Security experts warn about UK's nuclear Trident submarines: 'the vulnerability to cyberattacks is real'
A report published by the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) cautions that the UK's fleet of Trident submarines faces "growing potential for cyber-attack." The authors issue a stark warning that "a successful attack could neutralise operations, lead to loss of life, defeat or perhaps even the catastrophic exchange of nuclear warheads."
Government officials have long dismissed the risk of hacking the nuclear subs because they are not connected to the internet. But the report, entitled Hacking UK Trident: A Growing Threat, suggests that risk of malware infection during manufacturing or software updating are just two possible attack vectors that could lead to the compromise of nuclear weapons.
TheShadowBrokers ditch Bitcoin in favour of Zcash as details emerge of monthly exploit subscription service
TheShadowBrokers, the hacking group behind the leak of NSA malware, has announced further details of the "Data Dump of the Month" subscription service it has previously talked about. Now known as "TheShadowBrokers Monthly Dump Service," the launch sees the group switching from Bitcoin to Zcash as its currency of choice.
Signing up for the service will set interested parties back 100 ZEC (Zcash). As this equates to over $20,000, it's not a subscription that many people are likely to be taking out, particularly as there is no evidence that the group has more exploits to offer. The hacking group has previously said that it has Windows 10 vulnerabilities to expose.
mStream Express is a music server you can set up in seconds
MStream Express is an open-source Chrome-based music server. The program is built for simplicity and can be set up in seconds, without having to install anything.
Basic configuration is as easy as selecting your music folder, and entering a user name and password. Click "Boot Server" and you’re done. To test the program locally, type localhost:3000 in a browser and enter the credentials you’ve just created. MStream Express displays your files and folders and you’re able to select and play whatever you like.
Consumers expect mobile devices to transform
When Microsoft says we'll be holding much more than a mere smartphone in our palms in a few years, they weren't exaggerating. A new Gemalto survey says that by 2025, consumers expect mobile devices to become much more than what they are today.
They expect the mobile device to be their ID tool, maybe even their passport. They expect the device to autonomously control their home, they expect to use it as a payment tool, and as a banking device, as well.
WannaCry was most Americans’ first experience of ransomware
Although ransomware in some form has been around since 2005, a new survey of 5,000 US consumers reveals that for 57 percent the recent WannaCry attack was their first exposure to how it works.
The study by endpoint security company Carbon Black also shows that seven out of 10 consumers would consider leaving a business if it were hit by ransomware.
Facebook Fundraisers expand so you have more reasons to ask your friends for money
It's not all that long since Facebook introduced a fundraiser feature, making it possible for users to ask others on the social network for money for a particular cause. Now the company has expanded the personal fundraiser feature so that it can be used for more things.
Specifically, Facebook now permits people to raise money in two additional categories: sports and community. With the community category covering "neighborhood services, community improvements or environmental improvements," fundraisers have now become much wider-ranging.
Media players expose users to hacker attacks via subtitles
Security researchers from Check Point have discovered a major vulnerability in popular media players, like VLC, Kodi and Popcorn Time, which leaves users vulnerable to hacker attacks via malicious subtitles. The security firm estimates that the number of potential victims is around 200 million.
Media players give users the option to load subtitles from repositories, which can be tricked by attackers to rank their altered subtitles higher. This leads to those malicious subtitles being recommended to the user. If they are loaded, attackers can gain control over "any device running them." Check Point notes that the "potential damage the attacker can inflict is endless, ranging anywhere from stealing sensitive information, installing ransomware, mass Denial of Service attacks, and much more."
It's Windows 7 -- not Windows XP -- that's to blame for the spread of WannaCry ransomware
It’s been a week since the WannaCrypt/WannaCry ransomware cyber attacks began, and the repercussions are still being felt. It became clear quite early on that the ransomware was hitting older Windows systems hard (Windows 10 wasn’t affected), with a lot of talk focusing on the number of at-risk Windows XP systems still in service.
But here’s the interesting thing. Most of the affected systems -- over 98 percent -- were actually running Windows 7.
After WannaCry chaos, ShadowBrokers threaten 'Data Dump of the Month' service, including Windows 10 exploits
News over the past week has been dominated by the fallout from the WannaCry ransomware. Now the hacking group that released the NSA's hacking tool kit into the wild has announced plans to start an exploit subscription service in June.
ShadowBrokers used a blog post to announce that next month will see the launch of "TheShadowBrokers Data Dump of the Month" service. Described as "being like wine of month club," such a subscription service would attract a great deal of interest from intelligence agencies and would-be hackers alike, particularly if -- as the group suggests -- it includes access to Windows 10 exploits.
Facebook partners with LGBTQ group for Messenger suicide support, and expands mental health tools
In the US, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Facebook is using this to raise awareness of the tools it offers for those in need of help. The social network says that it wants to help people connect with the help they need to promote good mental health and well-being.
The company is also expanding its suicide prevention tools -- something it has offered for a decade now -- by working with new partners. The latest addition to the fold is The Trevor Project to help offer support to LGBTQ youth, and Facebook also says that its overall arsenal of tools has been improved by advancements in technology.
Easily explore Windows’ hidden emojis with winMoji
Windows has come with its own set of emojis for years, but they’re so well hidden that many users don’t realize they exist. WinMoji is a tiny open-source tool which makes it easier to find and use the built-in emojis.
Install and run the program and it displays the full smiley set in a scrolling box. No need to mess around with other Windows tools, they all on view and ready to use.
Three out of five companies expect to be breached in 2017
As cyber attacks and security breaches continue to make the headlines, a new study suggests that three out of five companies expect to suffer a breach this year.
The latest Market Pulse survey from identity management company SailPoint also reveals that 33 percent believe they may not even know they’ve been breached.
Microsoft patches Windows XP to fight the WannaCrypt ransomware attacks
Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP back in 2014, but today it releases one more security update for the ancient OS.
The software giant is taking this "highly unusual" step to fight back against the WannaCrypt ransomware cyber attacks that have so far hit nearly 100 countries around the world. And XP is not the only unsupported system receiving this patch.
Samsung's new 5,100mAh external battery is crazy expensive
Value can sometimes be hard to determine, but not when it comes to basic items. Take external batteries for example. You can get a large pack from a renowned brand for around $20. That's a reasonable price. So when a company asks more than twice as much for something that has half the capacity you have to wonder what exactly are you paying for.
Case in point: Samsung unveiled a 5,100mAh external battery that costs a whopping $59.99. A quick look on Amazon will reveal packs with a similar capacity for less than $20. So, basically, the South Korean maker is charging that kind of money for what is otherwise a run of the mill external battery?
Automation, IoT and VR will improve sales and customer experiences
Retail, wholesale and manufacturing companies are turning to Internet of Things (IoT), Automation and Virtual Reality (VR) to drive sales and improve customer experiences.
This is according to a new report by global ecommerce consultancy firm Salmon, which says almost two thirds (61 percent) of European companies in above mentioned industries are investing and believing in IoT.
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