Category: Cybersecurity

AI, Business Models, Cybersecurity, Data-Framework

Structure of High-Quality AI Prompts

Colin Henderson

From various online sources – refer sources below Effective AI prompting is foundational to maximizing business value from generative AI systems. The quality of a prompt directly determines the relevance, accuracy, and usefulness of the AI’s output. Below is a structured guide to constructing expert-level prompts, highlighting mandatory elements, discretionary enhancements, and common pitfalls to avoid. Mandatory Elements of a Good Prompt ———————— Discretionary (Enhancing) Elements ———————— Items to Avoid in AI Prompts ———————— Summary Table: AI Prompt Structure Element Mandatory Discretionary To Avoid Clear Directive ✔ Vague/ambiguous instructions Context ✔ Irrelevant or excessive details Output Format ✔ Unspecified or … Continue reading Structure of High-Quality AI Prompts

AI, Cybersecurity, Economy, Risk

John Law, the man who blew up the French economy

Colin Henderson

From Engelsbergideas. A rich and relevant commentary on John Law. In 1674 William was called on by the Scottish parliament to give a commentary on a report into the running of the Royal Mint. It was an outsider DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) moment The echoes from 400 years ago reverberate today and. add dimension to Risk development. Financial Markets look at risk for a single point of failure. Law is a classic example we can recognize today in the new US government. He infiltrated and invented fiat currency, global trade, cost reduction, country appropriation, real estate accumulation. Yet he … Continue reading John Law, the man who blew up the French economy

Cybersecurity

Evolution and Nature of Cyber Attacks on Banks (1998–2025)

Colin Henderson

The financial sector has been a prime target for cybercriminals due to the high-value data and assets it manages. Over the past 27 years, cyberattacks on banks and their customers have evolved in sophistication, scale, and impact. Below is a detailed examination of this evolution, categorized by key time periods. The evolution highlights the characteristic that this report will focus on, and that is proactivity vs reactivity. Banks have become adept at reacting to new threats, usually following experience with an attack or intelligence from communal discussion groups between banks. This reflects in internal approaches, which is largely based on … Continue reading Evolution and Nature of Cyber Attacks on Banks (1998–2025)

Cybersecurity, Geopolitics

Update from Sifted on Ukraine impacts

Colin Henderson

Sifted reports on start ups in Ukraine and Eastern Europe three years on and the threat and startup environment. —- —- Three years of war in Europe Good morning Colin, Today marks the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, and while the US and Russia remain focused on finding solutions that suit them, the conflict looks set to continue a while longer. A year on from war breaking out, Sifted spoke to several startups and operators who either tried to keep their companies running or shifted from coding to producing military equipment. Three years on, Sifted once again interviewed Ukrainian founders to … Continue reading Update from Sifted on Ukraine impacts

Cybersecurity

BlackBasta ransomeware lo

Colin Henderson

BlackBasta ransomeware logs leaked # Insights into Black Basta’s Organizational Structure Revealed Through Leaked Chat Logs The unprecedented leak of over 200,000 internal chat logs from the Black Basta ransomware group has provided cybersecurity researchers and law enforcement agencies with critical insights into the organizational structure of one of the world’s most prolific cybercriminal enterprises. Spanning communications from September 2023 to September 2024, these logs reveal a sophisticated hierarchy, operational divisions, and internal dynamics that underscore the group’s adaptability and vulnerabilities[1][3][4]. — ## Hierarchical Leadership and Core Command Structure At the apex of Black Basta’s organizational structure sits **Oleg Nefedovaka**, … Continue reading BlackBasta ransomeware lo

Cybersecurity

He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

Colin Henderson

On the night of the fake WhatsApp call, just before turning in, Ahmed Aziz noticed that his phone’s screen glowed softly in short intervals, signalling an incoming call on silent mode. Too tired to answer after a long day, he placed his phone on the bedside table and drifted off to sleep. Feb. 2, 2025 The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab studies threats to the openness and security of the internet and the risks to human rights they pose. The lab’s founder recounts how they learned one such threat had raised its game, in this excerpt from his new book. There … Continue reading He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

AI, Cybersecurity

The Cyber Angle

Colin Henderson

Bloomberg The US private equity firm AE Industrial Partners has acquired one of Israel’s leading spyware companies in a move that’s injected enthusiasm into the Middle Eastern country’s scandal-plagued surveillance technology industry. Florida-based AE bought Tel-Aviv’s Paragon in a deal worth up to $900 million, according to a person familiar with the deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential business. The agreement consists of an initial $500 million payment and could increase by a further $400 million depending on sales and other targets, the person added. AE plans to merge Paragon with REDLattice, a US cybersecurity firm … Continue reading The Cyber Angle

Cybersecurity1 Comment

Complexity of Ransomeware attacks multiple vectors

Colin Henderson

Healthcare Ransomware Attacks Continue to Increase in Number and Severity Posted By Steve Alder on Sep 30, 2024 Ransomware attacks continue to increase in healthcare despite a fall in attacks in many other sectors, according to the State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024 report from Sophos. Across all industry sectors, the number of organizations that reported suffering a ransomware attack in the past 12 months fell from 66% in 2023 to 59% in 2024. Sophos surveyed 402 healthcare organizations, and 67% said they had experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, up from 60% the previous year, and … Continue reading Complexity of Ransomeware attacks multiple vectors

Cybersecurity

U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks

Colin Henderson

WSJ 09/10/24 WASHINGTON—U.S. officials are racing to understand the full scope of a China-linked hack of major U.S. broadband providers, as concerns mount from members of Congress that the breach could amount to a devastating counterintelligence failure. In letters to AT&T, Verizon and Lumen, lawmakers ask about proposed measures the companies will take to protect U.S. wiretap systems By Dustin VolzFollow  and Drew FitzGeraldFollow Oct. 11, 2024 at 5:30 am ET Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said the companies involved in the hack were responsible for their own cybersecurity failures but that ‘the government shares much of the blame.’ PHOTO: WILL OLIVER/SHUTTERSTOCK Federal authorities and … Continue reading U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks