Safer Internet Centre

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk

The safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading organisations: Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with one mission – to promote the safe and responsible use of technology for young people.

South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) Trust is a not-for-profit charitable trust providing schools and other establishments with safe, secure, managed and supported connectivity and associated services, learning technologies to improve outcomes, and the toolkit for being safer online.

The partnership was appointed by the European Commission as the Safer Internet Centre for the UK in January 2011 and is one of the 31 Safer Internet Centres of the Insafe network. The centre has three main functions:

  1. Awareness Centre: to provide advice and support to children and young people, parents and carers, schools and the children’s workforce and to coordinate Safer Internet Day across UK
  2. Helpline: to provide support to professionals working with children and young people with online safety issues
  3. Hotline: an anonymous and safe place to report and remove child sexual abuse imagery and videos, wherever they are found in the world

The UK Safer Internet Centre is funded under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme of the European Commission. As such we contribute to the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) core service platform to share resources, services and practices between the European Safer Internet Centres and advice and information about a better internet to the general public.

The website pages are – About,  Safer Internet Day, Blog, Training & Events, Research, Get Involved, Translate

Advice Centre, Hotline, Helpline, Pupil powered e-safety

It contains a lot of advice and information, largely to do with young people, parents and carers but much applicable to anyone so it is a useful resource.

Do enter your email address and click on the subscribe button on top right to keep up to date with new posts.

Fightback Ninja Signature

Very Expensive Locksmiths

Scam locksmiths are operating again in the Surrey area and probably also across many other parts of the country.

They advertise on Google as a local specialist firm willing to do emergency lock replacements etc. and they probably even have a set of very positive reviews on Google.

Some even run this as a scam covering multiple areas with calls coming into a scammer’s call centre.

The scam is that the work will be poor quality as the staff have little idea of what they’re doing. Plus they will use cheap parts and charge extortionate prices for them e.g. over a thousand pounds to replace a door lock instead of the more reasonable £200 – £250

How to Find Genuine Local experts

Personal recommendations can be very useful – perhaps ask your neighbours for their experiences of local locksmiths and who they would recommend.

Ideally get 3 quotes from local locksmiths and make sure these are in writing. If a business won’t provide a quote in writing then steer clear of them.

These two websites below can offer recommendations but beware that online reviews can be  cheated by determined scammers.

https://www.trustedtraders.which.co.uk/

https://www.trustatrader.com/locksmith

Before you let any tradesman or woman into your home – check their identification. Licensed locksmiths have a Master Security License Number provided for identification purposes, which is usually visible on their vehicle and identity card.

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.

Fightback Ninja Signature

A Delivery of Cash from the World Bank

I am exhorted to “Hurry Up and Contact Your Agent for Your $11 Million Dollars Consignment Box Immediately”.

This is supposedly cash to be delivered to me by the World Bank.

The email claims to be from the World Bank but is in fact from scottanderson929 @gmail.com which is a private email address.

There is a lengthy email explaining about the various bodies that make up the World Bank group, then it claims that due to my ‘horrible experience and losses’ they have discovered I have lost so much money trying to receive my funds but could not succeed. The grammar is strange as in so many of these scam messages.

The scammers seem to assume that so many people have now been scammed by them that they can send this sort of rubbish out in mass mailings and try to scam those people again with a story about how they have been deceived and are due compensation.

Some people fall for these 419 scams i.e. the promise of a fortune and a ridiculous story to explain the unexpected wealth but it seems unlikely such people would be dumb enough to get caught out a second time with essentially the same story, but maybe some do.

To claim the money I have to send an email to a different private email account with my name, address, date of birth, photo, occupation etc.  The usual information that scammers want for phishing emails and identity theft.

The email then goes into details about how the agent will travel to my home to personally deliver the consignment of $100 bills. E.g. it will be in an unbranded carboard box to hide its value.

All pathetic rubbish – the World bank don’t send money to people – they only deal with governments.

The catch in the scam is that I have to arrange to pay the $200 delivery fee. Sounds pretty cheap for someone to cross the Atlantic to deliver to my home when any sane person would simply do a money transfer.

Promises of a fortune are always scams.

Do click on the Facebook or Twitter icons on top right to follow Fight Back Ninja.

Fightback Ninja Signature

The UK Gov Cyber Essentials Scheme

https://www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk/

The government says Cyber Essentials helps your business to guard against the most common cyber threats and demonstrate your commitment to cyber security

Self-Help for Cyber Essentials

The guide explains how to:

  • Secure your Internet connection
  • Secure your devices and software
  • Control access to your data and services
  • Protect from viruses and other malware
  • Keep your devices and software up to date

The Three levels of engagement

Not everyone has the time or resources needed to develop a full-on cyber security system. So we’ve designed Cyber Essentials has been designed to fit with whatever level of commitment you are able to sustain. There are three levels of engagement:

  1. The simplest is to familiarise yourself with cyber security terminology, gaining enough knowledge to begin securing your IT.
  2. Basic Cyber Essentials certification.
  3. Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

1.     Self Help

The self-assessment option gives you protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber attacks. This is important because vulnerability to simple attacks can mark you out as target for more in-depth unwanted attention from cyber criminals and others.

2.     Certified Cyber Security

Cyber Essentials Certificate £300 approx. (+VAT)

Certification gives you peace of mind that your defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

In the process of obtaining Cyber Essentials Certification is simple, you can opt to buy as much or as little help as you need from the company you choose to certify you.

Cyber Essentials shows you how to address those basics and prevent the most common attacks.

  • Reassure customers that you are working to secure your IT against cyber attack
  • Attract new business with the promise you have cyber security measures in place
  • You have a clear picture of your organisation’s cyber security level
  • Some Government contracts require Cyber Essentials certification

3.     Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate

The cost for this is only available on application.

It has all the benefits of Cyber Essentials PLUS your cyber security is verified by independent experts.

Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. The advice is designed to prevent these attacks.

Cyber Essentials Plus still has the Cyber Essentials trademark simplicity of approach, and the protections you need to put in place are the same, but this time the verification of your cyber security is carried out independently by your Certification Body.

The more rigorous nature of the certification may mean you need to buy additional support from your Certification Body.

Cyber Essentials and Government Contracts

If you would like to bid for central government contracts which involve handling sensitive and personal information or the provision of certain technical products and services, you will require Cyber Essentials Certification.

If you’ve enjoyed this post or found it useful then do share – click on the post title then scroll down to the social media share buttons.

Fightback Ninja Signature

Why So Many Fake Blog Comments?

Anyone with a blog or website will be used to ‘people’ posting random meaningless comments on the blog or website and probably wondered why this happens so much. What is the point?

First of all, where do the fake comments come from?

They are computer generated by software that takes a set of generic phrases and rearranges them and then tries to post the result on a long list of random blogs and websites.

So you end up with fake comments such as this one from recently.

“message: We’re so happy having found the web blog, it’s really the thing my wife’s friends My friends from work are hoping in search of. The information here on the web page is always enlightening and will assist my business partners significantly intuitive information. Typically I’m not on the net when I’m busy and as my friends and I get a break.”

Sometimes the posts contain lots of links to websites that the sender will be paid for posting on the Internet and sometimes there are adverts for illegal websites, gambling sites etc.

Most blogs and many websites have a process where the owner has to authorise posts but on very busy sites this isn’t always possible and the sender hopes her post will get published automatically or by someone who cannot be bothered recognising it as rubbish.

Many blogs automatically publish posts from anyone whose first post was accepted. Then they can include more illegal and/or unpleasant adverts and links in their subsequent posts.

Make sure your blog or website is setup so you have to authorise each post and if you are unsure whether a post is genuine then quarantine it or delete it.

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.

Fightback Ninja Signature