Stolen government hacking tools, unpatched Windows systems, and shadowy North Korean operatives made WannaCry a perfect ransomware storm.
Josh Fruhlinger | 27 Sep | Read more
The mistake that caused the Heartbleed vulnerability can be traced to a single line of code in OpenSSL, an open source code library. Here's how Heartbleed works, how it was exploited, and how to fix it if you have an unpatched server.
Josh Fruhlinger | 13 Sep | Read more
Stuxnet is an extremely sophisticated computer worm that exploits multiple previously unknown Windows zero-day vulnerabilities to infect computers and spread. Its purpose was not just to infect PCs but to cause real-world physical effects. Specifically, it targets centrifuges used to produce the enriched uranium that powers nuclear weapons and reactors.
Josh Fruhlinger | 22 Aug | Read more
Ransomware isn't new, but the last few years have seen a remarkable uptick in this particularly nasty genre of attack software. The attacks highlighted here show how it has grown from a curiosity and an annoyance to a major crisis.
Josh Fruhlinger | 01 Aug | Read more
It's just as shady and dangerous as ever, but something has changed in the way the dark web does business, and it will look very familiar to IT buyers.
Josh Fruhlinger | 24 Jul | Read more
It's just as shady and dangerous as ever, but something has changed in the way the dark web does business, and it will look very familiar to IT buyers.
Josh Fruhlinger | 20 Jul | Read more
Scams on social networks are nothing new, but they're constantly changing to take advantage of the latest apps, trends and news. As with all social engineering scams, the best defense is a skeptical user.
Josh Fruhlinger | 23 Jun | Read more
The debate over fake news is roiling the political world, but elements of it look very familiar to tech veterans—and represent a potentially new attack vector that IT needs to worry about.
Josh Fruhlinger | 24 Dec | Read more
Security is no fiction
Josh Fruhlinger | 23 Sep | Read more
These scorned IT staffers had their vengeance on their former employers -- but most got their comeuppance in the end.
Josh Fruhlinger | 30 Jan | Read more
If you're worried about high-tech hackers using advanced and sinister techniques to break through your fancy firewalls -- well, that's not outside the realm of possibility. By all means, spend money on firewalls! But you might also want to keep in mind some distinctly low-tech security problems that are not particularly sophisticated -- in fact, some might call them distinctly dumb -- that nevertheless mean bad things for the companies or people who suffer them.
Josh Fruhlinger | 07 Jun | Read more