Patch Tuesday December 2015: The most-important patches
There we are: the last Patch Tuesday of 2015. It turns out to be about average, with maybe a bit more severity in the bulletins than usually. We have eight critical bulletins in the total 12, including one that fixes a 0-day vulnerability, currently in use by attackers to escalate privileges in Windows. 0-days used to be very rare occasions, but this year they have become almost mainstream.
After all the year started off with a string of 0-days in Adobe Flash and since then we have seen almost every month a patch for a vulnerability that is already under attack. Definitely a sign of the increasing technical capabilities that attackers are wielding and a reminder that IT Managers should not only patch their systems promptly, but also look for additional robustness.
McAfee's enterprise security software can be bypassed with a 'specially crafted username'
A kind word will open any door, but a special kind word will open all doors to an otherwise safe computer system, a McAfee advisory says.
The advisory has said that "a specially crafted username" can get past the Security Information & Event Management logins without authentication, and without a password, "if the ESM is configured to use Active Directory or LDAP".
SMBs lack the resources to protect themselves from cyber attacks
Only 37 percent of SMBs believe that their organizations are fully equipped to handle IT security according to a new survey.
The study by security company Webroot reveals that in most small to medium businesses, IT teams are expected to handle all cyber security management and concerns. IT employees at almost one in three companies (32 percent) juggle security along with their other IT responsibilities, which leaves them limited time to cope with security tasks.
Amazon launches a streaming partners program, brings Showtime and more
Just when you thought Amazon Prime couldn't offer much more, the retail giant goes and tries to do just that. The company is unveiling new streaming partners that will bring even more content and it comes from major players in the market.
The service is announcing a streaming partners program that will bring this additional content. This is a Prime only option, so you'll need to sign up for an account.
5 reasons why web apps are so frequently insecure
The unrelenting move to the cloud means that web apps are becoming ever more common. They have also increasingly become targets for hackers and this is often because of security failings; many of the recent high-profile security breaches have come about because of web app security vulnerabilities.
Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of High-Tech Bridge suggests a quintet of things companies do -- or fail to do, that make the life of hackers easier.
Myths and facts about backup, restore and disaster recovery
With the rise of digital data, changing technology, and common usage of personal devices, the IT world has become ever more complex with new challenges around every corner. In the wake of such quick changes and complexity, many individuals end up exaggerating the difficulties found within these new systems and thereby begin spreading some major falsehoods within this vast IT sphere.
Even though the influx of information and discovery has given way to the creation of several urban legends, below you will see what is true and what is not.
Mozilla puts Firefox OS out of its misery -- good riddance
When it comes to the death penalty, I generally am against it -- all human life is precious. With that said, I am all for the killing of both crappy software and hardware. For instance, Amazon's Fire phone deserved its death and Windows Phone can't die fast enough.
Unlike the in-denial Microsoft, who keeps trying to make Windows Phone, or Windows 10 Mobile, or whatever they want to call it, a thing, Mozilla is showing mercy to its failed mobile platform. Yes, let us all rejoice, as Firefox OS is being killed. The web-based mobile operating system that nobody wanted and everyone predicted would die, finally has.
Twitter tinkers with time
Twitter's timeline is getting a makeover. Not content with presenting tweets in an ordered, chronological fashion (well, reverse-chronological if you want to be pedantic), Twitter is experimenting with the order which tweets are displayed.
It's something that Facebook has been doing for a while, but now Twitter has jumped on the bandwagon using new methods to "surface the best content" for users. At the moment, this is just an experiment, but it's entirely possible that the re-ordering will become the norm in the not-too-distant future. So what's the deal?
Pixel C arrives at Google Store
Today, Google started selling its first homegrown tablet, Pixel C. You can buy one directly from the company—until they sell out! Google typically struggles stocking new devices, like Nexus smartphones and the Chromebook Pixel. On November 30th, I asked: "Where is Pixel C?", which was promised to arrive before the holidays. Now we know.
I hope to have the 10.2-inch tablet in possession within a few days and will subsequently post first-impression and full reviews. If you can't wait for that, and shouldn't, larger tech news sites already have their takes online. Search for the name, and you will find them. Don't wait on me, if you're thinking about one for Christmas!
Apple releases iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan, watchOS 2.1 -- here's what's new
Apple must believe that all good things come in threes, because it just released new updates for its three major operating systems, bringing iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan and watchOS 2.1 to its users.
The updates are quite extensive, packing lots of bug fixes, performance and stability improvements, and new functionality. Most changes are brought by iOS 9.2 and watch OS 2.1, while OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan is more focused in the areas it is designed to improve upon.
Apple releases Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad
My iPhone 6s Plus is a wonderful smartphone -- long battery life, great performance, and strong security. One of the biggest benefits, however, is the class-leading camera, which takes amazing photos. While I use the iPhone for day-to-day shots, I also own a fairly nice camera (Nikon 1 S2) that I use for more serious work. The problem, you see, is that the camera does not have built-in Wi-Fi, so uploading and sharing the photos means carrying my laptop.
Today, this changes, as Apple releases the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad. I can now connect the storage card from my camera to my iPhone for easy backup and sharing. I totally need this, and I bet many of you do too.
Apple CEO Tim Cook starts conversation on cerebral palsy with a simple 'Hi'
As we come to the end of 2015, I begin reflecting on the year. While a lot of my memories are tech related, the truly important reflections involve friends and family. Ultimately, technology should be a part of our lives, not the entirety of our lives.
Apple is a company that I greatly respect, as it seemingly understands this concept. Regardless of your opinion of its products, it is undeniable that its devices and services are improving people's lives daily. A huge factor in its focus on users and society is the leadership of Tim Cook -- a person I greatly admire. His sincerity regarding equal rights is heartwarming, and throughout 2015 he has shown deep commitment. Today, Cook, with the help of Siri, is starting a conversation on cerebral palsy.
Why not use open source encryption?
There’s a lot of talk about encryption these days. Often the issue arises when moving data to the cloud, using solutions like Dropbox or Box. We start to wonder if our information will be safe if it’s no longer stored locally on computers in our offices. We are confident that Dropbox and Box store everything in a secure way -- we have little reason to believe that they don’t, right?
Next, we think, "OK, what happens when information leaves or enters the cloud? Is our communication safe? Maybe that information should be encrypted, too". Actually, there’s no question about it. Data should be encrypted when it moves in and out of a network and when it’s stored in the cloud.
Panda Internet Security 2016: Good protection, small performance impact [Review]
We already know the importance of defending endpoints to keep business systems secure. The latest release of Panda Internet Security offers protection for PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, and aims to provide a wide spectrum of security in an easy-to-use package.
For businesses looking to help staff protect their BYOD devices or smaller organizations looking for desktop protection, what does it have to offer?
Ashampoo releases Burning Studio 16
Ashampoo has announced the release of Ashampoo Burning Suite 16 ($59.99), and its more limited free version, Ashampoo Burning Suite 2016.
The new edition does a better job of finding song covers, even when there are no tags available, and can optionally blend multiple covers together into a single photo mosaic.
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