If you’d like to customise and personalise your Google home page to show your favourite photo or GIF, here’s how:
- Save a favourite GIF or photo to your device (you may already favourite photos and GIFs saved).
- On the Google home screen (bottom right), click on the 'Customise Chrome’ icon (a pen symbol).
- Click on 'Upload from device’ and select the required photo or GIF from your device.
- This will become your Google home page background.
Trying to find and insert particular symbols or special characters into something like a Word document can often be awkward and time-consuming, but Windows provides a quick-access character map for these symbols and characters to streamline this process. Here’s how to find it and use it:
> Search for Character Map in the Start menu and open it.
> Browse or search for the symbol or character you need.
> Select the character, click Copy, then paste it into your document or application.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has revealed a new plan to combat the growing number of fake investment scheme celebrity scam ads by using facial recognition technology to weed them out.
What’s the Problem?
Fake ads featuring celebrities, known as “celeb-bait” scams by Meta, have become a plague on social media platforms in recent years, particularly ads promoting fraudulent investments, cryptocurrency schemes, or fake product endorsements. These scams use unauthorised images and fabricated comments from popular figures like Elon Musk, financial expert Martin Lewis, and Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart to lure users into clicking through to fraudulent websites, where they are often asked to share personal information or make payments under false pretences.
Also, deepfakes have been created using artificial intelligence to superimpose celebrities’ faces onto endorsement videos, producing highly realistic content that even seasoned internet users may find convincing. For example, Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert and a frequent victim of such scams, recently told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he receives “countless” notifications about fake ads using his image, sharing that he feels “sick” over how they deceive unsuspecting audiences.
How Big Is the Problem?
The prevalence of scams featuring celebrity endorsements has skyrocketed, reflecting a global trend in online fraud. In the UK alone, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reported that celebrity-related scams have doubled since 2021, with these frauds costing British consumers more than £100 million annually. According to a recent study by the Fraud Advisory Panel, financial scams leveraging celebrity endorsements rose by 30 per cent in 2022 alone, a trend fuelled by increasingly sophisticated deepfake technology that makes these scams more believable than ever.
Not Just the UK
The impact of celeb-bait scams is even more significant worldwide. In Australia, for instance, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that online scams, many featuring unauthorised celebrity endorsements, cost consumers an estimated AUD 2 billion in 2023. Social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram, are frequent targets for these fraudulent ads, as scammers exploit their large audiences to reach thousands of potential victims within minutes.
The US has also seen similar issues, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) noting that more than $1 billion was lost to social media fraud in 2022 alone, a figure that has increased fivefold since 2019. Fake celebrity endorsements accounted for a large proportion of these losses, with reports indicating that over 40 per cent of people who experienced fraud in the past year encountered it on a social media platform.
Identify and Block Using Facial Recognition
In a Meta blog post about how the tech giant is testing new ways to combat scams on its platforms (Facebook and Instagram), and especially celeb-bait scams, Meta stated: “We’re testing the use of facial recognition technology.”
According to Meta, this new approach will identify and block such ads before they reach users, offering a stronger line of defence in the ongoing battle against online scammers. The approach represents one of Meta’s most proactive attempts yet to address a persistent problem that has impacted both high-profile public figures and unsuspecting social media users alike.
How Will Meta’s Facial Recognition Work?
Meta’s facial recognition ad-blocking approach will build on its existing AI ad review systems, which scan for potentially fraudulent or policy-violating ads, but will introduce an additional layer of facial recognition that will work to verify the identities of celebrities in the ads. If an ad appears suspicious and contains the image of a public figure, Meta’s system will compare the individual’s face in the ad to their official Facebook or Instagram profile pictures. When a match is confirmed, and the ad is verified as a scam, Meta’s technology will delete the ad in real-time.
David Agranovich, Meta’s Director of Global Threat Disruption, emphasised the importance of this shift in a recent press briefing, saying: “This process is done in real-time and is faster and much more accurate than manual human reviews, so it allows us to apply our enforcement policies more quickly and protect people on our apps from scams and celebrities.” Agranovich noted that the system has yielded “promising results” in early tests with a select group of 50,000 celebrities and public figures, who will be able to opt out of this enrolment at any time.
According to Agranovich, the swift, automated nature of the system is critical to staying ahead of scammers, who often adapt their techniques as detection methods improve. The facial recognition system is not only intended to remove existing scam ads but to prevent them from spreading before they can reach a wide audience. Agranovich has highlighted how a rapid response of this kind is essential in a digital landscape where even a brief exposure to these ads can lead to significant financial losses for unsuspecting victims.
When?
This new measure is set to begin its rollout in December 2024.
Meta’s Track Record and Renewed Focus on Privacy
It’s worth noting, however, that Meta’s deployment of facial recognition technology marks a return to a tool it abandoned in 2021 amid concerns over privacy, accuracy, and potential biases in AI systems. Previously, Facebook used facial recognition for suggested photo tags, a feature that drew criticism and prompted the company to step back from the technology. This time, Meta says it has implemented additional safeguards to address such concerns, including the immediate deletion of facial data generated through the scam ad detection process.
Privacy
Privacy remains a contentious issue with facial recognition technology. Addressing privacy concerns over its new approach, Meta has stated that the data generated in making the comparison will be stored securely and encrypted, never becoming visible to other users or even to the account owner themselves. As Meta’s Agranovich says, “Any facial data generated from these ads is deleted immediately after the match test, regardless of the result.” Meta is keen to highlight how it intends to use the facial recognition technology purely for combating celeb-bait scams and aiding account recovery. In cases of account recovery, users will be asked to submit a video selfie, which Meta’s system will then compare to the profile image associated with the account. This verification method is expected to be faster and more secure than traditional identity confirmation methods, such as uploading an official ID document.
Scaling the Solution and Potential Regulatory Hurdles
Meta’s new system is set to be tested widely among a larger group of public figures in the coming months. Celebrities enrolled in the programme will receive in-app notifications and, if desired, can opt out at any time using the Accounts Centre. This large-scale trial comes as Meta faces increasing pressure from regulators, particularly in countries like Australia and the UK, where public outcry against celeb-bait scams has surged. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently engaged in a legal dispute with Meta over its perceived failure to stop scam ads, while mining magnate Andrew Forrest has also filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly enabling fraudsters to misuse his image.
Martin Lewis Sued Facebook
In the UK, personal finance guru Martin Lewis previously sued Facebook for allowing fake ads featuring his image, ultimately reaching a settlement in which Meta agreed to fund a £3 million scam prevention initiative through Citizens Advice. Nevertheless, Lewis continues to push for stronger regulations, recently urging the UK government to empower Ofcom with additional regulatory authority to combat scam ads. “These scams are not only deceptive but damaging to the reputations of the individuals featured in them,” Lewis stated, highlighting the broader impact that celeb-bait scams have beyond financial loss.
Despite the New Tech, It’s Still 'A Numbers Game’
Despite Meta’s new approach, the company still faces a huge challenge. For example, Agranovich has admitted that, despite robust safeguards, some scams will still evade detection, saying, “It’s a numbers game,” and that, “While we have automated detection systems that run against ad creative that’s being created, scam networks are highly motivated to keep throwing things at the wall in hopes that something gets through.” As scam networks find new ways to bypass detection, Meta acknowledges that the technology will require continuous adaptation and improvement to keep up.
What About Concerns Over AI and Bias?
In deploying facial recognition technology, Meta has also faced scrutiny over potential biases in AI and facial recognition systems, which have been shown to have variable accuracy across different demographics. The company claims that extensive testing and review have been undertaken to minimise such biases. Also, Meta has said it will not roll out the technology in regions where it lacks regulatory approval, such as in the UK and EU, indicating a cautious approach towards compliance and accountability.
Meta says it has “vetted these measures through our robust privacy and risk review process” and is committed to “sharing our approach to inform the industry’s defences against online scammers.” The company has also pledged to engage with regulators, policymakers, and industry experts to address ongoing challenges and align on best practices for facial recognition technology’s ethical use.
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
Meta’s latest move to integrate facial recognition technology into its anti-scam measures signals a significant shift toward tackling the complex world of celeb-bait scams. However, as Meta ventures back into using facial recognition, it’s clear the company must balance robust security with privacy, a concern that continues to shadow the rollout. While the technology holds promise, particularly in increasing detection speed and reducing the frequency of celebrity scams, it will undoubtedly be scrutinised by both users and regulators who have long questioned the use of facial recognition on such a broad scale.
For everyday Facebook and Instagram users, Meta’s new facial recognition feature could mean greater security and fewer encounters with fake ads that exploit public figures for fraudulent schemes. If successful, the initiative could lessen the risk of users falling victim to scams that impersonate well-known personalities to promote fake investments or products. The added layer of facial recognition should serve as a safeguard, reducing the frequency of these fake ads in users’ feeds and building a safer browsing experience across Meta’s platforms.
For celebrities and public figures, this development is a significant step towards reclaiming control over their public images, which are often misused without permission. The new system will help protect their reputations, preventing unauthorised use of their likenesses in fraudulent ads. Figures like Martin Lewis, who has been vocal about the damage these scams cause, could benefit as Meta finally implements more targeted measures to shield them from unauthorised endorsements.
The impact of this initiative may extend to legitimate advertisers as well. Meta’s crackdown on celeb-bait scams will likely improve ad integrity on its platforms, helping businesses that rely on Facebook and Instagram to reach audiences without the risk of association with deceptive content. A cleaner, more trustworthy advertising environment could enhance user trust and, in turn, benefit brands that promote genuine products and services. As Meta focuses on strengthening its ad review systems, legitimate advertisers may find their content reaching more engaged, security-conscious users who are less wary of the ads they encounter online. In this way, Meta’s facial recognition technology could not only shield users and celebrities from scams but also foster a more secure, credible marketplace for businesses across its platforms.
Microsoft's CoPilot is the gift that keeps on giving! This week we show how they're added a new Notepad feature which means you can control your outputs plus keep everything together easier than ever before.
[Note - To Watch This Video without glitches/interruptions, It may be best to download it first]
https://mklink-videos.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/2025-June-Useful-New-Feature-Launched-In-Copilot-Notebooks.mp4
This article takes a brief look at what private browsing actually means with popular browsers and software, and how genuinely private browsing could be achieved.
Why Browse Privately?
Over 80 percent of websites use one or more tracking tools (Epic) and reasons for private browsing may be to avoid having your browsing history recorded, perhaps being on a shared or public computer (to avoid being tracked by your browser), or to avoid downloading cookies (to avoid being tracked by websites), or to be able to sign into multiple accounts simultaneously.
Tracking
The different ways that you can be tracked include:
– IP address. This string of numbers, set by the ISP, is a way for each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. The IP address is necessary for accessing the Internet so that web servers know where to send the information that’s being requested.
– Cookies. These are text files loaded into a folder on the user’s web browser by the sites they visit. Cookies record details such as users’ preferences, and the last time they visited the website. Session cookies are used when a person is actively navigating a website but tracking cookies can be used to create long-term records of multiple visits to the same site. From the user point of view, cookies can serve a useful purpose (e.g. for logins) or can be used for targeted advertising. Google recently announced an end to its third-party (tracking) cookies within 2 years for its Chrome browser following similar, earlier announcements by Safari (Apple), Mozilla’s Firefox (Mozilla) and Brave.
– Signed-in accounts. The accounts a user is signed-in to (e.g. Google or Facebook) can also track what a user has viewed, liked and more.
– Agent strings. When a user sends a request to a webserver to view a website, the request comes with information about the user attached to the User-Agent HTTP header. This 'agent string’ contains information such as the browser (type and version) and operating system being used.
Browsers – Private Browsing / Incognito Mode
Different browsers have different names for private browsing mode, e.g. InPrivate browsing (Edge), 'Private’ for Firefox (Mozilla) and Safari, and Incognito for Google Chrome.
Switching to this browser mode loads a news private window. This means that the new window is not signed to any accounts so can’t be tracked by them, cookies are not used, and any browsing is not added to the browser history. In this mode, however, the user’s IP address can still be tracked.
Do Not Track
'Do Not Track’ (DNT) is a web browser setting that requests/asks that a web application to disable its tracking of an individual user. For example, switching the 'do no’ track’ setting sends a signal to websites, analytics companies, ad networks, plug-in providers, and other services a user encounters while browsing. However, due to a lack of consensus (or enforcement) most sites still track users despite the request not to.
Extensions For Browsers
Another option for users to try and maintain private browsing is to use an additional private browsing extension/add-on. Examples include:
– Privacy Badger. This is a free extension that gradually learns to block invisible trackers.
– Ghostery. This is a free, open-source privacy and security-related browser extension and mobile browser app that blocks ads and stops trackers.
– Cookie AutoDelete. This is an extension for erasing cookies for a browser tab when it closes.
– HTTPS Everywhere. This free, open-source browser extension automatically switches thousands of sites from “http” to secure “https” thereby protecting the user from many different types of tracking/surveillance and account hijacking.
Whole Private Browsers/Search Engines
Users can opt for a whole browser that’s designed to be private, anonymous and to guard against tracking. Popular examples include:
– DuckDuckGo. This search engine, which is also available as a Chrome extension, doesn’t save the user’s browser history, forces sites to use encrypted connections, blocks cookies and trackers, and stops a user’s searches being sold to third parties for profiling and advertising.
– Epic Privacy Browser. This is a secure web browser that blocks ads, trackers, fingerprinting, crypto mining, ultrasound, signalling, and offers free VPN (servers in 8 countries).
– Tor. This browser uses a distributed network (randomly selected nodes) to anonymise the user’s IP address. Tor also encrypts traffic. This makes it incredibly difficult for a user’s web traffic to be traced and very difficult for users to be tracked unless they reveal their IP address by enabling some browser plugins, downloading torrents, or opening documents downloaded using Tor.
– Brave. This is a free, open-source web browser, based on Chromium that blocks ads and trackers and allows users to use a Tor in a tab to hide history, and mask location from the sites a user visits by routing a user’s browsing through several servers before it reaches its destination.
VPNs
Many users now opt for a virtual private network (VPN) to allow them to make a secure connection to another network over the Internet, encrypt traffic, and hide their IP address. Since a VPN routes a user’s internet through another computer, where many other users of the VPN are using the same IP address, tracking is made very difficult. VPNs, however, don’t protect a user from being tracked, from cookies, from user-agent strings, or through the accounts they’re logged in to (e.g. Google), or from any VPN’s that keep logs of user activity and could sell those logs to third parties. Also, some services discourage the use of a certain VPN, and VPNs can slow down the user’s Internet connection dues to the re-routing and encrypting through the VPN server.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
What this all means depends upon what level of privacy, for what purpose, and when users require it. For most daily use, Private/Incognito browsing functions provide a fast way to access a reasonable amount of protection from normal tracking. Additional extensions /add-ons may add a convenient route to greater privacy. For times when users may feel that more security is needed, they may decide to opt for a VPN or for a more complete private browsing solution such as the Tor browser. It may also be the case that some business users, as a matter of preference and security, may choose to only use the private services (e.g. DuckDuckGo, Brave, or Tor), thereby always working with a privacy level that they feel comfortable with. For many businesses, it’s more likely to be a case of a combination of privacy solutions used as and when required in a way that is compatible with daily working practices, authorised, approved, and recommended by the company and other relevant stakeholders. With popular browsers now stopping tracking cookies and news that the next Apple iPhone software update, iOS 14.5 will include an AppTrackingTransparency requirement where whereby all apps will need to request permission to track a user’s activities across other companies’ apps, pressure is now mounting on advertisers to come up with other ways to track and target users and maintain revenue streams.
The EU Parliament, Council negotiators and lawmakers have agreed new rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will limit the market power of the big technology companies and open up the market for competitors.
What Is The Digital Markets Act?
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) from the European Commission has been designed to ensure a higher degree of competition within the European Digital Markets, by preventing large companies from abusing their market power and by allowing fresh players to enter the market. The idea is to create more of a level playing field for businesses which the EC believes could help to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness.
Applies To Gatekeepers
The DMA will apply to “gatekeeper” businesses, and the EC has another initiative called the Digital Services Act (DSA) which will be used help protect the rights of users of digital services.
Who / What Are The “Gatekeepers”?
The “gatekeepers” that the DMA rules will apply to are the companies providing “core platform services” who are “most prone to unfair business practices.” Gatekeepers, such as social networks or search engines, are “digital platforms with a systemic role in the internal market that function as bottlenecks between businesses and consumers for important digital services.” These companies are defined by the EU as having a market capitalisation of at least 75 billion euro or an annual turnover of 7.5 billion, and providing certain services such as browsers, messengers, or social media, which have at least 45 million monthly end users in the EU, and 10,000 annual business users. Gatekeepers could also be described as having a strong economic position and significant impact on the internal market, being active in multiple EU countries, and having a strong intermediation position, i.e. they link a large user base to many businesses. Also, gatekeepers are those big tech companies with an entrenched, durable market.
The New Rules
The new DMA rules will mean that:
– The largest messaging services – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage- will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request. This should mean that users of small or big platforms could exchange messages, send files, or make video calls across messaging apps, thus giving them more choice.
– The interoperability obligation for social networks / interoperability provisions will be assessed at a later date.
– Combining personal data for targeted advertising will only be allowed with explicit consent to the gatekeeper.
– Users must be allowed to freely choose their browser, virtual assistants, or search engines.
– Companies won’t be allowed to rank their own products or services higher than those of others in online search results or reuse data collected from different services.
Punishment For Non-Compliance
The European Parliament says that if a gatekeeper does not comply with the rules, the Commission can impose fines of up to 10 per cent of its total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, and 20 per cent in case of repeated infringements. For systematic infringements, the Commission has threatened to ban gatekeepers from acquiring other companies for a certain period of time.
A New Era of Tech Regulation
Rapporteur from the EU Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), said of the new rules, “The agreement ushers in a new era of tech regulation worldwide. The Digital Markets Act puts an end to the ever-increasing dominance of Big Tech companies. From now on, they must show that they also allow for fair competition on the internet. The new rules will help enforce that basic principle. Europe is thus ensuring more competition, more innovation, and more choice for users.”
The Tech Companies Say…
Apple has been reported as saying that parts of the DMA “will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a great deal.”
Google has been reported as saying that, while it supports many of the DMA’s ambitions, it is “concerned that some of the rules could reduce innovation and the choice available to Europeans.”
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
The EU has launched a lot of antitrust investigations and introduced many new rules in recent years designed to stop the big tech companies being too powerful and to stop the use of some technologies (AI) surging ahead of regulation. The behaviour of the big tech companies has led many to call for tougher regulations and the formalised new rules of the DMA have been agreed upon quite quickly (less than 18 months), emphasising the EU’s determination to act. Clearly, it’s likely to be unwelcome news for the big tech “gatekeepers” who have been enjoying huge market dominance and profits. For smaller digital companies operating in the EU area, the DMA is likely to be a welcome step, allowing them more of a chance to compete and gain more share in a market dominated by giants for so long. For users, it could provide greater choice, and greater convenience, e.g. with the interoperability of messaging platforms. It is only likely to really work, however, if the penalties are severe enough and if action is taken quickly to send the message that the EU is really serious about the matter.
Password app company LastPass has reported a second data breach that may be related to a previous breach in August where source code and some proprietary LastPass technical information were taken.
The company has reported that in this most recent attack, a threat actor using information from August’s attack accessed “certain elements of our customers’ information.” LastPass says, however, that customers’ passwords remain safely encrypted, its services remain fully functional, and it is currently working to discover the scope of the attack and what information has been accessed.
The advice from LastPass is to follow its best practices around setup and configuration of LastPass as detailed here: https://blog.lastpass.com/2022/01/how-to-set-up-your-new-lastpass-account/
In this second instalment of a three-part series, here are more ways that staff can maintain the right level of security when using their devices in the summer holidays:
- Install a Reliable Security Suite. Being away from the home/office means re-installing everything on laptop for example would be a nightmare. Make sure you have a reliable security suite installed on your devices, which includes antivirus, anti-malware, and firewall protection.
- Backup Your Data. Regularly backing up your data ensures that if your device gets lost, stolen, or compromised whilst you're on your travels, you'll still have access to your important files.
- Use Encrypted Messaging Apps. If you need to share sensitive information (e.g. giving family members a hotel door code), use encrypted messaging apps to ensure your communication is secure.
- Avoid Public Charging Stations. Being on holiday means you're often away from secure charging ports more often and scammers know this. Public USB charging stations can be a security risk. Use your own charger and plug it into a power outlet whenever possible. Alternatively, use a mobile-power-bank.
- Use a Password Manager. Remembering passwords whilst you're out and about is a challenge! Password managers can help you create and store complex, unique passwords for each of your accounts, improving your overall security.
https://videovault.vip/videos/social/2024-Apr-New-LinkedIn-Messaging-feature.mp4
With many tech giants now using 'open’ as in 'open source’ as a marketing term, we look at what the issues around this are, why it needs to be discouraged, and how this can be achieved.
A startup with roots in Denmark and Germany is now using ancient bacteria and Texan emissions to make low-carbon chemicals, thereby offering a novel alternative to fossil-fuel-based manufacturing.
A Biotech Startup With Climate Ambitions
Founded in 2021, 'Again’ is the brainchild of Danish researchers and German entrepreneur Max Kufner. It positions itself as the world’s first scalable, carbon-negative chemical manufacturer, one aiming to overhaul how industrial chemicals are made.
How Again’s Process Works
Rather than capturing CO₂ just to store it underground (as with carbon capture and storage, or CCS), Again’s process feeds waste CO₂ straight into its custom-designed bioreactors. There, it’s fermented with hydrogen and processed by ancient, oxygen-hating bacteria, some of the oldest life forms on Earth. These hardy microbes, once dominant in Earth’s CO₂-rich primordial soup, now have a new purpose, i.e. transforming industrial emissions into chemicals like acetate, used in everything from paints and adhesives to cosmetics and plastics.
According to Again, this approach can reduce emissions associated with chemical production by up to 80 per cent, thereby making it a potential game-changer for one of the planet’s most polluting sectors.
Why Texas? Why Now?
Again’s new plant, dubbed TXS-1, is being built in Texas City which is an industrial hub on the Gulf Coast and home to major petrochemical facilities. The reasons why it’s such a strategic location for this purpose are :
– Abundant CO₂ supply. Again will capture waste CO₂ directly from a refinery on-site, avoiding costly transport emissions.
– Hydrogen availability. The region is rapidly scaling up hydrogen production, another essential input for Again’s process.
– Industrial partnerships. The facility is hosted at a site operated by Diamond Infrastructure Solutions, a joint venture between Dow and Macquarie Asset Management. Chemicals giant HELM AG is also on board to distribute Again’s products.
Ancient Bacteria Meet AI
At the heart of Again’s process is a mix of ancient biology and modern computation.
For example, the bacteria involved are strict anaerobes, organisms that evolved billions of years ago, long before oxygen was present in Earth’s atmosphere. Back in those early conditions, CO₂ dominated, and these microbes adapted to use it as a food source. Today, Again has harnessed these same organisms, placing them in oxygen-free bioreactors alongside green hydrogen. As they metabolise the mixture, they produce valuable chemicals like acetate, a key building block used across multiple industries.
The process has been optimised using AI-powered bioengineering and chemical modelling, allowing Again to tweak conditions for maximum output and efficiency. The company describes it as similar to brewing, only instead of beer, the end product is a clean, commercially viable chemical, ready for use in adhesives, textiles, paints or even packaging.
From Copenhagen to the Gulf Coast
Again’s journey started in Denmark. In 2023, the company launched its first operational pilot plant on the industrial outskirts of Copenhagen. That facility now captures up to one tonne of CO₂ per day and converts it into acetate using the same bacterial fermentation process.
That successful trial laid the groundwork for a rapid international expansion. Again has raised more than $150 million in funding to date, including a €39.4 million Series A round co-led by GV and HV Capital, and a €47 million grant from the EU’s Horizon Europe initiative. Alongside the new US site, the company is also building a second European facility in Norway as part of the PyroCO₂ project—a multi-partner initiative exploring large-scale carbon capture and utilisation.
The company says the US is an especially attractive market for its technology due to strong industrial demand, federal support for low-carbon manufacturing, and the sheer volume of CO₂ emissions in the petrochemical sector. TXS-1 will be co-located with existing industrial infrastructure, allowing Again to capture emissions directly at the source and avoid costly transport logistics.
Why Green Chemicals Matter
The global chemical industry contributes around 4 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions which is twice the amount produced by aviation. However, unlike power generation or transport, where decarbonisation efforts are more mature, the chemical sector remains particularly tough to tackle. That’s because carbon isn’t just an energy source in this context but is a core ingredient.
Uses Captured CO₂
Traditional chemical production relies on fossil-based feedstocks such as oil, gas and coal. That means the process remains carbon-intensive, even if the energy powering the plants becomes renewable. Again’s approach flips this equation, i.e., using captured CO₂ as a feedstock turns waste into value, effectively recycling emissions back into the supply chain.
The resulting chemicals are functionally identical to their fossil-derived counterparts, meaning customers don’t need to compromise on performance to choose a lower-carbon option. Again’s scientific co-founder, Dr Torbjørn Jensen, is keen to point out that the potential climate benefits are substantial, saying: “We have the means to not only capture waste CO₂ but turn it into useful products to fully decarbonise the supply chain.”
No Premiums, No Excuses
Cost is another area where Again is clearly aiming to stand apart. For example, while many climate tech firms rely on subsidies or carbon credits to stay competitive, Again claims its green chemicals are price-aligned with fossil-based alternatives. That makes them a viable swap-in for major industrial buyers.
Also, because the company co-locates its facilities with industrial emitters, it avoids the need to build entirely new infrastructure or transport captured CO₂ across long distances. This keeps operational costs lower and simplifies logistics (both key concerns for heavy industry).
According to Again, its model not only reduces emissions but helps build supply chain resilience. By producing chemicals locally using waste inputs, companies can reduce their reliance on volatile global fossil markets and mitigate geopolitical risk.
A Growing Ecosystem of Carbon Utilisers
It’s worth noting here that Again isn’t the only player reimagining how carbon can be reused rather than emitted. Several other startups and innovators are working on similar problems, though often using very different technologies. These include, for example:
– LanzaTech, based in the US and New Zealand, uses microbial gas fermentation to turn industrial emissions into fuels, chemicals and even fabrics. Its tech is already operating at commercial scale in China and Belgium.
– Twelve, based in California, uses electrochemical reactors to transform captured CO₂ into syngas, plastics and even jet fuel. It has partnered with major brands like Mercedes-Benz and Shopify.
– Carbon Clean, headquartered in the UK, develops compact carbon capture systems designed for smaller industrial sites. Some of its partners are exploring reuse pathways for the captured emissions.
– Climeworks, based in Switzerland, focuses mainly on direct air capture and storage, but has also collaborated on utilisation pilots for synthetic fuels and fertilisers.
What makes Again’s model distinctive is its biological foundation and its emphasis on full commercial scalability. The company believes its AI-enhanced, plug-and-play bioreactors could be deployed in a wide range of industrial settings, bringing emissions down while making useful products at the same time.
Challenges and Open Questions
While the potential is clear, the path to industrial-scale success is far from straightforward. For example, some of the issues to be tackled include:
– Scaling up. Even with TXS-1 and other plants online, the amount of CO₂ processed will remain a fraction of global chemical-sector emissions. Expanding from thousands to millions of tonnes per year will require vast investment and infrastructure alignment.
– Hydrogen dependency. Again’s process depends on green hydrogen, which remains costly and in limited supply. If the hydrogen used isn’t produced from renewable sources, the overall emissions savings could be undermined.
– Regulatory support. The success of projects like Again’s often hinges on supportive climate policies, especially in high-emitting regions. Carbon pricing, clean energy incentives and emissions regulations will all play a role in shaping demand.
– Industry buy-in. Despite the environmental benefits, industrial clients will need assurance that the supply, quality and pricing of green chemicals can match fossil-based equivalents at scale. Long-term contracts and offtake agreements will be key to proving commercial viability.
Some critics may also question whether these technologies risk entrenching the petrochemical status quo, making it easier for fossil-heavy industries to continue operating, rather than shifting toward fundamentally different models of production and consumption.
For now, however, Again’s approach seems to offer something rarely seen in the climate tech space, i.e. a scalable, biologically driven process that recycles carbon, reduces emissions and produces critical products without asking customers to pay more or change how they operate. That may prove to be a winning formula in the urgent race to decarbonise industry.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
What Again is building in Texas appears to reflect a growing confidence in the potential of carbon utilisation technologies to deliver real-world impact. By rethinking carbon not as waste, but as a resource, companies like Again are beginning to close the loop on emissions-heavy sectors that have traditionally been among the hardest to clean up. For the global petrochemicals industry, long viewed as a decarbonisation dead end, this marks a meaningful shift from theory to scalable practice.
For businesses, especially those in manufacturing, construction, and fast-moving consumer goods, the implications may be significant because the ability to source carbon-negative chemicals without a cost penalty is a powerful proposition. It suggests that environmental responsibility no longer has to come with financial compromise. In a world where supply chain resilience is under constant strain, Again’s co-located model also offers a localised, low-risk alternative to long-haul chemical imports. This could have strategic value not just in the US, but in Europe too.
UK businesses, in particular, may want to watch this space closely. For example, with increasing pressure from regulators, investors and customers to lower emissions, a viable route to greener inputs could open up new paths to compliance and competitive advantage. Although Again’s current facilities are outside the UK, its presence in Denmark and Norway, and the plug-and-play nature of its tech, means it could easily become part of Britain’s low-carbon supply chain in the near future, especially if domestic hydrogen capacity scales up.
At the same time, the challenges highlighted remain very real. Cost, scale, and energy inputs will all determine whether this approach can transition from promising to mainstream. That said, the early signs are encouraging. By blending millennia-old biology with modern science and smart commercial thinking, Again has shown what’s possible when sustainability is treated not as a side project but as a core business model. Whether it succeeds or not, it’s helping to rewrite the rulebook on what a cleaner, circular industrial future could look like.
With BT Openreach officially setting the timeframe for switching off PSTN/ISDN, we look at what this means for businesses.
ISDN an PSTN
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which really came into being in the 1990s, is a set of communication standards that are used for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the digitised circuits of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The PSTN is a broad term for the world’s collection of interconnected, circuit-switched, voice-oriented, public telephone networks that (whether operated by national, regional, or local telephony operators) make up the infrastructure and services for public telecommunication.
Originally, ISDN offered the chance for digital services to operate through the same copper wire as the normal telephone system. It became popular with businesses because it offered a faster Internet connection than dial-up. Fast-forwarding through different attempts to upgrade includes B-ISDN, transmitting data over fibre optic cable, and ISDN BRI (improving voice services), and the building of modern internet protocol (IP) based networks which can support both broadband and landline telephone services, and ISDN now seems to be only of real use for internet access in areas which haven’t yet been reached by broadband.
Also, as noted by Ofcom, the old PSTN is reaching the end of its life and is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain, which is another reason why a switch-over to a better alternative is necessary.
What’s Happening With the Switch-Off?
BT Openreach have announced that starting from the end of this year and finishing in 2025, it will be “switching off the UK telephone network as we know it” by moving 15 million lines to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) based replacement telephone service. In essence, this means that the Internet (broadband) will be used to carry telephone calls rather than traditional copper wires. Since ISDN used the copper wire phone network, this change marks the ISDN switch-off.
The Alternatives
With the now inevitable switch-off of ISDN, the main alternatives for businesses are:
– SIP, which uses virtual, cloud-based phone lines rather than physical lines. This may be more suitable for businesses with an on-premise phone system. Many existing phone systems are already compatible with SIP.
– Hosted VoIP/ a Hosted IP phone system may suit businesses that don’t want to commit or retain an on-premise phone system. As this option uses the business’s internet lines, it essentially means that the business rents a phone system.
What Are The Advantages?
Broadly speaking, the switch to VoIP should bring many advantages, such as:
– A greater breadth of capabilities.
– Cost savings and fewer system failures and outages.
– Scalability and portability (VoIP phone systems can go wherever the company goes).
– Greater communications mobility, flexibility, and increased productivity and collaboration. The importance of this has been particularly well-illustrated with the need to use remote, cloud-based communications and collaborative working platforms during the pandemic.
– Better security that’s continuously updated.
– Greater reliability.
– Improved customer experiences.
– Clearer calls, making it easier to keep existing numbers, and the choice to have broadband provided separately from the telephone service.
– Better identification and prevention of nuisance calls, thereby saving businesses time and money and potentially protecting against scammers.
What Are The Disadvantages?
Some disadvantages of switching to VoIP could be:
– Potential problems with latency.
– Vulnerability to phone systems going down if there’s a broadband outage or if the electricity supply is interrupted.
Possible Impact Downstream
Both Ofcom and Openreach have acknowledged that the area of concern, if preparations are not made sufficiently in advance of the switch-over, is downstream services such as security and fire alarms, telecare devices, retail payment terminals, and equipment for monitoring and controlling networks. These rely on some attributes of the PSTN that may not be fully replicated in VoIP-based platforms, hence the importance of adequate preparation. This will require service providers to test their equipment to see if it will continue to function over IP and then replace, upgrade, or reconfigure it as appropriate. These service provider businesses will also need to ensure that customers (from residential users to large commercial and public sector entities) are made aware of the issue well in advance so that necessary steps can be taken to maintain service(s).
Ofcom has stated that the government will work with the sectors that use these downstream services (e.g. health, energy, transport, and business) so that they are aware of the change and can prepare in time.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Although the move is industry-led, there is little doubt that analogue and old, expensive to maintain copper wire phone systems will not be able to provide the scope, flexibility, speed, capacity, and economies of the digital alternative as businesses now rely heavily on the Internet. The switch-over will be spread over four years. Provided that there is adequate information and support given by the regulator and BT Openreach, and coordination among communications service providers (CSPs), and adequate advice and help for downstream providers, then change should be manageable, and disruption should be minimised.
Particular attention clearly needs to be paid to those sectors and organisations (many of which are vital to UK business and infrastructure) that still rely on some attributes of the PSTN that may not yet look as though they can be fully replicated in VoIP-based platforms. With this already being acknowledged and working groups already planned to tackle the issue, a smooth transition looks more likely.
The pandemic has increased the digital transformation of many businesses and the advantages of the switch to VoIP and digital appear to be in-keeping with this, and look likely to benefit businesses going forward.
More information about the switch and what to do about the migration can be found here: https://www.bttcomms.com/phasing-out-and-switch-off-of-isdn/. Also, Ofcom provides some useful information about its plans for the switch-over here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/137966/future-fixed-telephone-services.pdf.
In this article, we look at the cyber-crime gang Lapsus$, how they operate and the details of some of their recent high-profile attacks.
Cyber-Crime Gang
Lapsus$ is reported to be a mostly teenage cyber-crime gang (hackers), mainly based in South America, yet with its alleged multi-millionaire teenage leader based in Oxford, UK. The gang, which typically uses ransomware and data extortion, has risen to prominence over the last year or so thanks to frequent attacks on major targets. Although some tech and security commentators have described them as inexperienced and amateurish, they have expanded their reach globally and created many costly problems for some large organisations. Much of the money reported to have been taken by them is likely to have come not just from extortion but also from taking over individual user accounts at cryptocurrency exchanges and draining cryptocurrency holdings.
Social Engineering
Some online reports indicate that Lapsus$ Initially gains access to organisations prior to extortion through social engineering. This is reported to involve bribing and tricking employees at customer support call centres and help desks, for example. Microsoft, which was targeted by the group, wrote in a post that it had found instances where Lapsus$ “had successfully gained access to target organisations through recruited employees (or employees of their suppliers or business partners).”
Telegram Group
Lapsus$ is known to have a group of around 45,000 subscribers on Telegram (instant messenger channel) on which the hacking group members are known to be highly active. It is believed that the Telegram group and multiple other social media platforms have been used for recruitment since at least November 2021.
The Leader?
It has been reported that the leader of Lapsus$ is a 16-year-old boy based in Oxford who uses the hacking names “White” or “Breachbase”. It has also been reported (and alleged) that the autistic teenager has amassed a massive $14m (£10.6m) fortune (in cryptocurrency) from hacking!
Doxxed
The teenage alleged leader’s identity as was revealed after he reportedly mismanaged the Doxbin website that he controlled and leaked the Doxbin data set to Telegram. This led angry customers of the site, which shares personal information about people, to retaliate by doxing him, i.e. publicly revealing personal information about him online. It has also been reported, however, that cyber-security researchers, e.g. Unit 221B, have been tracking the alleged leader of Lapsus$ and have been aware of his real identity for almost a year.
Father Unaware
Following the doxing, it has been reported that White/Breachbase’s father was unaware of his son’s alleged involvement in hacking and that his father believed that extended periods spent on his computer was simply the result of his son playing video games.
Attacks So Far
Some of those targeted and attacked by Lapsus$ are so far thought to include:
– Security company Okta. The attack in January, which allegedly involved a third-party contractor, is reported to have been a case where the data of (at worst) 366 of its clients may have been “viewed or acted upon”. News of the issue caused a 9 per cent fall in the company’s shares.
– Microsoft, which reported that the group had only gained limited access after compromising a single account. Microsoft, which calls the Lapsus$ group DEV-0537, has published an extensive post about their activities and methods here: https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/03/22/dev-0537-criminal-actor-targeting-organizations-for-data-exfiltration-and-destruction/
– Samsung, which recently confirmed that the hacking group had breached its security and stolen code relating to the operation of Galaxy smartphone devices.
– Nvidia (US GPU giant). It was reported that Lapsus$ broke into NVIDIA’s internal network, stole sensitive data (from hashed login credentials to trade secrets) and then leaked NVIDIA’s official code signing certificates.
– Ubisoft (a French gaming publisher) has also been targeted.
Recent Arrests
Following an investigation, it has been reported that City of London Police have now arrested seven teenagers over their suspected connections with the Lapsus$ hacking group. It is not clear, however, whether this included the suspected 16-year-old leader.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
It is shocking that a group of teenagers apparently on their computers in their bedrooms at home may be behind some high-profile extortion crimes against major organisations, as well as taking over cryptocurrency accounts, amassing vast digital wealth in the process. In this case, although the attacks may have exposed some technical security holes in company defences, the group seems mostly to have relied upon (according to Microsoft) using social engineering, e.g. recruiting and bribing relatively low-level insiders. This is difficult for businesses to defend against, and it highlights the importance of monitoring and training about cyber threats in companies. Although some arrests have now been made, the continued existence of a huge subscriber base on Telegram, and details stolen in previous attacks means that the danger may not be over, and others may copy the gang’s methods or replace lost members.
A report which shows huge sales of EVs in the US only resulted in only a 0.54 per cent fall in gasoline consumption in 2021 has led to disappointment and questions about the beneficial Impact of EVs so far.
EV Sales
A recent Argonne National Lab report shows that a massive 2.1 million plug-in vehicles, including 1.3 million battery EVs were sold in the US between 2010 and 2021.
Despite these impressive numbers, however, plug-in vehicles still only make up almost 1 per cent of all light vehicles on the road in the US.
That said, the low 0.54 per cent US gasoline consumption reduction figure has proven disappointing to many.
The Upside
Looking at the positives of the Argonne National Lab report, the 70 billion miles and 22 terawatt-hours of energy consumption of EVs since 2010 in the US has displaced the use of more than 2.5 billion gallons of gasoline and a 19 million tons of greenhouse gases.
Context
Put in context, however plugin vehicles only saved the equivalent of two days of consumption (690 million gallons) of gasoline in 2021.
Why?
Apart from the obvious fact that EVs still make up only a tiny proportion of vehicles on US roads, other reasons why they haven’t made much of an impact on gasoline consumption include:
- A reduction in mileage covered during the pandemic.
- Different battery sizes and differences in driving situations e.g., city driving (43 per cent) and highway driving (43 per cent).
Impact On The Electrical Grid
Although EVs are a great way to tackle the pollution and carbon emissions problem that petrol and diesel cars currently cause, they still need electricity. Some critics have warned about the pressure on the electrical grid of widescale EV adoption and the fact that this may increase the power demand, reshape the electricity load curve, increase in evening peak loads, cause more burning of fossil fuels in power plants initially, and that manufacturing EVs could be more emissions-intensive to make because of their batteries. The Argonne National Lab report also highlights how the manufacture of bigger and heavier electrified SUVs may have had a negative effect on electrical range efficiency of EVs over the last 3 years.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
With it still being very early days in the curve of EV ownership and with EVs only making up one per cent of America’s vehicles at present, it is perhaps not surprising that EVs haven’t yet led to a significant reduction in petrol and diesel consumption. Also, the US grid still contains a mix of fossil fuels (60 to 70 per cent) and other sources, which also affects how green they are generally. The industry also still faces challenges with the price of EVs, the availability of charging points, and battery limitations, which affect the rate at which EVs are being adopted. There is also the matter of changing city policies towards traffic anyway and people looking more at other ways they can get around e.g., electric buses, cycling, trains, and walking. EVs alone are not, therefore, the complete answer to transport and emissions challenges, and there is long way to go yet before their benefits are really noticeable.
Some HP Source...
Hewlett-Packard registered HP.com back in 1986 but did you know that it could so easily have been PH.com instead?
This $40 Billion brand was incorporated this month (August 18th) back in 1947.
You’ll have heard of HP for their printers because the HP LaserJet series launched in 1984 rapidly became the world’s most popular. But less well-known is that they’ve invented atomic clocks, LED’s and the world’s first programmable electronic calculator. In fact, Steve Wozniak worked at HP and had to sell his own personal calculator to help get Apple off the ground.
Before their incorporation, they were founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. The HP or PH was decided by a tossed-coin!
Classmates from Stanford University, both of them become friends while camping back in 1934. Like other startups (e.g. Google Apple), they started in Dave Packard’s garage in Palo Alto (this garage is now considered the birthplace of Silicon Valley).
With startup-capital of just $538, they started off by building audio-oscillators which are electronic test-instruments used by sound engineers. They’d developed a way to make and sell them for £89 dollars
while inferior ones were being sold for over $200, which got noticed by the Disney Corporation, whose sound engineers working on Disney’s film “Fantasia” needed help to make innovative sound-effects among other things.
The war came to America so they made electronics such as counter-radar measures and while opportunities like these helped, they put their success down to running their company “The HP Way” (David Packard wrote a book about this and it’s worth a read).
The main principles are here, which are just as relevant now as ever :
1 Trust and Respect for Individuals.
2 Focus on a High Level of Achievement and Contribution
3 Uncompromising Integrity
4 Achievement of Common Objectives through Teamwork
5 Encouragement of Innovation and Flexibility
6 Corporate Citizenship (HP believed in making a positive contribution to society and behaving as a good corporate citizen)
Perhaps have a think about this the next time you’re desperately trying to print-out your flight tickets for your holidays and the computer says it “can’t see” the printer, even though it’s plugged in and connected right next to it !
In a speech shared on LinkedIn, National Grid Chief Executive, John Pettigrew, highlighted how demand for electricity from commercial data centres will increase six-fold, within just ten years.
Double The Demand On The Grid By 2050
Comparing today’s problem of grid network constraint to that of the 1950s, Mr Pettigrew identified the key challenges of demand on the grid growing dramatically, and forecast to double by 2050 as heat, transport and industry continue to electrify.
Why The Dramatic Increase In Data Centre Power Demand?
Mr Pettigrew put the dramatic predicted six-fold commercial data centre power demand down to factors like the future growth in foundational technologies like AI and quantum computing requiring larger scale, energy-intensive computing infrastructure.
Innovative Thinking Required
Mr Pettigrew also highlighted how the UK’s high voltage 'supergrid’ of overhead pylons and cables that powered the UK’s industries and economy over decades is now 70 years old. As such, faced with the challenge of needing to “create a transmission network for tomorrow’s future” Mr Pettigrew suggested that we are at a “pivotal moment” that “requires innovative thinking and bold actions.”
Possible Solutions
One possible solution, highlighted in Mr Pettigrew’s speech, for creating a grid that can meet future demands is the construction of an ultra-high voltage onshore transmission network of up to 800 thousand volts. It’s thought that this could be “superimposed on the existing supergrid” to create a “super-supergrid” which could enable bulk power transfers around the country. One key advantage of this approach could be using strategically located ultra-high capacity substations which can support the connection of large energy sources to big demand centres, including data centres, via the new network.
Power-Hungry
It has long been known that data centres are power-hungry and require enormous amounts of water (for cooling), as well as needing to find sustainable solutions for using the excess heat productively. Factors such as the growth in cloud computing and the IoT, as well as the huge power demands of AI, have been identified as key factors driving the growing need for energy by data centres. Recent ideas for how to provide cooling for data centres have included immersion cooling / submerging servers in liquid and even having them submerged under the sea as underwater data centres. Ideas for producing enough power have included building dedicated small nuclear power stations / Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) adjoining each data centre. Ideas for how to best use the excess heat include heating nearby homes and businesses and even growing algae which can then be used to power other data centres and create bioproducts.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
The growth in cloud computing, the IoT, and now AI, have all meant an increase in the demand for more power. All of this comes at a time when there is a need to decarbonise and move towards greener and more sustainable energy sources. This rapidly increasing demand, coupled with the constraints of an ageing, creaking grid (as highlighted in the recent speech by John Pettigrew), means that there is now an urgent need for innovative ideas and the action to match if the UK’s businesses are to be served with the power they need to fuel the tech-driven future.
The ideas, however, must be ones that not only meet the demand for power from UK businesses and data centres, but do so in a sustainable way that meets decarbonising targets. As highlighted by Mr Pettigrew, creating a “super-supergrid” is an idea currently on the table, but a boost in wind, wave, solar, nuclear, and other power sources, as well as more carbon offsetting by data centre owners, and many other cooling and excess data centre heat distribution ideas will likely all contribute to these targets in the coming years. Also, although running AI models is a major power drain, ironically, AI may also help to provide solutions for how to manage the country’s energy requirements more efficiently and efficiently.
Here, we look at how the Data Use and Access Bill is poised to reshape how our personal data is handled in the UK and we also review the significant changes it will bring, with implications for the NHS and beyond.
What Is the Data Use and Access Bill?
Introduced as a cornerstone of the government’s plan to modernise data governance, the Data Use and Access Bill aims to overhaul existing data laws to improve economic growth, streamline public services, and enhance data security. Originating from a need to update the UK’s data legislation post-Brexit, the bill seeks to replace or amend elements of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to better suit national interests. The government claims that streamlining data usage and access could generate £10 billion of economic benefit. While the exact date of its enactment remains uncertain, the bill is expected to come into force within the coming year, subject to parliamentary approval.
How Will It Affect Our Data Handling?
At the heart of the bill lies a fundamental shift in how personal data will be managed, accessed, and shared across both public and private sectors. For individuals, this means their data could be used more extensively to improve services, but it also raises concerns about privacy and consent.
In the context of the NHS, the bill mandates that all IT systems adopt common data formats, enabling real-time sharing of patient information such as pre-existing conditions, appointments, and test results between NHS trusts, GPs, and ambulance services. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) estimates this could free up 140,000 hours of NHS staff time annually. The government envisions that by breaking down data silos, patient care will become more efficient, reducing medical errors and eliminating the need for repeat tests.
What About Patient Passports?
Many people will have heard the term 'patient passport’. As part of the UK’s NHS digital transformation strategy, this will be the centralised digital record that holds a patient’s comprehensive health information, including medical history, test results, and treatment notes. It’s hoped that this passport will allow healthcare providers to access a patient’s entire medical record seamlessly across different healthcare settings, whether at GP surgeries, hospitals, or through ambulance services. By consolidating data, the aim of patient passports is to reduce redundancies, prevent repeated tests, and improve continuity of care, ensuring clinicians can make quicker, well-informed decisions in critical moments.
Privacy Warnings
However, privacy advocates have said that increased data sharing must be balanced with safeguards, including protecting patient passports from third-party access. For example, one key question they’re asking is who exactly will have access to this sensitive health data? The potential involvement of multinational tech firms (known for less-than-stellar transparency records) adds to this concern. For example, the Good Law Project (a key privacy advocate), has raised concerns about the NHS’s partnership with private data firms, especially Palantir, for managing the Federated Data Platform (FDP). They argue that without sufficient scrutiny, sensitive patient data could be open to misuse or could be shared without adequate patient control. The group has highlighted potential issues with the National Data Opt-Out (NDOO), which allows patients to restrict their data from being used outside of their direct care but doesn’t yet fully cover the FDP, sparking concerns that the NDOO’s limitations might not uphold patients’ data rights effectively.
Beyond Healthcare – The Police
Beyond healthcare, the bill also proposes allowing police forces to automate certain manual data tasks. Currently, officers must log each instance they access personal information on the police database. Automating such steps could save an estimated 1.5 million hours per year, enabling officers to focus more on frontline duties. While increased efficiency is welcomed, civil liberties groups express concern over potential overreach and lack of oversight. Liberty, a UK human rights organisation, points out that “automation without accountability could lead to unchecked surveillance and data misuse.”
Infrastructure Too
The bill also introduces the creation of a digital “National Underground Asset Register,” requiring infrastructure firms to upload data on underground pipes and cables. This initiative aims to reduce the 600,000 accidental strikes on buried assets annually, minimising disruption from roadworks and construction projects.
A Digital Register of Births and Deaths
Another aspect of the bill that’s drawn attention is a plan for the creation of a digital register for births and deaths. This register is proposed to simplify how vital records are accessed and managed, with the goal of moving away from paper-based systems. Creating a digital registry should, it’s argued, make it easier for individuals and relevant authorities to access official records, such as birth and death certificates. This digital transformation will also align with broader efforts to streamline public records, similar to electronic registration in other sectors.
Consumer Data
The bill also discusses enhancing how consumer data (like energy usage or purchasing history) might be used to provide personalised services. For example, individuals could use data about their energy consumption to choose better tariffs, or purchasing data could inform tailored online shopping deals.
The Digital Revolution in the NHS
The digital revolution within the NHS is a critical component of the broader objectives outlined in the Data Use and Access Bill. The government’s new 10-year strategy for the NHS in England aims to transform how patients interact with the health service, mirroring the convenience and accessibility offered by modern banking apps.
Currently, the NHS App’s functionality is limited due to the fragmented nature of patient records, which are held separately by GPs and hospitals. The government’s push for a single, unified patient record (the patient passport) is intended to bridge this gap. As Health Secretary Wes Streeting has stated, “Moving from analogue to digital is essential if we are to create a more efficient, patient-centred NHS” (BBC, 2023).
This shift is anticipated to speed up patient care, reduce redundant testing, and minimise medical errors. For example, immediate access to a patient’s full medical history could enable faster diagnosis and treatment decisions, potentially saving lives.
Open to Abuse?
However, this digital transformation is not without controversy. Privacy campaigners, such as MedConfidential (a UK group advocating for privacy and transparency in health data usage), have expressed concerns that a single patient record / patient passport system could be “open to abuse” if not properly safeguarded. The involvement of private firms like Palantir, which has been awarded contracts to create databases joining up individual records, exacerbates these fears. As Sam Smith of MedConfidential says, “Handing over vast amounts of sensitive health data to companies with questionable track records poses significant risks to patient confidentiality”.
Too Hasty?
There has also been a public backlash against the perceived haste in implementing these changes without adequate consultation. A “national conversation” has been launched to gather public input, but critics argue that more needs to be done to ensure transparency and trust. As Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said in a Patients Association Statement (2023): “For far too long, patients have felt their voices weren’t fully heard in shaping the health service. Any digital transformation must put patients at the heart of its evolution.”
The Backlash and Privacy Concerns
Despite assurances, scepticism remains. For example, the launch of the public engagement exercise was marred by inappropriate and irrelevant submissions, suggesting a disconnect between the government’s intentions and public perception. Also, reports about patient passports and usage of wearable technology (like Fitbits) to monitor health conditions remotely (to offer convenience and improved care) have also raised further privacy issues.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has expressed caution, stating that any move towards increased data sharing must be accompanied by “rigorous ethical standards and patient consent”. Critics fear that without proper oversight, personal health data could be exploited by private companies or misused by the state.
What About the Financial Aspects?
Many have highlighted that the financial aspects can’t be ignored. For example, Prof Nicola Ranger, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has said (in an RCN Press Release, 2023) that any future plans will require “new investment” to be successful and that, “Digital transformation is not just about technology; it’s about investing in people and processes to make it work effectively.”
Efficiency Gains
With figures in mind, as highlighted earlier, key examples of the efficiency savings that the proposed Data Use and Access Bill could bring by streamlining data use across sectors (especially in healthcare and law enforcement) include:
– An estimated £10 billion boost to the economy (UK government), primarily through simplifying data access and by reducing administrative inefficiencies and fostering innovation across sectors.
– Saving NHS staff 140,000 hours by standardising data formats across NHS trusts, hospitals, and GPs. This saved time could then be redirected to patient care, improving treatment speed and accessibility for patients.
– Automation of routine data tasks, such as logging access to personal data in police databases, could free up 1.5 million hours annually for the police. This reduction in administrative tasks could allow more time for frontline work, which could strengthen law enforcement efficiency and public safety.
Balancing Efficiency and Privacy
The implications of the Data Use and Access Bill extend beyond immediate efficiency gains. By fostering a more data-driven approach, the UK hopes to position itself as a leader in the global digital economy. The government asserts that modernising data laws will not only improve public services but also attract investment and innovation in sectors like artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
Public Trust Needed
However, the success of this ambitious agenda hinges on public trust. Past experiences with data initiatives, such as the failed Care.data programme in 2016, have left a legacy of scepticism. That programme sought to share GP records for research and planning but was abandoned due to public outcry over privacy concerns.
As Prof Sir Nigel Shadbolt, co-founder of the Open Data Institute, has said: “Data can be a powerful tool for good, but only if handled responsibly. Building and maintaining public trust is essential for any data initiative to succeed.”
Government Says Data Will Be Protected
In response to these challenges, the government has pledged to implement strict data protection measures. The bill is expected to outline clear guidelines on consent, data minimisation, and purpose limitation. Additionally, there will be provisions for individuals to access, correct, or delete their data, aligning with principles established under GDPR.
However, critics argue that replacing or modifying GDPR protections could weaken individual rights. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection authority, has urged caution. In a statement last year, the ICO said, “Any changes to data protection laws must not dilute the rights of individuals or reduce the accountability of organisations.”
There is also the matter of international scrutiny to consider. As the UK diverges from EU data regulations, questions are being asked about the adequacy decisions that currently allow for the free flow of data between the UK and EU countries. Losing this status could have significant repercussions for businesses operating across borders.
Looking Ahead
The Data Use and Access Bill represents a significant step towards modernising the UK’s data infrastructure. While the potential benefits in terms of efficiency, economic growth, and improved public services are substantial, it seems clear that they must be carefully balanced against the imperative to protect individual privacy and maintain public trust. The coming months will be crucial as the bill progresses through Parliament and the national conversation unfolds.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
As the Data Use and Access Bill stands poised for implementation, it signals a transformation across public services, private enterprise, and individual rights. For the government, this legislation offers a pathway to harness data as a tool for national progress. The projected £10 billion economic boost, alongside potential time savings within the NHS and police forces, embodies the bill’s intent to streamline services, foster efficiency, and support sectors such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology. For the government, success means creating a framework where data is a secure, accessible resource that fuels growth, with implications not only domestically but also in terms of the UK’s reputation on the international stage.
For the public, the stakes are particularly high. On one hand, individuals stand to benefit from improved public services, from faster healthcare diagnoses and treatments to enhanced law enforcement capabilities. But this convenience comes with concerns around privacy, choice, and transparency. Past data initiatives like Care.data have shown that public trust can falter without robust consent frameworks and clear assurances on data security. Therefore, establishing transparency and giving individuals genuine control over their information are pivotal if the public is to feel safeguarded rather than surveilled.
In healthcare, the NHS’s anticipated transformation via digital records and patient passports could make a tangible difference in patient care given the estimation that it could free up over 140,000 hours in staff time to improve responsiveness and patient outcomes. However, this potential relies on more than just technical feasibility. For example, some would say that significant investment in staff training and infrastructure, as well as strict privacy protocols, are needed to prevent data misuse. Partnerships with private tech companies, which bring efficiency but sometimes questionable records on transparency, will need to be tightly regulated to ensure that patient data is handled responsibly and ethically.
The police, meanwhile, are expected to gain valuable hours through automation, potentially redirecting 1.5 million hours away from administrative duties to active police work, which many would welcome. However, without careful oversight, automated data access could risk privacy rights and lead to unintentional overreach, a concern for civil liberties advocates who call for accountability mechanisms to match this increased efficiency.
Third-party companies, particularly in tech, are also significant stakeholders in this bill. The opportunity to innovate and participate in data-driven public projects is substantial, yet comes with the responsibility to uphold rigorous privacy standards. For UK businesses, especially those relying on cross-border data flows, alignment with international data regulations will be critical. Divergence from GDPR raises questions about future adequacy agreements with the EU, impacting data-dependent enterprises if this alignment weakens.
As this ambitious bill moves forward, its success depends not only on the economic and operational benefits it promises but also its commitment to protecting individual rights and maintaining public trust. Establishing transparent, secure data frameworks that place privacy and consent at the forefront will be essential. With appropriate safeguards, the Data Use and Access Bill could indeed lead the UK into a new era of responsible data innovation. Without them, however, it risks compromising the very rights it aims to modernise.
Thousands of Asus routers have been compromised in a silent, persistent attack that gives hackers remote access, even after firmware updates.
Cybersecurity firm GreyNoise uncovered the campaign, which targets internet-facing Asus models like the RT-AC3100 and RT-AX55. Attackers use brute-force logins or old vulnerabilities to gain admin access, then exploit a flaw (CVE-2023-39780) to enable hidden logging features and install a stealthy backdoor.
SSH access is then enabled through official settings, with an attacker-controlled key added. GreyNoise warns this “persists across firmware upgrades” and may be part of a long-term botnet operation, with over 4,800 affected devices already detected.
Businesses using Asus routers should check for SSH on port 53282, inspect authorised\_keys, and block known malicious IPs. If compromise is suspected, only a full factory reset can remove the backdoor.
Many people may be familiar with how to set up an 'out of office’ email in Outlook, but it can also be done in Gmail too. Here’s how:
- Log in to Gmail and select the 'gear’ (settings) symbol (top right).
- Select 'See all settings’.
- Scroll down to 'Vacation responder’ and change the setting to 'on’.
- Select the date of the first day you’ll be away. Although it is not necessary to enable and select a last day, it may be a good idea just in case you forget to switch the autoreply off.
- Type your subject line and autoreply message.
- If you only want to target the autoreply to people you already know, select 'Only send a response to people in my Contacts’.
- Select Save Changes.
- To turn the autoreply off again, follow the route through Gmail Settings to the 'Vacation responder’ section and switch to 'off’.
The UK’s national fraud reporting centre, Action Fraud, says that it has received 196 reports of scam emails claiming to be raising funds for victims of the war in Ukraine.
Facebook Post
In a Meta / Facebook post on 18 March, Action Fraud reported:
“We’ve received 196 reports about FAKE emails purporting to raise money for those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. Some of the emails even claim to be from Wladimir Klitschko.”
Fake Websites Too
ESET researchers have also reported seeing a number of fake websites showing images of soldiers and explosions and the flag of Ukraine, asking for aid donations but with no specific details of how the money will be used. ESET commented in tweet: “Cybercriminals have no shame. With no humanitarian organization and only generic purpose mentioned, scammers try to lure out money from people trying to help #Ukraine during the #war.”
Advice
The advice from Action Fraud is that if any suspicious emails are received, they should be forwarded to:
Simple Checks
The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator suggest that those looking to donate to causes working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries should make some simple checks before donating, such as:
– Check the charity’s name and registration number at www.gov.uk/checkcharity.
– Check to see if the charity is genuine before parting with any financial information, e.g. check online for details of the charity and/or contact them to ask about what work they’re doing and how funds are spent.
– Exercise caution when responding to emails or clicking on links within the emails.
– Look for the Fundraising Badge (the Fundraising Regulator’s logo) on charity fundraising materials. This is a sign that they fundraise in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said about donating causes helping the people of Ukraine: “We encourage everyone to follow our simple steps to check that their money gets to its intended cause. Donating to a registered charity is a good way to feel confident of that.”
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Just as we saw with the pandemic, scammers will exploit any situation to extract money and sensitive, personal information from people. Situations where there is a strong emotional response and an urge to help and move quickly are ideal for scammers who rely people acting on emotional impulse and not checking or using critical thought or discussing their intentions with others who may alert them to the danger. Taking time to make simple checks, such as some basic online research can help ensure that money goes to those who need it rather than to fraudsters funding more crime. The advice is to be on the alert for fake emails and social-media posts from scammers looking to cash-in on the crisis in Ukraine, report and to delete and suspicious emails and make some basic checks before donating to any charity or organisation.
Following news of the collapse of FTX, we look at what it was plus the events leading up to its demise and the effects going forward.
FTX
FTX, until very recently, was a Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange, founded in 2019 which at its peak (July 2021) had more than one million users and was the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. FTX was founded by the now 30-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried.
What Happened To FTX?
A series of recent events and allegations about FTX and Mr Bankman-Fried caused panicked traders to pulled $6bn out of FTX, leading to its collapse and bankruptcy. These included:
– In July 2021, Binance, an early investor in FTX, sold its stake in its rival for $2.1 billion worth of FTT, a token launched by FTX.
– A CoinDesk article on (Nov 2) alleged that FTX and its corporate sibling Alameda Research (also owned by Bankman-Fried) faced a liquidity crisis. This led to concerns that Alameda Research’s balance sheet was too heavily reliant on illiquid tokens (tokens that can’t be quickly and easily bought or sold) including FTX’s own FTT.
– One-week later, FTX’s rival Binance announced that FTX had a liquidity crunch and had asked for its help. Binance then agreed a rescue plan to buy the FTX cryptocurrency exchange (not including FTX’s U.S. division called 'FTX US’) with two CEOs, “CZ” Zhao and Bankman-Fried, signing non-binding letter of intent and saying that a due diligence process would soon be underway.
– The next day (Nov 9) Binance pulled out of its rescue plan deal following a “corporate due diligence” review which appeared to reveal issues in FTX’s financial situation. Binance said these were “beyond our control or ability to help.”
– Binance’s CEO “CZ” Zhao announced that he was selling all his holdings of FTX’s FTT to “in a way that minimizes market impact.”
– FTX’s CEO Bankman-Fried denied rumours of insolvency, saying that “a competitor is trying to go after us with false rumours.” He also said that “FTX is fine.”
– CZ’s announcement that he was selling off all his holdings of FTX’s FTT resulted in a fall in FTT’s price.
– Alameda’s CEO, Caroline Ellison, then tweeted that Alameda (also owned by Bankman-Fried) would buy all Binance’s FTT tokens for $22 each in to minimise the impact on prices.
– The Binance rescue plan caused a 10 per cent (plus) fall in the prices of Bitcoin and Etherium, wiping out more than $60 billion from the market.
– It was alleged that CZ may have deliberately created a liquidity crisis at FTX (which he denied) to enable him to buy one of his biggest competitors for a rock bottom price.
– The US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission began an investigation into FTX’s relationships with its sister entities Alameda Research and FTX. Allegations that customer funds had been mishandled were also investigated.
– This led to a knock-on effect on USDC and USDT on the Solana blockchain over FTX’s role in trading Solana-based stablecoins and operating a Solana bridge.
– Many FTX customers then said that they were having trouble withdrawing money from FTX.
– Bankman-Fried announced the winding down of FTX’s sister entity Alameda Research (Nov 10), and that he was concentrating on raising “liquidity” and considering bankruptcy.
– FTX sought rescue funds (of $9.4 billion) from investors, rival exchanges (OKX and Tether), and made a deal with the Tron blockchain network founder Justin Sun, to allow holders Tron-related tokens to withdraw their holdings from FTX.
– A banner on the FTX US website announced the possible halting of trading on FTX US.
– On Nov 11, Bankman-Fried resigned from his position as the FTX CEO and John J. Ray III (a lawyer) was announced as the person taking over as CEO.
– Alameda Research, FTX and around 30 affiliated companies started bankruptcy proceedings.
– American FTX were told that they should be able to get their money back in full although international customers may only get 20/25 per cent of their money back from FTX.
– A Reuters report then alleged that at least $1 billion in funds from FTX customers’ accounts has gone missing.
– Police in the Bahamas along with the Bahamas Securities Commission started an investigation into FTX to see if there had been any wrongdoing.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Sadly, the FTX collapse, like many other crypto failures and crashes, has dealt another blow to the crypto industry and confidence in it. Investors like certainty and in the crypto market, liquidity, being able to easily buy and sell, is also valued.
In the case of the illiquid FTX and following the failed deal and spat with Binance they had neither certainty nor liquidity, so this coupled with the speed and frequency of worrying announcements meant that things were only going to head one way. The FTX collapse has had damaging knock-on effects for other cryptocurrencies and investments, and its collapse puts Binance in a much stronger market position with FTX gone. This has changed the shape of the whole crypto market. The events and investigation into FTX are still quite recent, however, and it remains to be seen what (if any) new information surfaces and which effects this will have going forward.
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Cedar House
Mill Hill
Capel St Mary
Ipswich IP9 2JE
Prominent is an award-winning PR, marketing and events company based in Suffolk. The company works across a variety of sectors including construction, education, legal, hospitality and the public sector.
“Prominent has worked with SMY IT Services for two years now, and we could not be happier with the service provided to us. The SMY team are always responsive when we need them and there has not been a problem encountered that they have not solved.
“As a team of creatively minded people, IT is crucial to the success of our business, but it is not something we have time to take control or solve ourselves. So, we need a team who we can completely outsource to – and SMY IT provides us with this service.
“Whether it is a simple issue or something more complex and business critical, the SMY team are always happy to help with a smile. Being contactable by both email and telephone means we can get either an immediate solution or we can schedule in work for a more convenient time – we get the best of both worlds.
“They look after everything for Prominent, from managing email signatures to computer technicalities; from purchasing equipment to server issues. There is not a problem too big or too small for them. They are incredibly knowledgeable on everything IT-related and provide second to none customer service. They appreciate that they often talk to staff who are not IT savvy and adjust the technical language accordingly.
“If you are a business that does not have the time of the inclination to worry about IT, and you need a ‘partner’, then I would fully recommend SMY IT.
“I trust them implicitly for both of my businesses, and I would not consider going anywhere else for IT support services.”
Helen Rudd
Managing Director, Prominent
Fenton Civil Engineering Ltd are a groundworks company based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. The company works in the civil, residential and commercial sectors of the construction industry.
“SMY have been providing IT advice and support to Fenton Civil Engineering Ltd since September 2019. Their services were recommended to us by a friend based in Watford who had been using SMY to provide their IT support.
“We needed urgent help after the person who had been delivering our IT support left suddenly. We were left in limbo and had no-one with IT knowledge in the office to help us in the interim.
“Thankfully, SMY came to our aid. They have essentially turned our whole IT service around and are providing help across a broad spectrum. When Jonathan and Carl initially came in to talk to us about our needs, they gave us an estimate as to how long it would take to get us back up to speed. It took a couple of months as there was no transitional phase with our previous IT expert and we literally did not even have passwords to provide SMY with.
“They really had to start from basics and were working from old laptops to try and gain access to passwords and crucial information.
“One of the other problems we faced was our domain name. We have a .com website address, which was coming up for renewal but, again, we did not have the log-in details. It meant there was a chance that we were going to have to change over to a co.uk domain. Fortunately, SMY saved the day and we didn’t have to change as it would have caused a few issues.
“SMY have truly been exceptional for us. Both Jonathan and Carl have done an amazing job and I can’t thank them enough. They are quick to deal with any urgent issues and there is not one question that they have been unable to answer. Their IT knowledge is supreme. I’m also learning on a daily basis thanks to their expertise.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend SMY IT Services to any other businesses who may find themselves in the same situation that we were in.”
Vicki Pryer
Office Manager, Fenton Civil Engineering Ltd
Pure Resourcing Solutions are professional recruitment specialists for the East of England. They boast specialisms in accountancy, human resources, technology, marketing and office support.
“Jonathan and Carl have been providing IT advice and support to Pure for over 10 years. They are incredibly knowledgeable on everything IT and Telecoms and due to this are often involved in many of our technology projects whether it’s simply to ask their opinion, advice or to handle the installation/implementation of our hardware/software. What they don’t know in their field, in our opinion, isn’t worth knowing!
“They are exceptionally quick at handling urgent or business critical issues which goes a long way when you’re under pressure internally to deliver a good level of resilience with IT systems.”
Ian Walters
Chief Executive Officer, Pure Resourcing Solutions
Abacus Employment Services are a company focused on delivering excellent recruitment solutions. As well as offering 24/7 hour support to their clients, Abacus Employment Services also benefit from being the industry leader for both permanent and temporary staff.
“Having become disillusioned with our incumbent IT provider we took the decision to move to a new provider. Following meeting with Jonathan it was immediately evident that he understood our frustrations and he took the time to understand what we were looking for moving forward.
“From the initial idea to professional design and smooth installation of a brand new cloud IT infrastructure, SMY IT Services has enabled us to deploy the applications and tools we need to run our business and compete at the highest level. They always provide excellent advice and support so we have total confidence in their ability no matter the challenge we set them. Quite simply, SMY IT Services have never let us down.
“The service that we receive is of the highest standard and we are completely happy that we have made the right decision to move our business to SMY IT Services.”
Chris Addis
Managing Director, Abacus Employment Services
Sanctuary Personnel is a leading recruitment specialist with over 250 employees at their head office in Ipswich as well as offices nearby and in London.
“As a leading recruitment company, it is integral that our IT systems are consistently working to the highest level.
“Jonathan and his team have been absolutely fantastic in ensuring all of our needs are met and that the very best solutions were delivered.
“He is on hand 24/7 for anything we might need and he has an excellent knowledge base of all things IT.”
Andrew Pirie
Marketing Director, Sanctuary Personnel
Cowells Arrow provides high quality gaming products and reliable service and pride themselves on being industry leaders for over 50 years.
“Jonathan and his team are amazing, amazing customer service, problems are always resolved in an extremely timely manner without being baffled by technical jargon.”
Steven Pink
Financial Controller, Cowells Arrow
Warren Anthony Estate Agents was set up in 2003 and they have over 75 years combined experience.
“It is costly for us to have our systems down and really appreciate the speed that your team respond to any issue we have. I don’t believe we have had any problems which you have not been resolved.”
Warren Patmore
Lettings Director, Warren Anthony Estate Agents
“Having had some real bad experiences with IT companies in the past it has been a breath of fresh air to have you and your team assisting all of my staff with any issues that have arisen.”
Tony King
Sales Director, Warren Anthony Estate Agents
