Posts by Simon

Advice says, “research the app.” But where do you start with mobile app security?

Most people want to keep their mobile devices secure. But how do you know the mobile app you are going to install is safe? You can’t trust the app stores. Most Android malware comes from Google’s Play Store. The good news is there are loads of articles giving advice on how to do so. Almost inevitably, one piece of advice will be, “research the app” or “research the company”. The advice is true, because you should check things like that. But rarely does the advice go into detail, because it’s hard to research mobile app security properly! We’ll show you how.

Research the app in 6 easy(ish) steps

Researching a mobile app before you install it is important. There are plenty of fake apps out there and, possibly even worse, some that work but also include unwelcome ‘things’. These ‘things’ could be intrusive ads, extensive tracking of your behaviour or even malware.

Legal firms vs. data security: How to solve the tension between lawyers, their IT teams, clients and data security

Traditional ways of working in the legal world clash with modern technology and tech-savvy clients. Outdated law firm tech might be safe, but it makes customers unhappy.

There is a tension between lawyers, their IT teams and their clients. Law firms don’t like to recognise this, at least publicly. But there is a clash between “the way things are done”, customer service and the convenience provided by modern technology.

The world of cyber security sales is unclear at best

The secret world of cyber security sales is fascinating. And shady. If you ever wondered how they sell security, and how we buy it, we have a treat for you.

Our security reports help you choose the best anti-malware solutions for your organisation and your family. These latest lab results look at how the most popular products handle the threats everyone faces on a daily basis, as well as the sort of targeted attack you hope never to encounter (but might).

ENDPOINT PROTECTION: NEW REPORTS ONLINE!

And Facebook isn’t one

There are lots of ways that you can contact us, watch what we’re doing and keep up to date. But we’re stepping back from one so we can focus better on the others. Find out about the best 3 ways to follow SE Labs.

The 3 best ways to follow SE Labs

While we plan to continue maintaining a basic presence on Facebook, the best way to get the latest news, views and chat with us is to use one or more of the following three services.

Understand what a real hacking attack looks like to the attacker and defenders

The IT security world is rocked by news of breach after breach, including the shocking disclosure of the SolarWinds attack. Data is stolen, deleted or corrupted and… well you know. It’s a total mess. Journalists focus on basic outcomes, while technical blogs look at esoteric technical details. We’ve explained, in laymen’s terms, what a breach looks like from an attacker’s point of view. And from the position of the defenders.

Is trust as we know it dead?

The SolarWinds breach was arguably the most significant computer hack of the decade. At least, of those breaches that we know of. Rather than jump straight into judgement and analysis, we wanted to watch as things unfurled and provide a balanced view with facts and clear thoughts later, rather than fast attention-grabbing reactions.

And screaming into the abyss!

We’re all entitled to our opinions. So why is it so aggravating when “someone is wrong on the internet?”

Security forums vs. test results

People are biased. It’s natural human behaviour and not something we can correct. Not least because we have our own biases… In fact, research indicates that providing evidence to counter someone’s argument actually entrenches their initial position! Here, we’re going to explore opinions on security testing.

And how can you tell?

If you are in charge of protecting an organisation, you need good data to help make buying decisions. The consequences of simply trusting internet reviews, vendor sales pitches and instinct are extremely serious. So which security product tests are the best?

This article first appeared on LinkedIn (17th November, 2020)

And we’re really quite proud about it!

Our tests are so close to real-life hacking that sometimes there is no practical difference between the two. We don’t usually expect to interact directly with cyber criminals, but it sometimes happens. In this case, our attacker was rude enough to spoil our initial analysis and to leave a sexually aggressive message for our team, too. SE Labs has been hacked!

For immediate context, if you’ve never heard of SE Labs before, we are a computer security testing organisation. We expose our test systems to all manner of horrible software and people, to judge how effectively different security products work. No customer data was lost in this story!

Get ahead in the game that never ends

Have you ever been hacked? You, personally, or your business? If your answer is, “no” it would be interesting to know how you can be so sure.

I once spoke to a marketing manager at a global anti-malware company who claimed that his PC had never been infected by malware, despite him not using anti-virus. How would be know? Not all malware announces its presence as clearly as, say ransomware. “I just would,” he claimed.

ENDPOINT PROTECTION: NEW REPORTS ONLINE!