Items tagged with security
A freelance security consultant and Handler at SANS Internet Storm Center has discovered a rather interesting exploit in Microsoft Word, one that allows an attacker to abuse the productivity program's ability to auto-update links. This is a feature that is enabled by default—when you add links to external sources like...
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US Army recently banned the use of all drones built by drone maker DJI. The military warned that the drones might have unspecified "cyber vulnerabilities." The Army memo was published on August 2nd and read in part, "due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that...
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Here we go again. WikiLeaks, the international non-profit whistleblower that publishes secret information to the web, has been dumping classified documents outlining various hacking tools and malware used by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. These documents are part of what WikiLeaks calls Vault 7, the...
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A team of scientists from the University of Washington have figured out how to infect a computer using malicious code inside DNA. This attack vector isn't aimed at your everyday PC sitting on your desk at home or in the office; this hack aims directly at the infrastructure around the DNA transcription and analysis industry. The team behind
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After putting legal pressure on Microsoft to provide antivirus vendors with additional time to test their software prior to new Windows 10 builds being rolled out, security outfit Kaspersky is getting its way. Microsoft announced in a blog post that it has agreed to certain changes in the way it handles third-party AV...
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Do you need a password manager to keep track of all your obscure, special character-filled and lengthy passwords necessary for various websites? It used to be that we would pick a simple, single password for multiple accounts and websites, until the rise of online exploits and hackers made such basic security...
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Cyber crooks have found a new way to ruin a person's day with ransomware. Traditionally most ransomware encrypts a victim's storage device and then demands a ransom in order to unlock the files. Some of the nastier versions will put a time limit on receiving payment before the ransomware starts permanently deleting...
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The hackers behind the WannaCry ransomware that became an overnight global scare did not strike it rich over their nefarious deeds, though they did make around $143,000 after cashing out all of the Bitcoin payments made by victims. Had it not been for the quick response of security researchers, and one in particular...
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MWR Labs has been able to demonstrate a hack on older Amazon Echo speakers that turns the device into an always-on spy sitting right in your home. Detractors of the way Amazon crafted it's speakers to always listen for your voice will use this as an "I told you so" moment.
According to the researchers, the Echo is...
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Election hacking is a real concern these days, and Microsoft recently helped cripple Russian hacking group called "Fancy Bear" after the group pulled off the DNC hack last year. A group of hackers at DEF CON 2017 had a bunch of voting machines to play with and they found some exploits that could allow potential...
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Researchers from Exodus Intelligence discovered a zero-day attack that threatens most of the popular smartphones on the market today. The hack is called Broadpwn and it affects devices running iOS and Android. Specifically all Samsung Galaxy S3 through Galaxy S8 devices are susceptible as are the Note 3, 6, 6X, and...
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Barring an unexpected change in strategy, Windows 10 is and will remain the last monolithic release of Windows. With that being the case, it is in Microsoft's best interest—as well as its customers—to ensure that it remains the most secure release. To help with that, Microsoft is upping the ante for bug...
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For a long time, Apple's Mac line of computers were thought by some users to be immune to malware and viruses. Some of that was due to hackers and nefarious sorts aiming for the low hanging fruit of the much larger Windows user base. Things have changed with Macs growing in popularity over the years and there are many...
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Ever since AMD launched its Ryzen processors for the desktop, many security conscious users have pleaded with the company to open source its PSP - no, not the portable console, but rather its "Platform Security Processor". This chip is found on most AMD platforms from 2013 on, and behaves much like Intel's Management...
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When you spill a glass of milk or drop your car keys, you might say, "Oops!" But when you inadvertently leak personal information of millions of customers, well, other choice phrases might come to mind. That is the situation Verizon finds itself in—the nation's largest wireless carrier confirmed that certain...
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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has received a black eye for an embarrassing data leak that could have (and should have) been avoided. It was not, however, and as a result personally identifiable information and other private details belonging to over 3 million WWE fans was sitting online unprotected and visible...
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Many technology companies have in place bug bounty programs that reward security researchers who submit discovered vulnerabilities in the products and services they offer. It is a win-win proposition in which technology companies are alerted to potentially crippling security holes, and hackers are compensated for...
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Over the past few years, one of the most prevalent types of malware has been ransomware - an infection that automatically locks down your sensitive data, and then makes you buy it back with your hard-earned cash. In May, one of the hardest-hitting ransomware strikes occurred, via the appropriately named WannaCry. Now...
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AMD has been on a tear lately. After all of the hype and anticipation, AMD's Zen architecture has proven to be the real deal, and not just on the desktop. Last week saw the launch of AMD's EPYC 7000 series processors for data center servers, and now the chip designer is formally introducing its Ryzen PRO lineup. In...
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There are no days off in Redmond, at least not for Microsoft. Hot on the heels of dealing with the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, Microsoft has now addressed reports of a new ransomware making the rounds, one that shares similar code with Petya, a nasty piece of ransomware in and of itself. What makes this new strain...
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Recent ransomware scares such as the WannaCry outbreak have collectively put a spotlight on PC security. It has even prompted Microsoft to release patches for unsupported operating systems, including Windows XP and Windows Vista. However, it is Windows 10 that receives the lion's share of Microsoft's security efforts...
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It seemed for a moment that the WannaCry ransomware that wreaked havoc at hospitals across Europe had been neutralized, but apparently it is still causing disruptions. The latest report comes from Honda Motor Co., which said on Wednesday that it had to shut down one of its factories in Japan after discovering that...
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