British cyber tech company protects the personal devices of 'high risk' pupils

A British cybersecurity tech company has launched a state of the art cybersecurity technology and concierge service aimed at protecting the personal devices of 'high risk' School pupils and students at exclusive Schools and educational establishments in response to an unprecedented wave of cyber attacks to hit UK Schools, academy trusts and Universities in recent months.

The coc00n cybersecurity technology has been designed and developed by former members of GCHQ the UK's intelligence, security and cyber agency and the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) also known as:- GCHQ's public facing arm. The cutting edge technology is being deployed in the battle to help leading Schools and their pupils be better protected against malicious cyber attacks.

In June of this year, the University of Manchester was hit by a cyber attack that targeted the 40,000 students and 12,000 staff with a data leak threat. In the same month, the University of West Scotland was also targeted in a major cyber attack that affected most of its systems and a �450,000 ransomware was demanded by a hacking group.

It comes at a time when 70% of UK Secondary Schools and 88% of further education Colleges have experienced a cyber attack, with attacks against UK Universities occurring on a weekly basis and higher education institutions having the highest rate of targeting over any other educational bodies.

In 2022 confidential data from 14 Schools were hacked and leaked online in a ransomware and extortion attack by cyber criminal hacking group Vice Society. Children's SEN information, pupil passport scans, staff pay scales and contract details were some of the private data exposed online. Between 2021 and 2022 there was a 44% increase in cyber attacks, with a reported 1,200 attacks on education providers in 2021.

The coc00n cyber team is already working with 1 of the UK's leading educational establishments attended by high risk pupils to deliver a major cybersecurity digital transformation program to secure and protect their estate against cyber threats. The team has previously advised UK Government departments and critical national infrastructure operators on the secure configuration and management of their cyber systems.

coc00n provides a unique and unrivalled suite of cybersecurity protections and digital privacy that wraps around mobile devices: phones, tablets and laptops. It provides proactive protections against malicious threats, ensuring privacy, data security and allowing for highly secure military grade encrypted communications at a level previously not available in the private sector. A cyber concierge service is also offered to clients and is delivered by cybersecurity experts, 365 days a year.

The alarming statistics reveal that:-

70% of UK Secondary Schools have experienced a breach or cyber attack.
88% of further education Colleges have experienced a breach or cyber attack.
78% of UK Schools have experienced at least 1 type of cyber incident.
44% increase in cyber attacks between 2021 and 2022.
2,297 cyber attacks against organisations every week.
1,200 reported attacks on education providers 2021.

coc00n's Chief Executive Officer, Lucy Burnford, said:- "Cyber attacks directed at:- Schools, College, Academy Trusts and Universities have reached epidemic proportions, and these attacks are rising exponentially, becoming ever more sophisticated in their weaponisation. Pupils whose families have a high profile, or a high net worth are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals who see them as an easy target. With an estimated:- 5,000 new strains of malware variants per day, attackers deploy a wide range of spyware and malware in order to infiltrate IT networks of Schools, Universities and education providers. Without proactive cyber protection in place, the personal devices of pupils and students and educational IT systems are an easy target. Not only are we dealing with the issues of attackers encrypting or deleting data with a ransom demand, but we also now have the threat of hackers targeting high profile Schools, leading academy trusts and educational institutions. The attacks are targeted to obtain private information and data of both pupils and staff with the sole aim of threatening to make that data public and causing reputational harm and distress. The technical team behind coc00n are some of the UK's leading experts in zero trust architecture, system administration and secure comms in high threat environments."

Clients who use coc00n are safe in the knowledge that their data, privacy and personal information is safe and secure through the platform, protected by former GCHQ and NCSC techs providing the ultimate cybersecurity concierge service.

coc00n's vision is to secure, defend and safeguard the personal devices of those most likely to be targeted by sophisticated cyber attacks.

For more information on coc00n visit:- COC00N.Com.

RCOT issues advice for people with fatigue during heatwave

WITH parts of the country experiencing their hottest temperatures of the year this week, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) has issued advice for people with fatigue, who may feel much more tired in hot weather. The organisation has new advice for people recovering from illness or managing a long term health condition about how to manage their energy levels, including for when the mercury rises.

Extreme heat can make you feel more tired, and it can be harder to concentrate when it's very hot. This is even more pronounced for people with fatigue, who struggle with everyday tasks because they lack mental and/or physical energy, even in regular temperatures. Even relatively simple tasks, like getting out of bed or putting on shoes, can be hard work. It can lead to feelings of frustration, isolation and anger which will all further contribute to fatigue, and will be much worse in very high temperatures.

Fatigue affects thousands of people in the UK and everyone experiences it differently. Because it can be difficult to diagnose, and has a range of causes, it's impossible to know the exact number of those affected.

Penny Firshman, 1 of the co authors of the guide and an occupational therapist who herself experiences fatigue, says:- "I've had ME for over 20 years, and then in 2020, I caught COVID, which developed into Long Covid and made my day to day energy levels even lower. I find some days even getting out of bed can be a struggle. After I caught COVID, I had to take 18 months off work. In hot weather I find my energy levels are even lower than normal, it's like the heat just takes all my energy away and I'm left feeling totally exhausted, like my mind and body are trying to wade through treacle. I have to really think about what my priorities are, what I can leave for another day, and how I'm going to get the things done that need to be done. I try to build in plenty of rest breaks and make sure I'm drinking lots of water; and forgive myself if I don't manage to do something."

Occupational therapists work with people with fatigue to find out which activities are most important to them, and help them come up with practical solutions to be able to do those things. This will usually involve the 3 Ps approach: pacing, planning and prioritising. Pacing means breaking activities into smaller parts, such as climbing 5 stairs at a time with a rest in between, rather than tackling the whole staircase at once. Planning includes things like thinking about the times of day when you're least tired and doing more strenuous things then. Prioritising is about having enough energy to do the things you want and need to do, which sometimes means delegating or dropping tasks.

Lauren Walker, Professional Advisor at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, says:- "Everyone feels a bit more tired when it's hot, but for people who already have lower energy levels, that can feel much more pronounced. The 3 Ps approach; pace, plan and prioritise; can be a useful way of managing the activities you're doing throughout the day, so you don't run out of energy. This includes making sure you get enough rest and drink plenty of water. Sometimes, it might be more important to you to leave doing 1 thing, like the washing up, so you have enough energy to do something else that you value more, such as meeting up with a friend. That's not only OK, but it's actually really important, especially if your overall energy levels are lower because of the hot weather."

This is a quick guide:-

How to manage your energy levels, is packed full of practical advice for people recovering from illness or managing long term health conditions, and will be useful for anyone who has lower energy levels in hot weather. It uses occupational therapy techniques to help people focus on what they want and need to do.
Symptoms of fatigue include:- extreme exhaustion that doesn't go away with:- sleep; shortness of breath; aching muscles or muscle weakness; headaches; dizziness; slower response times; or problems with thinking, memory or concentration. It's different to tiredness, which usually goes away with sleep.
Fatigue can be caused by a range of things, some of which may need intervention, including:- ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; sleep apnoea; iron deficiency anaemia; diabetes; overactive thyroid; hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause; some illnesses, such as Long Covid; or some treatments and medicines, such as chemotherapy. If someone thinks they may have fatigue, and is concerned it could be a symptom of something else, they should speak to a health professional.

More ideas on how you can manage your energy levels, can be downloaded for free at:- RCOT.Co.UK.