Articles about Security

Google launches new tools to help protect your accounts

Google password checkup

To coincide with Safer Internet Day, search giant Google is launching two new tools to help users detect if their username and password have been compromised.

Google's own research published today shows that many people still reuse passwords. The new tools are designed to raise awareness of account issues.

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Most people believe they're more secure online than they really are

Online security

New research commissioned by Google, carried out by Harris Poll and released to coincide with Safer Internet Day suggests there is a gap between perception and reality when it comes to online security.

The majority of people (69 percent) give themselves an A or B when it comes to protecting their online accounts -- only five percent give themselves a D or an F. In fact, most people (59 percent) believe that their accounts are safer from online threats than the average person and 61 percent say they are too smart to fall for a phishing scam.

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Instagram to introduce 'sensitivity screens' to hide self-harm images

Instagram close-up

The head of Instagram has announced plans to introduce "sensitivity screens" in the wake of concerns about the spread of photos of self-harm on the image-based social network.

Adam Mosseri says that Instagram will use image-blurring similar to that used on Facebook to hide graphic content. The move comes in the wake of the suicide of a British teenager, the parents of whom said self-harm images on Instagram were a contributing factor.

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New tool makes it easier to secure IoT devices

Wireless internet of things

Internet of Things devices are appearing in more and more companies, but with them comes the threat of cyberattacks.

To reduce this risk Extreme Networks is launching a simple security solution to help organizations protect unsecured IoT devices.

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Cisco joins Apple in calling for a US version of GDPR data protection and privacy laws

Padlack on keyboard

The roll out of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) has changed the face of privacy and data protection for millions of people across Europe. The regulation not only grants people access to the personal data companies hold about them, but also controls how this data can be used and transferred.

Apple's Tim Cook has already voiced his support for GDPR and said that the rest of the world should implement similar regulation. Now he has been joined by Cisco in calling for data laws to be embraced by the US as they have been in Europe.

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Apple apologizes for privacy-invading FaceTime bug, promises delayed software update

FaceTime icon

Apple has issued an apology for the recently-discovered bug that made it possible to eavesdrop on people via FaceTime.

The company had promised that a software update would be delivered later this week, but the interim solution was to simply disable the group FaceTime feature server-side. Apple now says that the problem has been fully fixed, but a software update that re-enables the group function will not be issued until next week.

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Are 'pop-up' SOCs the answer to protect major events? [Q&A]

business security

Increasingly high profile one-off events like sports tournaments and elections are becoming the target of hackers.

Protecting these is tough because even if the hosts have a sound security infrastructure for day-to-day operations, they often don't have the resources necessary to lock down a large scale, high-profile event which requires additional physical and cybersecurity to protect against disruption, revenue loss or other irreversible damage.

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Over 90 percent of organizations hit by targeted email attacks

Malicious email

Over the past year, business email compromise (BEC) scams have jumped by 60 percent. In addition more than 90 percent of organizations report being hit by targeted email attacks, with 23 percent suffering financial damage as a result.

These findings come from the Q1 2019 Email Fraud and Identity Deception Trends report by secure email specialist Agari.

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CISOs must change their outlook or lose their jobs

Business security

Chief information security officers (CISOs) are now involved in 90 percent of significant business decisions, but just 25 percent of business executives see CISOs as proactively enabling digital transformation -- which is a key goal for 89 percent of organizations.

These are among the findings of a new study by IDC sponsored by Capgemini  but which also shows 15 percent still believe information security is a blocker of innovation.

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The elements of cybersecurity hygiene and secure networks - Part 3

Data cloud lock

While it’s essential that employees consistently avoid taking risks that could lead to a data breach, even top-performing employees don’t necessarily have top-notch cybersecurity knowledge. Thus, organizations are in charge of bridging the cybersecurity skill gap to keep employees from damaging the company’s network by accidentally uploading of a malicious program or sharing confidential documents with the wrong people.

Though it’s easy for IT and leadership teams to put systems in place that defend their network from external threats, well-intentioned internal users can be a hackers easy way in. The only way for organizations to counter this is with education and training.

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Symantec boosts its endpoint security offering

endpoint protection

Sophisticated attackers are increasingly taking advantage of the complexity of endpoint environments to exploit gaps and discover new paths to lucrative targets.

Symantec is announcing enhancements to its endpoint security portfolio designed to defend against the most sophisticated cyberattacks as well as improving application discovery and risk assessment.

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Rush to digital transformation puts security of data at risk

Risk dial

Digital transformation projects are underway in the vast majority of businesses, according to a new report, but 'aggressive' transformers are most at risk from data breaches.

The latest Data Threat Report from Thales eSecurity shows digital transformation in some form is happening in 97 percent of organizations. 86 percent say they feel vulnerable to threats, yet less than a third of respondents (only 30 percent) are using encryption within these environments.

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How to disable FaceTime and protect your privacy

FaceTime icon crossed out

By now you have probably heard about the bug that's been discovered in Apple's FaceTime. In short it is an exploit that lets you connect a call you have placed rather than waiting for the recipient to pick up -- so you can then listen to audio and watch video.

Apple is working on a fix, and it you want to be sure that you don't fall victim to eavesdropping, you should think about disabling FaceTime on your iOS device. Here's how to do just that.

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Massive FaceTime privacy bug lets people eavesdrop on audio and video calls before they've been answered -- and Apple doesn't have a fix yet

FaceTime icon

Apple is scrambling to fix a serious bug that has been discovered in its FaceTime messaging services. The bug makes it possible to spy on the people being called, even if the call is not picked up.

This is a serious privacy issue, as it gives someone the ability to secretly eavesdrop on someone -- or even watch them -- without their knowledge. At the moment, Apple does not have a fix but the company says it is working on the problem and will address it by the end of the week. In the meantime, you may want to consider disabling FaceTime on your iOS device.

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69 percent of employees share passwords with colleagues

Written passwords

According to a new study, 69 percent of respondents admit to sharing passwords with others in the workplace, and 51 percent reuse an average of five passwords across their business and personal accounts.

The study by authentication key vendor Yubico and Ponemon, released to coincide with Data Protection Day, also finds two-factor authentication isn't widely used, 55 percent don't use it at work and 67 percent don't use it for their personal accounts.

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