After the first professional footballer came out this week, the first gay cabin crew member is preparing to do the same today.

Steve Walshe, 43, has been operating on short-haul flights for 17 years in the macho world of flight attendant work.

He has been too scared to come out before, fearing what the reaction might be from other cabin crew staff and passengers.

But now Blackpool footballer Jake Daniels has taken the brave decision to publicise his sexuality, Mr Walshe has decided it’s time to do the same.

“Male cabin crew members are macho types and nobody would really believe any of them could possibly be gay.

“But just looking at the stats, it’s ridiculous to think gay cabin crew staff don’t exist.

“Hopefully, my decision will allow a lot of colleagues to feel they, too, can admit to their sexuality.”

Suffolk Airways is proud of Mr Walshe’s decision.

People Officer Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “Well done to Steve. We are all so supportive of his decision to come out.

“Hopefully, this will encourage more gay men to join the flight attendant profession.”

As the bones begin to be picked out of the 2021-22 campaign, Ipswich Town once again find themselves contending with a sense of what could have been. As a side that has graced a Premier League stage in the 21st century, they have become a big fish in a small pond.

It is, however, proving trickier than many could have imagined establishing dominance in League One as plucky rivals find a more streamlined way of swimming against the tide. At least 12 more months are going to be spent trying to work out what the winning formula is.

They are far from being the only side that could be considered to be punching well below its weight. Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth finished just above them this season, while 2013 FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic have only just bounced back up into the Championship. Meanwhile, Sunderland have another play-off final to contend with as they seek to earn favour in football tips on the best bets and up-and-coming teams after four years of thrashing around in the third tier.

Ipswich have just completed their third season at that level and have done little more than tread water in that time. Finishes of eleventh, ninth and eleventh hint at consistency, but it is the wrong kind as forward momentum remains elusive.

🗣☔️ Singing in the rain!

Unbelievable support this afternoon, Town fans.

Safe journey home.#itfc pic.twitter.com/8PP2Gxh6Bi

— Ipswich Town FC (@IpswichTown) January 8, 2022

That, in many ways, is nothing new to those at Portman Road, with much of the last 22 years having been spent trying to avoid slipping out of neutral and into reverse. There has, a few play-off appearances aside, been little to get excited about since the turn of the millennium.

22-year itch

Mid-table mediocrity on the third rung of a Football League ladder is far removed from the standing that Ipswich enjoyed when the year 2000 was welcomed in. On May 29 of that year, Barnsley were seen off 4-2 at Wembley Stadium to see a return to the Premier League rubber-stamped.

🚨 TEAM NEWS

The Town side to take on Barnsley in this afternoon's First Division play-off final at Wembley!

Happy with that, Blue Army?#20YearsOn | #itfc pic.twitter.com/sYtIPMV0RT

— Ipswich Town FC (@IpswichTown) May 29, 2020

An impressive fifth-place finish was enjoyed during a first season back among the elite, but then the wheels came off in dramatic fashion. Relegation was endured in 2002 and all efforts to become upwardly mobile again have proved fruitless.

In fact, another trapdoor opened up in 2019 that could not be avoided. With backward steps becoming alarmingly common, it has now been over 8,000 days since loyal supporters in Suffolk took in an experience to get collective pulses racing.

In that time, if you so wished, you could have circumnavigated the globe on foot 23 times. That adventure would have offered some serious benefits to personal step counts, with over 572,000 miles covered, but is ultimately another example of going around in circles without ever reaching an ultimate end goal.

That just about sums up Ipswich Town’s existence right now, with best-laid plans delivering annual doses of hope and expectation that is eventually crushed by the time spring has truly sprung. The hope is that another cause for celebration will be taken in at some point in the near future. But any party hats put in storage back in 2000 have likely mothballed by now and sausage rolls carefully wrapped in tin foil will not have withstood an 8,000-day wait in the back of a fridge.

While Instagram is one of the easiest social media platforms to use, there are still a few things that you could be doing wrong. Creating an ideal atmosphere for your page can be quite difficult, but we are here to help. If you want to make sure that your profile is up to scratch, then here are six things that you need to stop doing on Instagram.

1. Posting blurry or low-quality photos

This is one of the quickest ways to turn people off your page. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with high-quality images, there is no excuse for posting anything less than perfect. If you want people to take your page seriously, then make sure that all of your photos are clear and in focus.

via GIPHY

Low-Quality can have two meanings on Instagram. The first is the resolution of the image, and the second is simply how good the photo looks. If a photo is low in terms of quality, then it will be less likely to perform well. This is why it’s essential to make sure that all of your photos are high quality.

If your images aren’t relevant to your page, this is considered to be low-quality as well. People will scroll right past if they don’t understand what your photo is trying to achieve and it is unrelated to them.

If you’re just starting out and are unable to take high-quality photos, that’s okay. There are always other options like using free stock photos or using apps to make your photos look better. But if you have been on Instagram for a while and are still posting blurry images, then it’s time to step up your game.

2. Posting too many images at once

This is a sure-fire way to fill up people’s timelines and turn them off your page. If you want people to actually look at the images that you are posting, then make sure that you space them out. Posting multiple images at once will just mean that people scroll right past them without giving them a second glance and can be a real gamble for your business.

If you think your followers won’t notice, you’re wrong. They will see that you’ve posted multiple images, and they will be less likely to engage with any of them. This can damage your relationship with your followers, and it’s simply not worth it.

Of course, being consistent with your posting is what really counts. If you are uploading 100 images in 2 days, followed by a period of no content, the followers you’ve gained will get confused and may even become annoyed. However, if you regularly post 30 images a day, although this is still a lot of images to be posted, your followers will become used to it and won’t think anything of it.

3. Posting screenshots or images from other social media platforms

This is a big no-no. Not only does it look unprofessional, but it also shows that you are not putting in the effort to create original content. If you want people to take your page seriously, then make sure that all of your photos are original and exclusive to Instagram.

Posting screenshots of other social media platforms is considered unprofessional for a couple of reasons. The first is, as we said before, that it shows that you’re not putting in the effort to create original content. Secondly, it makes your page look untidy and can be pretty off-putting for potential new followers.

If you don’t provide something unique and new, your followers are better off following the original source. This is because they will get the content that they want in one place, and usually, the social proof goes to the original source, making you the loser.

If you buy services that help to grow your following, the results of posting screenshots or unoriginal content will be the loss of your investment. Being original pays off and that doesn’t mean you can’t share content you love.

If you intend on crediting the original source, make sure that you do it in a way that doesn’t take away from your own page. For example, you could post a screenshot of an Instagram story with a caption that reads something like “LOVE this story from @ example!”

4. Reposting the same content

This is a sure-fire way to lose followers. If you want people to stick around, then make sure that you are constantly posting new and original content. Reposting the same thing over and over again will just bore people, and it shows that you are not making an effort to keep your page fresh.

When we say “reposting the same content,” we don’t just mean posting the exact same photo. We also mean posting very similar photos or videos, with only slight changes. If you’re constantly posting things that look exactly the same, your followers will quickly get bored.

It’s essential to keep your content fresh because if you don’t, your followers will quickly get bored, and they will be less likely to engage with your page. This can lead to a decline in reach and potentially even cause people to unfollow you.

It makes sense from a volume perspective to create similar content, but if you want to keep your followers engaged, you need to switch it up every once in a while. Try posting something new and different or even reposting something from a different perspective.

5. Using excessive/unrelated hashtags

This is a major turn-off for potential new followers. If you want people to take your page seriously, then make sure that you are using relevant hashtags and not stuffing your caption with them.

via GIPHY

Using excessive or unrelated hashtags is one of the quickest ways to turn people off your page. It looks unprofessional, and it shows that you are not taking the time to research your hashtags.

When you use too many hashtags, it looks like you’re trying to compensate for something. It makes you look desperate, and it’s a major turn-off for potential new followers. If you want people to take your page seriously, then make sure that you are using relevant hashtags and not stuffing your caption with them.

It never hurts to research your hashtags before you use them. There are a number of different tools that you can use to find the best hashtags for your page. Hashtagify is a great tool that allows you to see how popular a specific hashtag is, and it also shows you related hashtags.

6. Not using Instagram Reels

If you’re looking for a surefire way to get some attention to your page, reels are the way to go. Creating something that is catchy, visually appealing, and also relevant is a great way to increase your chances of going ‘viral,’ which can really help your page. Not to mention, it’s also a great way to show off your creative side and engage younger markets.

If you’re not using Instagram Reels, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to gain some exposure for your page. The content you can create is almost infinite, and the ability to capture your reader’s attention is also very high. Reels are a great way to show off your creative side, and they can really help you get some attention from potential new followers.

Instagram is a powerful social media tool that can help you reach a large audience if used correctly. By avoiding the mistakes listed above, you can increase your chances of gaining new followers and maintaining the ones you have. It’s important to always put in the effort to create new and original content and make sure that you are using relevant hashtags. If you’re not using Instagram Reels, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to get some exposure for your page. So go out there and start creating some killer content!

There is finally some good news for the United Kingdom to celebrate – we are going to win Eurovision Song Contest.

Experts say the result in Turin is a foregone conclusion because the rest of Europe loves us so much.

Expect the maximum 12 points from the French jury, and the same top score from the Germans, Italians and Spanish.

UK performer Sam Ryder is a shoe-in with his song Space Man.

Eurovision pundit Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “The country needs cheering up, and the fact that Europe loves us so much will be plain for all to see.”

French Eurovision commentator Jean Claude Barnier explained: “We have put the trifling squabble over Brexit, Channel immigrant crossings and Jersey fishing rights behind us.

‘Rule Britannia’

“We have not even heard the UK entry, but everyone says they will vote for it anyway.

“Rule Britannia, and all that.”

Meanwhile, some cynics suggest quite the opposite will happen when it comes to voting this evening, with everyone expected to support Ukraine, no matter what quality of song they present.

“Nobody in Europe will vote for the UK unless they are pissed or live in Malta,” said leading music expert Steve Walshe.

In the past two years, we’ve seen a swift turn to remote and hybrid work models. Recent findings show that data thefts welcomed that shift and took advantage of businesses’ vulnerabilities and gaps in security.

On a global scale, cyber vulnerabilities are the biggest concern for companies in 2022. The risk of data breaches, ransomware attacks or severe IT outages worries organisations even more than businesses, supply chain disruption or a global pandemic, all of which have brutally affected firms in the past years.

This post will focus on the most common cybersecurity vulnerabilities and how they can impact affected services. Then, we’ll discuss several basic strategies for remediation.

Issue 1: Software supply chain vulnerabilities

Now more than ever, software dependencies are pervasive. Companies are massively reliant on hundreds of open-source dependencies – 203 per repository on average– with functionalities that the company itself doesn’t write. Recent data hints that 99% of codebases contain open-source code, and nearly 97% of business codebases come from open-source (code that you didn’t write). Such vulnerabilities in your open source or third-party dependencies, which apparently you can’t control as tightly as the code you wrote, create considerable potential security risks.

Supply chain vulnerabilities are rare but real. This happens when malicious code is purposefully integrated into a component that distributes the code to its targets.

Supply chain attacks are as real and scary as possible. The most common forms of attack involve directly inserting malicious code as a new committer to taking over someone’s account without noticing or compromising access points to distribute software that isn’t officially part of a component. But rarely is a mere supply chain attack the end goal for hackers. In fact, they see it as an opportunity to insert backdoors for botnet access or malware for crypto mining.

The good news is that you can spot and remove these vulnerabilities using vulnerability detection and an automated code-scanning solution.

Issue 2: Cross-cloud compromise

Cloud attacks explore vulnerabilities in cloud services and servers, like Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Services, Microsoft Azure, and any other cloud computing service.

Cloud assets are massively exposed to cybersecurity threats because they’re often poorly patched, misconfigured, or use weak authentication, making them an ideal target for cybercriminals. But that’s not all. Cloud services also have wide-ranging permissions that endow attackers with access to an abundance of data, workloads, and other critical assets. In turn, they can easily compromise a business network infrastructure and cause irremediable damages from a single breach. 

Unfortunately, these attacks are becoming even more dangerous. According to LegalExpert.co.uk, multiple cloud infrastructure breaches occur due to “inadequate security practices within companies’ cloud configurations.”

Cloud attacks are more common than ever, showing no signs of slowing down. At the same time, cloud-reliant organisations worry about their security, but they do nothing to impede these risks.

To avoid common cloud attack patterns, businesses must first understand what cloud threats are and how to stop them.

Issue 3: Too many permissions and access vulnerabilities

The most critical vulnerability takes place when all of the service’s stack components are weak. This places application permission on top of the vulnerability list.

The solution? By strongly regulating access to the system and permissions for performing specific actions, you can avoid potential security threats. The more administrative access rights the staff has, the larger the vulnerable attack surface.

The “least-privileged” concept enabled through role-based access control or Identity, and Access Management has become a prerequisite in today’s business environment.

While employing the principle of least privilege throughout your business processes is critical, its integration should first focus on a company’s development team. If the least privilege becomes a critical part of your business’s critical processes, it is more easily applied to interaction across services and systems.

Issue 4: Poor network monitoring and segmentation

Many security attacks rely on inadequate network monitoring and segmentation to gain full access to systems in a network’s subnetwork. This vulnerability has been no stranger to large enterprise networks in the last three years. In fact, it has further encouraged the stubbornness of the attackers to compromise new systems and maintain access for longer periods of time.

The main cause of these attacks is a lack of subnetwork monitoring. In larger companies, a lack of monitoring outbound activity is a challenging initiative, as thousands of systems communicate within the same network.

To fix this, businesses should carefully monitor network access among systems within these subnetworks and focus on creating better detection and alerting strategies.

They should also focus on unjustifiable DNS lookups, odd behavioural trends in network traffic, and system-to-system communication with no apparent use.

Issue 5: Zero-day exploits and mass vulnerabilities

Attackers rely on security flaws in widely used software to access endpoints around the world. Today, applications and digital data are imperative for nearly every aspect of a business. Only last year, the average number of SaaS applications each business uses has reached a staggering 110 apps. For hackers, uncovering vulnerabilities in any of your organisation’s SaaS apps isn’t difficult.

In fact, we’re aware of the fact that criminals will leverage zero-day exploits and mass vulnerabilities to infiltrate your network, install malware, steal credentials and data, and then expand their reach to execute commands.

With more and more software vulnerabilities and code libraries, mass vulnerability abuse peaked in 2021 and is expected to continue in 2022. To reduce the risk of an attack, organisations should first require their software vendors SBOM (Software Bill of Materials). This inventory presents all software components and codebases: from open-source software, vendor agents, packages, APIs, SDKs, and everything used in a software program. Having this information at hand will ensure companies know what’s in their environment, helping them respond swiftly in the event of a mass exploit.

As the cyber threat landscape changes, so should organisations in need of protecting critical business assets and ensuring continuity. Of course, they should know that effective risk management strategies will keep them ahead of the cybercriminals.