back to article Here's to you: UK.gov praises Reg-reading techies for keeping on top of cybersecurity

A government survey of British businesses has praised those who read El Reg to keep up to date with security news – while claiming to have revealed that fewer firms have spotted cyber attacks against them over the past 12 months, when compared to last year. The government, which used data drawn from surveys to make its …

  1. chivo243 Silver badge
    Pint

    Tell the boss you're not slacking off – it's vital threat intelligence research

    I tell my boss I'm looking for the latest WinVuln\WinUpdateBricker. There have been a few "bacon savers" here on El Reg!

    Have a pint on me for fighting the good fight!

    1. DontFeedTheTrolls

      Re: Tell the boss you're not slacking off – it's vital threat intelligence research

      Perhaps all subject areas need nuanced renaming...

      This article is clearly in "Security", but how do you explain "Bootnotes"?

      1. Solarflare

        Re: Tell the boss you're not slacking off – it's vital threat intelligence research

        "Ah, those articles are all about the boot process boss. I'm just making sure that there aren't any new hacks that could compromise us when we restart machines"

        Simples :-)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tell the boss you're not slacking off – it's vital threat intelligence research

        "but how do you explain "Bootnotes?"

        Practical examples for handling and addressing layer 8 issues (see 7 layer OSI model for further details).

  2. }{amis}{
    Pint

    Hats off to El Reg

    Probably my favourite source of news in the UK please keep up the excellent work and have a cold one on me =>

  3. Blockchain commentard
    Facepalm

    And I'm reading BOFH for customer service 'tips'

    1. chivo243 Silver badge
      Devil

      What kind of services are you getting tips on? Carpet roll, bag of lime? Or the Halon incident?

      1. Fatman
        Joke

        RE: Devil What kind of services are you getting tips on?

        Perhaps he is focused on sending Manglers on new career trajectories.

        It is always pleasing to watch the incompetent stumble through a well laid """minefield""". The trick is to be present when Manglement steps on one that "blows their ass off".

      2. Locky
        Megaphone

        Trouble rolling out that new process? Hand me the cattle prod

  4. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Bravo, El Reg .... Leading in Novel Virtual Revolution and AI Evolution .. with Future Education.*

    "Although these latest numbers imply that businesses are identifying fewer breaches and attacks, the reasoning behind this drop is extremely nuanced."

    Quite so. It can be case that punitive pecuniary punishment from high and mighty regulators with nothing to offer in the way of virtual protection and remote security results in fewer business reporting worrisome breaches which they both have and/or haven't identified.

    All of which is PAR for the course, some may say, for the clunking fist of British bureaucracy.

    * There's bound to be surely, extensive and expensive government grant funding for such programming, give the catastrophic cost which can be wrought when one is defined and treated as a victim with no input to output.

  5. Waseem Alkurdi

    Well done El Reg!

    But am I wrong, or is the "t" in "the Register" supposed to be capitalized? (in the screenshot from the report)

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Re: Well done El Reg!

      Are we looking at the same screenshot?

      1. Waseem Alkurdi
        1. Mark 85

          Re: Well done El Reg!

          I don't see a capital "t" in referenced screen shot. Do I need new glasses?

          1. Waseem Alkurdi

            Re: Well done El Reg!

            Exactly what I'm talking about. There should be a capital 't', but there isn't.

            1. Mark 85
              Facepalm

              Re: Well done El Reg!

              Dooo... "The Register" like on the banner head.

  6. Crisp
    Coat

    El Reg - I just read it for the articles.

    Honest!

  7. 0laf
    WTF?

    Yep I've spotted a few potential emergencies in the pages of El Reg and my own WARP definitely use it as an intelligence souce.

    I've got a lot of time for the current NCSC lot. I've found them helpful and approachable which is rather remarkable for any part of government.

    1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

      Let's ponder on Long AI Marches

      I've got a lot of time for the current NCSC lot. I've found them helpful and approachable which is rather remarkable for any part of government. .... Olaf

      Have you found them to be refreshingly proactive, Olaf, and could this relatively anonymous communication channel be one of their creation and iteration?

      You know, NCSC doing some Deep and Dark See Phishing for Blighty in the Almighty Strange Waters of a Cutting Edge Publication Hosting here. ..... for those more than just interested in taking and making a Walk on the Wild Side?

      I suppose El Reg can wear the badge of a Subject of National and International and Internetional Interests with a Worthy Pride ..... and all with the bare minimum of fuss and unnecessary confusion. Bravo, El Reg. Was such ever in doubt in timelines to infinity?

      Just when these things appear is all down to algorithms apparently, or that what confused techies will tell you.

      The truth though is much simpler and way more exciting ..... and in fact, is mirrored in "Our purpose is to ensure that literature and art fit well into the whole revolutionary machine as a component part, that they operate as powerful weapons for uniting and educating the people and for attacking and destroying the enemy, and that they help the people fight the enemy with one heart and one mind." .... Mao Tse Tung

      1. Captain Badmouth
        Big Brother

        Re: Let's ponder on Long AI Marches

        "Have you found them to be refreshingly proactive, Olaf, and could this relatively anonymous communication channel be one of their creation and iteration?

        You know, NCSC doing some Deep and Dark See Phishing for Blighty in the Almighty Strange Waters of a Cutting Edge Publication Hosting here. ..... for those more than just interested in taking and making a Walk on the Wild Side?"

        Don't go solving the crypto-puzzle or, if you do, don't go phoning the no. given for the prize of 2 yrs. subscription to the magazine of your choice...

        1. 0laf
          Big Brother

          Re: Let's ponder on Long AI Marches

          Erm nope. I've asked them for info they've provided it. I asked them to demo some of their public sector service offerings; they flew up from London to do it. They provided some tools that are free at the point of delivery (secure DNS, website checks etc) that are useful.

          I know of fellow public bodies that have had problems who reached out to NCSC for help and got it in a way that was useful.

          If they've an Orwellian dystopic information mining department I've not had to deal with that, I can only speak for what they provide to the public sector.

          1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

            Re: Let's ponder on Long AI Marches with Sponsors in the Lead, naturally.

            If they've an Orwellian dystopic information mining department I've not had to deal with that, I can only speak for what they provide to the public sector. .... 0laf

            Cheers 0laf. That's what I was thinking. The private sector is where all the action is at, ... although if venturing further afield east to trade goods and/or services, do those two fields sublimely combine to be a ...... well, a much more Advanced IntelAIgent Force for Novel Source Input/Output, and the Exotic and Erotic East is where all the Danegeld and/or Flash Cash is for Remote Virtual Command in Autonomous Machine Controlled Fields ....... AI Live Operational Virtual Environments, aint it.

            The West only deals Debt and Proprietary Intellectual Property Capture/Top Secret Sequestration with Organisational Theft is the word from Street Meat.

            1. Cliff Thorburn

              Re: Let's ponder on Long AI Marches with Sponsors in the Lead, naturally.

              “The West only deals Debt and Proprietary Intellectual Property Capture/Top Secret Sequestration with Organisational Theft is the word from Street Meat.”

              *inserts “Are we the baddies?” gif*

  8. adam payne

    Our wise overlords also praised those with the good eyesight, insight and foresight to read The Register and keep themselves up to date with all the important snippets coming out of the IT security industry

    Thanks wonderful overlords.

    Does this mean we get tax breaks? hmm?

    1. Waseem Alkurdi
      Angel

      Nope, you get more taxes for wasting $EMPLOYER's time and bandwidth on useless things like system updates and pornsecurity updates.

  9. Jay 2
    Thumb Up

    Required IT reading

    I find reading El Reg helps keep me somewhat aware of what computer-based nasties are about. Also the comments can offer some very useful tips and resources. Now that's all the serious stuff taken care of there's also the more fun stuff; BOFH, On Call/Who Me, Dabbs, Bootnotes...

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Re: Required IT reading

      I came for the BOFH and stayed for the news :)

  10. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Damned with faint praise?

    Congrats El Reg, you got lumped in with MS and StackOverflow :-)

    At least you weren't linked with ExperSexChange (I may have the capitalisation incorrect there)

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Congrats

    Although, to be honest, I rarely read beyond the headline and less for the cybersecurity articles. Give me science, politics, personal and emergent tech, footnotes, and the most readable, intelligent, and humorous comments (myself not included).

  12. Will Godfrey Silver badge

    Excuse my cynicism but..

    What's the catch?

    I find it hard to believe any branch of government likes smart techies.

  13. Cliff Thorburn

    I wonder ....

    https://bit.ly/2OS78O2

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