Latest news with #AcumenCyber
STV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- STV News
Oasis fans worried over tickets amid rise in scam sales
Anxious Oasis fans are worried their tickets are fake amid a rise in scammers ahead of the band's sold-out shows in Edinburgh. The Gallagher brothers will make their highly anticipated return to Scotland when they kick off their three sold-out shows at Murrayfield on Friday. However, as the concert nears, fans with and without tickets are concerned about falling victim to scams. Some fans, like Skye, say there's still uncertainty about whether they'll actually get to see the band despite paying for a ticket. 'We didn't get tickets in the original ballot. Eventually, my kids clubbed together they managed to get us two tickets, but they did have to get them off one of the unofficial resale platforms, and we're still dubious,' she told STV News. She added that her tickets have come through, but she has concerns over whether they are legit. 'You hear about people not getting in with them, so we're trying to remain optimistic and positive.' Newlyweds Laura and Rachel opted for tickets halfway across the world, instead of risking getting scammed here. The couple tried to get tickets in the UK and America before they managed to secure them for the shows down under. 'We entered all the ballots for all the presales for the UK, tried on the day and were like 80,000 in the queue, and then we tried for America because that came out next, and we didn't get anywhere, and then we got presale access for Australia,' the couple said. 'We were planning to go anyway, to Australia this year, so it just kind of solidified our decision.' They added: 'It was probably the most difficult concert I've ever had to try and get a ticket for because you don't know if you're buying your tickets off those sites if you're actually even going to get your tickets.' Scammers are also finding new ways to gain customers' trust outside of ticket-selling sites. Kevin Robertson, chief technology officer at Acumen Cyber, said private groups on sites WhatsApp and Facebook are potentially the 'most dangerous' place for scams. He added: 'We've had reports of things like nursery groups and school groups, people gaining access to those or private neighbourhood groups, that kind of thing, so all of a sudden these people are in these groups and they've almost got an established level of trust already, how else would they get access to that group without being invited? So that's the problem, you need to really not trust anybody unless you know them very well.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Scotsman
Cyber resilience is key for Scotland's education sector
Universities across the UK have been targeted by attackers stealing data and high-profile research, writes Mark Robertson Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When evaluating the most lucrative targets for cyber criminals, the education sector ranks high on the list. Holding swathes of personal data and highly confidential research, often related to governments and innovation, the sector offers adversaries multiple avenues for monetising attacks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yet, many institutions lack the necessary skills and funding to adequately protect their complex environments. Academic institutions manage a complicated mix of networks, data and user access points, which makes their environments very difficult to secure. 91 per cent of higher education institutions have suffered cyber attacks in the last year (Picture: Furthermore, cyber security is often bundled into broader IT budgets, meaning it rarely receives the dedicated investment or prioritisation it requires. However, this misalignment between risk and resourcing is leaving many educational institutions exposed. The impact of recent attacks In the last few years, multiple education institutions have suffered major attacks, with the most recent occurring on Scottish soil. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mark Robertson, CEO of Acumen Cyber These attacks have disrupted student learning, delayed exams and, in some cases, forced pupils to attend schools on weekends to catch up on missed lessons. Universities across the UK have also been targeted, with attackers stealing data and high-profile research, in areas such as defence, AI, medicine and climate science, often in support of state-backed threat actors. The biggest challenge for many education institutions is finding the resources in-house to safeguard their diverse and multifaceted environments. Their environments are large and built for collaboration, focusing on open access, which can threaten security. Many institutions struggle to implement essential safeguards like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), largely due to the scale and diversity of their user base, which includes both students and faculty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Furthermore, they are highly vulnerable to phishing and ransomware, today's most dominant attack vectors, which can be amplified by the absence of round-the-clock monitoring and regular cyber awareness training for staff and students. The government's recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey also revealed that 85 per cent of further education colleges and 91 per cent of higher education institutions have suffered cyber attacks in the last year, which mirrors the volumes aimed at the country's largest organisations. This means prioritising defences is more important than ever. But how can this be achieved when inhouse budgets and resources rarely match the severity of the threat? Strengthening defences in Scotland's education sector In response to the growing threat, it is essential the education sector takes proactive steps to get ahead of threat actors and protect their sensitive environments. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One example of this is being actioned by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), which recently announced it has partnered with Acumen Cyber to strengthen its security posture. Recognising the severity of the threat, ENU identified the need to proactively enhance its cyber defences by partnering with a security expert to oversee and manage a key element of its operations. While the university had existing in-house protections, it recognised the importance of 24/7 coverage to guard against increasingly sophisticated threats. Universities across Scotland are facing a growing wave of sophisticated cyber threats that target valuable research, sensitive data and the safety of students and staff. In an environment where resources are already stretched, the challenge of maintaining strong cyber defences has never been more important. To stay ahead of threat activity, institutions must take proactive steps to understand and address the risks unique to their environments and sector. Accessing sector-specific cyber expertise, whether through internal development or external support, is essential to enhance cyber defences and close critical gaps. This ensures that even in the face of escalating attacks, safety and security are maintained, data is continuously protected, while the integrity of Scotland's education industry is never threatened.
