InfoSecSam Newsletter #2

Recent News

United States Fights Back + No to AI

First up, the United States has taken their fight against cyber criminals to a whole new level. They just sanctioned Chinese hackers for targeting critical infrastructure. Looks like the gloves are off and tensions are rising between the two countries.

Unrelated, the U.S. House of Representatives has banned Congressional staffers from using Microsoft Copilot for 365 AI chatbot citing risks of House data leakage.

This highlights the concerns and risks associated with the use of AI for sensitive data that every cybersecurity professional should be aware of.

Healthcare Cyber Attacks

Have you heard about the recent cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway? It's not looking good as hackers are threatening to expose confidential patient data. UnitedHealth Group was also hit with a cyberattack as well. Talk about a double whammy for the healthcare sector.

AT&T Data Breach

AT&T, one of the largest telecommunication companies, confirmed a data breach affecting over 70 million customers. That's a lot of personal information. Names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses - all up for grabs.

Russia Targets Microsoft

A Russian state-backed group was able to breach Microsoft's core systems through a simple phishing attack. This puts Microsoft's operations at risk and could potentially cause chaos in the tech world.

Don’t Panic

These stories can be overwhelming, especially if you're just starting your career in cybersecurity. But fear not, because knowledge is power and staying updated with the latest news is crucial in this ever-evolving field. So, keep yourself informed and keep those cyber threats at bay.

Career Development

FREE ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity Training and Exam

A reminder that ISC2 are still offering free self-paced training and certification exam to 1 million people.

This is an unmissable opportunity to obtain an industry recognised certification from a reputable body at NO COST.

Click on the following link and follow the steps to kick start your career: FREE Entry-level Cybersecurity Training + Certification Exam

Learn with Minecraft

Microsoft are offering free Minecraft themed cybersecurity training through immersive educational game-based training.

The training is aimed at providing school educators with content to teach their students. But if you are new to cybersecurity, and especially if you enjoy Minecraft, this would be a good place to start.

The training is split into Minecraft ‘Maps’ each focused on a particular area of cybersecurity.

You can access the training for free from the following link: Microsoft Minecraft Education.

Other News

• Poor Law Privacy - A senior UK lawmaker admitted to passing colleagues’ numbers to a stranger met on a dating app. This highlights the ongoing concerns over data privacy.

• Tech (End of) Support - Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 next year so make sure you’re upgrading to Windows 11 or face paying £50 a year to get the latest security patches.

• Unlimited Power - A company hoping to launch the first solar farm into space has passed a critical milestone with a prototype on Earth. Space Solar plans to power more than a million homes by the 2030s with mile-wide complex of mirrors and solar panels orbiting 22,000 miles above the planet.

• Wizz Wee Air - A man was fined for urinating in a cup during a delay in deplaning at Sydney Airport.

If you found this interesting, forward it on!

If you’re new here, subscribe here!