Author: Professor John Walker

I was watching the Babes-in-the Wood Murders last night on TV, involving Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway who were murdered by the, then 20-year-old Russell Bishop who was tried, and acquitted in 1987 – sadly, Bishop having been released went on to reoffend again some years later with the abduction, assault, and attempted murder of a 7 year old female in 1990, leaving her for dead at Devils Dyke on the South Downs – it was thankful that the young girl survived and was able to pick Bishop out on an Identity Parade.   With the introduction of Double-Jeopardy, based…

Through robust research, and commercial engagements covering a 10 year period, it may be attested that the element of Open Source Intelligence is not only a major source of exposure, and potential exploitation point for Cyber Attackers; but that it can be the very key to exploitation in the majority of successful Cyber Attacks against both random, and/or selected targets. It is in this area where one piece of work which was produced on this journey to prove the exposures was well documented way back on 12/09/11 under the title ‘Understanding the correlation between data leakage and the security mission’…

Like many people, from time-to-time, we (I) have had cause to call on the NHS to seek care, resolution and treatment for both minor, and serious aliments – in my case the latter. Here, from my own experience with this organisation I can only find praise for their dedication, commitment, professionalism, and the excellent service they supply – and my own position on the NHS is, they are top class, and given the underfunded and political landscape they work within,  I can only stand back and look on with admiration. Where I get frustrated however, is not with the NHS…

The debate on the subject of self-half images hosted on Instagram seems to have got lost in translation by the Press, MP’, and the incumbent Agencies who are supposed to be empowered to look after the on-line welfare of young people. Here, all of those expressing interest seem to be missing the real point. It is not just Instagram and Facebook who publish such disgusting, warped material, but other so-called platforms as well. Consider the easy to access Google Image repository – here one has easy access to multiple images of self-harm, and notwithstanding Blue Whale being urban myth or…

It is a known-known fact that one of the most valuable assets we may own and have access to is money. However, my opposition argument to this statement is that there is another asset, which has even more intrinsic value attached, an asset which can be shared, replicated multiple times, and can be distributed with impunity. The asset I refer to can be in the form of both Business, and Personal profiles. It is an entity which may be used to expose sensitive material, and in the obtuse, may be leveraged to expose misdealing’s, criminal activities, and even collusion between…

The world of Spying and Espionage are in the mainstream considered to be very much associated with deep Military Intelligence and Secretive Levels Government Agencies activities. However, what often gets overlooked about such covert operations is they can and do implicate many more targets than one would consider to be a reality outside the pages of a good John le Carré novel. Now prior to me setting key-to-screen, I need to make it clear that all the following outlines are from my own personal experiences serving and entering the world of Counter Intelligence/Espionage post the directives out of, what was…

Living in the age of Cyber Adversity in which the risks from on-line hackers, criminals, cyber-miscreants, not to mention those foes who exist in the guise of service providers wishing to exploit our data to their own financial end, the prospect of a modicum of robust security is, or at least should be at the forefront of our minds. The problem is however, when it comes to those big corporates, notwithstanding the investment is not always as effective as it should be, they do have the resource to manage the risks (even if it is after-the-fact). However, when it comes…

I don’t for one moment feel that any professional would argue that we are not facing a time of Digital instability in our interwoven words of Business, Social Media, or when we, and the great public utilise some form of on-line service. It may be that the associated risks manifest as some cloak-covered communication, with a must-read attachment sent from a LinkedIn Member, who for some reason does not possess a profile! Or maybe, remaining with this theme, it could be a Tracking Advice from Amazon, or maybe a HMRC Tax Rebate, or even a surprise Payment Notification you were…

When it comes to protecting Children and Young Persons online, there have been multiple initiatives, yet there have also been sadly a several historical failings by some incumbent UK based Agencies which, by inference allowed several disgusting habits to have gone unnoticed. Some of the shortfalls these observations are introduced below from my first-hand personal experiences: 1. Around four years ago I was giving a presentation at a UK Forensic Science event held in London at which I was discussing the dangers of the Dark/Deep Web. On that occasion, I was followed by a Senior Executive from a UK based…

About 10 years ago now, I recall discussing my concept of internal civil disobedience, and insurgency with another professional – question, ‘just how do you cause widespread chaos by none technical means?’ – answer = employ around 5 individuals, place them on a bridge London (or any other City) over a major feeder road/motorway early on a Monday morning, and spread a few boxes of nails. The resulting accidents, chaos, and logjammed traffic would be enough to impact the City, and all for just a few pounds! Agreed, this is a simplistic, none-technical attack, but just consider the real outcome.…