What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?

SCA requires that a customer is authenticated through at least two independent factors when making a card payment: Something the customer knows e.g a PIN or password Something the customer has e.g a mobile phone or card reader. Something the customer is e.g facial recognition or a fingerprint. What types of transactions will be affected? The regulation applies to most card transactions,...

Swindon to move into Tier 4 as of 00:01 31st December 2020

Camilo Pires December 30, 2020 0 Comments

This is a developing topic and will be updated regularly. Swindon, along with many other areas, enter Tier 4 restrictions as of 00:01 on the 31st December 2020. This means that non-essential retail must now close, there will be further restrictions on movement - with a "Stay at Home" rule in place unless there is a "reasonable excuse". We have summarised some of the key points from the advice...

Ian Henshall of Coffee Plant provides his perspective of 2020

Camilo Pires December 30, 2020 0 Comments

We here at O’Brien Media have asked our customers how they have found 2020 to be. Through the various lockdowns and guidelines, Ian Henshall shares how they and Coffee Plant have coped throughout these testing and unprecedented times, with views from Ian's Accountable Democracy UK blog. They also share how we here at O’Brien Media have helped them throughout the year. Coffee Plant's shop has...

Weather warning of snow & ice affecting Swindon & the South West

Andy Smart December 28, 2020 0 Comments

Ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces during Monday night, especially where showers move well inland. Elsewhere, most places will see little or no snow, but a slight covering of a centimeter or so is possible in a few places. An Atlantic frontal system looks likely to bring rain into parts of southwestern Britain on Wednesday according to The Met Office. As this moves further east into...

Swindon moving into Tier 3 from 00:01 Boxing Day 2020

Andy Smart December 23, 2020 0 Comments

Following a review of the latest evidence, the Government has announced today that Swindon will be moved into the Tier 3 ‘Very High’ alert level from 00:01 on Boxing Day (26 December 2020). Other areas across the country including Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the rest of Essex which is not already, Waverley in Surrey, and Hampshire with the exception of the New...

Update to Microsoft 365 and Outlook for Windows connectivity

Chris Grant December 22, 2020 0 Comments

To ensure that we meet performance expectations, Microsoft is updating the supported versions of Outlook for Windows that can connect to Microsoft 365 services as of November 1, 2021 - so you have plenty of time to prepare for a phased change to newer versions of Outlook, as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription or Hosted Exchange email solution that includes appropriate Outlook licenses....

Best wishes for Christmas 2020 and the year to come

Chris Grant December 21, 2020 0 Comments

2020 will certainly go down in history as one of those memorable years for decades to come. It has tested us, and for all too many they have had to say goodbye to loved ones as a result of Covid-19. Light is at the end of a long tunnel ahead, and we must all redouble our efforts to keep the virus under control until the vaccination programme has protected the vast majority of us. That said, as we...

Microsoft, responding to sophisticated cyberattacks

Andy Smart December 19, 2020 0 Comments

Microsoft is aware of a sophisticated supply chain attack that has targeted a variety of victims over the past year. The attack utilizes malicious SolarWinds files that possibly gave cybercriminals access to some victims’ networks. Microsoft cybersecurity experts are investigating the attack to help ensure that Microsoft customers are as secure as possible. Microsoft has commented "Microsoft is...

What’s the Difference: Web Designer vs Web Developer

Chris Grant December 19, 2020 0 Comments

Despite the similar names, there are some major differences between these roles. From the tasks they focus on daily to the overall value they add to a project, web designers and web developers play very distinct roles. The Role of a Web Designer Web designers have a varied set of tasks and responsibilities. However, a designer’s role revolves around creating the layout and visual aspects of a...

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5M Sites Running WordPress ‘Contact Form 7’ Plugin Open to Attack

Alex Swabey December 18, 2020 0 Comments

A critical unrestricted file upload bug in Contact Form 7 allows an unauthenticated visitor to take over a site running the plugin. Note: As of 18th December 2020 we have patched all hosted sites on our platform against the vulnerability. A patch for the popular WordPress plugin called Contact Form 7 was released Thursday. It fixes a critical bug that allows an unauthenticated adversary to...

Year: 2020