Two years after the WannaCry ransomware outbreak shone a light on the computer security of the UK’s National Health Service, and five years after Microsoft said it would no longer release patches for Windows XP, the NHS still has 2300 PCs running the outdated operating system. The worrying statistic came to light in the response to a parliamentary question asked by shadow minister Jo Platt MP. The fact that 2,300 NHS computers are still running Windows XP is, obviously, not great news.

Security professionals have many tools in their toolbox. Some are physical in nature. (WireShark, Mimikatz, endpoint detection and response systems and SIEMs come to mind.) Others not so much. (These assets include critical thinking faculties, the ability to analyze complex processes, a willingness—some call it a need—to dig in and find the root cause of an issue and a passion to learn and keep learning.) One such tool that’s often overlooked is, communication.

Too many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are under the belief that purchasing “This One Product” or “This One Managed Service” will provide all the security their network requires. If this were true, large corporations with huge IT budgets would never have data breaches! Before you start buying expensive new technology to protect your office network, take some time to examine your internal infosec processes. Make sure you are covering the basics.

It may be possible to democratize security by making it more accessible to average companies through community resources. We have an idea or two, but we would appreciate your thoughts.

Have you ever seen the bridge of a commercial cargo shipping vessel? It is like a dream come true for every kid out there–a gigantic PlayStation. Unfortunately, maritime computer systems are also attractive to malicious cyber actors. Illustrating this interest by malicious individuals, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety alert warning all shipping companies of maritime cyber attacks.

As I discussed in the first blog in this series, the purpose of this series is to guide you on your journey up the Vulnerability Management Mountain (VMM). Like climbing a mountain, there is a lot of planning and work required, but when you get to the top, the view is amazing and well worth the journey. For the first phase, let’s start by planning the trip up Vulnerability Mountain. When you get ready to climb a mountain, you need gear, and you need to know what to ask for at the store.

Apple has chosen to temporarily disable a key feature of the Apple Watch after a critical vulnerability was discovered that could allow someone to eavesdrop on another person without their knowledge. The Apple Watch feature at the heart of the problem is Apple’s Walkie-Talkie app which allows users to “push to talk” with other Apple Watch owners via a real-time voice message, rather than having to make a call or laboriously type a text message.

When you are thinking about a very special holiday gift for your kid, one of the first things that spring to mind is a smartphone, tablet or laptop. It’s common knowledge that these devices aren’t very useful unless connected to the Internet. But how do you make sure your children are on the safe side when they go online? According to studies, kids spend more than nine hours a day surfing the web. That’s a lot of time, isn’t it?

The New York State Legislature recently passed a bill that aims to protect New York residents, regardless of the location of the business. The law, known as the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act is designed to address unauthorized access of data. The bill expands the definition of “Breach of the security of the system” by adding the wording “access to” data. The original regulation contemplated the acquisition of data.

What’s happened? British Airways is facing a record fine of £183 million, after its systems were breached by hackers last year and the personal and payment card information of around 500,000 customers were stolen. 183 million quid!? That sounds huge! Yes, it’s the biggest fine ever handed out by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).