Apple recently released an updated version of iOS, 11.4.1. They did so quietly, and without much fanfare, but the update includes one very powerful and exciting security update that's deserving of special attention. Specifically, the new version of iOS introduces what the company is calling "Restricted Mode." It was created to protect iPhones against USB devices used by law enforcement to crack your password and get around the encryption used to keep your data secure. The new feature … Read more
Adobe Releases Massive Update To Patch Its Products
There's a lot to like about the contents of Adobe's most recent "Patch Tuesday" update. It's well worth downloading and installing, even if you normally take a pass on all but the most critical updates. Included in this release are security patches for 112 vulnerabilities across four different products, including: Flash Player Acrobat and Reader Experience Manager Adobe Connect We've provided more details below: Updates For Flash Player The security update includes … Read more
Open Database Exposes Info Of 340 Million People
Internet security researcher Vinny Trola recently made a huge and disturbing discovery. A marketing firm called Exactis had left a massive database unsecured, allowing anyone who stumbled across it to access it. As a marketing firm, Exactis collects simply mind-boggling amounts of data on consumers all over the globe. The database in question was a staggering two terabytes in size, and contained more than 150 data fields. Social security numbers were not included in the exposed data. A … Read more
Apps In Gmail Have Full Access To Read Your Emails
File this one away under "watch your permissions." It's recently come to light that an unknown number of third party apps have access to read emails sitting in your Gmail account. While the practice is not new, things like this are coming under increased scrutiny in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica incident. Here are the important details to bear in mind: Apps that can read your email DO require explicit user permissions. You have to agree to allow these apps access to your … Read more
Watch Out For Rise In Microsoft Office Attacks
Menlo Security has recently published a new report that will probably dismay you if you're a business owner. Microsoft Office has been named as the attack vector of choice for hackers around the world. The most common form of the attack is a malicious Word document or other office document attached to an innocent looking email. There are, of course, plenty of other ways to take advantage of various security weaknesses in MS Office and Office 365. These include the use of remotely hosted … Read more
Vulnerability In Mac OS Went Unnoticed For Years
Researchers at Okta Security have stumbled across something big. Recently, they discovered a flaw in Apple's OS that would have allowed hackers to completely undermine Apple's code signing process. While at first glance that doesn't sound so bad, the implications are terrifying. In a nutshell, code signing uses cryptographic "signatures" to verify and validate code. If code bears the digital signature, it is considered trusted. If it's trusted, then it's given an automatic free pass, … Read more
Turn Cortana Off At Lock Screen To Avoid Potential Hack
Do you use Cortana? It's a handy virtual assistant (like Siri) built into Windows 10. Unfortunately, as useful as she is, there's a problem. Even if you don't use Cortana yourself, take heed: Microsoft has recently issued a security update based on findings by McAfee researchers. It turns out that Cortana can be "summoned" from the lock screen of your PC and used to execute attacks by tricking the ever-helpful Cortana into indexing files from a USB drive, then executing them. To … Read more
New Trick Lets Hackers Bypass Office 365 Email Security
What's old is new again. Hackers have recently begun re-deploying a decade-old trick called 'ZeroFont' to get around Microsoft's security filters and deliver phishing and spam emails to Office 365 email accounts. The gimmick? Zero-point fonts. As anyone with even passing familiarity to Office 365 knows, if you're drafting a document, you can change the font size to suit your tastes and preferences. What few people realize is that you can use html code to set your font to zero-point … Read more
Google Cracking Down On 3rd Party Browser Extension Installs
Malicious code can wind up on your PC or phone by any number of roads. Companies do their best to guard the digital passes, but invariably, things get missed and the hackers find a way in. It's a constant battle, and sadly, one that the good guys are losing. Recently Google has stepped up its efforts, this time by focusing on Chrome browser extensions installed by third parties. By the end of the year, no extensions will be allowed on Chrome except for those acquired via the Web … Read more
Attackers Targeting Job Seekers Via Listings And Recruitment
Cyber-criminals around the world are increasingly focusing their attention on job seekers. According to the security firm Flashpoint, there has been a notable uptick in ploys involving phony job listings that attempt to get job seekers to give up personal information. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that this is only now becoming a growing threat. After all, from the cyber-criminal's point of view, it's low hanging fruit. Job seekers expect that they'll be asked for all types of … Read more
