So what happened in February?

At Digital Pathways, we understand a thing or two about cyber security and the risks surrounding data breaches. As you would expect, we strive to keep on top of major events where a firm or individual falls foul of cyber criminals. With the details understood, we can then impart our knowledge and advise people on how best to avoid similar threats.

Despite this, even we couldn’t believe the sheer quantity of attacks that took place in February this year, or the lack of coverage that these breaches and attacks were given. Seeing the many data breaches and cyber security failings still taking place around the world made us wonder whether as a society we are already becoming deaf to the escalating threats posed online. From ransomware attacks that devastate families, to careless and malicious employees causing irreparable damage to an organisation, we all seem to have become desensitised to the risks. Read more

How log management can protect your systems

Every PC and server you use will keep an audit of its activity, which gives you valuable insight into the behaviours of its users.

Log management is an essential tool in the battle against cyber-crime. It might not be as glamorous as anti-malware software, or the use of honeypots, but it can be the single most important way of preventing a potential hack. It is effectively the gathering of information from your systems. Every PC and server you use will keep an audit of its activity, which gives you valuable insight into the behaviours of its users. You can track exactly who logged in at any given time, and where exactly they were accessing. Read more

Encryption As The Cornerstone Of Big Data Security

Big data programmes benefit organisations in many ways, driving competitiveness and innovation. But they can also increase security risks. One of the most important issues for organisations running big data projects is balancing the need to protect data from misuse, fraud or loss, while ensuring the ability to perform big data analysis is preserved.

Big data sets harness information from multiple sources, such as databases, data warehouses, log and event files, security controls, and user-generated data such as from emails and social media posts. The information collected can be in either structured form, such as in the columns of a database, or unstructured, such as information contained in a word processing document. Read more