Hacker group Shadow Brokers auctions off NSA malware
The NSA has (or had...) a collection of malware in its cyber arsenal. It has been stolen by hackers. It is now available to buy.
A group of hackers going by the name of Shadow Brokers claims to have stolen a range of hacking and malware tools from Equation Group's servers -- Equation Group is itself closely linked with the NSA. The group is offering the tools for auction and will sell them to the highest bidder. If bidding reaches one million Bitcoins, however, the group says it will make the tools publicly available to all.
Ransomware-as-a-service tool generates $195,000 profit in July
There are a number of high profile ransomware programs doing the rounds at the moment and we know that it can generate lucrative returns for the people behind it.
But just as in the legitimate commercial world, the as-a-service model is starting to gain traction with attackers. Security vendor Check Point is releasing details of Cerber, which it believes is the world's biggest ransomware-as-a-service scheme.
US businesses slowly embracing Privacy Shield agreement
The new program that replaces the Safe Harbor agreement is being picked up by US companies, but very, very slowly.
In the first two weeks since the US Department of Commerce started accepting applications for the Privacy Shield transatlantic data transfer program, just 40 companies have been certified.
Over 30 percent of employees put their companies at risk by responding to phishing attacks
Phishing is one of the major security threats that enterprises now face, but according to new research from Duo Security users are putting 31 percent of organizations at risk of a data breach due to phishing attacks.
Based on feedback from the Duo Insight phishing simulation tool, the company finds that 31 percent of users clicked the link in a phishing email and worse still 17 percent entered their username and password, giving an attacker in a real-world scenario the keys to corporate data.
StarTech.com releases USB-C Dual Monitor Docking Station with Power Delivery
USB-C is a total game-changer for the computer market. The most obvious benefit is that it is reversible -- you can't plug it in "wrong" like prior connector versions. The true magic, however, is that a single cable can be used for a quality docking experience -- including power. In other words, a compatible laptop or tablet can be transformed into a powerful desktop/workstation with ease.
Today, StarTech.com announces a 60 watt charging USB-C dock, with a very unimaginative name. Dubbed the 'USB-C Dual Monitor Docking Station with Power Delivery', it appears to be very useful for both home and business users. Unlike some similar offerings from other companies, it features DisplayPort in addition to HDMI.
Keeping a clean backup environment when chaos abounds
Around the globe, IT directors are experiencing a common problem. What is that problem, you ask? The fact of the matter is backup environments worldwide are becoming increasingly challenging to manage. You might be asking yourself how this assertion could possibly be accurate, especially with the sudden boost in technology. Truth be told, the increase in technology is part of the problem.
Many directors in the IT world are finding themselves with less support, but are not asked to do any less. Things can quickly get chaotic when staff is not replaced, IT budgets shrink, service-level expectations continue to rise, and ROI-based business cases are created for purchased hardware even though storages spaces are completely maxed out. Sounds like a mess, right?
LinkedIn sues 100 individuals for scraping user data from the site
Professional social network LinkedIn is suing 100 anonymous individuals for data scraping. It is hoped that a court order will be able to reveal the identities of those responsible for using bots to harvest user data from the site.
The Microsoft-owned service takes pride in the relationship it has with its users and the security it offers their data. Its lawsuit seeks to use the data scrapers' IP addresses and then discover their true identity in order to take action against them.
Microsoft stops Windows 7 and 8.1 users picking and choosing updates
In May, Microsoft introduced a Convenience Rollup for Windows 7 SP1 that brought the operating system fully up to date. The company also announced that it would be issuing monthly update rollups for Windows 7 and 8.1, as well as Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2.
Those rollups only contained non-security updates, so you could still choose which security patches to apply, which to avoid, and when to apply them. Not anymore.
Traffic hijacking Linux flaw affects 80 percent of Android devices -- including Nougat
Android has had something of a rough time of things lately with the discovery of the Quadrooter vulnerability and the revelation that a flaw in version 3.6 of the Linux kernel also affects Google's mobile operating system.
Security firm Lookout estimates that 80 percent of Android devices (around 1.4 billion devices) are affected. While initial reports suggested that devices up to Android 4.4 KitKat are at risk, further testing shows that the problem still exists all the way up to Android 7.0 Nougat.
Malware hits 20 major hotels, customer data may be stolen
As many as 20 hotels in the US have been hit by malware, and fears are spreading that customer data, including credit card information, was stolen.
According to a Reuters report, hotels under attack include Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Intercontinental -- all part of the HEI Hotels & Restaurants.
Google Duo video chat app arrives on iOS and Android with end-to-end encryption
Video chat should be simple, but it is not. The biggest issue is fragmentation. On iOS, for instance, Facetime is a wonderfully easy solution, but there is no Android client. While there are plenty of cross-platform third-party options to solve this, they aren't always elegant. Skype is a good example of an app that should bridge the gap, but ends up being buggy and clunky.
Google is aiming to solve this dilemma with its 'Duo' video chat app. With it, the search giant is putting a heavy focus on ease of use. The offering is available for both Android and iOS -- the only two mobile platforms that matter (sorry, Windows 10 Mobile). Announced three months ago, it finally sees release today. There is no news about the Allo chat sister-app, sadly.
Twitter monetizes millennial nonsense with Pepsi-themed 'Promoted Stickers'
While I am technically not a millennial, I border on the cut-off. Actually, I think I am considered Generation Y, but I digress. Still, I can understand some of these young folks' likes and behaviors. While I cannot grasp the popularity of Snapchat, for instance, I totally love emoji.
Speaking of emoji, Twitter recently introduced "Stickers" which are really just emoji overlays for photos. In other words, you can jazz up your pictures on the social network with virtual stickers. Yes, it is arguably millennial nonsense, but it is actually quite fun. Today, Twitter announces 'Promoted Stickers' -- a way to monetize the feature. The first partner is Pepsi -- a sugar-water seller which once billed itself as "The Choice of a New Generation".
How to verify your HIPAA compliance
Keeping patients’ confidential records secure is of utmost importance to healthcare organizations and the vendors who work alongside them. Not only is the proper safeguarding of information a good practice, it’s the law.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) seeks to protect the sensitive data of patients and to empower healthcare practitioners to keep that information safe through strong security and privacy policies.
Technology at the Rio Olympics
The 2016 Rio Olympics is well and truly underway and technology is now playing a more prominent role -- both for the athletes and fans -- than ever before.
John Rakowski, director of technology strategy at AppDynamic, takes a look at the different types of technology being used in Rio during this Olympics season, featuring payments, video streaming and data.
ThiEye i60 4K action camera review
The GoPro Hero4 Black has triggered a 4K craze in the action camera market. Just about any new device that comes out these days seems to have 4K video recording listed in its specs sheet. What's interesting is that many of these products are offered at some unbelievable prices, significantly lower than what you would have to spend for a premium action camera, like GoPro's flagship. So, you can understand their appeal.
The ThiEye i60 4K is good example, being one of the most affordable 4K action cameras on the market today. It ticks all the right boxes in terms of specs, boasting a built-in display on the back, 4k video recording at 25FPS and 1080p video recording at 60FPS, but it can be had for less than $100. The bang for the buck factor is quite certainly very appealing, as it delivers some of the best features of the Hero4 Black -- the 4K video recording -- and Hero4 Silver -- the screen -- at a much more reasonable price point. But just how good is it really? I've put the i60 4K to the test to find out.
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