New Netflix Payment Phishing Emails Appear Legitimate
Do you have a Netflix account? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has experienced unprecedented growth, and is now the video streaming service of choice for tens of millions. If you’re one of those, be aware that an as yet unknown group of hackers has developed an […]
Trickbot Malware Went Into Hiding And Now It’s Back
For more than five months, the internet breathed a collective sigh of relief as one of the most notorious strains of malware, Emotet, went dark and ceased all activity. It was as though the hackers in control of the code had simply pulled the plug. All good things, however, inevitably end. On July 17th, 2020, […]
Remote Workers Are Getting Hit By Ransomware
According to the 2020 Vulnerability and Treat Trends Report, the number of new samples of ransomware increased by a staggering 72 percent during the first half of this year. Hackers around the world have come to increasingly view it as their go-to attack option. As with a great many things in recent months, this trend […]
Adobe Photoshop Should Be Updated To Address Security Issues
Do you use Adobe Photoshop, Bridge, or Prelude? If so, and even if you’re not normally quick to apply security patches issued by the company, you’ll want to give the most recent patch from Adobe priority. The company’s most recent patch addresses an even dozen critical security flaws that could allow an attacker to execute […]
Improvements Have Been Added To Microsoft Edge Browser
If you use Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android, you’ll probably want to install the July 2020 update as soon as possible because it contains a raft of improvements to the browser. First and most importantly, Microsoft Edge is joining the FastTrack Ready Partner Program, beginning in August. If you’d like to help […]
Garmin Experiences Ransomware Attack Causing Global Outage
Do you make use of a Garmin wearable device? If so, then you’ve probably noticed that your device isn’t working the way you expect it to. That’s because the company is experiencing what there are now describing as a global outage. The notification on the company’s website reads, in part as follows: “We are currently […]
Firefox Browser Error Is Giving Android Users Problems
Do you own an Android device? Is Firefox your browser of choice? If you answered yes to both of those questions, be advised that there’s a serious flaw in the Firefox app for Android that may prompt you to uninstall it until the company issues a patch to correct it sometime in October. Here’s a […]
SpaceX Starlink Satellite Getting Closer To Providing Service
How would you like to get your internet signal from outer space? You can! Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has moved another step closer to offering internet connectivity via its Starlink service. However, at the moment, there’s an important catch and caveat. Starlink has recently emailed fans to get their home addresses in anticipation of the […]
G-Suite Users Get New Security Features
Are you a G-Suite user? If so, we have great news! Recently, Google rolled out a number of exciting new features to enhance both the usability of the G-Suite and its security. In the words of Javier Soltero, the VP and GM of the G-Suite: “Instead of learning another tool, we need the tools we […]
Covid-19 Researchers Come Under Attack By Hackers
A number of prominent hacking groups made a gentleman’s agreement with research labs that are attempting to develop a vaccine for the deadly COVID-19 virus currently ravaging the planet. The agreement was promising that no attacks against research facilities would be made. Unfortunately, not everyone is playing by those rules. Recently, intelligence agencies in the […]
Android Users Beware Of BlackRock Malware Credential Stealer
Do you have an Android phone? If so, be advised that there’s a new threat to be on the lookout for. The threat takes the form of a malware strain that’s being called BlackRock. It is a banking trojan that specializes in pilfering login and credit card information, which means that if you get infected, […]
Amazon Echobud Consumers Should Update Due To Overheating Issue
Do you own a pair of Amazon’s Echo Buds? If so, and in case you didn’t get an email from the company, be advised that Amazon recently discovered a potential safety risk. To address it, the company is asking all Echo Bud owners to perform a software update on their gear. In a nutshell, the […]
Some High-Profile Twitter Accounts Were Recently Hacked
An as-yet unidentified hacker pulled off quite a heist on Twitter recently. He (or she) gained access to a Twitter Admin account, and used that access to rapidly take control of a number of high profile Twitter accounts. Once the hackers gained control of these accounts they began using them to lure unsuspecting victims to […]
New Image Format Will Soon Get Browser Support
In 2015, a new image format was born of a collaboration between Cisco, Google, and Xiph.org. Dubbed AVIF, the format is based on the Av1 video codec. It is royalty-free and widely regarded as the most highly optimized image format to be developed to date, superior to old standbys BPEG, PNG, and even the newer […]
Latest Microsoft Update Provides Some Needed Bug Fixes
If you aren’t normally in the habit of installing updates when companies release them, you’ll probably want to make an exception for KB4484439. It is a non-security update for Windows Installer editions of Office 2013 and 2016 products. If you use Office 2016, and frequently edit Word documents that feature custom XML values, these will […]
Don’t Fall For Office 365 Zoom Notification Phishing Email
Do you use Microsoft Office 365? Do you also use Zoom? If so, be advised that there’s a new phishing campaign designed with you specifically in mind, the goal of which is to ultimately make off with your Office 365 login credentials. Since the start of the global pandemic, Zoom and other video conferencing solutions […]
Corporate Internet Users Watch Out For Conti Ransomware
Although you may not be familiar with the name, a strain of ransomware called “Conti” is surging in popularity on the Dark Web and seeing a rapidly growing number of installations, so it’s definitely one to be on guard against. Advanced intel’s Vitali Kremez has been tracking this strain since it first appeared in late […]
Windows 10 Might Get Rid Of Control Panel Feature
All things end eventually, and in the years since Microsoft’s Windows has existed, the OS has undergone a great many changes. Most for the better, but some that have met with unexpected backlash. Last year, millions of users nearly revolted at the notion that MS Paint would be retired. As image editing software goes, Paint […]
Billions Of Breached User Credentials Are Available For Purchase
On a regular basis, we see headlines talking about how this or that company got hacked and X number of employee or customer logins got exposed. However, since those headlines happen in isolation, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. A trip to the Dark Web will reveal just how big of a […]
Apple Music Might Be Draining Some iPhone Batteries
Apple users are in a state of absolute uproar. Recently, battery life has taken a hit, with batteries draining more quickly than ever, sending legions of iPhone users on a hunt to track down the culprit or culprits. Early indications are that more than one app is responsible for the drastic reduction in battery life, […]
Trickbot Malware Has A New Trick Up Its Sleeves
Malware Lab’s researcher Maciej Kotowicz has made an intriguing discovery that makes the Trickbot banking trojan even more of a threat. The most recent strain of the malware he looked at is sporting a new feature that allows the code to check the resolution of the screen on the machine it’s running on. If it […]
Some Google GSuite Apps Require Updating To Continue Working
Mark the date August 12th, 2020 on your calendar if you’re a GSuite user. Google has warned users that unless they update their GSuite iOS and Android apps, they may stop working by the date referenced above. The company’s announcement concerning the matter reads, in part, as follows: “In 2018, we began making changes to […]
Pirated Mac Applications Could Contain ThiefQuest Ransomware
If you have one or more illegal copies of Apple software on your Mac, be aware that there’s a new threat to be concerned about. An info-stealing, data wiping malware strain known as ThiefQuest has been found embedded in torrents of illicit software written for macOS. While ThiefQuest isn’t as commonly seen as some other […]
Microsoft Will Add Plagiarism Checker To Word Program
Recently, Microsoft announced a small but important improvement to one of its signature products, Microsoft Word. The company is planning to roll out a plagiarism checking tool bundled with a virtual writing assistant powered by the company’s increasingly powerful AI/Machine Learning code. If you’re interested in trying it out, it’s currently available to customers using […]
Major University In California Pays Large Ransom After Ransomware Attack
The University of San Francisco (UCSF) is the latest organization to fall victim to hackers, running afoul of a group utilizing the Netwalker ransomware strain. UCSF is a research university whose recent efforts have been focused on health sciences generally and COVID-19-related research specifically. On June 3rd, 2020, Netwalker published a notice on a site […]
If 123456 Is Your Password, Change It Immediately
You probably aren’t familiar with the name Ata Hakcil. He’s a computer engineering student who recently conducted one of the largest password security surveys currently available. To conduct his research, he collected a number of username and password “data dumps” from the Dark Web and analyzed the passwords he found there. Hakcil was able to […]
Hackers Used Favicon Website To Steal Credit Card Information
Hackers are constantly on the lookout for new ways of causing mayhem and stealing data. Recently, researchers have unearthed a new technique to be on guard against. A few hackers have begun embedding credit card stealing scripts inside favicon meta data. If you’re not familiar with the term, you definitely know what a favicon is. […]
VMware Patches Many Security Issues To Fix Certain Vulnerabilities
Does your company make use of VMware products? If so, be advised that a pair of researchers from Synacktiv recently reported a series of critical security flaws in VMware’s ESXi, Workstation and Fusion products. The recent discovery prompted the company to issue an emergency security patch to address those issues. The most serious of the […]
Nvidia GPU Users Should Update As New Security Patches Released
If you have computers on your corporate network that rely on NVIDIA hardware and software, be advised that the company recently released security updates to address serious security vulnerabilities found in CUDA and GPU Display drivers and Virtual GPU Management software. These are security flaws that could lead to an escalation of privileges, denial of […]
New Powerful Malware Is Targeting Windows-Based Machines
Researchers have discovered a devilishly clever new stain of malware currently in use by hackers around the world. The new strain is appropriately called “Lucifer,” and has been making life quite difficult for IT professionals managing Windows environments. The malware exploits critical vulnerabilities in Windows-based systems to launch DDoS attacks and install cryptojacking code. The […]
How To Avoid Getting Hacked By Cybercriminals And Protect Everything You’ve Worked So Hard To Achieve
Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to steal data and make a buck at the expense of someone they’ve never met. They don’t care if they ruin someone’s life or destroy a business in the process. This is why it’s so important to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. Cyber security threats are constantly […]
Why NOT Investing In IT Can Cost You BIG
If you haven’t invested in IT security, then your business is at risk. These days, it’s easy to take technology for granted. It just seems like everything works so well. If things are working well, why spend more on things like data monitoring or secure cloud storage? Here’s a startling fact: a lot of business […]
Microsoft Changing Their Physical Retail Stores And Flagship Locations
Eleven years ago, Microsoft embarked on a bold experiment to emulate Apple. They opened a number of brick and mortar retail stores. Unfortunately, their stores never caught on quite the same way that the Apple Store did, and the rise of the global pandemic only made matters worse for the tech giant. In light of […]
Mac OS Will Get Some Big Changes Soon
Big changes are in the works for Apple’s venerable MacOS, as the company prepares for a future where the desktop OS shares increasing amounts in common with both iOS and iPadOS. A recent preview of the latest desktop OS reveals an interface that has been completely overhauled, along with redesigned app icons and a number […]
Hackers Attacking Exchange Servers In New Warning From Microsoft
Recently, Microsoft’s Defender ATP Research Team issued guidance relating to defending against attacks that target Exchange servers. They are coming under increasing attack based on the latest Microsoft statistics, which show a marked increase in the use of web shells on on-premises Exchange servers. The company is currently tracking multiple ongoing attacks, some of which […]
Update Your Webex Desktop App To Avoid Security Threat
Do you rely on Cisco’s Webex Meetings app for video conferencing? If so, be advised that the company found and addressed a pair of high severity security flaws that could allow hackers to remotely execute code on vulnerable machines. The two issues are being tracked as CVE-2020-3263 and CVE-2020-3342. They impact Cisco Webex Meetings Desktop […]
Google Meet Now Available On Gmail Using Mobile Devices
Google recently published a blog post that didn’t get much attention, but that outlines a major change to the way the company’s video collaboration tool “Meet” works. The blog post reads in part, as follows: “In the coming weeks, you’ll soon notice a new Meet tab on your phone’s Gmail app where you can see […]
Survey Shows How Employees Working Remotely Affects Business
Tens of millions of workers have been forced to work from home as the COVID-19 virus rampages around the globe. That has naturally increased reliance on internet connectivity and disrupted a number of longstanding, well-established working routines. Some of the changes have been for the better, including not having to fight traffic during the daily commute, […]
Why Is Cybersecurity Important?: 10 Critical Facts You Can’t Ignore
Why is cybersecurity important? Discover 10 critical facts you can’t ignore, and why it’s imperative for your business’s protection. Did you know that almost 60% of all cybercrime victims in 2019 were small to medium-sized businesses? Criminals seem to have focused their attention on this highly lucrative demographic in recent years. This is logical, after […]
IT Business Management: How to Find a Consultant in Los Angeles
Bringing in outside experts can be the boost your business needs. Discover tips and tricks on how to find a consultant in Los Angeles. There are over 863,100 IT tech support specialists in the United States. When looking for a consultant in Los Angeles, however, you need to know how to find the right one. Without […]
A Complete Guide to Managed IT Services
If you’re ready to increase productivity and efficiency while scaling back costs, managed IT services may be for you. Discover all the advantages of it here today. Over 40% of cyber attacks target small and medium-sized businesses. Many of the businesses that experience cyberattacks are out of business within six months. Don’t leave your small […]
Why IT Tech Support Is Critical for Any Business
Proper IT tech support is critical for any business. Find out all the reasons why, and what type of support will best fit your needs. In order to cut costs, many businesses are shrinking their in-house teams. In fact, 46% of startups fail because they run out of money. About 27% outsource to cut costs, […]
Microsoft Issues Update To Fix User Printing Problems
Microsoft hasn’t had great luck with its Windows 10 updates in recent months. Often, in their quest to improve the OS in one area, they inadvertently break something else. The company’s June 9th update is a classic case in point. On installing the update, a small number of Windows 10 users began experiencing issues with […]
Major T-Mobile Outage Was Not A DDOS Attack
Rumors were recently swirling around cellphone carrier T-Mobile. Fears were running rampant that a massive DDOS attack may be underway on the heels of a major outage. The rumors spread like wildfire through the internet. At one point, even a US Senator got involved, retweeting a rumor that the attack was supposedly based out of […]
Intel Steps Up Game With CPU-Level Malware Protection
Tech companies both big and small are always looking for new ways to protect their customers from the threat of malware.While that’s not something that hardware vendors are known for, Intel has leapt into the fray with a recent announcement. Their planned “Tiger Lake” mobile processers will offer CPU-level malware protection features. Tom Garrison is […]
Update Fix For VLC Media Player Security Bug Now Available
Do you use the VLC Media Player to watch downloaded movies and other videos? If so, be aware that researchers have discovered a serious security flaw in the code that allows for remote code execution, which could compromise your system. The vulnerability is being tracked as CVE-2020-13428 and is described as a buffer overflow issue. […]
Credit Card Data Breach Affects Popular Jewelry And Accessory Store
Claire’s Jewelry and Accessories is the latest company to fall victim to hackers. According to a recent disclosure made by the company, both the retail giant’s main website, and the website of their subsidiary, Icing, were compromised. They were hit by what appears to be a Magecart attack. The company’s disclosure reads in part as […]
Watch Out for Fake YouTube Channels Asking For Bitcoin
A group of highly organized scammers have commandeered a pair of Youtube channels and renamed them to “SpaceX Live” and “SpaceX” in order to capitalize on the popularity of Elon Musk and his SpaceX company. SpaceX made headlines recently with their manned launch out of Florida. Over the course of just two days, the scammers […]
Thanos Ransomware May Get Around Certain Security Systems
In 2019, a new strain of ransomware called Thanos burst onto the scene and has since been spreading quietly and seeing increased adoption by hackers around the world. The code has been traced to a Russian hacker going by the name Nosophorus, who has been offering the software as ‘Ransomeware-as-a-service’ on Russian-speaking forums on the […]
Internet Based Devices May Have Issues Following SSL Certificate Expiration
Recently, a number of Roku streaming channels mysteriously stopped working, leaving customers scratching their heads trying to figure out what went wrong. After some research, Roku’s support staff discovered that the issue stemmed from a global certificate expiration. They advised impacted customers to update their certificates manually by visiting the company’s website and following the […]
Nintendo Switch User Information Breach Affected Over 300,000 Users
A couple of months ago, Nintendo announced that their Switch gaming and live streaming service had been hacked, and as a result, some 160,000 user accounts had been compromised. As the company has continued their investigation into the incident, however, they’ve updated their disclosure, revealing that an additional 140,000 accounts were compromised, bringing the total […]
Update Windows 10 Immediately If You Haven’t Updated Since March
When was the last time you applied a Windows 10 security patch? If you haven’t patched since March 10th, it would be an excellent idea to do so as quickly as possible. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a dire warning concerning a newly discovered security flaw. The flaw […]
New Chromium Based Edge Browser Update From Windows 10
Microsoft has been talking for months about their new Edge browser based on Chromium technology. Users will finally be able to see it in action as of the KB4559309 Windows 10 update, which will replace the legacy Edge browser with the company’s latest offering. It should be noted that previous Windows 10 releases did include […]
This New Malware Is Hitting Exchange Servers To Steal Info
In late 2019, a new strain of malware called “Valak” was detected. In the six months that followed its initial discovery in the wild, more than 30 variants of the code were detected. Initially, Valak was classified as a simple loading program. As various groups have tinkered with the code, it has morphed into a […]
Storage Cleanup Tools In Windows 10 Getting Added Feature
For more than 20 years, “Disk Cleanup” has been a feature in every Windows Build. It’s a quick, easy way to free up hard disk space by getting rid of unneeded system and temporary files. In the October 2018 release of Windows 10, Microsoft added a checkbox that allowed users to also delete the contents […]
Only 33 Percent Of People Change Password After Data Breach
A new study was published by researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University’s Security and Privacy Institute and was presented at the 2020 IEEE Workshop on Technology and Consumer Protection. The study has grim news for IT Security Professionals. The key finding in the report is that only about one third of users will change their […]
Password Text Export Feature Coming To Firefox
Mozilla’s Firefox browser, like most modern browsers, has a built-in password management feature that allows you to save passwords for sites you log into on a regular basis. Since the browser stores the information, that’s one less thing you have to remember. That allows you the convenience of one click access to the sites you […]
A List Of Devices That Will Support The iOS 14 Update
By the time you read these words, Apple will likely be previewing iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 at the all-virtual WWDC 2020. While the latest version of Apple’s OS will no doubt be packed with features you’ll love, unfortunately, it may not be compatible with some older iPhones and iPads. That could mean you’ll have […]
Major Security Flaw Found In Some Cisco Routers
Recently, Cisco disclosed the existence of four serious security flaws in their routers that use iOS and iOS XE software. One of the four, CVE-2020-3227 is rated at a severity of 9.8 out of 10. It allows a remote attacker without credentials to execute commands to the operating software without proper authorization, which in turn, […]
Lawsuit Claims Google Private Browsing Isn’t Really Private
Google is in hot water with a complaint filed to the District Court of Northern California. The complaint alleges that the tech giant tracks users’ browsing data and a variety of other identifying information via Google Ad Manager, Google Analytics, and a variety of other applications. It tracks data even when users are accessing the […]
PonyFinal Is Another New Ransomware To Watch Out For
Microsoft recently issued a security advisory about a new strain of ransomware that’s been cropping up with increasing frequency in India, Iran and the US. Called PonyFinal, one of the things that differentiates this strain from the pack is that it’s deployed in what the company describes as human-operated ransomware attacks. Most of the ransomware […]
Old LiveJournal Database Breach Is Now Being Leaked Online
Do you have an account on LiveJournal? If so, you may have heard the persistent rumors that have been circulating since 2014 that the company was breached and some 33 million user records were stolen. To this day, LiveJournal denies that they were breached. Unfortunately, this month (May, 2020), a database containing 33,717,787 records, each […]
Monetary Demands Are Skyrocketing For Ransomware Decryptions
Ransomware attacks have evolved quite a lot over the course of the past year, and have become one of the most visible threats organizations of all sizes face. That is, based on recently published research conducted by Group-IB, which analyzed the rapidly changing threat landscape. Their findings should disturb every business owner. Here’s a quick […]
Major WiFi Updates Came To Windows 10 Recently
Great news for the legions of Windows 10 users around the world. Version 2004 comes with a significant WiFi update that includes Wi-Fi6 and WPA3 support, which will give users better wireless performance and increased security. That’s great news, but of course, there’s a catch. In order to make use of WiFi 6, you’ll need […]
Hackers Set Their Sights On Cloud Services
Thanks to the pandemic, tens of millions of people are working from home. Even before then, the Cloud was experiencing a tremendous amount of growth, but since shelter in place orders were issued by many governments around the world, growth has absolutely skyrocketed. This has drawn the attention of a number of hacking groups, which […]
Gmail Gets New Quick Menu Setting In Update
Google recently announced a change to Gmail that will make it easier for the service’s 2 billion+ users to experiment with different themes, layouts and settings. Even better, users can see the results of their changes before actually applying them. To make use of the new feature, all you have to do is click the […]
Wishbone App Database Leaked To Public By Hacker
The hacking group calling themselves ‘The Shiny Hunters’ has been busy. Recently, they put databases containing user records from eleven different companies up for sale on the Dark Web, including a massive database containing some 40 million records belonging to the popular Wishbone app. Wishbone is a social media platform that’s especially popular among children. […]
New Data Breach Affected Some Bank Of America Loan Applicants
If you’re like many business owners, you may have recently applied for a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which was one of the COVID-19 relief funds established by the Federal government in response to the global pandemic. If you applied for that loan through Bank of America, be advised that the company recently […]
Microsoft Phasing Out 32Bit Windows 10 Support Starting With OEMs
Be advised that Microsoft has announced it will begin phasing out support of the 32-bit version of Windows 10, beginning with OEM’s. The change is effective as of the May 2020 release. Microsoft had this to say about the recent change: “Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required […]
Home Chef Company Data Breach Affected 8 Million Customers
Are you a Home Chef customer? If so, be advised that the company recently announced a data breach. It was discovered after the hackers who broke in sold more than 8 million user records on the Dark Web. The group, calling themselves “The Shiny Hunters” has been busy of late. They’ve been selling databases containing […]
iPhone Update Includes COVID-19 Contact Tracing And Mask Detection
The latest release of iOS and iPadOS (13.5) is out, and contains the usual variety of bug fixes and modest improvements. In addition to the usual fare though, it also makes an important change to the way FaceID works for users wearing a mask. Also, it contains an important new COVID-19 Contact Tracing feature. Some […]
New Chrome Feature Stops Ads That Use Excessive Resources
Recently, Google announced a change that should be a welcome relief to many users, especially those who surf primarily on laptops or handhelds. Beginning in late August, the browser will automatically unload ad iframes that soak up an excessive amount of computing resources. Advertising is, of course, ubiquitous on the web. There’s little you can […]
Update WordPress Pagebuilder Plugin To Avoid Potential Hack
Do you use SiteOrigin’s Pagebuilder plugin for WordPress? If so, you’ve got plenty of company. The intuitive, widget-based plugin has been installed more than a million times and is used by webmasters all over the world to create responsive grid pages for websites. Unfortunately, a pair of security flaws in the plugin’s code recently came […]
Bandwidth Limits For Updates Coming To Windows 10 Soon
Some Windows 10 updates are big. Most of them range in size from 200-500MB, but some are even larger. This month’s, for example (May 2020), is more than 2GB in size, which is big enough that downloading and installing it can hog all the bandwidth you’ve got. That can easily bring your system to a […]
Preview Now Available For Microsoft’s New Family Safety App
Family safety features have been a part of the Windows 10 experience since its release, and those tools were made available on the Xbox in tandem with the release of Windows 10. You may, in fact, already be using them on your home computer and your Xbox. Unfortunately, similar protections were simply unavailable from Microsoft […]
Hackers Are Demanding Extra Ransomware Payments From Victims
Hackers who use ransomware to conduct their attacks have a new trick up their sleeves. A ransomware family has begun employing the tactic of not only demanding payment to unlock infected systems, but also demanding an additional payment. They’re demanding an extra payment to keep them from publishing copies of the files they stole before […]
Google Added A Video Conferencing Tool For Users
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool the company originally designed for Enterprise users. There are serious security issues with some of the more popular free or low-cost options available for the masses. So, Google made the decision to make Meet free to anyone with an email address. The rollout took two weeks to complete, […]
Facebook’s AI Might Be Able To Find Offensive Memes
Facebook recently released an intriguing research paper called “The Hateful Memes Challenge: Detecting Hate Speech in Multimodal Memes.” It’s well worth the read and a closer look at the database developed over the course of the research. The idea is simple: Use machine learning to help identify ‘mean’ and hateful memes. If such a tool […]
Xiaomi Phones Track Your Data When Using Their Browser
Do you have a Chinese-made Xiaomi phone? If so, you should be aware that there is a security issue. According to research conducted by Forbes, the Mi Browser that comes built into the phone sends your internet searches to Xiaomi servers located in both Russia and Singapore. Worse, it sends search data associated with incognito […]
Emails Saying Your Antivirus Is Expired Are Likely A Scam
A great many companies selling antivirus software have affiliate programs that help them expand their reach. Each time an affiliate sells a copy of the software, they get a cut. It’s a good business model used in a wide range of industries, and antivirus software companies have strict rules governing how their affiliates can market. […]
Update NinjaForms In WordPress To Avoid Potential Hack
Are you one of the million-plus website owners making use of Ninja Forms for WordPress? If so, be aware that the company has recently patched a serious security flaw that allowed hackers to inject malicious code and take over websites. The attack is accomplished via a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) that leads to a Stored […]
Tweets Can No Longer Be Sent From SMS To Twitter
If you use Twitter on a regular basis, then you probably saw the official tweet from the company. Effective immediately, they’ve shut down the functionality that allowed users to tweet via SMS, something that has been a part of the platform since its earliest days. For the time being, the company is keeping SMS-based two-factor […]
Microsoft Edge Update Will Benefit Security And Remote Workers
Microsoft is working hard to improve its Edge browser, and the latest beta build (Dev version 84.0.495.2) has a lot to be excited about. Most of the benefits are aimed at security and remote employees. There are three new updates, and they involve a security improvement, ease with profile switching, and a few miscellaneous improvements. […]
SBA And CDC Phishing Emails Can Carry Malware
According to Microsoft, its machine learning threat detection models have helped its research teams uncover multiple mal-spam campaigns. These campaigns have been tied together by the common theme of incorporating poisoned disk image files used as attachments. Each campaign has been aimed at a different target population, but all use some variant of COVID-19 in […]
PC Users Beware Of Downloader For Zoom Created By Hackers
Are you working from home right now? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Tens of millions of people are doing the same, and there are untold millions around the world doing likewise. Working from home presents a host of new challenges, not the least of which is finding ways of communicating face to face without […]
Illegal Movie Downloads Can Give Your Device Malware
If you’re like a lot of people stuck at home during the pandemic, you probably ran out of Netflix titles to watch a couple of weeks ago. As a result, researchers have noted a huge surge in traffic to torrent sites as more and more people are drawn to downloading movies illegally in search of […]
WiFi 6e Should Be A Big Improvement To Crowded Wifi Spaces
If you’re like a lot of people, right now, you’re doing what work you can from home. If that’s the case, you’ve probably noticed that your home WiFi network is struggling. The current signal spectrum is getting awfully crowded, and its beginning to impact performance. That’s exactly why the FCC recently approved a new connection […]
Payment Protection And Stimulus Programs Are Being Used By Scammers
Just about everyone in the country has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. That is why the government is sending relief via the Payment Protection Program, the stimulus program, and other programs. These programs are aimed directly at small and medium sized businesses to help keep them afloat until life can get back to normal. […]
Microsoft’s Edge Browser To Release New Features
Microsoft recently re-reinvented its web browser. After finally giving up on bug-plagued Internet Explorer, the company introduced Microsoft Edge, which it hoped would take the internet community by storm. When that didn’t happen, they re-introduced Edge, this time as a Chromium-based browser, which essentially made it a Google Chrome clone. The company is clearly not […]
Google Is Adding Verification Policy For Online Ads
Recently, Google announced they were making some important changes to their rules governing online ads. They’re adding verifications that they normally reserve for political advertisements,. This step is in a bid to combat what many industry experts are calling an ‘Infodemic’ of bad information, fake cures, and false hopes arising from the chaos surrounding the […]
Microsoft Stopped Hackers Using GIFs To Access User Data
Microsoft Teams (which is the company’s Enterprise chat app) isn’t all business. Like most other chat apps, it allows those who use it to send amusing animated Gif images. Unfortunately, that proved to be problematic. Recently, researchers from CyberArk discovered a serious security issue with Teams that allowed hackers to exploit the Gif function to […]
Another Text Bug Could Crash Your iPhone
The more things change, the more they stay the same. When Apple released iOS 11 a few years back, the company had a serious issue revolving around text messages and foreign language character sets. In that earlier case, the problem revolved around a certain string of Sindhi characters that had the result of locking the […]
Trickbot Leads The Pack In COVID-19 Malware
Recently, security companies all over the world have seen a surge in spam, hacking, and scam campaigns that are taking advantage of the fear and confusion surrounding the global pandemic. They’re using promises of COVID-19 information and access to pandemic-related equipment as hooks to lure people into clicking on links or downloading poisoned files. Although […]
Some Smart WiFi Linksys Routers May Need A Password Reset
If you have a home network, odds are good that you use a Linksys router. In fact, it’s a brand that a great many small and medium sized businesses rely on as well. With that in mind, be advised that recently, the company locked user accounts on its Smart WiFi cloud service. The company is […]
Agent Tesla Malware Steals WiFi Passwords From Infected Users
A few new variants of the Agent Tesla info-stealer malware have been spotted in the wild and should be on your radar if they’re not already. The new variants are more dangerous than previous versions of the malware. They now sport a module that enables them to scrape WiFi passwords from devices they invest. That […]
Gmail Blocks Millions Of COVID-19 Phishing Emails Daily
Google’s popular Gmail service has been busy. In a typical day, the company’s email system blocks more than a hundred million phishing emails. During the last week alone, the company reports that their system saw a massive spike in phishing emails related to COVID-19, with more than 18 million such messages being blocked in just […]
Hackers Stopped With Help of Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit
Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) recently played an instrumental role in taking down a botnet made up of more than 400,000 devices. A botnet is a tool that hackers use to invade systems. The botnets were rented out to a variety of groups to conduct DDoS attacks, launch phishing campaigns, and deliver a variety of […]
Apple Announced A New Low-Priced iPhone
Rumors have been swirling for months about Apple and the possibility that they’ll release a successor to their iPhone SE. Recently, the company put a pin in all the speculation and unveiled their second-generation iPhone SE. It looks like an iPhone 8, but lacks the upgraded internals. The best part? When the company starts taking […]
Beware Of Phishing Emails Appearing As From The Federal Government
The Digital Security firm Inky reports that they’ve discovered a new, disturbing phishing campaign you should be aware of. The company has spotted a disturbing number of scam emails purporting to be from Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States. The emails bear titles like “Coronavirus Guidelines for America.” It’s bad enough that […]
New Windows 10 Disk Cleanup Feature Coming Soon
If you’re a veteran Windows user, you’ve almost certainly made frequent use of the “Disk Cleanup” feature, which has been a standard part of the OS for what feels like forever. Recently though, Microsoft has given the utility a bit of a facelift and an upgrade. Lurking under the hood of Windows 10, in the […]
