Sometimes it feels like security and privacy are myths in this day and age of data leaks, hacking, and everything else. The latest example comes from a LocationSmart, a relatively obscure (to the public) location-as-a-service outfit has been leaking real-time location information of cell phone users on all of the...Read more...
Chip-level bugs Meltdown and Spectre continue to land chip-maker Intel in hot water. What do you do when every single chip you’ve produced since 1995 is now facing two of the most pervasive bugs your company has possibly ever experienced? Linux creator Linus Torvald brazenly suggests, honesty and complete candid...Read more...
Late last year a hack was perpetrated on what is called a "partner organization" that worked with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). The unnamed organization notified the ASD that it was hacked in November of 2016, and that outside parties gained access to its network. The small organization has only 50...Read more...
TrendMicro has published a report that claims that a "sizable" spam campaign is underway and other than just having a bunch of unwanted email to contend with, the spam campaign is also pushing ransomware. The spam campaign is said to be distributing the latest variant of Locky, which is the ransomware that invaded...Read more...
Large scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks powered by thousands and sometimes millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices that have been turned into a massive botnet is something that content delivery networks (CDNs) and service providers must be prepared for in 2017. Lest anyone thinks otherwise, yet...Read more...
Today's a bad day security. First it was discovered that Microsoft accidentally leaked what amounts to a golden key for Secure Boot system, and now we find out there's a rather serious vulnerability in the TCP implementation in all Linux systems since version 3.6 of the Linux kernel was deployed four years ago. Is...Read more...
If you haven't changed your LinkedIn password in several years, now would be a good time to get on that. Not only is it good practice to change passwords much more frequently than that, there's a chance that your login details were compromised four years ago and are just now being shopped around in an underground...Read more...
Apple would have you believe that it's iPhone devices are locked down tighter than Fort Knox, that its encryption and security schemes are so well implemented that even its own engineers would have trouble hacking a handset. But is that really the case? In a murder investigation involving an actor from The Shield, the...Read more...
When acquiring a new notebook or desktop, one of the first things many power users do is wipe it clean. No one likes the "junk" that comes preinstalled, and if time is available, sometimes it's just preferable to start fresh. But what if that was easier said than done? What if that preinstalled junk became more like a...Read more...
A teenage member of the notorious hacking group Lizard Squad has received a two-year suspended sentence for numerous cyber crimes. All tallied, he was convicted of 50,700 charges related to computer crimes, and in addition to his two-year suspended sentence, he must also undergo monitoring of his online activities. He...Read more...
Jan Souček, a security researcher from Prague, has uncovered a vulnerability in the security of the iOS Mail application that nefarious types can deploy against users of the app to gain access to their iCloud passwords.
The method published by Souček illustrates how an email can be sent to the hapless victim that...Read more...
If you own an LG ultrawide display and installed its included split screen software, you should take note. According to a user report, installing this software will disable the User Account Control security feature in Windows without your consent. You're not even bound to notice right away because of its...Read more...
Lenovo said it's currently investigating a cyberattack that took the company's website down for several hours earlier this week, though it may not have to look very far. The ornery hacking group known as Lizard Squad is claiming responsibility for the security breach, purportedly as punishment for the recent Superfish...Read more...
Lenovo had a rough go of it over the past few weeks. First, news broke that Lenovo had installed Superfish (widely regarded as adware) on some of its notebooks. As public outcry mounted, Lenovo offered a public apology and provided customers with instructions for removing Superfish. But all the negative publicity...Read more...
What a week it has been for Lenovo. Often considered one of the best of the notebook vendors, it was discovered earlier this week that the company in recent months had been bundling some seriously shady software on many of the PCs it sold to consumers. Not only did this software inject advertising into user Web...Read more...
Purchasing a new laptop can sometimes be a chore. For starters, simply finding one that's "right for you" takes time and effort, and once you do find it, you know that the "chore" part isn't over. Once you get that baby home, you'll have to begin mentally preparing yourself for the inevitable bloatware...Read more...
Microsoft is scrambling to fix a security flaw in its Internet Explorer (IE) browser that could allow a hacker to remotely execute malicious code if users visit an infected website. Unfortunately, the security bug is present on just about every version of IE, and if you're a Windows XP user, be advised that no...Read more...
Believe it or not, malware for Android exists, and the best way to avoid it is by only downloading apps from trusted sources, such as Google Play. That said, you're still not immune to threats, and according to security firm Avast, makers of self-titled antivirus software, the newest threat to the Android platform is...Read more...
Making money while running a social media service is difficult. Companies like Facebook and Twitter have struggled to monetize their platforms on both desktop and mobile, while striking balances that don't royally tick off users with obnoxious advertising. But in a world where dubious advertising and branding...Read more...
Information about the NSA's data gathering efforts continues, with newly-released information of the agency's efforts on the social networking front. It's already been revealed that the NSA gathers information from many different sources, but this latest information gives us a clear idea as to the extent that this...Read more...
While perhaps a bit unnerving, let's not act like this hasn't happened before. While Apple's engineering team is no doubt massive, there's only so much a fixed group can find. We're talking about bugs in particular; while iOS 7's final build squashed a ton of quirks, a couple of security issues have presented...Read more...
The game's acronym may inspire laughter, but a recent hacking targeting it is as serious as a heart-attack (alright, maybe not that serious). Riot Games, LoL's developer, posted on its website this week that 120,000 transaction records from 2011 have been exposed (to someone, or some group), although thanks to the...Read more...