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September 10, 2019 by Vertical Axion
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a warning that all taxpayers should be aware of. The agency has received a growing number of reports concerning unsolicited email messages bearing the subject lines: Electronic Tax Return Reminder Automatic Income Tax Reminder These messages are not from the IRS, but rather, from spammers trying to steal your […]
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September 7, 2019 by Vertical Axion
This year stands to shatter last year’s record in terms of the number of successful hacks against businesses and government agencies. It seems that the hackers have a new favored tool: The ransomware attack. According to statistics gathered by Malwarebytes, attacks against government and business are up by a whopping 365 percent. IBM’s consumer statistics […]
September 6, 2019 by Vertical Axion
There’s a mix of good news and bad news concerning the security of smart devices in general, and smart medical devices specifically. As most people are aware, the Internet of Things (IoT) has a serious problem. The overwhelming majority of such devices have little to no security and are incredibly easy to hack. The good […]
September 5, 2019 by Vertical Axion
This year hasn’t been good for users of Open Source software, which at one level or another, includes just about everybody. Unfortunately, a recent grim discovery makes it unlikely that we’ll see the number of attacks decline any time soon. Not long ago, two new back doors were discovered in more than a dozen libraries […]
August 30, 2019 by Vertical Axion
When surveying the state of your company’s security, it’s important to understand what your biggest risks are. According to the 2019 Application Report published by F5 Labs, the answer is simple. Fully 71 percent of all web-related data breaches in 2018 specifically targeted customers’ financial information. The single biggest culprit? Formjacking. According to F5’s Senior […]
August 29, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Recently, an independent researcher named Bob Diachenko worked collaboratively with Comparitech. They discovered an unsecured database containing nearly 700,000 hotel records belonging to Choice Hotels. Unfortunately, although Diachenko reported his finding to the company, hackers had beaten him to the punch and had already downloaded the file. They are now demanding a ransom for its […]
August 28, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Google recently released a large-scale password study that will probably give every IT manager in the country heartburn. The results of their study indicate that a disturbing percentage of users continue to use passwords after they’ve been warned that those passwords have been compromised. One of the most common tactics hackers employ is called ‘password […]
August 26, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Wormable bugs are an ongoing concern for Microsoft. Recently, the company released a set of patches for two newly discovered ‘BlueKeep-Like vulnerabilities” that impact a wide range of Windows Operating Systems. These bugs plague the company’s remote desktop services and permit malware to spread rapidly from one device to another. Remote Desktop Services is an […]
August 24, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Do you employ a biometric security solution at your company to control building access? If your solution employs BioStar 2 technology (which is often integrated into third-party systems such as Nedap’s AEOS access control system), you have cause for concern. Recently, researchers from vpnMentor announced that they uncovered a massive database. It is about 23 […]
August 23, 2019 by Vertical Axion
A security researcher known as “_MG_” on Twitter has invented a modified Apple Lightning cable that could allow a hacker to remotely access any Mac computer using them. He demonstrated his new invention, dubbed the “OM.G Cable” at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas recently. The Lightning Cable is used by Apple owners […]
August 21, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Researchers at CheckMarx recently discovered some serious security flaws in the popular LeapPad Ultimate tablet. The tablet was designed by LeapFrog to provide kids in the UK and Europe with a safe environment to access games, videos and educational apps. The researchers had this to say about their discovery: “The first thing we found […]
August 20, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Grim news comes out of Russia, as reported by Microsoft. The tech giant has been tracking the activities of a Russian hacking group that goes by the name of Strontium. Their other names include APT28 and Fancy Bear. Microsoft has confirmed that the group was behind a new attack that took place in April of […]
August 19, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Hardly a week goes by that we don’t see another major data breach making the headlines. The latest company to fall victim to hackers is CafePress. They are well-known on the internet for offering a platform where users can create their own customized coffee mugs, tee shirts and the like. The company didn’t make a […]
August 17, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Not long ago, both Google and Apple found themselves in hot water when it came to light that both companies had been making use of third-party partners to review Siri recordings. As the companies explained at the time, their goal was to make their voice recognition software more efficient and more effective. After they found […]
August 15, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you own an iPhone, be aware that a new iMessage vulnerability has been recently found and patched by Apple. This was part of the iOS 12.4 update. The flaw allowed hackers to access and read the contents of files stored on iOS devices remotely. They could access files the same way as the device […]
August 14, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Let’s take a little time to talk about the vast numbers of smart devices in use around the world. You probably have several in your home or office. Smart devices need operating systems, just like your phone and your PC. Of course, mobile device operating systems must be much smaller and more compact. After all, they […]
August 13, 2019 by Vertical Axion
If you own an Android device, there’s a new threat to be at least moderately concerned about. It takes the form of a new ransomware family that spreads from one victim to the next with text messages that contain poisoned links to every contact on an infected device. The ESET research team that found the […]
August 12, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Do you have an Android device? Are you running Android Nougat, Oreo, or Pie (versions 7x, 8x, or 9x)? Do you play games on your phone? If you answered yes to those questions, you may have a problem. It is a bigger problem given that there are more than a billion devices currently in service […]
August 10, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Do you use LibreOffice? It’s an open source clone that’s functionally similar to Microsoft Office that has grown quite popular over the years. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux systems. While open-source software solutions generally have the reputation of being safer and more secure, they’re not immune to vulnerabilities. Recently, a pair of […]
August 9, 2019 by Vertical Axion
We’re talking about the result of a massive five billion dollar fine over violations surrounding the Cambridge Analytica scandal. While the staggering size of the fine made all the headlines, there’s more to the company’s agreement than just several billion dollars. In addition to the fine itself, the company has also accepted an agreement. It […]
August 8, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Another week, another massive data breach. In this case, Capital One was the target when an unknown individual gained access to the company’s servers. The breach was detected by an independent security researcher, who contacted Capital One on July 19th. Apparently, the hacker gained access via a server configuration vulnerability. Upon being made aware of […]
August 7, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Recently, researchers from Boston University published a paper called “Tracking Anonymized Bluetooth Devices”. The paper detailed a flaw in the ubiquitous Bluetooth communication protocol that could expose device users to tracking and even leak their IDs. As explained in the paper, many Bluetooth devices announce their presence by using their MAC addresses as the basis […]
August 6, 2019 by Vertical Axion
Equifax is one of the three credit reporting firms in the US that suffered a massive data breach in 2017 that exposed the personal and financial state of literally half the country (more than 150 million people). As a result, Equifax was ordered to pay a hefty $700 million fine to settle a series of […]
August 5, 2019 by Vertical Axion
People like and tend to gravitate to Apple products because the company has gone to great lengths to make their products are highly secure. Sure, you pay more for them, but most people justify the added expense because a) they look better and are better designed than competing products and b) they’ve got a reputation […]
