Firstly, the use of certain bits of hardware & software to access free (pirated) content on the Internet (such as games, movies, music etc) is a breach of copyright laws and does cause financial harm to the industries that produce the games, movies & music.But, ever heard the phrase "You never get something for nothing", or "If a deal is too good to be true then there is probably a catch"?Well, this article in the DailyMail Online reveals research of how there is a proven risk of your computers being infected with malicious software by the use of certain online services which provide pirated streaming/downloading services.The article states:"European Union (EU) researchers located 4 000 malicious files in their search, which originated from approximately 100 individually developed pieces of malware.That includes fake game installers and free programmes to promise to let you access and stream pirated content, but actually give hackers access to your device."Read more about it in the article, and please consider the safety & security of your own digital data and devices:www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6184729/Study-reveals-users-face-THOUSANDS-malware-threats-visiting-sites-offer-pirated-content.html

British Airways has notified police after hackers stole customer data from its website and mobile app, The airline said the personal and financial details of customers who made bookings on its website or app from 10.58pm on 21 August until 9.45pm on 5 September had been compromised. BA said the stolen data did NOT include travel or passport details, adding that it was investigating the security breach as a matter of urgency. Alex Cruz, BA Chairman and CEO, said: “We are deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. We take the protection of our customers’ data very seriously.” Read more at the BBC website:www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45440850Anyone concerned they could be at risk of fraud should consider changing their online passwords, monitor bank and other online accounts and be wary of emails regarding the breach as scammers may try and take advantage of it.Visit Get Safe Online for a huge variety of Online Safety Advice:www.getsafeonline.org/If you are a victim of Online Fraud or a Cyber-Attack then you can report it to Action Fraud:www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Scammers use false identities on Social Media (for example: Facebook) to make friends with strangers such as you, perhaps they "Just want to talk" or it may be that they claim to be looking for romance.They can target both men and women.It could ALL be a lie: pictures, gender, location. All they really want is your money or your friend list so they can build a clientele of people to scam. Plus, they want the credibility of being connected to you so all your friends will think they are legit.There's really only two outcomes of you "friending" them and talking with them:1. They will take your money.2. They will steal someone else's money on your good name.______________What you can do:_______________- Stop accepting anyone and everyone as a friend and block any of them who start talking nonsense in messenger.- Get your account setup with 2 factor authentication for ALL of your social media accounts.- If your friend suddenly sends you something that is out of character - Contact Your Friend Immediately By Some Other Means. Do not use their FB account. If it's a casual friend who you've never really messaged before, block them. Don't ignore them, block them.- Stop talking to people on FB who you don't know or didn't friend - sometimes they'll message you without being your friend.____________________________________________________________________****Read this excellent article to understand more about Social Media Friending Scams****blog.knowbe4.com/ok-guys-this-one-is-for-you.-yes-you.-the-guy-who-keeps-friending-strange-women-on-facebook?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=64975093&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_-gjK_xj9idU0W12Z7YzhzgspsRswmX8tbmblZaqzyn-qA4rYuAD2a4XQnX6gLqP-aFvgR0dztAug0LiFqwl-2JYs5uXE6S0KdR8NZtYxPLSHAAOo&_hsmi=64975093