Tech luminaries we lost in 2018
Credit to Author: Ken Gagne| Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0800
![CW > In Memoriam 2018 > Tech luminaries we lost this year [slideshow cover]](https://images.idgesg.net/images/article/2018/12/cw_luminaries_2018_slide_01_cover_lights_by_freedommaster_getty_images-100782416-large.jpg)
The top 10 stories of 2018: Blockchain rises, open source reigns, trust wanes
Credit to Author: Marc Ferranti| Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0800
Microsoft Patch Alert: Mystery patches for IE and Outlook 2013 leave many questions, few answers
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2018 08:21:00 -0800
Just when you’re ready to settle in for some egg and nog and whatever may accompany, Windows starts throwing poison frog darts. This month, a fairly boring patching regiment has turned topsy turvey with an unexplained emergency patch for Internet Explorer (you know, the browser nobody uses), combined with an Outlook 2013 patch that doesn’t pass the smell test.
Mysterious bug fix for IE
Microsoft set off the shower of firecrackers on Dec. 19 when it released a bevy of patches for Internet Explorer:
Win10 1809– KB 4483235 – build 17763.195
Microsoft delivers emergency patch for under-attack IE
Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:26:00 -0800
Microsoft rarely mentions Internet Explorer (IE) anymore, but when it does, it usually means bad news.
So it was Wednesday, when Microsoft issued a rare emergency security update to plug a critical vulnerability in the still-supported IE9, IE10 and IE11. The flaw was reported to Microsoft by Google security engineer Clement Lecigne.
According to Microsoft, attackers are already exploiting the vulnerability, making it a classic “zero-day” bug. Because of that, the company released a fix before the next round of security updates scheduled for Jan. 8.
Android security audit: An easy-to-follow annual checklist
Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:35:00 -0800
Android security is always a hot topic on these here Nets of Inter — and almost always for the wrong reason.
As we’ve discussed ad nauseam over the years, most of the missives you read about this-or-that super-scary malware/virus/brain-eating-boogie-monster are overly sensationalized accounts tied to theoretical threats with practically zero chance of actually affecting you in the real world. If you look closely, in fact, you’ll start to notice that the vast majority of those stories stem from companies that — gasp! — make their money selling malware protection programs for Android phones. (Pure coincidence, right?)
Google Smart Lock: The complete guide
Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0800
Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between “quite a few” and “more than any sane person could count.” Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you’re doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.
And that’s to say nothing of the number of times you type your password into your laptop or enter your credentials into an app or website during the day. Security’s important, but goodness gracious, it can be a real hassle.
And that was actually the CLEAN version!
Credit to Author: Sharky| Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0800
It’s more than a few years back, and this oilfield services company is implementing a new email filter, says a pilot fish working there.
“It was part of an email security product,” fish says. “The filter could identify emails containing language that was not considered business appropriate.
“We’d had HR incidents involving inappropriate language in the past, especially from field hands emailing to office staff — it gave a new meaning to ‘crude oil workers’ — so it was decided we should enable the feature with its default settings and give it a run.
“Only a few hours later we received an alert that a message had been identified with inappropriate language.
Innovative anti-phishing app comes to iPhones
Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 08:01:00 -0800
We’re always told never to click on a link we receive in an email in case doing so takes us to some dodgy phishing site where our account details are violated, but what if our email app warned us before we clicked malicious links?
Can this app offer you protection?
MetaCert isn’t fully available yet, but it does seem to be a promising solution that provides email users in enterprise and consumer markets an additional line of defence against clicking on malicious links received in email messages.
The solution emerged from the developer’s earlier work building an API to help app developers add a layer of security to WebView.