You can't have good security unless you keep your operating system and applications current, with all of the latest patches and updates. Microsoft makes it easy for Windows users with its automatic updates, and yet a new report finds that many PCs with automatic updates enabled are nevertheless not actually up to date.
Tony Bradley | 29 Oct | Read more
Microsoft issued a security advisory this week with details of a zero day vulnerability that affects every supported version of the Windows operating system with the exception of Windows Server 2003. The flaw is very similar to the OLE vulnerability patched earlier this month, which was linked to the Sandworm cyber espionage campaign.
Tony Bradley | 24 Oct | Read more
We've had enough malware campaigns and data breaches to confirm the need for better data protection online. The Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) standard is a step in the right direction, and the first compatible devices are coming out now.
Tony Bradley | 22 Oct | Read more
Google researchers revealed a major flaw in the SSL encryption protocol--SSLv3 to be precise--which has been affectionately named "POODLE." The vulnerability is more serious than the silly name might suggest, and the news has garnered a lot of attention because of the potentially broad implications. But security experts assure us the sky is not falling.
Tony Bradley | 18 Oct | Read more
It seems like consumer data is compromised in some massive data breach every other week. You should expect the companies you do business with to do everything possible to prevent data breaches and protect your data, but it's unreasonable to believe it will never happen. It's up to you to take additional steps to protect your own data, and minimize the potential fallout from a breach as much as you can. One of the best ways to do that is with two-factor authentication.
Tony Bradley | 14 Oct | Read more
Can you recognize a phishing scam email when you see one? Do you know what signs to look for to identify a phishing attack, and avoid becoming a victim? In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, PhishMe has developed an infographic with helpful tips to keep you safe and secure.
Tony Bradley | 10 Oct | Read more
Two very predictable traits drive cybercriminals: First, they tend to focus on targets with the highest odds of success. Second, they prefer attacks that generate profit. A new joint report from Kaspersky Lab and INTERPOL underscores how these two factors contribute to concerning trends in mobile threats.
Tony Bradley | 08 Oct | Read more
The retail data-breach epidemic highlighted by Target now has other famous victims, including UPS, Home Depot, and Dairy Queen. If you've used a credit card sometime in the past year or two, there's a very good chance your information has been compromised or exposed by at least one of these data breaches. If you use Apple's new Apple Pay system, though, such worries just might be behind you.
Tony Bradley | 12 Sep | Read more
It's hard to imagine that we are already three-fourths of the way through 2014--at least as measured by Microsoft Patch Tuesdays. Today, Microsoft released four new security bulletins, but only one of them is Critical. Guess which one?
Tony Bradley | 10 Sep | Read more
If you've ever watched a horror movie, you know the trope where the hero seemingly kills the monster, but as soon as he turns his back to walk away the monster regains consciousness and attacks again with renewed vigor. According to the latest report from F-Secure, that's the sort of scenario we might be looking at with the Gameover Zeus botnet.
Tony Bradley | 06 Sep | Read more
Part of a company embracing mobile devices is ensuring tools are in place to remotely wipe sensitive data from a smartphone or tablet if it is lost or stolen. A new study from Kaspersky Lab identifies an obvious and concerning fact, though--those tools offer little value if the missing device isn't reported.
Tony Bradley | 04 Sep | Read more
Over the Labor Day weekend, hackers leaked nude images of a number of celebrities including "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence. The images appear to have been acquired from Apple's iCloud. So, iCloud is obviously insecure and everyone should stop using it--right?
Tony Bradley | 03 Sep | Read more
Remember banking before the Internet? You received printed bank statements in the mail and had to manually reconcile the information with the written register in your checkbook. I don't miss it, but I also recognize the convenience of accessing my financial data through a bank website comes with some serious security considerations. According to a new consumer survey from Kaspersky Labs, I am not alone.
Tony Bradley | 26 Aug | Read more
At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, researchers demonstrated how a Nest thermostat can be hacked, to show how easily connected appliances--the household technologies that make up the Internet of Things--can be compromised. When you look beyond the demo's hyperbolic headlines, it turns out the hack requires physical access to the Nest device, but the questions remains, "How vulnerable is IoT?"
Tony Bradley | 23 Aug | Read more
Data breach after data breach has illustrated just how weak and ineffective passwords can be for protecting accounts and sensitive information. Many sites and services have implemented secondary security protocols and two-factor authentication, but users frequently use information and email accounts that can be easily compromised--giving attackers a simple way to access your information.
Tony Bradley | 31 Jul | Read more