Apple has been quietly working on something called "Project Marzipan" for a couple of years now, and it appears that they're getting closer to unveiling it. The company seeks to bring its MacOS and iOS platforms closer together by developing universal apps that will work in either environment. This mirrors Microsoft's Universal Windows app strategy, where apps can detect the environment they're running on and adjust their display and navigation accordingly. Project Marzipan presents some … Read more
Windows 10 Third Party Password Manager Could Have Security Issue
Do you use "Keeper?" If you're not sure what it is, then you probably don't. It's a password manager that Microsoft has been bundling with some of its Windows 10 releases. Either way, there's a serious flaw in its design that you should be aware of. Earlier in the year, Tavis Ormandy, a researcher on Google's Project Zero team, discovered a bug that saw Keeper injecting privileged user information into web pages, exposing all manner of private data unnecessarily to website owners. The … Read more
Researchers Find Malware Targeting Industrial Systems
In the malware ecosystem, few strains are more terrifying than those that target industrial control systems. Think Stuxnet, Industroyer and IronGate. Recently, security researchers from FireEye have identified a new threat in this class of malware. Alternately called "Triton" or "TRISIS," this new code targets Triconex Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) controllers, which are manufactured by Schneider Electric. These control systems are found in a wide range of industrial equipment. They are, in … Read more
Microsoft Word Gets Update To Disable DDE After Malware Concerns
In recent months, Microsoft Word has been getting a fair amount of bad press, thanks to an old-but-still-supported feature called DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange). This is the feature that allows Word to pull data from other MS Office applications. For instance, if you embed a chart into your Word document, each time you open the doc, it will automatically poll the spreadsheet the chart was created from an update it dynamically. It's a good feature, but unfortunately, it's subject to abuse by … Read more
DirecTV Genie DVR May Have A Major Vulnerability
If you have a Genie DVR system, you should be aware of a major security flaw in the firmware that could allow a hacker to take complete control over the device. At issue is the equipment offered by AT&T as part of their free DireTV WVB Kit. Researchers of the ZDI initiative and Trend Micro discovered a zero-day vulnerability in one of the core components of the system, Linksys WVBR0-25, which is a Linux-powered wireless video bridge. It is this bridge that allows customers to connect up … Read more
Always Connected Laptops Could Be The Next Generation Of Hardware
What's the next big thing for the PC world? If the industry's major players have anything to say about it, it will be the "always-on" PC. Forget about plugging into your company's network. Forget about free WiFi Hotspots. With an always-on PC, you won't have to worry about either. If they're not available, your PC can connect via the same cellular data network your smartphone uses, which means you'll always be just a few mouse clicks away from your data. It sounds fantastic, but there is, … Read more
Are Your Employees Working or Web Surfing?
Surfs Up, Productivity Down? The growing trend of employees inappropriately using Internet access to check personal email, social media and browse the web is costing local businesses valuable project time, money and overall productivity. In fact, recent studies have shown that as much as 80% of employees are using the Internet at work for purposes that have nothing to do with work. Browser Blind A major issue with employees wasting productivity on surfing the Internet comes from businesses … Read more
How Will the End of Net Neutrality Affect My Small Business?
You may not realize it, but the end of net neutrality is a serious concern for small businesses. Larger companies will now have an advantage over small ones. What is net neutrality? According to Google, network neutrality is "the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites." What does it mean now that net neutrality is dead? Internet service … Read more
Adobe, Target & Snapchat. Is Your Company at Risk?
It feels as though every time you turn on the news, there's a story about a company being hacked. If it's happening to companies like Target and Adobe, then it could certainly happen to your company. That is why security and protection are key for having a successful business. What can a security breach do to your company? A major data breach, such as Target's, can cause significant damage to your company financially. It not only costs you thousands of dollars, but it also ruins your company's … Read more
Network Security: Is It Really That Important?
A Story about the Risks of "Non-Vaccination" On a recent appointment, I met with a pediatrician to perform a network review. In our preliminary meeting, we discussed the issues they were having and I was certain I'd find a pretty sick network. My suspicions were correct. It's our practice to schedule a follow up appointment after the report of findings has been written and risks weighed. During this meeting, the pediatrician told me about the struggle she having with unimmunized children … Read more
