apps which would send premium SMS messages or collect vast amounts of personal data without permission. In some cases, Durak functioned normally for as long as 30 days before the harmful malware revealed itself.

[themecolor]Up to 5 million downloads[/themecolor]

Security firm Avast confirmed the other two apps alleged to be involved in the infection of millions of devices include a Russian language IQ test app and a Russian history educational tool, which were downloaded up to five million times and up to 50,000 times respectively, according to Google Play.

Filip Chytry, Avast’s malware analyst, said: “Most people won’t be able to find the source of the problem and will face fake ads each time they unlock their device.”

“I believe that most people will trust that there is a problem that can be solved with one of the app’s advertised ‘solutions’ and will follow the recommended steps, which may lead to an investment into unwanted apps from untrusted sources.”

All three apps have now been suspended. Despite Google Play’s download figures rising into the multi-millions, some experts believe they should be taken with a pinch of salt. Dr Steven Murdoch from University College London, for example, highlighted that many malware authors deliberately exaggerate the amount of downloads to appear more popular.

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