The top 10 stories of 2017: Security woes, autonomous machines – and a very cool phone
Credit to Author: Marc Ferranti| Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2017 04:45:00 -0800
Get 3 Years of NordVPN Service for Just $2.75 Per Month – Holiday Deal Alert
Credit to Author: DealPost Team| Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2017 11:25:00 -0800
NordVPN promises a private and fast path through the public internet, with no logs and unmetered access for 6 simultaneous devices. They are currently running a holiday promotion, but you’ll have to use this link to find it. Its typical price has been discounted to $99 for 3 years of service. That’s a good deal at just $2.75 per month. See the $2.75/month NordVPN holiday deal here.
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Read MoreU.K. Man Avoids Jail Time in vDOS Case
Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2017 13:56:01 +0000
A U.K. man who pleaded guilty to launching more than 2,000 cyberattacks against some of the world’s largest companies has avoided jail time for his role in the attacks. The judge in the case reportedly was moved by pleas for leniency that cited the man’s youth at the time of the attacks and a diagnosis of autism.
Read MoreMicrosoft confirms stalled downloads, bogus errors in Win10 FCU update KB 4054517
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2017 06:21:00 -0800
Microsoft has just fessed up to a couple of the known bugs in this month’s Win10 version 1709 cumulative update, KB 4054517 – in particular, the stall at 99% download, and the completely bogus warning that the patch had failed to install with error 0x80070643. Sadly, several other problems with KB 4054517 have not been acknowledged. Yet.
In addition, we have new mea culpas for the November Patch Tuesday security update for Excel 2016, KB 4011220, which throws a “Cannot run the macro” warning, and for this month’s Patch Tuesday security fix for Microsoft Exchange, KB 4045655.
As usual, I’m seeing reports thatMicrosoft tech support staff don’t know about the problems, haven’t read the KB articles, and are recommending that people re-install Windows.
Microsoft Patch Alert: Few problems in December, unless you’re running Win10 version 1709
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2017 11:01:00 -0800
It’s hard to remember the last time we had a Patch Tuesday as inoffensive as this month’s. February 2017 comes to mind — but then again, we didn’t have a Patch Tuesday in February, as Microsoft called it off.
Part of the reason for the relatively easy going this month, I’m convinced, is the lack of attention showered on Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows 10 (including the Fall Creators Update, version 1703, which has become more-or-less fully baked and remains my version of choice). Aside from a few lackluster security patches, the December update for Win10 1607 fixed the “CDPUserSvc_XXXX has stopped working” bug introduced in a security patch two months ago, and the rest is largely routine.
How to securely erase your Android device in 4 steps
Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2017 03:07:00 -0800
It’s an inevitable moment in the smartphone-owning cycle, the point at which a newer, shinier model comes along and your trusty old device is no longer needed.
Maybe your company bought you a new Android phone. Maybe your old one was getting too slow. Or maybe you just love electronics and couldn’t resist the lure of whatever sexy new Android device your favorite manufacturer started selling.
Whatever the case, it’s common nowadays to find yourself with an extra phone. And while there are plenty of practical uses for an old Android device, there’s also a time when the best choice is to sell, donate, or otherwise pass it along.
How to securely erase an iPhone in just 3 steps
Credit to Author: Michael deAgonia| Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2017 03:00:00 -0800
There are two main scenarios in which erasing an iPhone is called for: Either you’re getting a new phone, or the one you have is having problems.
The most common reason involves iPhone owners who trade up to newer models, usually in the fall after Apple unveils its latest line-up. Let’s say you buy the new iPhone X and then plan to trade in or sell your older iPhone 7; you’ll need to make sure your data is no longer present once the old phone leaves your possession.
Office as a malware delivery platform: DDE, Scriptlets, Macro obfuscation
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 13:34:00 -0800
I, for one, thought that Office-based malware reached its zenith in the late 1990s, with the likes of Melissa. Sure, we’ve seen macro-based pain-in-the-neckware over the past two decades, including some macro malware that specifically attacks Macs, but by and large, Word, Excel and, to a lesser degree, PowerPoint now throw warning dialogs into the middle of just about any attack. Those with malevolent intent have moved on to greener fields.