Apr 19, 2021Bitcoin, real currency and the proceeds of crime.Bitcoin has been without a doubt one of the most controversial innovations of recent years. It has been known to be “untraceable” although that turns out not to be the case. Still, it is the preferred way of evading currency restrictions, money laundering and anonymising one’s proceeds of crime. One…Bitcoin5 min readBitcoin5 min read
Nov 30, 2020St Andrews, Patras and my relationship with ScotlandSt Andrews is the Patron Saint of Scotland and the cross he was crucified on, now called a Saltire, is the single symbol on the Scottish flag. …St Andrews6 min readSt Andrews6 min read
Aug 20, 2020Go tell the Spartans… 2,500 years from the Battle of ThermopylaeFive lessons for Cyber Security professionals & a debt owed by our democracies to an ancient military nation. It was 2,500 years today, that a small group of elite and well trained soldiers (hoplite) made military history by slowing down a vastly superior (in numbers) army. The legend of the 300, has been popularised (and at some point exaggerated) by Hollywood’s movies like “The 300 Spartans” and more…Spartans8 min readSpartans8 min read
Aug 3, 2020Digital Evidence in Employment cases.An often overlooked but contributing factor. Like in every profession, digital evidence bears its own share of stereotyping and misconceptions. Most people see digital evidence used in criminal cases, in TV series like NCIS and Law & Order, and of course in CSI:Cyber (not so successful as the original franchise). But the reality in the life…Employment Tribunal7 min readEmployment Tribunal7 min read
Aug 3, 2020BITCOIN FRAUD is Everywhere. Unfortunately there are No Exceptions.You have seen them a million times. They are annoying and they seem to follow you. Always refer to where you are connected and you feel you just can’t escape them. It’s because you can’t. Most of the time that is. Today I visited CNET, a trusted tech news website…Bitcoin Scam4 min readBitcoin Scam4 min read
Jul 17, 2020To ZOOM or not to ZOOM? That is the question.The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the world in more ways than we can possibly comprehend at this stage. However some of the changes are self evident and apparent to all. …Zoom5 min readZoom5 min read
Jun 21, 2020Digital evidence in criminal court cases. The fallacies and misunderstandings and how they can destroy lives and reputations.Digital evidence is now a permanent part of our lives. Unless you have zero digital footprint, you own and use no digital devices, you will always have digital evidence of anything you do, and eventually of everything you are, following you. …Digital Forensics10 min readDigital Forensics10 min read
Jun 19, 2020COVID-19 Crowdsourced data. Track & Trace apps. Alibaba & WeChat. Apple, Google & the NHS.During the last few months everybody became familiar with the visualisation of the spread of COVID-19 around the world. Although news channels around the world were producing their own infographics to visualise the spread, it was John Hopkins University (JHU) that became the first reliable source of public dissemination of…Privacy7 min readPrivacy7 min read
Jun 11, 2020The Cyber Academy Presents: Laura IrvineThe Cyber Academy has a long standing tradition of inviting special guests, to speak to our events, and our students. The last two years we hosted some very interesting guests in our SOCLAB at our Merchiston Campus. …Laura Irvine3 min readLaura Irvine3 min read
May 13, 2020Your IT people may be ready for a Cyber Attack. But is the rest of your organisation ready?Cyber threats are one of the new normals for every single business, charity or government organisation. There is no escape and there is nowhere to hide (unless you go all analogue). Every computer network connected to the internet is always under attack. You are under attack while you are reading…Cirp5 min readCirp5 min read