Blockchain, Christmas and Police in the Cybersecurity Mix

by edguards on December 6, 2018

Take a glance at the most discussed cybersecurity topics of the week.

The UK police are partnering with Cisco, a network supplier, to train cybersecurity skills of more than 120,000 police officers.
Nearly half of all UK businesses faced at least one cyberattack during the last year.

Put your hands up! It’s a cybersecurity police

ComputerWeekly on November 29, 2018

It is commonly supposed that the UK is one of the most digitally active nations. Well, the latest news has proved this statement – the UK police are partnering with Cisco, a network supplier, to train cybersecurity skills of more than 120,000 police officers.
During the program, policemen will be able to build their cybersecurity awareness and understanding of the emerging cyber threats as well as to gain insights into the specifics of network protection.

It’s important for all police officers to understand cybersecurity as fully as possible. By doing so, they can develop their knowledge in this increasingly important area, improving security in both their professional and personal lives.

Andy Beet, futures lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s data communications group

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Ace in the hole: a blended way to reduce cybersecurity gap and fight hackers

Forbes on November 28, 2018

Make your eyebrows be ready to raise – the next sentence contains surprising but frustrating statistics. Nearly half of all UK businesses faced at least one cyberattack during the last year, while almost three-quarters of entrepreneurs regard cybersecurity as a high priority issue for them.

Despite the tremendous concern, it is hard for enterprises to employ cybersecurity professionals who are capable of successfully counteracting hackers. Moreover, it is estimated that there will be a shortfall of nearly 1.8 million specialists by 2022. Thus, what can you do to overcome the emerging skill gap?

The first answer that comes to mind is to invest in staff training. However, there is an alternative solution. The security team of the Texas A&M University uses AI software to discover, monitor and remediate any threats to the system. Although the actual decision in terms of responding to detected anomalies is made by humans, the major work is done by machines. Therefore, this blended approach might trump any malefactor’s actions.

Blockchain – friend or enemy for cybersecurity?

Data Center Knowledge on December 3, 2018

How many times have you heard “blockchain” over the last few years? Do not worry, we also cannot give a certain answer but it seems like it will soon be included in the ABC book to teach children the words starting with “B”.

Basically, the technology allows sharing a ledger with your peers, so that any changes of the elements are impossible unless the majority of system users sign off on the change. For instance, banks can get together and move money from one to another without any centralized gatekeeper. But in case there are transaction problems, a bank will have to negotiate with every peer in the system.

Furthermore, the absence of a central authority in the blockchain system provides hackers with a lot of opportunities to attack currency exchanges and intercept money transfers with apparent impunity. So, in terms of cybersecurity, blockchain might cause more problems than it solves.

Cyber professionals, what if Christmas would be every day?

Information Age on November 30, 2018

Christmas fever is not only about choosing presents for friends, frosty smell outside of decorated houses and listening to the Abba’s songs. In fact, while you are writing a list of wishes for the upcoming year, IT teams of the retail companies are doing the same for possible upcoming dangers. By the way, among them, there are phishing scams, malicious websites and implanted malware.

However, everything would not be so sad for retailers if the increased attention to cybersecurity issues was a 365-days-a-year discipline including the following four steps: