//A new scheme by Internet Service Providers is getting under way where people who download copyrighted material will get warning emails.
This has support from the UK government who highlight the negative effects on jobs and investment for the UK economy.
There’s more in the Telegraph today here.
Downloading copyrighted material is forbidden by the University Acceptable Use Policy, and besides, why would we want to lessen the opportunities for our creative media graduates?
//There’s a story going round about the hidden functions in iPhones that allow data to be extracted without the owners consent. These were discovered by a researcher earlier this year (here) and have been picked up by the Independent today from an article on the Register.
Most people consider iPhones to be fairly secure but these revelations put a few dents in Apple’s reputation. Unfortunately there is little an end user can do about these except try to avoid pairing your iPhone.
More on the Register
We have some advice about keeping your device secure here.
//Everybody seems to be off on holiday at the moment and most people take their phones and tablets with them. No one wants the headache of losing their password, bank details or confidential work stuff when their away.
Some good advice for using your device on holiday:
1. Try to avoid logging in – if possible stay away from websites where you have to log in to access information, as your personal history and any data entered into that site may be vulnerable.
2. If possible don’t enter sensitive data – logging onto a mobile banking site may be convenient, but if you are on unsecured WiFi, you could be giving hackers access to your bank account. If you have to enter your banking or credit card information, make sure that you are on a secure (https) website.
3. Use the phone network – use a mobile connection to avoid the use of public WiFi which is often insecure (but watch out for the roaming charges see here)
4. If you have to use WiFi make sure it’s secure – don’t log into unsecured WiFi.
5. Should the worse happen and your device gets stolen – before you go make sure you set a password or swipe code for your device and turn on location awareness.
Bon Voyage!
//There’s a lot in the press today about the UK government quickly making a new law requiring ISPs and phone companies to continue keep email and phone logs (not content) after the EU ruled to stop this. It may come as a surprise to some after the Snowdon disclosures that the government doesn’t do this anyway.
The politicians are saying this is necessary to protect against terrorism and serious crime but these things seem to have a habit of stretching larger than originally intended.
//Something to watch out for if you’re off on your holidays about now….
The Daily Mail reports that a parent received a bill for their daughter who was on holiday in Antigua for £9000!
The daughter had been checking Facebook and not realising she wasn’t connected to wi-fi.
So – check your roaming settings before you leave the UK and if you have to use data, speak to your mobile operator about deals/bundles and limits.
More here