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Articles by Chris Olson
Phishing Campaign Targets 99% of US Military Bases During Heightened US-Iran Tensions
As geopolitical conflict extends into cyberspace, military personnel and their families have become targets on a new digital front. Increasingly, that front begins not at the installation gate, but on the smartphones, laptops, tablets, and connected devices used every day by the people who serve. The Department of War invests heavily in protecting military networks, endpoints, and classified systems from intrusion. Those investments remain essential.
New Movies On Netflix February 2026
Welcome to another monthly breakdown of what’s hitting the small screen. As we shake off the last of the January blues, Netflix is stepping up its game with a February slate that feels remarkably diverse. We’ve got a heavy-hitting #documentary that’s already the talk of the #filmfestival circuit, a high-octane Brazilian spin-off, some trademark Tyler Perry chaos, and a Spanish psychological thriller that might just be the hidden gem of the season.
12 Must-See Films at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival
In March, the streets of Austin, Texas, will once again be flooded with the heady scent of barbecue and the even more intoxicating aroma of cinematic ambition. For those of us who live and breathe film, the South by Southwest Festivalis not just another date on the industry calendar; it is a vital, beating heart of independent storytelling.
5 Christmas Films For People Who Hate Christmas Films
The festive season in the United Kingdom is often presented through a lens of forced sentimentality. From the moment the first high-street department store advert airs in November, or the festive drinks from chain coffee shops starting even earlier every year, we are bombarded with a specific brand of cinematic cheer that demands our total emotional compliance. For many, this onslaught of sugary, predictable narratives is less of a holiday treat and more of a seasonal endurance test.
When Government Shuts Down, Cybercriminals Surge: What the Recent Closure Reveals About National Cyber Vulnerability - Government Technology Insider
When the federal government shuts down, the public sees delayed services and furloughed workers. What is far less visible, but more precarious, is what happens online. In the days leading up to the recent 43-day shutdown and throughout its duration, The Media Trust observed a sustained surge in cyberattacks targeting federal employees and the general public.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson In The Drama - Poster Drop
The rumour mill has been churning for months, but a new, deliberately understated poster for Kristoffer Borgli’s 2026 feature, The Drama, has finally given us something tangible to sink our teeth into. And, as expected from an A24 production helmed by the singular talent behind Dream Scenario, the first piece of publicity is far from conventional. It’s an intimate, grainy photograph that speaks volumes about the star power and potentially unsettling tone awaiting us when the film lands on April 3.
Where to Watch She Rides Shotgun
It’s the film that has been quietly dominating film searches on streaming platforms, proving that a brutally effective neo-western can still cut through the noise of blockbuster cinema. Director Nick Rowland’s searing crime thriller, She Rides Shotgun, has been met with significant critical praise and overwhelming audience approval since its release. Now, for film fans across the United Kingdom who have been waiting patiently, the good news is that the picture is readily available.
Filmmaker Eve Leonard-Walsh Discusses Her Indie Film
It is a rare pleasure when an independent film achieves the kind of universal critical acclaim and emotional resonance that Eve Leonard-Walsh’s feature debut, Because We Are Too Many, has generated. Having championed the film across our pages, UK Film Review's James Learoyd was delighted to sit down with the writer, director, producer, editor, and star to discuss her powerful drama, which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Trieste Science+Fiction Festival Celebrates 25th Year
It’s official: Trieste Science+Fiction Festival is celebrating its 25th birthday, and what a spectacular party it sounds like! For over two decades, this festival in Italy has been a beacon for all things fantastic and imaginative, proving year after year that science fiction is far more than just spaceships and laser guns. The best sci-fi holds a mirror up to our own world, and the line-up for October 28 to November 2 promises to be one hell of a compelling reflection.
The Best Films Coming to UK Cinemas November 2025
As the days shorten and the chill of winter sets in, there’s no better place to find warmth and wonder than at the cinema. This November, the UK’s cinematic calendar is bursting with an eclectic mix of highly anticipated releases, from blockbuster sequels to chilling genre films and everything in between. It's a month that promises to satisfy every taste, with a slate of films that have already garnered significant buzz from early screenings and film festivals around the globe.
The Films Appearing at the 2025 Tokyo International Film Festival
Well then, here we are, another year, another brilliant lineup from the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). As a critic who's always looking for a good yarn and a bit of cinematic magic, the latest announcement from the 38th TIFF has certainly piqued my interest. They've just unveiled their Closing Film, some of the Gala Selection titles, and a few animated gems, and it's looking to be a festival of truly impressive scale and prestige.
What Was the Budget for Jurassic World: Rebirth?
The dinosaur-sized shadow of the Jurassic Park franchise looms large over any new instalment, and Jurassic World: Rebirth is no exception. With the latest film in the series now in cinemas, the spotlight inevitably turns to the financial considerations that underpin such a colossal undertaking. As UK film critics, it is our duty not only to dissect the artistic merits but also to analyse the economic forces at play.
Release Date and First-Look Poster for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
Film Feature by Chris Olson Many people have been asking, when is the new Christopher Nolan film coming out? Well, gather 'round, cinephiles, because Christopher Nolan and his team have announced this glorious first-look poster for The Odyssey, as well as the release date (scroll to the bottom of this article if you just can't wait). It looks like filmmaker Christopher Nolan is about to do it again.
Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie in UK Cinemas September 2025
Chris Olson a few seconds ago 3 min read Get ready for a sprinkle party on the big screen, UK! The beloved, colourful, and delightfully cat-tastic world of Gabby's Dollhouse is making the leap from your living room to cinemas this autumn, with Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie set to charm audiences from October 17th, 2025.
How AI Will Amplify Foreign Election Interference in 2024
Solutions Review’s Contributed Content Series is a collection of contributed articles written by thought leaders in enterprise software categories. Chris Olson of The Media Trust examines the impact of AI as a psyops weapon and how it will be utilized in foreign election interference.
The Clock is Ticking to Protect Vulnerable Groups from AI-Driven Cybercrime
When ChatGPT was launched at the end of 2022, many had their first direct encounter with AI. But for those of us with an AdTech background, it was just the latest iteration of a technology we’ve been relying on for years. Over the past decade, advertising has been the test bed for cutting-edge AI advancements well before they reached consumers or research agencies, and that includes large language models.
Older Americans Need Protection From Personalized Cyberattacks
By Chris Olson Cybercrime has changed: In the course of 20 years, it has progressed from a nuisance that most savvy Internet users could avoid to a globally orchestrated criminal operation that even seasoned cybersecurity and IT professionals fall victim to on a regular basis. Gone are the days of colorful pop-ups that congratulate you for being “the millionth visitor" and ask for your credit card number.
Unspoken Online Risks for Seniors
Solutions Review’s Contributed Content Series is a collection of contributed articles written by thought leaders in enterprise software categories. Chris Olson of The Media Trust speaks on the unspoken online risks for seniors and how to virtually protect our most vulnerable citizens. Your parents, grandparents, and elderly neighbors are under attack.
Israel Government Hit By Cyber Attack
Targeting government websites that provide consumer services is a key tactic for disrupting a nation's economic and social infrastructure. From tracking COVID vaccinations and paying fines, government websites serve as centralized resources for consumers. When these websites go down it instills uncertainty and creates an environment where disinformation can propagate.
BlackByte Ransomware Breached US Critical Infrastructure
Despite the amount of news coverage devoted to ransomware attacks, no amount of awareness seems to stunt their growth. Ransonware-as-a-service (RaaS) is the new mafia. As we are seeing with small players like BlackByte, as the cybercriminal underclass grows so will the black market for ransomware, malware, exploits and sensitive data harvesting. With these shadow markets in place, hacking skills aren’t needed to target organizations across any industry: nation states, terrorist groups and .....
Experts Reaction On Mandiant Threat Reporting Research: 1 In 7 Ransomware Attacks Leak Critical OT Info
The IT/OT barrier is more a logical separation than an actual one. Attacks typically start on the IT side and propagate into OT because of improper network segmentation and privilege limitations. In light of this report, focusing on the IT/OT boundary and protecting access to the OT networks is critical because defending against a threat once inside the OT network is much harder.
Council Post: The 'Squid Game' Debacle: How Digital Third Parties Exploit Trends
Chris Olson, Founder and CEO of The Media Trust, is an expert on cybersecurity policy, digital third-party risk and data privacy regulation. getty 2021 was an eventful year for cybersecurity, but that’s hardly news. Ransomware and phishing attacks have been steadily increasing for years in both the public and private sectors. But the rate of growth has changed significantly and so have the targets that malicious actors focus on.
Canada's Foreign Ministry Hacked, What Went Wrong
Based on Canada's Foreign Affairs Department confirmation that they were the victim of a cyber-attack, it will be more interesting to learn if the attack was the result of the Canadian's government's criticism of Russia's possible invasion of Ukraine. In any event, the attack is a reminder that any threat group, and in this case Russian actors, can launch an attack similar to the one against Canada's foreign affairs department, or any other government or organisation for that matter.
Council Post: Why Data Privacy Legislation Won't Save Your Customers From Online Risk
Chris Olson, Founder and CEO of The Media Trust, is an expert on cybersecurity policy, digital third-party risk and data privacy regulation. getty Following China's introduction of a GDPR-like data privacy law in August, the U.S is currently the only major world power without data protection laws at a national level. But that may soon change. Last month, more than 40 activist groups launched a petition asking Congress to pass a national data privacy law.
Council Post: The New Mafia: How Bad Actors Control Your Website From The Shadows
Chris Olson, Founder and CEO of The Media Trust, is an expert on cybersecurity policy, digital third-party risk and data privacy regulation. getty When the once-notorious computer hacker Marcus Hutchins was arrested by FBI agents in August 2017, he was staying in a Las Vegas mansion. Years earlier, as a precocious 16-year-old, Hutchins had accepted thousands of dollars in bitcoin to develop what eventually became the Kronos banking trojan.
Council Post: Why Cybersecurity Awareness Must Include The Entire Web Supply Chain
Chris Olson, Founder and CEO of The Media Trust is an expert on cybersecurity policy, digital third-party risk, and data privacy regulation. getty This year has been a watershed for rising cybersecurity awareness. Following attacks involving SolarWinds, Kaseya, Colonial Pipeline and a Florida water-treatment center, businesses and consumers are becoming warier of ransomware, data breaches and foreign cyber actors than ever before.
Stripping of Cypriot Citizenship adds to Deripaska’s Woes
World News /11 Dec 2019 Stripping of Cypriot Citizenship adds to Deripaska’s Woes A bad few months just got a whole lot worse for Oleg Deripaska, the infamous Russian tycoon with close ties to the Kremlin. Last week he was unceremoniously stripped of his prized Cypriot citizenship, which gave him free rein to waltz around the EU unimpeded.
Smaller Budgets and Rising Costs Shape the Industry in 2011
Facilities managers are performing on a balance beam this year. Shrinking maintenance budgets and rising costs for energy and materials contrast starkly with growth in sustainability initiatives and building renovations and repairs, according to a survey of 339 BUILDINGS readers. In a nutshell, many FMs plan to do more with less. While 43% of respondents report that their 2011 maintenance budget is the same as their 2010 budget, 35% see a decrease.
The Facebook and FTC Face-Off: Implications for the Future of Social Media
The Facebook and FTC Face-Off: Implications for the Future of Social Media By Chris Olson The Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the UK-based consulting firm exploited Facebook’s social media business model to influence the 2016 US presidential election, raised the ire of several advocacy groups who want Facebook to pay. They’re calling for the FTC to hit the tech mogul with billions of dollars in fines, which according to Facebook’s quarterly earnings could amount to $5 billion.
Information Security Buzz
The Dutch Data Protection Authority says that cookie walls that force consumers to accept tracking cookies is not compliant with The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Dutch DPA rules that "Agree or Get Out" cookie walls are non-compliant with #GDPR. Great article by @riptari of @TechCrunch outlines why this practice doesn't work, and what this means to the ongoing struggle between #dataprivacy and #compliance.
Information Security Buzz
Cybercriminals are launching bot networks to circumvent ads.txt protections, which are designed to allow publishers to list authorized sellers of their inventory according to security researchers at DoubleVerify. Eager to learn more about how scammers circumvented ads.txt in the latest #fraudscheme?
Flood Of GDPR Breach Notifications
More than 59,000 breach notifications have been reported to regulators of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) since it was introduced on May 25, 2018, according to new findings from DLA Piper, a global law firm. Expert Comments below: Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust: “No doubt, 2019 will be a banner year for GDPR fines.
Illinois Consumer Privacy Ruling
An Illinois Supreme Court decided that consumers can sue for violations of their privacy under the state’s biometric privacy law, even if there was no actual injury or adverse effect. Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Consumer Privacy Rights: A landmark case overturns ruling of appellate court, finding consumers don't need actual injury to sue for privacy violations.
Facebook Tracking Within Apps
Popular applications are automatically sending off user information without user permission to Facebook as soon as they are opened. Privacy International has pointed out this backend privacy issue and says the apps send information to Facebook even if the consumer is not a Facebook user.
Chrome 71 Feature That Blocks Abusive Ads
Google has released Chrome 71 that will now block all ads on abusive websites including any ads or websites with hidden click areas, fake mouse pointers, non-interactive redirects, phishing, fake messages and alerts, or misleading behavior of any kind. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust: “Google’s decision to add these features to Chrome 71 is a response to consumer demand for a safer, more pleasant online experience.
Senate Call For Data Security Laws In Wake Of Marriott Breach
US Senator Mark Warner and a couple of colleagues are calling on Congress to pass data security laws to protect consumers in the wake of the Marriott breach, the latest in a long list of breaches including Facebook, Cathay Pacific, Equifax and a long list of other companies. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust: “Data breaches and the trillion-dollar data mining industry have fueled consumer wariness around the world about the use and misuse of their information.
Companies Faltering On Managing 3rd Party Risk
A new report* by the Opus and the Ponemon Institute reveals that 61 percent of US companies surveyed said they have experienced a data breach caused by one of their vendors or third parties. What is even more alarming is that 22 percent of respondents admitted they didn’t know if they’d had a third-party data breach in the past 12 months and only 37 percent indicate that they have sufficient resources to manage third-party relationships.
Fake Accounts And Political Spam
Preparing for the upcoming midterm elections, Facebook has removed 800 fake accounts and pages of bogus political ads. The company is cracking down on fake ads and other pages where spammers try to drive consumers to ad farms with authentic looking content. “Facebook’s efforts to purge fake accounts is a significant step toward preventing the spread of fraudulent products and messages and data scandals.
Push For Federal Data Privacy Laws
Data Privacy Advocates have testified on Capital Hill that they would like data privacy laws that would form the foundation that states could build their data privacy laws upon, while tech giants would like to see a federal data privacy law limiting states’ rights. “Consumers want their privacy and are demanding the passage of laws to protect it. Whether federal law lays out a ceiling or a floor for state privacy laws, data will be regulated no matter what.
Information Security Buzz
Scam websites luring users to browser notification spam are becoming a popular method to promote unwanted extensions, fake software, adware bundles and more. “Domain spoofing shows no sign of abating in programmatic advertising. They can quickly make the leap from annoying to malicious.
Google’s Chrome Sync Change
Starting with Chrome 69, Google has implemented a Chrome/Sync change that would automatically sign a Chrome user into a google site that was accessed. “The change in Chrome’s behavior is part of Google’s efforts to stay compliant with GDPR and other consumer data privacy regulations, some of which, like the recently passed California Consumer Privacy Act, allow individual consumers to seek statutory damages of up to $750 and penalizes companies up to $7,500 per intentional violation.
Vulnerability That 3Rd Party Website Extensions Pose
Third Party extensions for websites are a key target for cybercriminals as they are the place where critical customer and payment data flows through. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust commented below. “The problem with third parties is that most remain unknown to website owners. Heavily trafficked online publishers, for example, have an average of 140 direct and indirect third parties whose code account for anywhere from 50-95% of all code executing on the websites.
WordPress Redirect Campaign
A massive WordPress redirect campaign has been discovered by security researchers at Sucuri* who say that cybercriminals are leveraging an old vulnerability in tagDiv themes and a new one found in the Ultimate Member plugin. “The redirect campaign targeting tagDiv themes and Ultimate Member plugins underscores the need for website owners using standard hosting services to perform the needed upgrades to keep their sites secure.
New Research Revealing Browser Cryptomining Generating $250K Every Month
New research from RWTH Aachen University in Germany has found that Coinhive browser cryptomining is generating about $250-Thousand dollars a month with most of it going to just 10 individuals. “The rising popularity of cryptomining is the reason why cryptojacking has overtaken ransomware as hackers’ malware of choice. Moreover, in the short period since Coinhive hit the market, hackers have added more techniques to make their cryptojacking campaigns more widespread and the malware more persistent.
Information Security Buzz
Timehop has revealed that more even more data had been stolen that originally thought in their breach. Timehop admitted that in their haste to report the incident, they did not have all the facts of the breach at that time. Timehop’s efforts will be reviewed now that GDPR has been instituted.
Hacked Coinhive Shortlinks For Cryptomining
Coinhive has been hacked by cybercriminals who have obfuscated Coinhive’s shortlinks to perform in-browser mining according to researchers at Malwarebytes. “Cryptomining malware has unseated ransomware as malware perpetrators’ top weapon of choice, mainly because it is lucrative and hard to detect. The sizable cryptomining malware “ring” recently uncovered shows the growing sophistication and scale of cryptojacking campaigns.
Stylish App Recording Browser History
Google and Firefox have pulled the Stylish App from their add-on stores after reports that the app was recording consumers’ browser histories and then selling sending that info to remote servers. “Google and Mozilla’s decision to remove the Stylish browser extension from their respective add-on stores will no doubt have far-reaching impact. It sends out a clear message that they want to be good digital citizens and to set better standards for how companies deal with consumers’ personal data.
Facbook Sharing Users’ Data with 61 Tech Companies
In a document delivered to Congress, Facebook has admitted sharing users’s data with 61 hardware and software makers as well as sharing it with app developers. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust commented below. “This admission comes at an interesting time–just days after California passed the Consumer Privacy Act. This law will come into effect in 2020 and holds companies accountable for any failure to protect consumer data.
Adware And Cryptomining Plaguing Enterprises
Adware and Cryptomining are quietly plaguing enterprise networks according to the Morhisec Labs Threat Report. “We are witnessing an intensifying digital arms race between malicious actors and organizations, where adware and cryptojacking malware are among the former’s favorite weapons because they reach thousands, if not millions of web viewers and they can more easily elude traditional security measures.
Google Removing Option To Get Chrome Extensions From Remote Sites
Google has removed the option of installing Chrome extensions from remote sites so users will only be able to get the extensions from the official Chrome Web Store. Google has removed this option in the wake of a wave of malicious Chrome extensions on third party sites. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust commented below.
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