Microsoft 365 – are your backups enough?

With more businesses moving to Microsoft 365, there is something of a debate around how best to backup your data. While Microsoft does back up 365, there are some limitations.  Sure, you are protected if they have failures or outages with their datacentres, hardware or software. However, you won’t be well protected from human error at your end, or hackers or … Read More

Developing secure behaviours – 10 practical principles for effective change

Poor employee behaviours create risk for businesses Overwhelming evidence consistently shows that people are at the heart of the majority of cyber security incidents and data breaches. Typically, due to ignorance, carelessness, error, trickery or malice. In a world of increasing cyber threats, there is wide acceptance that embedding secure mindsets and habits into an organisation’s culture is imperative. However … Read More

Emotet Malware

emotet malware

New Zealand organisations have noted an increase in Emotet malware activity recently. What is Emotet? Emotet is a malware threat which is commonly spread by email, using infected attachments, as well as embedded website links. These emails may appear to come from trusted sources, as Emotet takes over the email accounts of its victims. This helps trick users into downloading … Read More

Help! I’ve been replaced by a robot…..

At the moment the news sites and blogs are continually proclaiming loudly about all the jobs that AI (artificial intelligence)and technology are going to replace.  They talk about how so many of the jobs your children will do when they leave school don’t even exist yet, and how even quite high-level roles – like lawyers – will be replaced by … Read More

Standing Desks – worth the hype?

While I like being an early adopter, I have never really been one to follow fads.  I haven’t seen a single Harry Potter movie, for example.  So when I started seeing people using a standing desk for work, I compared them to lycra-wearing cyclists and tried not to laugh. However about a year ago an accountant friend of mine switched … Read More

The Internet is a dangerous place

I clicked on a link earlier this week and ended up with something dreadful on my computer.  It was the New Zealand Herald.  Their article about the WannaCry ransomware I thought was truly abysmal, sensational and inaccurate reporting.  It reminded me how careful you have to be with stuff you find on the internet. Of course, the facts that prompted … Read More

Cyber Insurance & Cyber Crime

“Always practice safe clicks!”        Ransomware has been big in the news for the past couple of years, and earlier this year in particular the “WannaCry” attack caused a media storm and, apparently, generated US130,000 in income for the writers. (The actual recorded amount was 52 Bitcoins, which on the current market would be NZ$332,540 – that’s certainly … Read More

Digital Disruption

There is an ancient Chinese curse that says “May you live in interesting times”.  The implication is that times of change and disruption are “interesting” (and unpleasant) compared to a state of peace and tranquility. We are certainly living in interesting times right now, and “disruption” is a word being bandied around by the tech media quite a lot. It’s … Read More

Weathering the storm: lessons from Auckland’s power outage

Whatever your opinions are on global warming we do seem to be experiencing climate change in New Zealand. Looking back over the past hundred years we’ve had some really hefty storms, eight or ten really notable ones, and over half of those have been in the past twenty years. Our weather appears to be becoming more tropical and if this … Read More