Credentials are the most sought-after data in a hack (Verizon): Verizon’s report for 2021 on data security found that credentials are still one of the most sought-after data types, followed by personal data like social security numbers, names, and addresses. This demonstrates the importance of users protecting their own data and business data when using digital assets. IBM’s data report for 2021 also found hackers to be in search of personal details. The most common records compromised in this report were customer PII and anonymized customer data.
100 Mind-Blowing Be Facts
Remote working may be causing increased hacking issues (IBM): According to IBM and the Ponemon Institute, there’s been a 10% increase in the average total cost of data breaches between 2020 and 2021. Remote working and digital transformation caused by the pandemic of 2020 increased the average cost of a data breach by around $1.07 million. During the pandemic, IBM notes customer PII was the most common type of record lost, included in around 44% of breaches, and each record was worth around $180.
53% of users haven’t changed their password in the last year (LastPass): Despite numerous reports in the last couple of years highlighting the impact of a poor password on data security and hacking issues, 53% of users worldwide haven’t changed their password in a year. 42% of customers say they believe a password should be easier to remember, rather than secure. 80% of users in this study said they’d be concerned if their password was compromised, but 48% wouldn’t change their password if it wasn’t required. When asked where they’d be tempted to create strong passwords, 69% of users said they would do so for financial accounts, and only 29% said they would create a strong password for work-related accounts.
In 2021 the most common initial attack vector was compromised credentials (IBM): IBM reported the most common initial attack vendor to be compromised credentials in hacking cases. In other words, this is when people lose their username or password. Compromised credentials accounted for around 20% of attacks, while phishing was responsible for 17%, and cloud misconfiguration led to around 15% of hacks. Though business email compromise was responsible for only 4% of hacking incidents in this report, it also had the highest average cost at around $5.1 million per attack. The second most expensive initial attack vector was phishing, at around $4.56 million.
Budget: The annual budget of the NSA is classified, but it was estimated to be around $10.8 billion in 2013. This funding supports its extensive operations and technological advancements.
Amendments to FISA: In 2008, amendments to FISA relaxed restrictions, allowing the NSA to monitor domestic communications without a warrant if one party is reasonably believed to be outside the United States.
Winchester was the first capital of England: We’re beginning this collection of interesting facts about England by uncovering some insights into the country’s history. It’s a well-known fact that the bustling city of London is the country’s capital, however, it hasn’t always had this status! Over 1,150 years ago, in 871, the Hampshire city of Winchester was the country’s capital. This came to be when King Alfred began his reign as King of Wessex and chose the city to be his capital. During the 10th century, all seven of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, including Wessex, merged to become England. This led to London becoming the capital and the new base for the government, thanks to its fantastic trading opportunities.
French was the official language of England for over 300 years: After William the Conqueror of France completed the Norman Conquest of 1066, French became the official language of England. However, the language was mainly spoken by noblemen, whilst lower classes spoke English. French continued to be the official language of England until 1362. Historians believe that the country reverted to being English-speaking due to King John’s loss of the French region of Normandy in 1294. This was encouraged further by the 100-year War against France, which started in 1337. Despite this, French names were popular throughout England, with Richard, Robert and William still being common names to this day!
The World Wide Web (WWW) was invented in England: The World Wide Web came to be in 1989 when it was discovered by Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist. Berners-Lee began the project whilst working at CERN, The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and its main use was for scientists to share information and institutes across the globe. The WWW was used privately until 1993 when CERN released it to the public. It’s flourished since then, and you’re using it to view this blog right now!
You’re not allowed to get drunk in English pubs: We’re starting the Culture section of this list of facts about England with this surprising by-law: It is illegal to be drunk in a pub. The Licensing Act took effect in 1872 and essentially bans anyone in England from being drunk anywhere that isn’t their private property. It’s certainly an odd by-law to have in place when the country hosts more than 35,000 pubs, all of which have the main purpose of drinking. Even so, it’s a well-intentioned act that aims to reduce drinking levels to keep people safe!
There is an annual cheese rolling competition: The unusual sport of cheese rolling was guaranteed to make this list of facts about England. A unique event, the annual cheese rolling takes place on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester and has been done since 1826. The event involves a 9-lb, round Double Gloucester cheese rolled down a hill, with competitors chasing after it to the bottom. The first person to reach the finish line wins the cheese. Contestants are often locals from the area, however, the event attractions competitors from all over the world. If you’re up for a challenge, why not sign up for the race? Please keep in mind that due to the fast pace of the race, the event can be quite dangerous.
The national dish features Indian cuisine: Commencing the Food section of this array of facts about England is the country’s national dish, Chicken Tikka Masala. According to NATO, the dish is England’s favourite, while Wales‘ national dish is Welsh Cawl, Scotland‘s is Haggis and Ireland‘s is Irish Stew. It’s believed that Chicken Tikka came over from India and was first introduced in Glasgow. The Masala sauce part of the dish was added during the 1970s when a Bangladeshi chef wanted to match the British tradition of serving meat in gravy. Indian cuisine has massively influenced the country’s dining scene, with CurryCulture.co.uk estimating there to be around 10,000 curry houses in the UK.
Sparkling wine was invented in England: It’s widely thought that Dom Perignon, a French monk, invented sparkling wine in the form of champagne in 1697. The BBC states that this isn’t entirely true and that an English scientist discovered and documented how to add fizz to sparkling wine 30 years prior. The scientist in question was Christopher Merrett, who lived in the Cotswolds. If you ever happen to be in the area, you can head to the village of Winchcombe and uncover a plaque dedicated to Merrett and his wine documentation on Mill Lane. Additionally, in the 17th century Sir Kenelm Digby, an English diplomat, was known to make the most ‘superior’ wine bottles of the time, with millions of his sturdy bottles being shipped throughout Europe each year.
The top 5 dishes in England are… Whilst Chicken Tikka Masala may be the national dish, England’s top five most popular dishes include: 1. Full English Breakfast – The ultimate, fried classic that is bursting with a mixture of flavours. Including those from tomatoes, eggs, sausages and bacon. 2. Black Pudding – A blood sausage that consists of a mixture of pork or beef blood, cereal and fat. The English county of Lancashire is often associated with savoury pudding. 3. Devilled Kidneys – This dish has ties to the Victorian period, originating from gentlemen’s clubs in London. It comprises lamb kidneys simmered in a spiced sauce. 4. Eggy Bread – Inspired by French toast and believed to date back to the medieval period, eggy bread comes as it’s described! You can enjoy this as a sweet or savoury dish for breakfast/brunch. 5. Kedgeree – This meal is the English take on an Indian dish, khichdi. It is packed with different flavours, including spiced rice, eggs and fish.
Wherever you are in England, you’ll always be within reach of the sea: Last but not least on this list of interesting facts about England is this intriguing fact about the English coast. No matter where you venture to in England, you’ll always be within 115 km of the ocean. The location that’s furthest away from the sea is the village of Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire. The Guardian states that the quaint village rests 113 km from the nearest coastal point. The seaside’s proximity is great for those who live in cities, with London being a car journey away from many beaches.
Cheese rolling is a sport: Yes, you read it correctly, cheese rolling is a sport. It is estimated that the sport started in the 15th century. Once a year, competitors compete in a cheese rolling competition at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire. During these competitions, participants chase a 3.2-kilogram (7lb) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep hill. It is certainly a sport at risk, but it is a tradition not to be missed in the region. The winner, the one crossing the finishing line first, wins the wheel of cheese as their prize.
Chicken Tikka Masala is England’s national dish: You probably think of roast dinner, fish and chips or a steak and kidney pie when you hear someone saying, ‘British food’. Nevertheless, the UK residents voted the chicken tikka masala as the country’s national dish. Its popularity can be explained by its former colony and still strong ties with India. The dish was popularised by British-Asian cooks in the 1960s, but who came up with the recipe for this Indian mild curry is not known.
Import of haggis to the US has been banned since the 70s: Scottish haggis is a sheep’s stomach filled with the sheep’s liver, heart and lungs, as well as oatmeal, suet, stock, onions and various spices. This dish has been forbidden in the United States of America since 1971. The reason for this is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture believes that lungs should not be saved for use as human food. The lungs of a sheep can contain bacteria, so the ban is in place with food safety in mind.
Scotland’s national animal is the Unicorn: Scotland is known for its love of myths and legends, so, it comes as no surprise that a fabled creature is Scotland’s national animal. The Unicorn was first used in the 12th century as a national symbol. You can spot Unicorns all over Scotland, often wrapped in a golden chain. It symbolises purity, innocence, masculinity and power and it was believed that the Unicorn is one of the strongest animals. The chain could be a symbol that the Scottish Kings had so much power and strength that they could tame even a Unicorn.
No matter where you are in the UK, you won’t ever be more than 115 km away from the sea.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War between the United Kingdom and the Zanzibar Sultanate is believed to be the shortest war that ever happened, lasting a mere 38 minutes.
The “unparliamentary language” prohibited to be used in the parliament includes words like ass, blackguard, coward, git, guttersnipe, hooligan, hypocrite, idiot ignoramus, pipsqueak, rat, slimy, sod, squirt, stoolpigeon, swine, tart, traitor and wart.
The UK is home to the rock band The Beatles, considered to be the most influential band of all time.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-gogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch is the name of a town in Wales and it is believed to be the longest name of any city in the world.
From 1912-1948, art was considered to be a valid category in the Olympic games.
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain point in the UK and it is measured to be 1345m tall.
John Smith is the most common name in Britain, so much so that over 30,000 people named John Smith are supposed to be residing in Britain.
London’s tube system is considered to be the longest underground system in the world but this underground system is considered as the most high-priced and reliable system.
George Washington was not the first face to be printed on the one-dollar bill.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is observed to be the most visited museum in the USA.
New Jersey is known to be home to the world’s highest roller coaster.
The Pentagon office is still recorded to be the largest building in the world.
Tourism Triumph: Tourism, the UK’s fastest-growing sector, is predicted to be worth £257 billion by 2025.
Indian Invasion: One of the fun facts about England is related to Indian restaurants. The number of Indian restaurants in London is thought to be higher than in Indian cities like New Delhi or Mumbai, however, they are a random phenomenon.
Ancient Monument: Stonehenge is said to be one of the world’s oldest structures, with geologists estimating that it was created around 3,000 BCE.
Brits Consume Over 100 Million Cups of Tea Daily: The first interesting fact about the UK that comes to mind may be that the Brits love drinking tea. This fun fact about the UK directly confirms the idea that people from Britain drink a lot of tea. They consume between 100 and 160 million cups of tea daily, or around 36 billion annually. The UK differs from most other countries in the world in that a whopping 98% of tea drinkers add milk to their brew.
The Unicorn Is the National Animal of Scotland: Next on the cool facts about the United Kingdom, Scotland’s national animal is a mythical species, which is not surprising given the country’s reputation for loving myths and stories. The unicorn was first used as a national emblem in the twelfth century. Throughout Scotland, unicorns can be seen, frequently adorned with a golden chain. It represents strength, masculinity, purity, and innocence. It was once thought that unicorns were among the strongest creatures. The chain might represent the idea that the Scottish Kings were so strong that they could subdue even unicorns.
The National Dish of Britain Is Chicken Tikka Masala: Let’s be honest: when someone says “British food”, you generally picture roast dinner, fish and chips, or steak and kidney pie. Chicken tikka masala was chosen by citizens living in the UK as the national cuisine. Its strong ties to India and history as a colony may account for its appeal. Although British-Asian chefs popularized the dish in the 1960s, it is unknown who created the recipe for this mild Indian curry.
Cheese Rolling Is Considered a Sport: It’s true what they say: cheese rolling is a sport. The sport is thought to have originated in the fifteenth century. At Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, competitors engage in a cheese-rolling contest once a year. In these contests, competitors race down a steep slope after a 3.2-kg (7-pound) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. Though it is undoubtedly a dangerous sport, the local custom is one not to be missed. The wheel of cheese is the prize awarded to the winner, who is the first to cross the finish line. If you’re a student in the English culture department, you may want to witness the cheese rolling sport with your own eyes. In this case, you can choose student accommodation near Gloucestershire College with uhomes.com. Book a room of your choice by your preference, and then enjoy a cheese-rolling contest in the United Kingdom!
A Banknote Can Be Folded 4,000 Times: Our currency is pretty durable. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the sole producer of U.S. paper currency, says it would take 4,000 double folds, forward and backward, for a dollar bill to tear. It might be because paper money isn’t made of paper. It’s a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen with tiny blue and red synthetic fibres of various lengths evenly distributed throughout the bill.
The Highest Bill Denomination Issued by the US Was $100,000: Printed in 1934 and featuring President Woodrow Wilson, this $100,000 bill was a gold certificate currency that was never intended for public use. Instead, it was meant only for official transactions between Federal Reserve Banks. The last time this banknote was printed was in 1945, and it can’t be legally held by collectors.
A Penny Costs More to Make than It’s Worth: A recent report from the U.S. Mint says it costs 2.1 cents to make a penny. Why the increase? Part of the rise could be the higher prices of copper and zinc, both of which are used to make pennies.
The Dollar Sign Was First Used in 1785: Here’s another fun money fact: The official adoption of the dollar sign in the U.S. can be traced back to 1785, when it evolved from the Spanish symbol for pesos. It’s believed the $ originated from the abbreviation PS, which was used to indicate Spanish pesos in the Americas. Gradually the “S” came to be written over the “P,” eventually morphing into the dollar sign we know today.
There Are 1.4 Billion $2 Bills Still in Circulation: The first $2 bills were printed in 1862. Although they originally featured Alexander Hamilton, they were later redesigned to feature Thomas Jefferson. The bills are still in circulation – 1.4 billion of them in fact – and are considered to be the rarest currency denomination in the U.S. Some people believed $2 bills were bad luck and would rip off the corners of the bill to “reverse the curse,” making them unusable.
The First Universal Credit Card Was Introduced in 1950: Credit cards originated in the U.S. back in the 1920s, but were issued by individual firms, such as oil companies and hotel chains, to their customers, specifically for purchases made at company outlets. It wasn’t until 1950 that Diners Club founders Ralph Schneider and Frank McNamara issued a card that could be used at a variety of establishments. The Diners Club card sparked the modern credit card era. Others soon followed, such as American Express, which debuted their card of this type in 1958.
Coins Didn’t Always Say “In God We Trust”: The original American penny, reportedly designed by Benjamin Franklin, features a motto he popularized, “Mind Your Business.” The message wasn’t telling people not to be nosy. Instead, it was meant as a literal instruction about business and commerce, to keep focused on your livelihood.
US Airports Make Big Money from Loose Change: According to the Department of Homeland Security, airline passengers leave behind thousands of dollars in coins each year at U.S. airport screening checkpoints. In the most recent year studied, the Transportation Security Administration collected $517,978.74 in unclaimed money (mostly coins) from passengers who emptied their pockets while going through the security line. These funds get deposited into a special fund so that collection and spending can be easily tracked. After some time, this money is used for civilian airport security expenses.
Before money was made of bills and coins, these items were used as currency: conch shells, ivory, clay, live animals and grain. As long as it was divisible and scarce, it could be deemed “money”.
The term bankrupt is taken from two words: bancus meaning bench in Latin on which bankers used to ply their trade in the marketplace and ruptus meaning broken – once the banker could no longer trade, the bancus would be broken to signify the banker is out of business.
The original two currencies of America were the Sterling Pound and the Spanish Dollar. The first type of US currency to ever be issued was a mere $2,000,000. It was issued in 1775 by the Continental Congress. Every new issue of this currency steadily devalued it against the Sterling Pound and the Spanish Dollar.
In 1980 the first ATM came to Ireland – Stillorgan Shopping Centre to be precise and at the Bank of Ireland branch.. yours truly was the junior banker who took charge of the machine (basically loading it!)
UK Coins Can Be Combined to Reveal a Secret Shield Design
Banknotes are a breeding ground for infections. According to scientists, 94% of the world’s money is infected with bacteria. Researchers at the University of Oxford tested several currency samples for germs and found that the 100 yuan was the dirtiest note, with more than 180,000 bacteria found on it. A relatively “clean” banknote can be considered a euro – 11,000 bacteria.
At first glance, the 2005 euro and Azerbaijani manat banknotes can be easily confused. The fact is that the same person, the Austrian designer Robert Kalina, was involved in the development of the design of both banknotes.
If you’re looking to promote your business, YouTube might just be the way to go. Over 70% of viewers bought a product or service after they saw it on the platform.
The computational and training costs to develop and maintain the software can be extraordinarily high.
According to research released by BlackBerry, 51% of IT decision-makers believed a successful cyber attack would be credited to ChatGPT within a year, and it happened. Multiple firms have also reported ChatGPT’s ability to create malware.
There will be more AI assistants than people in this world. Forecasts indicate that there will be 8.4 billion AI-powered digital voice assistant units in the world by 2024, which surpasses the total global population.
Consumers Will Embrace Chatbots for Improved Business Communications: Leading research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc. predicts that over the next decade, AI-enabled proactive chatbots will boost customer experience by anticipating the needs of customers and connecting with them at an emotional level. According to Gartner, advanced chatbots will be able to process 95 per cent of customer interactions, cutting human involvement to 5 per cent.
AI Can Boost the Operating Profits of the Automotive Industry: According to Capgemini’s Accelerating Automotive’s AI Transformation report, major automakers will be able to increase operating profits by 16 per cent through the deployment of Artificial Intelligence in production facilities and supply chain operations. Gains will come from reductions in operating costs, including raw materials, labour, administration, logistics, maintenance, and inspection.
By 2030, AI Will Contribute Significantly to the GDPs of World’s Leading Economies: Artificial Intelligence stats published by the Statista Research Department show that the contribution of AI to China’s GDP will be 26.1 per cent by 2030, the highest in the world, followed by North America (14.5 per cent), and the United Arab Emirates (13.5 per cent).
Google CEO Sundar Pichai claimed that artificial intelligence (AI) would be more transformative to humanity as a species than electricity and fire.
The development of machine learning is expected to be increasingly automated. Some sectors that best exemplify this fun fact about technology are agriculture, cybersecurity (you can read more about it from our expert interview on ransomware attacks and cybersecurity), fintech, manufacturing, and many more.
AI-enabled voice assistants will not be female by default anymore.
Productivity can be increased by 40% through artificial intelligence. This would allow people to spend their time more effectively.
‘’…according to artificial intelligence expert Dr. David Levy, in a few generations, we won’t just be having sex with robots, we’ll be marrying them.” He predicted that human-robot marriages will be legal by the year 2050. – CBC Radio
Facebook’s AI team has been hard at work developing AI that can understand the content of videos and put it to use. Though what this means remains somewhat vague, an innocent part of it would be automated video captions, for instance.
AI has shown to be better at detecting breast cancer than individual doctors, and just as good as double-reading – a diagnosis confirmed by two doctors.
Some experts believe that as much as 45% of business processes could be automated with the help of AI.
Despite the statistics saying that AI will replace more than 80 million jobs, the World Economic Forum projects that more than 97 million new jobs will be created by 2025 due to AI technology. – PWC
AI can be used to diagnose diseases. AI can analyse medical images and identify early signs of disease, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.
AI can be used for natural language processing. Natural language processing is the ability of machines to understand and interpret human language. This technology is already being used in chatbots and voice assistants.
AI can be used for facial recognition. Facial recognition technology is being used for a variety of purposes, from unlocking smartphones to identifying criminals.
AI can help reduce energy consumption. AI can be used to optimise energy consumption in buildings, leading to reduced energy costs and a smaller carbon footprint.