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March 4, 2019 by Vertical Axion
How much does a successful ransomware attack cost a victim on average? The numbers will terrify you. Based on the latest statistics compiled by Coveware, each incident of a compromised computer costs a whopping $6,733, which is a hefty 13 percent increase from just one quarter ago. Part of the increase stems from the fact […]
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March 2, 2019 by Vertical Axion
A small but growing number of people have been making the switch to MS Office clones like Apache’s OpenOffice and LibreOffice. The thinking is that they can get the same core functionality but avoid many (if not most of) the costs, bugs, flaws and weaknesses that have plagued Microsoft’s offering. This situation is often seen […]
March 1, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Skype is introducing a new feature to its video call service that users have been asking about for quite some time now. Background blur. If you regularly make video calls, you’ve probably been in a situation where such a feature would have come in handy. It could be anything, really. Maybe you’re working from home […]
February 28, 2019 by Vertical Axion
For the last several years, industry experts have been sounding the alarm about password security. We’ve known for quite some time that one of the biggest weak spots in corporate security is the fact that employee passwords are notoriously weak. Millions have been spent on security education. Seminars have been held on the dangers of […]
February 27, 2019 by Vertical Axion
GSuite has added an important new bit of functionality in the form of Android App Management, which comes in two basic flavors. There are some things you can do using the company’s basic app management console, but to get access to the full range of features, you’ll need to set up an advanced account. It’s […]
February 26, 2019 by Vertical Axion
An independent security researcher named Henze has discovered a potentially devastating macOS exploit that’s been dubbed Keychain, and he has posted a video demonstrating it in action. Henze has discovered other vulnerabilities in the past, so Apple was quick to take note. Here’s the problem, though: he’s frustrated that Apple’s Bug Bounty program only applies […]
February 25, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Several months ago, Facebook announced a new feature that would be coming soon to Messenger. Initially, the company didn’t set a timetable for the often asked for delete functionality, but it recently made its way into the code base and is now ready for use. Granted, it’s got limitations, but is a big step in […]
February 23, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Given the rate of increase in the number of hacking attacks, it was predicted early on that 2018 would be another record setting year. That came with more hack attempts and more successful attacks than were seen in 2017. Sadly, that prediction proved to be correct. What few people had anticipated, however, was how big […]
February 22, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Google has a new extension for its Chrome browser, and it’s one you should strongly consider getting for all of your devices at home and in the office. The extension is called ‘Password Checkup,’ and has exactly one purpose. It securely checks your logins against a breach database in real time as you’re logging onto […]
February 21, 2019 by Vertical Axion
AT&T is getting some pushback for what most industry insiders are calling a misleading indicator. It has started to appear on many new smartphones including both Androids and iPhones. With the latest update, a growing number of customers are now seeing a “5G E” indicator on their 4G phones, which leads to a momentary surge […]
February 20, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Despite that there are still a shocking number of Windows 7 users spread around the world, Microsoft has kept with its previously published end of support schedule, and is no longer supporting the venerable product. The company has also begun quietly pulling the plug on applications that were central to the Windows 7 user experience, […]
February 19, 2019 by Vertical Axion
At one point or another, everybody has done it. You open a browser and type in the URL of a site you visit frequently. In doing so, your finger slips and you mistype it. Sometimes, nothing comes of it except that you get an error message. Knowing that, increasing numbers of hackers have gotten into […]
February 18, 2019 by Vertical Axion
One of the unfortunate truths about apps is that many developers use deceptive practices to try and confuse consumers. They try to mislead them about how much custom features cost and when in-app purchases occur. Many attempt to hide or obfuscate the particulars of subscription details. The thinking here is pretty simple: First of all, […]
February 16, 2019 by Vertical Axion
In the world of hacking, steganography ranks as one of the most difficult methodologies to detect. If you’re not familiar with the term, it is the practice of embedding executable code inside images, which makes it virtually impossible to detect. The reason is simple: Virus scanners are built around the idea of searching for text […]
February 15, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Google has kept no secret of their plan to eventually put an end to their social media experiment, Google+. In case you haven’t been keeping abreast of the company’s announcements where the service is concerned, be aware that it will be shutting down on April 2nd of 2019. The closer we’ve gotten to that deadline, […]
February 14, 2019 by Vertical Axion
On paper, UltraViolet seemed like a great idea. It was (and still is, for the moment) a service that stored your license information for various digital media you purchased. You could buy a movie from Amazon Prime, buy something else from some other online vendor, and watch them on any number of devices without having […]
February 13, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The first browser update of 2019 is officially out. Both Google’s Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers are getting a raft of security fixes that will help make Mac, Linux and Windows users safer and more secure. The latest build of Chrome addresses nearly sixty CVE-level flaws, seventeen of which are rated as being “high” severity, […]
February 12, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Apple’s latest iOS release contained a feature that wowed and excited its massive user base. Group FaceTime. It was heralded as ‘the next Big Thing’ in the Apple ecosystem. Unfortunately, there are problems, and the company has been forced to temporarily disable the feature while they wrestle with a major security flaw. A bug in […]
February 11, 2019 by Vertical Axion
When was the last time you conducted a company wide audit on all the software running on all the machines tied to your firm’s network? If you’re not sure the answer to that question, it’s almost certainly been too long. The risk, at least according to the latest survey from Avast, is that there are […]
February 9, 2019 by Vertical Axion
There’s a new strain of ransomware making the rounds, and it’s a nasty piece of work. Called Phobos by its creators, the latest threat on the ransomware scene first made an appearance in December of 2018. While details are sketchy, what we know so far about it is grim indeed. Researchers at CoveWare have been […]
February 8, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you’re like many seasoned ‘Netizins, you probably rely on some type of VPN to help ensure your digital privacy. Unfortunately, based on research conducted by Simon Migliano, you could very well be wasting your time. Mr. Migliano is the head of research at Metric Labs and is a respected name in the industry. He and […]
February 7, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Most reputable businesses don’t deal in illegal copies of commercial software, but there have been a few reported instances. There’s always the possibility that a cash-strapped individual that’s eager to do additional work from home might resort to installing a ‘cracked’ free copy of a program. Unfortunately, those who opt to go that route now […]
February 6, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you were one of the people who decided to give a Microsoft Windows Phone a try back when the company was still attempting to get into the market, this is a reminder that the company plans to end all support for the platform by December 10th, 2019. There’s still plenty of time to switch […]
February 5, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Google has recently announced a trio of new features for Gmail users that are going into place immediately, and may in fact be available for use by the time you read this article. Here are the details: One of the first things you’ll notice is a new strikethrough button, visible when you’re composing. You’ll find […]
