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January 12, 2018 by Vertical Axion
Facebook scams are fairly common occurrences, owing to the sheer size of the platform’s user base. It’s no surprise that there’s a new one making the rounds that you should be aware of. This latest threat was discovered by researchers at Trend Micro, and makes use of Facebook Messenger. If you get a message containing […]
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January 11, 2018 by Vertical Axion
There’s some bad news if you own a computer driven by an Intel processor. Recently, a dangerous, catastrophic security flaw has been discovered in Intel’s X86-64 architecture that allows hackers to access the kernel, which sits at the heart of your OS. By accessing the kernel, a hacker can gain access to virtually everything on […]
January 9, 2018 by Vertical Axion
Few things are more ubiquitous in an office environment than printers. Of course, these days, most printers are much more than simply that. They can also scan, copy and even send emails. As such, they’ve become an increasingly attractive option to hack, according to the latest data released by Barracuda Networks. The reason is simple. […]
January 8, 2018 by Vertical Axion
SplashData has released their latest annual report on the most commonly used passwords. Unfortunately, the more things change, the more they stay the same. By now, everyone knows that the number of hacking attempts and high-profile data breaches are on the rise. Everyone has heard, on more than one occasion, how important it is to […]
January 5, 2018 by Vertical Axion
Do you use “Keeper?” If you’re not sure what it is, then you probably don’t. It’s a password manager that Microsoft has been bundling with some of its Windows 10 releases. Either way, there’s a serious flaw in its design that you should be aware of. Earlier in the year, Tavis Ormandy, a researcher on […]
January 4, 2018 by Vertical Axion
In the malware ecosystem, few strains are more terrifying than those that target industrial control systems. Think Stuxnet, Industroyer and IronGate. Recently, security researchers from FireEye have identified a new threat in this class of malware. Alternately called “Triton” or “TRISIS,” this new code targets Triconex Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) controllers, which are manufactured by […]
January 3, 2018 by Vertical Axion
In recent months, Microsoft Word has been getting a fair amount of bad press, thanks to an old-but-still-supported feature called DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange). This is the feature that allows Word to pull data from other MS Office applications. For instance, if you embed a chart into your Word document, each time you open the […]
January 2, 2018 by Vertical Axion
If you have a Genie DVR system, you should be aware of a major security flaw in the firmware that could allow a hacker to take complete control over the device. At issue is the equipment offered by AT&T as part of their free DireTV WVB Kit. Researchers of the ZDI initiative and Trend Micro […]
December 30, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Security researchers at UpGuard recently made a terrifying discovery in finding an unprotected Amazon S3 server containing several databases belonging to a data analytics provider called Alteryx. While the server contained a variety of databases, the two that are of biggest concern belonged to Alteryx’s business partners, Experian and the US Census Bureau. Of these, […]
December 29, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Most people agree that the use of USB drives increases efficiency and boosts productivity, which goes a long way toward explaining their popularity, but these handy little drives can also be problematic. According to a recently published survey by Apricorn, 87 percent of employees surveyed report that they have lost or had a USB drive […]
December 28, 2017 by Vertical Axion
How many apps do you have on your smartphone? Do you know how much data they’re collecting about you? Most people have scores of apps installed (and often hundreds), even if they only use a few on a regular basis, and shockingly, most users have no idea just how much information those apps are collecting […]
December 27, 2017 by Vertical Axion
HP is in the news again. If you missed the initial story, earlier in the year, it was reported that an audio driver that came pre-installed on a number of HP laptops contained keylogging code that stored every key stroke made by the person using the machine to a human-readable file. Once discovered, HP issued […]
December 26, 2017 by Vertical Axion
On the surface, the new Facebook For Kids messenger app looks like a solid win that should put the minds of parents all over the world at ease. The company conducted extensive interviews and assembled a Blue-Ribbon panel of experts to help them craft the new tool, aimed at children ages 6-12. The app itself […]
December 25, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Researchers from the security firm 4iQ have made a disturbing discovery on the dark web. A massive repository has been discovered that contains a staggering 1.4 billion usernames and passwords in plain text. The repository is well organized, with each letter of the alphabet having its own directory to facilitate rapid search, and 4iQ has […]
December 23, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Phishing attacks just got a whole lot easier. A German security researcher named Sabri Haddouche has recently discovered a set of email vulnerabilities that have been collectively dubbed “Mailsploit.” At the root, these vulnerabilities stem from the way most email systems interpret addresses encoded with a 1992 standard called RFC-1342. The standard is that all […]
December 22, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Researchers at Malwarebytes have discovered a new exploit that allows malicious website owners to use your PC to mine various forms of cryptocurrency, even if you exit the browser window the malicious site was displayed on. The exploit relies on a smart pop-under trick. Code on the website determines your monitor’s resolution and places a […]
December 21, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Intel is catching some flak for releasing CPU technology that’s filled with security flaws. At issue is Intel’s Management Engine (ME), which is designed for Enterprise use and is of no real value on equipment designed for personal or home use. Although many popular PC and laptop manufacturers, including Acer, Panasonic, Lenovo, Fujitsu, HP and […]
December 20, 2017 by Vertical Axion
The ransomware ecosystem is maturing. Strains are divided into “families” and the number of new families that have been discovered in 2017 is half what it was in 2016. Even so, the total number of attacks targeting businesses have risen by 26 percent over last year’s totals, according to the latest statistics released by Kaspersky […]
December 19, 2017 by Vertical Axion
TIO Networks, a cloud-based, multi-channel bill payment platform purchased by Paypal for $233 million in 2017, was breached earlier this year, exposing PII (Personally Identifiable Information) for an estimated 1.6 million of the service’s users. TIO Networks primarily does payment processing and accounts receivables for cable, utility, wireless and telecom companies in North America. If […]
December 18, 2017 by Vertical Axion
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reminded those who deal with PHI and PII of the dangers that terminated employees can pose to system security in their monthly cybersecurity newsletter. Their advice is as timely as it is excellent, and includes the following: “Making sure that user accounts […]
December 16, 2017 by Vertical Axion
You’ve probably heard the phrase “the customer is always right” a thousand times. It’s a truism in the business world, except when it isn’t. A recent survey released by Gemalto reveals a dismaying dichotomy that’s costing businesses around the world big money. Only 27 percent of consumers surveyed feel that businesses do enough to protect […]
December 13, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Sometimes hackers opt for a stealthy approach. Other times, their attempts are downright brazen. That’s definitely the case with a newly launched malware campaign that seeks to spread “Proton Mac,” a strain of malware designed to steal passwords from Mac users. The hackers registered a domain very similar to Symantec’s blog, mirrored its content and […]
December 12, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Do you own a Mac? Is it running Apple’s latest macOS, the “High Sierra?” If so, be extra careful with who you allow access to your machine. A security flaw recently discovered by a developer named Lemi Orhan Ergin can easily allow anyone unfettered access to everything on your machine, and by extension, give them […]
December 11, 2017 by Vertical Axion
Do you use the image hosting service, Imgur? If you do, there’s a slight chance that you’ll be prompted to change your password the next time you log on. That’s because the company’s servers were breached in 2014, and the hackers made off with 1.7 million usernames and passwords, which represents just a tiny fraction […]
