ComputerWorld – Page 74 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0700

I haven’t looked at today’s tech news too closely just yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion some evil-sounding virtual gremlin or other is probably on the brink of invading my smartphone, stealing my secrets, and setting me up for a lifetime of dread and despair.

He might even be covertly eating all the salty snacks from my kitchen this very second. ALL THE SALTY SNACKS, DAMN IT!

I don’t have to scan the headlines too closely to know there’s a decent chance of all of this happening — because all of this happens practically every other week here in the Android world. A solid few to several times a month, it seems, some hilariously named and made-to-seem-scary new piece of malware (ViperRat! Desert Scorpion! Ooga-Booga-Meanie-Monster!) is making its way onto our phones and into our lives. Or so we’re told, rather convincingly and repeatedly. (All right, so I may have made Ooga-Booga-Meanie-Monster up just now, but c’mon: It’s probably only a matter of time til we see something using that name.)

To read this article in full, please click here

ComputerWorld Independent

July 24, 2019 admin

How to set up Azure AD to spot risky users

You have several options to set up alerts in Azure Active Directory to help spot risky user behavior.

ComputerWorld Independent

July 23, 2019 admin

Mozilla to add password manager, hack alert to Firefox 70

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0700

Mozilla plans bake its Lockwise password manager into Firefox 70, the upgrade now set to launch Oct. 22.

At the same time, the browser will also be more tightly integrated with Firefox Monitor, which will provide warnings to users when their saved passwords have been revealed by a data hack.

According to Firefox bug reports and project documentation, Lockwise will automatically record username-and-password pairs, generate complex passwords on demand, identify victimized accounts and instruct users to change any passwords that have leaked.

To read this article in full, please click here

ComputerWorld Independent

July 23, 2019 admin

9 steps to lock down corporate browsers

Credit to Author: Peter Wayner| Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0700

Everyone in the enterprise loves the web browser when it’s delivering news, email, documentation, and sales leads. With the shift to web apps, it’s arguably the most important installed software on any corporate desktop. But the internet is filled with people who aren’t nice — sometimes even dangerous — and the same browser can also bring viruses, rootkits, and worse. Even if the browser sits on a little-used desktop in a dusty corner with no access to sensitive information, an attacker can use the seemingly unimportant machine as a stepping stone.

Keeping your users’ browsers secure is essential. The browser companies work hard to block the attackers by sealing the back doors, side doors, and cracks in between, but that isn’t always enough. Some useful features have dark sides, and enterprises can increase security dramatically by shutting down or tightly limiting access to these options.

To read this article in full, please click here

(Insider Story)

ComputerWorld Independent

July 22, 2019 admin

Slack tweaks desktop app to be faster, more efficient

Credit to Author: Matthew Finnegan| Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2019 09:50:00 -0700

Slack has overhauled its desktop software, adding offline access and tweaking the software for faster load times.

Recent efforts to improve the desktop app were highlighted at Slack Frontiers last year and the coming update – which the company says will launch 33% faster than before – will be available to users “over the next few weeks.”

Calls made to team mates via the app should be a speedier too, up to 10 times quicker, Slack said. “That could mean the difference between showing up to a meeting on time or not,” the company said in a blog post Monday. “These moments saved can quickly add up, giving you more time to focus on the tasks at hand.”

To read this article in full, please click here

ComputerWorld Independent

July 19, 2019 admin

What is the dark web? And what will you find there?

The dark web may sound ominous, but it’s really a catch-all term for the part of the internet that isn't indexed by search engines. Stay tuned for a guided tour of the web's less mainstream regions.

ComputerWorld Independent

July 18, 2019 admin

How and why Apple users should switch to DuckDuckGo for search

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:54:00 -0700

Like liberty for all, privacy demands vigilance, and that’s why Apple users who care about either are moving to DuckDuckGo for search.

Why use DuckDuckGo?

Privacy is under attack.

It doesn’t take much effort to prove this truth. At time of writing, recent news is full of creeping privacy erosion:

We’ve seen video conferencing solutions that surreptitiously install software on your Macs;
A face changing photography app perhaps implicated in the assembly of a vast database of faces;
Ahousehold name in smart speakers sharing your private conversations with people you don’t know, including chatter you didn’t know was recorded in the first place.

And then there’s Duck Duck Go.

To read this article in full, please click here