CTSS

CTSS Using the power, flexibility and security of the cloud, CTSS builds bespoke solutions for companies

One of the biggest myths about cybersecurity is that malicious apps always look malicious 👀A lot of the time they don’t....
14/08/2026

One of the biggest myths about cybersecurity is that malicious apps always look malicious 👀

A lot of the time they don’t.

In fact, some of the most successful scams are built around things that appear completely boring and harmless 😰

Researchers recently uncovered a huge operation involving hundreds of fake Android apps that looked like ordinary tools people use every day.

Things like PDF readers, utility apps, and similar downloads you probably wouldn’t think twice about installing.

The apps worked properly. That’s what made them convincing.

The problem started afterwards.

Once installed, users would see a message saying the app needed an update.

But the “update” downloaded something completely different.

From there, the device started loading hidden adverts that no human ever saw.

The aim wasn’t to spy on people or steal passwords. It was ad fraud.

The attackers were generating fake advertising activity to siphon money from advertising platforms and businesses paying for online ads.

And the scale of it was huge.

Researchers say these apps were downloaded more than 24 million times 📱

What stands out to me here is how normal the whole thing sounds.

People simply installed tools that looked useful.

Employees install apps onto phones and tablets all the time without thinking of them as a security risk.

Especially when the app appears to do exactly what it promises.

Google has removed the identified apps from the Play Store, but stories like this are a good reminder that app stores are not perfect filters.

Harmful apps can still slip through.

You need to be cautious with what gets added to company devices.

Especially if an app suddenly asks you to install updates or software outside the official app store process.

💭 When was the last time you checked what apps are installed on your business devices?

Some businesses assume IT support is mainly about fixing problems when something breaks.But good support should also red...
11/08/2026

Some businesses assume IT support is mainly about fixing problems when something breaks.

But good support should also reduce the chances of those problems happening in the first place.

There’s an important difference between watching for issues and actively maintaining systems. Are you only getting half of the picture…?

10/08/2026

Finding your cursor shouldn’t feel like a game of hide and seek. Windows 11 can fix that fast…

I think we’re moving into a different phase of AI now.For the last couple of years, most people have used AI like a very...
09/08/2026

I think we’re moving into a different phase of AI now.

For the last couple of years, most people have used AI like a very smart search engine.

You ask a question, it gives an answer, and sometimes you double-check it because you’re not sure whether to trust it 😅

Tools like NotebookLM and Microsoft 365 Copilot are changing that approach completely.

Instead of pulling information from the entire internet, these tools work from your own information.

📝 Your meeting notes

📧 Your emails

📁 Your documents

📈 Your spreadsheets

💬 Your Teams chats

You give the AI the specific material you want it to use, and it reasons over that instead of guessing from random online sources.

One of the biggest frustrations with AI has been confidence.

People worry about “hallucinations”, which is the slightly strange term used when AI confidently makes something up.

By narrowing the information down to trusted business content, the answers become much more useful and grounded.

Microsoft is now expanding these notebook-style features inside its ecosystem, and honestly, I can see why.

Imagine finishing a Teams meeting and having the transcript, notes, files, and action points automatically pulled together into one workspace.

Or taking a photo of a whiteboard on your phone and turning it into structured notes, a presentation, or even a spreadsheet.

That’s where this starts becoming genuinely practical for businesses.

It reduces the amount of time people spend hunting for information, rewriting notes, or piecing together updates from five different places.

I think that’s the real story with AI at work.

The biggest productivity gains will come from removing all the small bits of admin and information overload that quietly eat away at the day.

Not from replacing your people 😅

Of course, there’s still a balance to strike around security and permissions, especially when company data is involved.

👉 If AI could take one repetitive task off your plate right now, what would you choose?

One of the smartest scams around doesn’t hack your computer…But it convinces you that it has 😳Researchers are warning ab...
08/08/2026

One of the smartest scams around doesn’t hack your computer…

But it convinces you that it has 😳

Researchers are warning about a campaign called CypherLoc.

It’s been catching people out through fake security alerts inside their web browser.

Usually, it starts with a phishing email or a suspicious link.

At first, nothing looks unusual.

Then suddenly the browser takes over the whole screen, warning messages appear everywhere, alarm sounds start playing, and it looks like your computer has completely locked up 🚨

There’s even a phone number on screen telling you to call support immediately.

And that’s the real scam.

The goal is to panic you into making the call 😰📞

What makes this particularly convincing is the psychological side of it 🧠

The fake alert might show your public IP address on screen to make things feel personal and real.

An IP address is basically your device’s public internet address.

Seeing it displayed can make it feel like the attacker knows everything about you, even though that information is often easy to obtain.

The scammers rely on fear and urgency.

If someone’s stressed enough, they stop thinking clearly and start following instructions.

Once the victim calls the number, the attackers pose as technical support staff and try to get payment details, passwords, or remote access to your computer.

Modern cyberattacks are often more about psychology than technology.

The attacker doesn’t always need to “break in”. Sometimes they need someone frightened enough to let them in voluntarily.

The good news is there’s one very strong clue with scams like this: Real security warnings do not lock your browser and demand that you call a phone number.

That’s simply not how legitimate security companies operate.

If something like this ever appears on your screen, the safest thing to do is close the browser completely or restart the computer.

Don’t interact with the page.

And most importantly, don’t call the number 🚨

💬 If a warning like this filled your screen, do you think you’d recognize it as a scam?

07/08/2026

Need to record your screen quickly? Windows already has a tool for it, no extra software needed…

I think a lot of businesses still imagine AI use at work looks something like this:🤖 The company approves one AI tool🤖 E...
05/08/2026

I think a lot of businesses still imagine AI use at work looks something like this:

🤖 The company approves one AI tool
🤖 Employees log into that tool
🤖 Everyone uses it exactly as intended

But that’s not what’s happening at all 😅

New research has found that a huge amount of work-related AI activity is happening through personal accounts instead of company-approved systems.

And it works both ways.

Employees are also using company-paid AI tools for personal tasks.

People use whichever AI tool is easiest to access in that moment.

If someone already has ChatGPT open in a browser tab, they’ll probably use that. If they’re logged into a work AI platform already, they’ll use that instead.

Most of your staff aren’t sitting there thinking, “Is this my work AI account or my personal one?”

They’re trying to get something done quickly.

If the “official” AI tool is difficult to log into, slow to access, or awkward to use, people naturally drift towards easier alternatives.

The risk is what gets pasted into those tools 😬

Meeting notes, customer information, internal documents, ideas and plans…

Once that information ends up in a personal AI account, the business often has no visibility or control over it.

And if the employee leaves, that history leaves with them too.

I don’t think most people are doing this recklessly.

They’re doing it for convenience.

It’s why banning AI completely usually doesn’t work. People will still use it if it helps them save time ⌚️

The smarter approach is making approved tools easy enough that employees want to use them.

Provide, simple access, clear guidance and practical rules around what should and shouldn’t be shared.

The path of least resistance almost always wins.

🤔 Be honest… do you think your team is only using the AI tools your business officially approves?

“We’ve always done it this way” sounds harmless.But then simple jobs start taking twice as long as they should.People en...
04/08/2026

“We’ve always done it this way” sounds harmless.

But then simple jobs start taking twice as long as they should.

People end up chasing information, repeating tasks, and working around processes that no longer really fit the business.

Those little inefficiencies become part of everyday working life, and they’re costing time, money, and energy…

03/08/2026

Most people install updates without a second thought.

And that’s what attackers rely on.

There’s a new scam that looks so convincing, even experienced users are getting caught out.

Once you click, it’s already too late…

For years, the advice has been simple: “Be careful what you click on in Google.”Now we might need to start saying the sa...
02/08/2026

For years, the advice has been simple: “Be careful what you click on in Google.”

Now we might need to start saying the same thing about AI 🤖

Microsoft has warned that cybercriminals are finding ways to manipulate AI tools into recommending fake software downloads.

And honestly, it makes sense when you think about how people use the internet now.

A lot of us don’t search the way we used to anymore 🔦

Instead of typing something into Google and scrolling through websites, people are asking AI questions directly…

“What’s the best tool for checking PC temperatures?”
“Where can I download this app?”
“What software should I use for…?”

The problem is that attackers are adapting to that behavior.

Researchers found criminals creating fake websites pretending to be popular tools.

Somehow, they’re managing to get these malicious sites recommended by AI systems.

Instead of tricking search engines, they’re now trying to trick AI.

And if someone trusts the recommendation and downloads the file, malware gets installed on the device.

In some cases, that malware gives the attacker remote access to the computer. They can then explore the network and steal data.

They may even install something called a “crypto jacker”.

That’s software which uses your computer’s power to mine cryptocurrency for the attacker.

Your machine slows to a crawl while somebody else profits from your electricity bill 💸

The bigger point here is that cybercriminals follow behavior.

If people move from search engines to AI, attackers move there too.

That means we need to treat AI recommendations with the same level of caution we’d use for search results or emails ⚠️

Helpful doesn’t always mean safe.

AI is an incredible tool, but it doesn’t “fact check” the internet in the way many people assume.

It can still surface bad information, fake sites, or manipulated recommendations.

So, if you’re downloading software, especially business software, you should still check the source properly before clicking install.

💭 Have you started using AI instead of Google for searches yet?

Address

WorkCentral, 1st Floor, Bel Airs Mall, Bellairs Drive, Northriding
Johannesburg
2169

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CTSS posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to CTSS:

Shortcuts

Share

Category