Information and Cyber Security round up

It is nice to have some good news to report. Security in Gmail is being enhanced to protect you from malware, phishing attacks and other threats. Google has also launched ‘Security Checkup’, a service that controls the security settings of a Gmail account. It lets users add a recovery phone number, check the devices connected to their account (do this on a regular basis!), and make passwords stronger.
http://www.scmagazineuk.com/google-tightens-security-in-gmail-service/article/473335/

The ‘Cloud’ is generally very secure, but here is an example of when it can go wrong, and data is lost. Always backup to more than one Cloud service, or to a Cloud service and a hard drive. And check backups on a regular basis (monthly if not weekly) to make sure all the data you expect to have been backed up has been, and it can be restored
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jan/20/justcloud-backup-lost-documents

Skype users are being targeted. Poisoned ads on being used to redirect users to the Angler exploit kit.
https://www.grahamcluley.com/2016/02/skype-ads-angler-exploit-kit/

And there is malware that can copy your audio, video and chat messages and take screengrabs along with files being transmitted. Basically, anything you are doing on Skype is passed to criminals. It can avoid detection by many of the usual security suites, so they may not pick it up. 
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/trojan-t9000-bypasses-antivirus-suites-to-spy-on-skype-calls-chats-report-800751

And finally, Lincolnshire County Council had to turn off PCs and servers across the local authority’s entire network. The decision was made after email-borne malware was launched by a member of staff (‘user error’). They were off for more than 3 days – it was back to pen and paper. Do you know what to look for to avoid something similar happening to your business?

Get in touch for practical advice on Information and Cyber Security measures to protect your business and avoid security issues that could result in financial loss and a damaged reputation.