Alan Craig

Alan Craig

I am currently a Security Supervisor- Behaviourial Detection Officer at Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

A professional Investigator, Executive Officer with extensive experience of investigations.

Location Harrow on the Hill, London

Achievements

Activity

  • Alan Craig replied to Alan Craig
    Security risks of wireless networking

    Hi Vidya, a VPN is a Virtual Private Network- it comes up later in the course...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Next steps

    Good bye and good luck...

  • Alan Craig replied to Rufus Kenule Collins
    Next steps

    @TerryBurbidge Fair point...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    End-of-course guide and round-up

    Thanks a great course with good examples of what and what not to do. Many thanks. All the best to my fellow students...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    What do you do now?

    I am security aware whenever I am using my equipment. this level is raised whenever I use other systems such as work. i had expected that work would be of a higher standard but the various test throughout this course have revealed a startling number of weaknesses.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Answers to your questions

    Thank you for the answers to these key questions...

  • Alan Craig replied to Rufus Kenule Collins
    Tracking a moving target

    Not so sure Rufus, its interesting that the organisations are able to implement measures and funds after the event not before...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    What should I do next?

    I identified 1 area of risk which I am currently working on...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Protecting your information assets

    Have you set up firewalls to protect your networked computers from external attack?
    Yes, on my home system I have firewalls installed and set to a high level.
    Are you protected by up-to-date antivirus software?
    Yes, the latest available and the paid for version.
    Are your operating system and key applications up to date?
    Yes, I perform checks and when ever...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Risk management in practice

    For using my banking app I would modify the risk by not using it in unsecure areas such as coffee shops, hotels or airports. If I needed to use it in an emergency then I would use a VPN to mitigate the risk.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Fix your browser

    Startling. My works browser came up with 'appears to be unique' with the estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 18.35 bits of identifying information.

    For my own computing I use Duckduckgo as my search engine.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Staying safe online

    I have already instigated these steps over the course of this year. I would recommend to my fellow students to stay away from free security software and pay for what you need. As they say there is no such thing as a free lunch...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Risk analysis in practice

    Completed, it represents a consistent view as per other students...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Risk analysis

    I have used these risk management matrix's before when doing the Emergency Planning Course at FL. They provide a good baseline to see what is the correct order for tasks and decisions to be made...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Your own information assets

    In terms of assets' its the thing that cant be replaced that have the most value to me. for example I can re-write a lost report but photos of family are priceless.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Information as an asset

    A key component here is risk management and protocols in place for when things go wrong- because they do...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Security is a process

    Looking forward to the final week...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Summary of Week 7

    Another good week- valuable information and tips...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Ask a question

    My question is what if you work for a company who budget is always tight and they keep using out of date software and fail to keep security patches current. They are the gatekeepers, but how do you challenge...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Do you back up your data?

    I create backup on my desktop and then on Dropbox. After reading some of the weaknesses involved in cloud systems I will also add a third external HDD backup...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Remote backups

    I didn't realise the implication and weaknesses of using the cloud- drobox etc for backups- if a file is deleted on my linked computer the saved backup is also deleted.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Backup media

    Interesting I only use 2 backups not three. I didn't realise the limitations on some external hardware systems.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Protecting your data for the future

    I use Dropbox as the backup system for my important docs and files...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Getting your computer working again

    Useful advice. I would add that backups should always be kept separately of important docs...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Who should you contact?

    Good advice

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    What laws apply in your country?

    In Ghana the principles of data security are covered by the 2012 Data Protection Act which is used to protect the personal data and privacy of its individuals. Failure results in either Civil or Criminal responses.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA)

    The problem with all law's is that they try to cover every eventuality and thats not always possible. It just makes the legal very framework very complex and difficult to navigate. I talk from experience...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA)

    I worked under RIPA and the authorisation process for gaining authority was very strict...

  • Alan Craig replied to D Hussain
    The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA)

    @DHussain In a sense you are right, but there are legal requirements that must be proven before you can be authorised.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Data Protection

    GDPR is taken very seriously in our organisation with compulsory courses required for new entrants.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Laws and computers

    I am not sure if the McKinnon case is a good example. I remember there may have been underlying mental issues with the defendant and he may not have been fully aware. I don't believe there was any ransom or money stolen in this case- just a system to crack...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    How could you know?

    I have checked my email address and it is good. I have been subject of credit card fraud. I had made a purchase at a local store, afterwards I received a legitimate call from my credit card company stating my card had been used abroad to the tune of £800.00. Thankfully the credit card company bounced the purchase , cancelled my card and issued a new on. I was...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Risks of data loss

    The scale is immense...

  • Alan Craig replied to Susan Chambers
    Risks of data loss

    Thanks for sharing this example...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Loss of data

    As always the weakest link is the human element- whether knowingly or un-knowingly....

  • Alan Craig replied to Rufus Kenule Collins
    Loss of data

    As always the weakest link is the human element- whether knowingly or un-knowingly....

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Identity theft

    The key here is that the weakest link is often the person themselves displaying information on media sites and poor personal security - social engineering...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Summary of Week 6

    Learnt new principles this week...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    How an IDS works in practice

    A good baseline system...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Putting VPN to work

    I haven't used TOR, but I do use a VPN. I wasn't aware that while on TOR a VPN should not be used as it may break some security aspects. It would be interesting to know what they are?

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Securing the tunnels

    More new info...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    VPN basics

    Currently testing Surf Shark VPN on my mobile phone...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Protecting yourself

    Works system set up by internal IT team. At home I use Windows 10 and firewall. On my phone- anti-virus and VPN...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Other firewalls

    Enjoyable to check and configure...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Configuring your own firewall (Older Windows versions)

    On my works system the Firewall Domain is off and appears out of date. i was not allowed the option to 'turn/off' due to administration rights...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Before configuring your own firewall

    On works system, interestingly Domain network is active but firewall is off. I wonder are they using some other firewall system?

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Personal firewalls

    Check completed- all good on first exposure test. There was no file share test on site...

  • Alan Craig replied to Laura Bray
    Personal firewalls

    @LauraBray I had the same problem.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Firewall basics

    I use at firewall at home and so does my company.

  • Alan Craig replied to Mike Moss
    Firewall basics

    @PeterThomson Thanks for the explanation...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Summary of week 5

    Another interesting week. i feel more 'geeky' as the week goes on...

  • Alan Craig replied to mark eccles
    Summary of week 5

    Its better to forget the maths and just understand the principles and uses ....

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    How secure is your browsing?

    Checked my bank and it displayed a closed padlock system and the info section confirmed that the digital certificate was present and valid.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Digital signatures and certificates

    This gets more complex, but in the complexity lies the security...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Using cryptography to prove identity

    I would have liked and example of this

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Comparing different cryptographic techniques

    The use of encryption is an ongoing process of innovation and increased security...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Email encryption – simple or not?

    Not able to complete this due to security settings on works computer...

  • Alan Craig replied to Laura Bray
    Email encryption – simple or not?

    Hi Laura I like the video remark, I am in a similar position to you..

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Setting up a PGP email client

    Not able to install on works system but read through install procedure...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Putting cryptography to use

    I had never considered encrypting my mail?

  • Alan Craig replied to Christopher R
    Putting cryptography to use

    As a matter of interest how much do they charge?

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    What is cryptography for?

    In my example I store a lot of information on a excel spreadsheet for ease of use. This ease of use also makes me very vulnerable should it get lost or hacked. The use of encryption would relive my worry about this. I believe a program like Vera crypt might be used. i will further research this myself on the basis of what I have learned so far....

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Why isn’t the internet encrypted?

    I always check for a secure site or padlock symbol...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Asymmetric or public key cryptography

    A clear video..

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The key distribution problem

    Interesting solution to the 1970's problem...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Encryption keys

    As with passwords to the key is to get a good balance between length and complexity...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The secret of keeping secrets

    So binary is the default key...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Hidden messages

    I am looking forward to this section.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Summary of Week 4

    A great course I am understanding more terminology and how everything syncs in order to achieve the world wide web.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The internet is not the World Wide Web

    I hadn't realised the distinction. Now I do. Thanks...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    From numbers to names

    Interesting. Has anyone experienced any problems with this using the current version of chrome?

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Introducing the TCP/IP protocols

    A clear description.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Why we need standards on the internet

    The internet has to have set standards to ensure compatibility and ease of secure use.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Using wireless networks securely

    I would never consider using a public Wi-Fi without the use of a VPN. Most free Wi-Fi sites now also require a lot of details prior to getting to the free part. That's the concern for me. Also didn't realise that mobile is a more secure system overall...

  • Alan Craig replied to Carl Maxon
    Using wireless networks securely

    @PeterThomson Thanks for the heads up...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Security risks of wireless networking

    I am really glad I invested in a VPN.

  • Alan Craig replied to Patricia Raynor
    Security risks of wireless networking

    A possible phishing expedition?

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Network security challenges

    Never heard the term before.

  • Alan Craig replied to P Tang
    Is your private information really private?

    I am similar Paulona- travel in other countries...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Wireless networks

    I will use public and coffee house Wi-Fi networks when the need arises and I am travelling but I will always use good security practices including a VPN.

  • Alan Craig replied to Rose M.
    Wireless networks

    a wise idea- even if you take precautions...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    What did you find out?

    I used PayPal. Its registration country matched its IP address.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Datagrams on the move

    Interesting...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Course Overview

    Hello I work in a museum in Central London with relation to the security aspects...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Introducing the datagram

    Interesting what information can be found out with the tools available...

  • Alan Craig replied to Paul Gold
    Introducing the datagram

    @PeterThomson I appreciate the answer...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    How data moves around the internet

    Interesting how the various levels work together and that packets can be broken and sent via different routes to the same destination and then reassembled.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Summary of Week 3

    Enjoyed this week- new concepts learnt...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Sandboxes and signed programs

    I had not heard of these concepts but my knowledge is growing...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    End of life software

    This is becoming more prevalent with Apple and Windows 7. As a user you get so confident and familiar with a system you have used for years you don't want to go through the learning process again.

  • Alan Craig replied to Ashleigh Nichols
    Keeping up to date

    Its worth getting the software and if you don't have one a VPN...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Installing antivirus software

    At the moment I am using Avast anti-virus with Surf Shark VPN...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Antivirus software

    The use of heuristics in detecting new types of viruses is interesting. I was not aware this was how they were tackling viruses with new signatures...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Keeping yourself protected

    I use anti-virus on my mobile and a secure VPN.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Confessional

    Thankfully I have not had my computer attacked by a botnet. I stopped using Social Media around 7 years ago when travelling and so I have removed a major cause. Also by travelling in other countries I had to adopt secure ways to use the internet while in hotels, airports, cafes etc. This made me more proactive which has helped me...

  • Alan Craig replied to P Tang
    Botnets

    @PTang Nice summary

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    The role of malware in click fraud

    The sheer amount of money that can be achieved through fraud of this kind makes it understandable why hackers and criminals target this revenue stream

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Emails are not the only phish

    Thankfully I stopped using Social Media many years ago and so that's at least one area I can remain secure from attacks.

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Spotting a phishing email

    These emails play on the fear factor invoked by the thought you may have lost money or your account has been hacked. The problem is that the elderly and vulnerable are a prime target and unless their knowledge is good will naturally presume its true and click on the dangerous looks. I liked the 'hover' function with the cursor to reveal the true sender of the...

  • Alan Craig made a comment
    Trapping phishing emails

    its startling to think that 55% of emails sent throughout the world may be spam. The sheer number indicates that the criminals are still able to use this exploit.