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April 12, 2019 by Vertical Axion
A small but significant update is coming in the next version of Windows 10, which should have the company’s massive user base breathing a sigh of relief. The company is experimenting with a new feature that it can use to trigger automatic uninstalls of buggy updates. This happens in the background, so there’s nothing the user […]
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April 11, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you’re still clinging to your old Windows 7 machine, you should know that the day is relentlessly drawing closer when Microsoft is going to stop supporting the OS altogether. In fact, in the near future, you’re going to start seeing reminders pushed out by the company that the end is drawing near. They’re calling […]
April 10, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has recently issued a statement concerning HP’s recall of more than 78,000 laptop batteries. This is being issued in addition to the 50,000 laptop batteries the company recalled in January 2018 for the same issue. According to the company, the batteries in question are prone to overheating and […]
April 9, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Have you heard of DMSniff? If you’re in the restaurant, entertainment, or retail business and you haven’t heard of it, this article is likely to dismay you. It’s the latest threat being deployed against those industries. Researchers from the cybersecurity company Flashpoint now believe that DNSniff malware has been lurking in the wild since at […]
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April 8, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The latest version of the Android OS is now available in beta form. The catch is, you’ve got to own a Google Pixel phone to use it at this point. The rest of Google’s massive user base will get to see Android Q later this year. In an unusual move, the company limited access to […]
April 6, 2019 by Vertical Axion
How many malicious apps would you need on the Google Play Store to infect more than one hundred and fifty million Android devices? Unfortunately, we have a good answer to that question, courtesy of SimBad adware, which can be found in 210 different Android apps. Taken together, they’ve made their way onto nearly 150 million […]
April 5, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued a public service announcement regarding the growing number of Social Security related scams they’ve been getting reports about. In 2017, just 3,200 people called to report instances of SSA Voice Phishing (called ‘vishing’), with total 2017 losses amounting to some $210,000. In 2018, that number swelled to more […]
April 4, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you haven’t heard of the GrandCrab ransomware strain, it’s something you should put on your company’s radar. It first emerged as a viable threat in early 2018. Since that time, its creators have been constantly tweaking and honing their approach, turning it into a devastatingly effective strain. The latest version GrandCrab 5.2 was released […]
April 3, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you’ve installed Microsoft’s March 1st update for Windows 10, version 180G, be aware that a growing percentage of users are reporting performance issues that impact graphics quality and mouse movement. Granted, the issues seem to have the biggest impact on games, with gamers who play games like Destiny 2 and Call of Duty 4. […]
April 2, 2019 by Vertical Axion
How big of a problem do you imagine identity theft to be? What percentage of Americans do you think have been impacted by it? If you’re like most people, whatever number you selected probably underestimated its impact. In a recent survey conducted by nCipher, it was discovered that nearly 29 percent (17.6 percent) of respondents […]
April 1, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The Federal Trade Commission just issued an enormous fine to a Chinese app developer for illegally collecting the personal data of the children who used it. The company was handed a staggering $5.7 million fine when the FTC filed a complaint alleging that the video-sharing app was in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection […]
March 30, 2019 by Vertical Axion
We knew fairly early in the year that 2018 was on track to beat 2017 and set a new record for the number of data breaches in the year. Afterall, 2017 had shattered 2016’s record the year before. Now that the final numbers are in though, we can see just how big an increase we’ve […]
March 29, 2019 by Vertical Axion
A new vulnerability was revealed to the world at the 2019 NDSS security conference. It’s a grim one with the potential to impact FreeBSD, Linux, Windows and Mac systems worldwide. Dubbed ‘Thunderclap,’ the flaw can be exploited to impact the way that Thunderbolt-based peripherals connect and interact with a target system. If you’re not familiar […]
March 28, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The rise of Social Media has been a game changer for businesses around the world, creating opportunities for customer engagement that were previously unimaginable. Unfortunately, business owners aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits of Social Media. The hackers of the world are in on the game too, and for them, Social Media represents a […]
March 27, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you use a Nvidia graphics card, be aware that the company has recently released their first security patch of 2019, bearing the ID # 4772. It’s an important one in that it addresses eight security flaws that leave un-patched systems vulnerable to attack. It should be noted that none of the flaws addressed in […]
March 26, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Most customers by now are fully aware that we experienced an email issue lasting a little over one full day this week. As much as it pains me to admit we had a failure, we owe it to clients to let them know what happened and why. As painful as the loss of email in our […]
Researchers have discovered a pair of nasty phishing campaigns that are making use of Microsoft’s Azure Blob Storage in a bid to steal the recipient’s Microsoft and Outlook account credentials. Both campaigns are noteworthy in that they utilize well-constructed landing pages that have SSL certificates and a windows.net domain, which combine to make them look […]
March 25, 2019 by Vertical Axion
It’s the end of an era. Way back in 1995, a company called Macromedia released the iconic Shockwave player, which quickly became a mainstay on Windows-based machines. A decade later, Adobe purchased Macromedia, taking ownership of the Shockwave player and the company’s other products (like Flash), both of which continued under the Adobe brand. Time […]
March 23, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you have a need for speed, you’ll be thrilled to know that USB 3.2 is on its way. It offers incredible transfer speeds up to 20GB per second, but there’s a catch that could throw a wrench into the works, or at least make things more complicated. At the most recent Mobile World Congress, […]
March 22, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you own a retail business, an attack known as “credential stuffing” is the latest online threat to be concerned about. If you’re not sure what that is, read on and prepare to be dismayed. According to the 2019 State of the Internet, Retail Attacks, and TPI Traffic Report published by Akamai, there has been […]
March 21, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft has recently announced a new addition, coming soon to the Microsoft Store. A free Office progressive web app (PWA), which is slated to replace the My Office app that comes pre-installed on Windows devices. The new app is functionally similar to the Office App you’re currently using, but it brings some exciting new features […]
March 20, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Google has found itself in hot water for something they claim to be an honest mistake and oversight. Owners of the company’s popular Nest Guard (the centerpiece to their Nest Secure home alarm system) have recently discovered a microphone hidden in the guts of the device. The microphone wasn’t mentioned in the product’s specification sheet, which […]
March 19, 2019 by Vertical Axion
As if your stressed IT staff didn’t have enough to deal with, there’s a new threat to be on the lookout for. Researchers at the antivirus company Avast have discovered a new strain of malware that can spread by way of Skype and Facebook Messenger spam messages. The malware, called “Rietspoof” is described as a […]
March 18, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Much discussion has been had about the fact that hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and their methods ever-increasing in their complexity. While that’s certainly true, more complex isn’t always better. Take, for example, the malware called Separ, which is a credential-siphoning bit of code, first detected in late 2017. Separ has benefitted from ongoing development […]
