Facebook and Instagram users urged to change passwords after security breach 

  • Facebook and Instagram users are being warned to change their passwords following a recent security breach.
  • Thousands of passwords were reportedly stolen.
  • Meta has warned that users on both platforms could have been victims of a “phishing” attack, which aims to steal information such as passwords by providing a fake login page.
  • Users have been advised of potential phishing emails asking them to login.
  • To protect themselves, users should not log into any meta services via email links. 
  • Meta says that they believe one phishing scheme, last year, involved creating more than 39,000 fake sites.
  • Full story, here. 

Samaritans to trial online support service using students  

  • The suicide prevention charity, Samaritans, is trailing an online chat service to offer support to those struggling during the pandemic.  
  • The support will be offered by students and staff at Anglia Ruskin University.   
  • The pilot will train volunteers and students on mental health nursing, paramedic science and social work courses to join professional placements within the charity.  
  • The online chat aims to give those who prefer communicating digitally a way of reaching out to support pathways.  
  • Full story, here. 

Police Images of recovered knives can have unintended consequences 

  • Images of recovered knives shared on social media by police forces may be an ‘intelligence source’ for young people who live in areas with high levels of knife crime.
  • After seeing the images, young people may carry more dangerous weapons than those depicted to protect themselves.  
  • It comes following the worst year on record for teenage homicides in London, with 30 killings taking place in 2021.
  • Thames Valley and South Yorkshire police have already stopped sharing images of seized knives on social media due to the harmful effects of these images. 
  • The Metropolitan Police regularly share recovered knife images online, with more than 2,000 images shared online in a 12–month period. 
  • Full story, here.  

Covid-19: Classroom air filters ‘would cost about £40m’ 

  • According to the education minister, installing air filters in every classroom in Northern Ireland would cost around £40m. 
  • Michelle McIlveen said that there are 20,000 classrooms in Northern Ireland, and she will not hesitate in bidding for the funding if the evidence supports the investment.  
  • Air filters or cleaning units filter pollen, dust and other micro-organisms – including coronavirus – out of the air.
  • A government-funded trial is currently taking place in England into the use of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in schools. 
  • Full story, here.