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February 8, 2020 by Vertical Axion
On January 17th of this year (2020), Microsoft discovered and disclosed the existence of a zero-day vulnerability. It was present in Internet Explorer versions 9 through 11. Hackers could display specially crafted websites that would allow them to remotely execute commands on a site visitor’s computer without their knowledge. That is, if they browsed the […]
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February 4, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Another week, another high-profile data breach. This time, it’s a big one. In December 2019, the convenience store chain Wawa disclosed that they had discovered malware on their point of sale system and that tens of millions of customer records were at risk. Those at risk were potentially anyone who had paid for their gas […]
February 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you’re a Mac user, you may have heard of the malware known as Shlayer. It first made headlines in the early part of 2018. The malware is primarily used to install malicious adware on infected systems that spam an unreasonable number of popups. The popups generate ad revenue for the malware’s controllers. The malicious […]
January 31, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Over the last twelve months, we’ve heard reports from companies of all shapes and sizes that have suffered from data breaches. Many of them were caused by an act of carelessness on the part of an employee that accidentally left an important database exposed to the world. It raises eyebrows though, to hear that Microsoft […]
January 30, 2020 by Vertical Axion
The malware named TrickBot has some new tricks up its sleeves. Recently, a new strain of the malware was spotted in the wild with new capabilities that allow it to target the Active Directory database stored on compromised Windows domain controllers. While TrickBot has never been seen as one of the most dire threats in […]
January 29, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Recently, the Department of Justice brought charges against Babatunde Olusegun Taiwo for using personal information acquired on the Dark Web. He used the information from data breaches to file fraudulent tax returns with the IRS. He was able to gain enough information to file more than two thousand income tax returns that attempted to claim […]
January 28, 2020 by Vertical Axion
There’s a disturbing emerging trend in the world of hackers who make use of ransomware to extort payment from companies. Increasingly, if a company won’t pay, their data that was stolen and encrypted is being published for all to see. KrebsOnSecurity recently identified a website associated with the creators of the Maze ransomware strain that […]
January 24, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Malware tends to be at its most effective when it exists in secret. Under the radar. This is what allows malicious code to burrow deep into an infected system and capture a wide range of data. It’s what allows cryptojacking software to quietly siphon off computer power to mine for various forms of cryptocurrency. That […]
January 23, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Google continues to improve security and its user experience in the Apple ecosystem. The most recent update to the company’s Smart Lock app on iOS allows users to use their iPhone as a physical security key (if and where two factor authentication technology is enabled). Once it’s set up, it works like this: If you […]
January 22, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft would like you to know that Windows 7 has reached the end of the road. No more security updates are coming, and there are no more patches or bug fixes. So from here, every newly discovered security flaw is essentially a zero-day issue. The company has been loudly advertising the fact that the end […]
January 21, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Wyze is one of the many manufacturers of consumer-grade smart devices. They recently confirmed that user data belonging to nearly two and a half million of its customers was exposed. The root cause of the exposure was traced back to an unsecured database connected for nearly a month to an Elasticsearch cluster. This was during […]
January 20, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you haven’t yet heard of a malware strain called ‘Predator the Thief’, it’s something that belongs on your radar. It first emerged as a threat in July of 2018, when it was used in conjunction with an extensive phishing campaign. In its original incarnation, it proved more than capable of stealing passwords, browser data, […]
January 18, 2020 by Vertical Axion
By the time you read these words, the last day for Windows 7 support has already come and gone. The date set by Microsoft has been well known to most Windows 7 users for a while now, and the end of the line is officially January 14th, 2020. If your organization still has a few […]
January 17, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you’re not familiar with Landry’s, you’re probably familiar with at least some of the restaurants the company owns. The company recently issued a formal ‘Notification of Data Breach’ in which they disclosed that an unauthorized user was detected on their systems and that POS malware had been used between March 13 2019 and October […]
January 16, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Scammers have breathed new life into an old scam. For years, the old ‘Law Enforcement Lock’ trick has been used to cheat unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. The new wrinkle works like this: Scammers will redirect users using the Chrome web browser to sites that host a full-screen image of a Windows 10 desktop […]
January 15, 2020 by Vertical Axion
The year 2020 looks to be interesting and exciting in a variety of ways, but it also will usher in a tremendous amount of change. If you’re an IT manager, be aware that this year a number of Hallmark Microsoft products will reach their End of Support. That means the company won’t be issuing any […]
January 14, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Researchers at Trustwave have observed a notable increase in the use of .ISO files to deliver malware. Hackers have relied on poisoned disk image files for years to deliver malware to their targets. It makes sense in a Windows environment because it allows attackers to disguise their payloads as an innocent, standard file type. In […]
January 11, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you have children that own Apple devices, be aware that the latest update for iOS 13.3 included a feature called Communications Limits. It is designed to allow parents to set up parental controls to keep their kids from speaking to, texting with, or Facetiming with anyone who’s not already in their contacts list. It’s […]
January 9, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Researchers at Positive Technologies recently discovered a serious vulnerability in Citrix Enterprise products that threatens the security of more than 80,000 companies in 158 countries around the world. The issue is being tracked as CVE-2019-19781. If it is left unpatched, it puts companies using either product at risk of phishing attacks, malware, cryptojacking attacks ,and […]
January 7, 2020 by Vertical Axion
According to a recent FBI alert marked “TLP: AMBER,” businesses should be on high alert for ransomware attacks. The alert reads, in part, as follows: “Since January 2019, LockerGoga ransomware has targeted large corporations and organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Norway, and the Netherlands. The MegaCortex ransomware, first identified in May 2019, […]
January 6, 2020 by Vertical Axion
As 2019 draws to a close, we can say definitively that the year has been another record-breaking one where data breaches are concerned. Hackers around the world have been busy in recent weeks, with a trio of high-profile breaches making headlines. In late November, one of China’s largest manufacturers of smartphones (OnePlus) reported that an […]
January 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Have you downloaded the NVIDIA GeForce Experience (GFE) app? It’s a helper app designed to work in tandem with GeForce GTX graphics cards. It is designed to automate the process of keeping your drivers up to date and automatically optimize your game settings. If it’s something you rely on, you should be aware that NVIDIA […]
January 2, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Do you still have a few machines in your company that are running Windows 7? If so, be aware that Microsoft is formally ending Windows 7 support in a matter of weeks. January 14, 2020 is the end of the line. After that, you will have the option to pay for extended security updates for […]
January 1, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Things aren’t so easy in the Big Easy right now. The city of New Orleans has suffered a ransomware attack. As a result, most of the city’s servers and computers are currently down. However, at a recent press conference held by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, all New Orleans emergency services are intact. The city’s CIO, Kim […]
