Cyber Sound Bytes

The importance of protecting defence data in the digital world including tips on how to protect your personal data with our guest Ian Henderson.

October is Cyber Awareness Month, and we at Cyber Confident have been focusing 'On the Horizon'. In this podcast, host Ben Cook caught up with Will from the UK National Authority for Counter Eavesdropping (NACE) to discuss all things IoT (Internet of Things). How do hackers infilterate our personal devices? Is Alexa really always listening? Tune in to find out more!

Whilst you may not personally interact with it on a daily basis, almost every business out there has some form of supply chain that they utilise. This could be for catering, cleaning, equipment, consultancy, or any other internal or external supplier. This opens up businesses to different security risks that need mitigating. In this episode, host Ben Cook invites Sally, the leader of the supply chain risk team within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Digital. DE&S procure equipment and services for the UK armed forces, giving Sally first-hand experience of the risks within the supply chain, and what we can do to secure it.

Cyber is becoming a more diverse field every day, with perceptions being changed as more knowledge becomes available, and more people start to talk about diversifying the industry. People like this month’s guest, Lisa Ventura. Lisa is the founder of Cyber Security Unity, and a clear advocate around a variety of issues within cyber, including mental health, imposter syndrome, equality, and diversity. In this episode, she speaks to our host Ben Cook, about her experiences within the cyber field as a neurodivergent person and how we can look to make the field a more diverse, appealing, and unified place for all by combatting some of these issues. For more information following the podcast, check out the Cyber Security Unity website below. https://csu.org.uk/

This June see's the return of Front Liners, Cyber Confident's annual gameshow. But what does that actually mean, and what happened in the 2022 edition? In this episode host Ben Cook invites the winner of Front Liners 2022, Capt Elaine Gibbs of the British Army, to share her perspective on all things Front Liners. Why did she enter last year? What was her favorite part of the experience? And why should YOU participate this year? Hear all about it from the champion herself by listening in...

In the age of technology, the vast majority of us carry around at least one device, whether for work, for personal use, or both. These devices are unfortunately easy to lose or misplace, and are a high value target for those with malicious intent, making theft a very real risk. Have you ever considered what happens to a device when it is stolen? In this episode, host Ben Cook invites Ed Cummings, a senior feature writer for the Daily Telegraph, to discuss what exactly happened when his laptop was stolen whilst attending a work event. Alongside hearing the tale of his laptop woes, Ed also shares with us some of his tips for protecting the data on your device, helping to reduce the risks that can occur if your device is ever stolen or lost.

When it's your job to break in to places, how do you know who to trust? Or more importantly, how should others know when to trust an unfamiliar face or someone demonstrating suspicious behaviour?  In this episode, host Ben Cook talks to Bridget Sargeng, an ethical hacker from Norway. With part of her job being to break into systems and sites, she's seen many people conduct both constructive challenges, and fail to challenge at all. Constructive challenges help to protect your workplace, so who better to get some tips from, than the person who might be trying to sneak in?

For many people, the word 'hacker' is synonymous with trouble - they are the people you want to avoid and will do anything to protect yourself and your technology from. But contrary to popular belief, some types of hackers can be good. Ethical hackers in particular are growing in popularity as a way to check how secure your systems really are.  In this episode we are joined by Richard Smith and Peter Lillington from the Ministry of Defence Vulnerability Research Project. They share with us some details about what their Bug Bounty programmes are, and how they use these ethical hackers to protect Defence and discover potential vulnerabilities. 

For many of us, the start of the new year means looking at setting new resolutions and goals, many of which are centred around health and fitness. This often means turning to one of the many available fitness tracking apps to help monitor our progress. Whilst these can be a really useful tool in helping you to stay positive on your journey, if used incorrectly, they can also pose a risk to your safety.  In this episode we are joined by RAF Physical Training Instructor Sargeant Jonny Watkins. He shares with us his tips on staying safe whilst using various fitness apps and devices and how to keep up to date with new emerging technologies. 

The vast majority of people now have some form of online network, be that their social media presence, or an online business. But how many of us know how to keep it secure? In this episode of Cyber Sound Bytes, Jess Sands, the founder of the Milspo Network, shares with us her insight into keeping the Milspo network secure, and how she navigates her business around the many cyber threats out there. 

Have you ever seen someone doing something risky, but not challenged them out of courtesy or a feeling that you are not in a position to? If so, this episode will be of real benefit to you. Challenge culture is centred around raising constructive challenges when risky or suspicious behaviours are demonstrated. Yet do you know what scenarios you would do this, or how to raise a constructive challenge safely? In this episode we are joined by Robert Wright, a specialist in profiling for influence and persuasion. Robert has a background providing training to trainers from the Australian Border Force, AUS Intelligence and US Psyops, and has provided training to Govt. Intelligence Officers, Goldman Sachs, Ericsson and various others. He also has experience profiling around 1000 business leaders including the CEO of Orange, and others within Europe and Silicon Valley.  Robert discusses what challenges actually are, how he has used the technique in real life, and provides insight into some of the situations he has encountered throughout his career.

For many of us the Dark Web seems like a mysterious and dangerous place. In this episode of Cyber Sounds Bytes Symon Kendall from South Wales Police shares his opinions and experiences dealing with the Dark Web aiming to debunk the myths that we may believe. 

Online gaming is a fun and exciting way to pass the time and connect with friends, and other gamers around the world. But, due to the popularity of online gaming, many cyber criminals prey on innocent players, making them vulnerable to cyber attack. In this episode we speak to Gordon Jones, chair of Royal Navy esports to hear his experiences of online gaming and get some top tips on how to play safe online. 

In this episode, head of the MOD Cyber Awareness, Behaviour and Culture project Simon Pavitt sits down with Cyber Confident spokesperson CeCe to discuss all things Cyber Awareness Month! CeCe talks about her experience as a female in cyber, some of the main tactics that cyber criminals prey upon and the importance of strong cyber security behaviours. 

Did you know 95% of cyber attacks are due to human error? In this episode we are joined by Behavioural Scientist Libby Mayfield to discuss the human factors behind cyber security.