Phil Muncaster

Bio

IT Journalist

Phil has been an IT journalist for over 16 years. He started out as a reporter on UK enterprise IT title IT Week and then Computing in 2005 and moved up to the role of News Editor before leaving to pursue a freelance career. Since then, Phil has written for titles including The Register, where he worked as Asia correspondent from Hong Kong for over two years, MIT Technology Review, SC Magazine, and others. In addition to contributing to WeLiveSecurity, he also writes for InfoSecurity Magazine, IDG Connect and a range of other IT news and feature sites.

Articles by author

Cybersecurity

Breaking the habit: Top 10 bad cybersecurity habits to shed in 2022

Be alert, be proactive and break these 10 bad habits to improve your cyber-hygiene in 2022

Phil Muncaster 3 Jan 2022 - 11:30AM

How To

5 warning signs your identity has been stolen

By spotting these early warning signs of identity theft, you can minimize the impact on you and your family

Phil Muncaster 14 Dec 2021 - 11:30AM

Scams

5 common gift card scams and how to spot them

It often pays to look a gift horse in the mouth – recognizing these types of gift card fraud will go a long way toward helping you stay safe from this growing threat not just this holiday season

Phil Muncaster 7 Dec 2021 - 11:30AM

How To

What to do if you receive a data breach notice

Receiving a breach notification doesn’t mean you’re doomed – here’s what you should consider doing in the hours and days after learning that your personal data has been exposed

Phil Muncaster 22 Nov 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

When the alarms go off: 10 key steps to take after a data breach

It’s often said that data breaches are no longer a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’ – here’s what your organization should do, and avoid doing, in the case of a breach

Phil Muncaster 11 Nov 2021 - 11:45AM

Password

Passwordless authentication: Is your company ready to move beyond passwords?

Are the days numbered for ‘123456’? As Microsoft further nudges the world away from passwords, here’s what your organization should consider before going password-free.

Phil Muncaster 8 Nov 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

Putting cybersecurity first: Why secure‑by‑design must be the norm

Organizations that aim to pull ahead of the competition need to develop a strong security culture from top to bottom

Phil Muncaster 26 Oct 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

What’s lurking in the shadows? How to manage the security risks of shadow IT

Employee use of unsanctioned hardware and software is an increasingly acute problem in the remote and hybrid work era

Phil Muncaster 22 Oct 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

Employee offboarding: Why companies must close a crucial gap in their security strategy

There are various ways a departing employee could put your organization at risk of a data breach. How do you offboard employees the right way and ensure your data remains safe?

Phil Muncaster 14 Oct 2021 - 11:30AM

data protection

Plugging the holes: How to prevent corporate data leaks in the cloud

Misconfigurations of cloud resources can lead to various security incidents and ultimately cost your organization dearly. Here’s what you can do to prevent cloud configuration conundrums.

Phil Muncaster 22 Sep 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

What is a cyberattack surface and how can you reduce it?

Discover the best ways to mitigate your organization's attack surface, in order to maximize cybersecurity.

Phil Muncaster 14 Sep 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

Beyond the pandemic: Why are data breach costs at an all‑time high?

It might be tempting to blame the record-high costs of data breaches on the COVID-19 pandemic alone. But dig deeper and a more nuanced picture emerges.

Phil Muncaster 27 Aug 2021 - 11:30AM

COVID-19

Examining threats to device security in the hybrid workplace

As employees split their time between office and off-site work, there’s a greater potential for company devices and data to fall into the wrong hands

Phil Muncaster 12 Aug 2021 - 11:30AM

COVID-19

Why cloud security is the key to unlocking value from hybrid working

How can companies and employees who start to adapt to hybrid working practices protect themselves against cloud security threats?

Phil Muncaster 5 Aug 2021 - 11:30AM

COVID-19

Tackling the insider threat to the new hybrid workplace

Now that organizations are set to evolve a hybrid blend of home and office-based work for most employees, it is more important then ever to address the risks that insider threat can pose

Phil Muncaster 29 Jul 2021 - 11:30AM

COVID-19

Protecting the hybrid workplace through Zero Trust security

The Zero Trust architecture offers an increasingly popular way to minimize cyber-risk in a world of hybrid cloud, flexible working and persistent threat actors.

Phil Muncaster 23 Jul 2021 - 11:30AM

Ransomware

Choosing your MSP: What the Kaseya incident tells us about third‑party cyber‑risk

Lessons to learn from the Kaseya cyberincident to protect your business' data when doing business with a MSP.

Phil Muncaster 13 Jul 2021 - 05:00PM

COVID-19

The hybrid workplace: What does it mean for cybersecurity?

How can organizations mitigate the risk of damaging cyberattacks while juggling the constantly changing mix of office and off-site workers?

Phil Muncaster 13 Jul 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity

State‑sponsored or financially motivated: Is there any difference anymore?

What does the increasingly fuzzy line between traditional cybercrime and attacks attributed to state-backed groups mean for the future of the threat landscape?

Phil Muncaster 21 Jun 2021 - 11:30AM

Cybersecurity