Q: What do Magician’s and IT Specialists have in common? 

A: More than you think! 

Net Primates have joined forces with Magician, Paul Newton, to reinforce the importance of thorough cyber security. Magicians and IT Specialists aren’t two professions that are usually associated with one another, but Paul Newton and the team at Net Primates are kindred spirits. 

Through his entertainment platform as a Mental Theft ‘Mind Reader’ Paul demonstrates how easy it is to steal vital IT security information. Using humour and fun Paul quickly shows how vulnerable we are to fraudsters. He manages to steal passwords, pin numbers and other vital information through ‘mind reading’ trickery.  

So keen is Paul to spread the message about cyber threats and security, he’s written a book called Mental Theft and has launched Newton’s Nuggets via Vlogs and Podcasts. 

Newton’s Nuggets are based around three core areas; entertainment, business and cyber security. Conquering cyber security is such a hard nut to crack and Paul uses his relaxed broadcast to give really useful information without resorting to jargon and solemn tones.  

So impressed have we been by Paul’s dedication to the cause that we felt compelled to sponsor Newton’s Nuggets. We’re delighted to support Paul and would encourage you to tune in for useful information delivered through casual conversations between him and his guests. In fact, we’re delighted to announce that our very own Steve Cole is the guest speaker on the 12th May 2021’s ‘Nugget‘. 

As Paul points out in a recent ‘Nugget’, people often claim to be immune to scammers, but we all have our areas of vulnerability.  

One scam which Paul recounted to us detailed how a law firm had mistakenly transferred over £1million to fraudsters. Email security had been infiltrated six months previous, and hackers waited patiently for their moment; by watching email activity they knew when and how to attack. They saw house sales come and go until the ‘biggy’ came along – a house in a probate case worth £1.2m. It was also apparent that one of the admin team was in the doghouse due to a recent error, so was keen to please the bosses.  

Hackers chose their moment and pounced. By convincingly mimicking the writing style and email address of a client in the probate case, the administrator was instructed to transfer the full house sale amount to a different bank account than had previously been requested… Hack complete.  

This case illustrates so many areas of cyber security that need to be covered, and the situation could have been prevented. With the right email security in place the email could have been flagged. Adequate staff training and procedures would have also given an additional layer of security. Imagine how different the outcome would have been if the Administrator had felt confident to question the email and follow up with a quick phone call to the client. 

As you know, we’re determined to do all we can to keep local businesses secure and prevent devastating cyber attacks, and value the effort that Paul is putting in to defeat this hidden enemy. Tune in to Newton’s Nuggets available as a Vlog and Podcast. 

Net Primates can help you with email security, providing vital layers of protection through our Microsoft 365 Enhanced Security package. We’ll also advise on staff training and policies to make sure your teams are well armed with the knowledge and systems they need to fight cyber crime and keep your business safe.