Blog

News and information from the Advent IM team.

ICO – Data sharing: a code of practice

Information Commissioner’s foreword In 2011 the ICO published its first Data Sharing Code; in the intervening period the type and amount of data collected by organisations has changed enormously, as has the technology used to store and share it, and even the purposes for which it is used. It is imperative that we keep up […]

Read More

Cybercrime Forum Bans Ransomware Activity

A popular cybercrime forum claims to have banned all ransomware activity due to ideological differences and concerns over the amount of publicity that high-profile incidents are generating.   Read via InfoSecurityMag.

Read More

Ireland’s health service shuts down IT systems over ‘significant ransomware attack’

Ireland’s health service has closed down its computer systems after what it described as a “significant ransomware attack”. The Republic’s Health Service Executive (HSE) said it had shut down its entire IT network as a “precaution”. It said COVID-19 vaccination appointments were not affected by the cyberattack and were going ahead as planned. Read story via SkyNews

Read More

That phishing test…

You cannot fail to have noticed the coverage of a recent security awareness training event that has polarised opinions. (If you want to read about it in full, I will post a link at the end) Briefly, West Midlands trains, in a bid to very responsibly increase the security awareness of its employees,  tested their […]

Read More

Foreign Secretary issues warning to Russia on ransomware

The foreign secretary Dominic Raab will issue a warning to Russia about sheltering those behind ransomware attacks, on Wednesday. “When states like Russia have criminals operating from their territory they have a responsibility to prosecute, not shelter them,” he will say. Read via BBC News.

Read More

Four Plead Guilty to Aiding Cyber Criminals with Bulletproof Hosting

Four Eastern European nationals face 20 years in prison for Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) charges after pleading guilty to providing bulletproof hosting services between 2008 and 2015, which were used by cybercriminals to distribute malware to financial entities across the U.S. Read via The Hacker News. 

Read More

Spy bosses warn of cyber-attacks on smart cities

Smart cities will be a target for hackers, and councils need to be prepared, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned. Sensors and internet-connected devices may improve urban services, but could also be used by hackers and foreign states to disrupt or spy. Read via BBC News.

Read More

We have a new home!

All our information security consulting services and training continues as normal. Call us on 0121 559 6699 or email us at bestpractice@advent-im.co.uk for details of upcoming training courses, to start your security project or testing, and don’t forget to sign up for our regular newsletter and podcasts.    

Read More

© 2026 Advent IM Limited.