Independent

ComputerWorldIndependent

Throwback Thursday: Timing is everything

Credit to Author: Sharky| Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0700

It’s many years ago, and this pilot fish regularly travels to company offices around the country, dealing with IT-related problems and running user training sessions.

The big current project is implementing internet filtering after complaints that some workers are viewing inappropriate websites. So fish has to head to a meeting with many directors and managers to demonstrate.

Upon arriving at the meeting site, fish sets up a laptop and projector and connects it to the internal network. Then he tests to make sure the filtering is working, calling up a blocked site that, if it does display, only shows a silhouette of a bunny with a bow tie.

But not to worry: The site is blocked, so everything is ready.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Microsoft removes August patch block on Win7/2008R2 systems running Norton, Symantec AV

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:07:00 -0700

If you’re using Symantec Endpoint Protection or any Norton Antivirus product on a Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 machine, you didn’t get the August patches. Shortly after the August Monthly Rollup and Security-only patches were released, Microsoft put a freeze on systems running Symantec or Norton antivirus products.

The conflict stemmed from a long-anticipated change in the way Microsoft signed the August patches: Starting in August, all patches are signed using the SHA-2 encryption method. Somehow, Symantec didn’t get the message back in November that the shift was underway, and missed the deadline.

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IndependentKrebs

Cybersecurity Firm Imperva Discloses Breach

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:52:58 +0000

Imperva, a leading provider of Internet firewall services that help Web sites block malicious cyberattacks, alerted customers on Tuesday that a recent data breach exposed email addresses, scrambled passwords, API keys and SSL certificates for a subset of its firewall users. Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Imperva sells firewall technology designed to detect and block various types of malicious Web traffic, from denial-of-service attacks to digital probes aimed at undermining the security of Web-based software applications.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Microsoft offers free post-2020 Windows 7 support for Win 10 Enterprise subscribers

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0700

Microsoft is giving away one year of post-retirement support for Windows 7 to customers with active Windows 10 subscriptions.

“Enterprise Agreement and Enterprise Agreement Subscription (EA and EAS) customers with active subscription licenses to Windows 10 Enterprise E5, Microsoft 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 E5 Security will get Windows 7 Extended Security Updates for Year 1 as a benefit,” Microsoft said in a FAQ about the end of support for Windows 7 and Office 2010.

Windows 10 Enterprise E5 and Microsoft 365 E5 are the top-tier subscriptions of the OS or packages that include the operating system. They are the highest-priced plans in their specific lines.

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IndependentKrebs

Breach at Hy-Vee Supermarket Chain Tied to Sale of 5M+ Stolen Credit, Debit Cards

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 21:38:47 +0000

On Tuesday of this week, one of the more popular underground stores peddling credit and debit card data stolen from hacked merchants announced a blockbuster new sale: More than 5.3 million new accounts belonging to cardholders from 35 U.S. states. Multiple sources now tell KrebsOnSecurity that the card data came from compromised gas pumps, coffee shops and restaurants operated by Hy-Vee, an Iowa-based company that operates a chain of more than 245 supermarkets throughout the Midwestern United States.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Texas ransomware attacks: to pay or not to pay? | TECH(feed)


Nearly two dozen cities in Texas have been hit by a ransomware attack executed by a single threat actor. These attacks beg the question: Is it ever worth it to pay a cyber attacker’s ransom? In this episode of TECH(feed), Juliet discusses the pattern of ransomware attacks on local governments, how municipalities have responded and how to prevent a ransomware attack in the first place.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Throwback Thursday: Eyes only

Credit to Author: Sharky| Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0700

Programmer pilot fish goes online to a message board for a development system that’s used for one of his company’s applications.

But he gets a message that the site is blocked. He can either forget about it, click a link to continue, or click a link to see the company’s access policy.

He clicks to continue, gets what he needs, and then, just out of curiosity, he clicks to see the access policy to get an idea of why this site is being blocked.

But instead of seeing the access policy, fish sees this message: Content blocked. Click here to access our internet resource policy.

Sputters baffled fish, “It actually blocked the policy!”

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