Items tagged with security
If you thought that the iOS ecosystem was completely safe from scammy apps and malware, you would be wrong. Apple's App Store certainly has fewer incidences of scammy apps being put up for download by users than Google Play does because Apple checks apps out before they can be offered on the App Store.
Apple is now...
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Android users who think the apps they download on the Google Play store are safe and secure would be wrong in many cases. Malware and other fraudulent apps often run rampant within the Google Play Store. Now a new report claims that seven apps from Cheetah Mobile and one from Kika Tech that have a combined 2 billion...
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With the value of Bitcoin once again experiencing a big drop this past week, you may begin to think that malware developers would begin shifting focus elsewhere. Unfortunately, that's far from being the case. Even if crypto seems to have modest value, that value becomes substantial when you multiply it by every...
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When a mistake is made at a giant technology company like Microsoft, Apple, or Amazon, customers expect them to disclose not only how the breach happened, but what they did to fix it. Amazon has sent out cryptic emails to some of its customers that at first glance seemed a bit off and possibly scammy.
The email...
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Malware-laden apps are nothing new for the Google Play store where Android users go to download apps of all sorts. Google has been heavily criticized over the years for not doing enough to prevent malicious apps from being offered to users via the Google Play Store. This year we have seen a malicious app masquerading...
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Using two-factor authentication (2FA) is generally regarded as a superior way of securing an account than using a password alone, but even adding that extra layer of security comes with its own unique risks. This was highlighted in a recent security breach in which tens of millions of SMS text messages were exposed...
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AI can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what the AI is designed to do. Many AIs are meant to do things like help doctors diagnose disease, though other AI technologies can be turned towards more nefarious deeds. For example, a team of IEEE researchers has devised a method of harnessing an AI to generate...
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Some of Google's major services unexpectedly went offline for a period of time on Monday, apparently resulting from a tiny ISP in Nigeria inadvertently hijacking certain internet traffic. Referred to as a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) hijack, traffic that should have found its way to Google's servers instead pinged...
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Researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands have announced a flaw that affects some SSDs that feature hardware-based security; the flaw could allow an attacker to completely bypass disk encryption. Bypassing the encryption would give the hackers full access to the local data without having to know the...
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Facebook is the most popular social network out there, and seemingly the one with the most privacy issues. Last month a data breach impacted as many as 90 million user accounts with Facebook eventually claiming about 30 million accounts had been affected. Another security breach was announced in September with that...
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Apple recently began pushing out a new update to its mobile operating system, iOS version 12.1, and unfortunately it comes with a bug that allows an attacker to access an iPhone's full contact information without ever having to enter a passcode. It's a rather simple exploit that doesn't require any programming...
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It's not common to find free software that appears to be as feature-rich and capable as the commercial competition, but where Windows Defender is concerned, it's arguably one of the best free antivirus and anti-malware solutions out there. Many have come to trust it so much, that they don't even run an additional...
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Android users know that not all devices receive the security updates that Google puts out in a timely manner. Slow updates are especially common when the devices start to age or when devices aren’t that popular, and the manufacturer moves on to the next greatest thing. Google contracts have leaked that show it is now...
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With the new EU laws in place regarding personal data use, more and more major tech firms are giving users outside Europe the ability to see what personal data is being collected about them and what that data is used for. Apple recently made changes to its privacy page giving users in the U.S. access to the same tools...
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It does not seem all that farfetched that one day even your toaster will connect to the web and download crusty designs to sear into your bread. We have entered the Internet of Things (IoT) era. The focus on IoT devices can lead to some fun and interesting things (and of course useful), but also comes with added risk...
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One aspect of smartphones that largely gets overlooked is security. For many consumers, the technical details surrounding stronger encryption just isn't as interesting as advancements in camera technology and other prominent features. For those who do care to know more, however, Google wrote a blog post describing its...
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Privacy is a very big deal for millions of people around the world who use mobile devices and social media. The challenge for many people is knowing exactly what data social networks and devices are collecting from you. Apple is trying to make it easier for users of its devices to see what is being gathered and...
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Being security conscious has always been important, but in recent years, it's become downright imperative. Hacks and leaks are happening at an alarming rate, which means we all need to be more cognizant about our digital security every day. When an incident does end up taking place, we also need to be on top of...
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At least for the time being, it looks like the mad rush to buy graphics cards for cryptocurrency mining and leave gamers with overpriced options is in the rear view mirror. That doesn't mean cryptocurrency mining doesn't still present an annoyance in some sectors, though. Security researchers warn that cryptocurrency...
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Stick a fork in Google+, the social network is done, finished, finito. Or as Google more delicately puts it, the company is "sunsetting" the consumer version of Google+, a decision that tens (and maybe even dozens!) of users will find upsetting, given the seconds and minutes they have put into the social network when...
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Social media trends are like underwear, they change often and sometimes smell foul. If you're on Facebook, you might have noticed that some of your friends and family have posted scripted messages about accounts being cloned, and not to trust duplicate friend requests if you receive one. It sounds like a valid warning...
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Facebook can’t seem to get out of its own way when it comes to security. The biggest security issue for the social network was the Cambridge Analytica fiasco that gave the company access to information on 87 million users. In June, Facebook had another security failure when private posts of 14 million users were...
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