Mingis on Tech: The lowdown on Android security
Google's Android OS sometimes gets unfairly maligned as being weak on security. Computerworld blogger JR Raphael explains why that's a misconception and how users can keep their devices safe.
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Microsoft cites 24% jump in tech support scams
Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2018 02:58:00 -0700
Reports of tech support scams jumped by 24% last year, Microsoft said, with loses by the bilked averaging between $200 and $400 each.
“Scammers continue to capitalize on the proven effectiveness of social engineering to perpetrate tech support scams,” Erik Wahlstrom, Windows Defender research project manager, wrote in a post last week to a Microsoft blog. “These scams are designed to trick users into believing their devices are compromised or broken. They do this to scare or coerce victims into purchasing unnecessary support services.”
Transcription Service Leaked Medical Records
Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2018 21:18:33 +0000
MEDantex, a Kansas-based company that provides medical transcription services for hospitals, clinics and private physicians, took down its customer Web portal last week after being notified by KrebsOnSecurity that it was leaking sensitive patient medical records — apparently for thousands of physicians.
Read MoreMicrosoft boosts anti-phishing skills of Chrome, the IE and Edge killer
Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2018 05:02:00 -0700
Microsoft has ceded a major asset of its Edge browser to rival Google by releasing an add-on that boosts Chrome’s phishing detection skills.
The Redmond, Wash. company had little choice, according to one analyst. “Phishing is a huge problem, and people are going to use the browser they use,” said Michael Cherry of Directions on Microsoft. “They’re doing this to protect the Windows ecosystem.”
Dubbed “Windows Defender Browser Protection” (WDBP) the free extension can be added to Chrome on Windows or macOS, and after a post-launch fix, Chrome OS as well. Like the defenses built into Edge, the add-on relies on Microsoft’s SmartScreen technology that warns users of potentially malicious websites that may try to download malware to the machine or of sites linked in email messages that lead to known phishing URLs.
SSD Advisory – TerraMaster TOS Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution
Credit to Author: SSD / Maor Schwartz| Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2018 07:50:33 +0000
Vulnerability Summary The following advisory describes a unauthenticated remote command execution found in TerraMaster TOS 3.0.33. TOS is a “Linux platform-based operating system developed for TerraMaster cloud storage NAS server. TOS 3 is the third generation operating system newly launched.” Credit An independent security researcher has reported this vulnerability to Beyond Security’s SecuriTeam Secure Disclosure … Continue reading SSD Advisory – TerraMaster TOS Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution
Read MoreN.Y. AG's scrutiny of cryptocurrencies unlikely to stymie a thriving industry
Credit to Author: Lucas Mearian| Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2018 13:30:00 -0700
States and the federal government are increasing their scrutiny of cryptocurrencies in an attempt to bring more transparency to a market where buyers and sellers are anonymous and regulatory oversight is light.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, LiteCoin, and Ripple skyrocketed in value last year as investors sought to get in on what many see as the future of global currency – one that for trade and commerce knows no borders. Bitcoin generated massive hype among investors as its value surged more than 1,900% to nearly $20,000 last year, before tumbling back down below $11,000.
Is Facebook’s Anti-Abuse System Broken?
Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:59:28 +0000
Facebook has built some of the most advanced algorithms for tracking users, but when it comes to acting on user abuse reports about Facebook groups and content that clearly violate the company’s “community standards,” the social media giant’s technology appears to be woefully inadequate.
Read MoreYou won’t believe why the Win7 Monthly Rollup, KB 4093118, keeps installing itself
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2018 06:14:00 -0700
Yesterday, I talked about the weird bug that makes April’s Win7 Monthly Rollup, KB 4093118, re-install itself over and over, even when Windows Update says that it’s been installed successfully. Windows sleuth abbodi86 has discovered the source of the problem, and it should give you patching pause.
To understand how we got into this mess, you need to understand the bugs that Microsoft introduced in the March Win7 patches and their kludgey patches. Installing either the March Monthly Rollup (KB 4088875) or the March Security-only patch (KB 4088878) may knock your machine off the network. As Microsoft says: