iOS – Page 30 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2018 07:06:00 -0800

Even while we accept that coding skills are key to some future employment, Apple is under some pressure to improve parental controls to help prevent children from becoming hooked on their phones. Apple already provides some protection parents can use to limit their children’s smartphone use. Here’s what you need to know:

What are Parental Controls?

Apple has similar controls for iPads, iPhones, Macs and the Apple TV. Apple calls these Restrictions, and you can use them to block or limit apps and features that children can access on their device. Among other things, these tools can restrict use of Safari, the camera, Siri, FaceTime, AirDrop, CarPlay and individual apps. You can also prevent others from deleting apps, making in-app purchases, playing multiplayer games. Privacy settings let you control things like location services, contacts, calendars, reminders and share my location, and you can also apply account-related protections.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 6, 2018 admin

Browser makers build bulwarks to stump Spectre attacks

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2018 12:58:00 -0800

Amid the panicked response this week to the news of significant, though not-yet-exploited, vulnerabilities in the vast bulk of the world’s microprocessors, it went almost unnoticed that most browser makers responded by updating their wares in the hope of fending off possible web-based attacks.

The Google-driven revelations – it was members of the search firm’s Project Zero security team who identified the multiple flaws in processors designed by Intel, AMD and ARM – were to go public next week, on Jan. 9, this month’s Patch Tuesday. At that time, a coordinated effort by multiple vendors, from OS developers to silicon makers, was to debut with patches to protect, as best could be done without replacing the CPU itself, systems against flaws grouped under the umbrella terms of Meltdown and Spectre. That plan went out the window when leaks started to circulate earlier this week.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 5, 2018 admin

How Apple users can protect themselves against Spectre and Meltdown

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2018 06:26:00 -0800

Apple has confirmed that all Macs, iPhones, iPads and other devices (bar Apple Watch) are vulnerable to the newly-revealed Spectre and Meltdown Intel, ARM and AMD processor vulnerabilities.

What’s the problem?

Taking advantage of a vulnerability that has been around for 20-years, Meltdown and Spectre exploit a CPU performance feature called “speculative execution”. Speculative execution exists to improve computer speed by enabling the processor to work on multiple instructions at once, sometimes in non-sequential order.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 4, 2018 admin

Apple acts as digital transformation hits panic mode

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2018 08:03:00 -0800

Apple is updating its systems against newly revealed Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, but it’s not enough to update personal devices – what about older PCs and the millions of servers that may also be vulnerable to the bug?

The bigger picture

The Spectre and Meltdown bugs are causing lots of distress. Meltdown impacts Intel processors, while Spectre appears to threaten chips from AMD and ARM as well. A good explanation of these vulnerabilities is here.

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ComputerWorld Independent

December 20, 2017 admin

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.

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ComputerWorld Independent

December 15, 2017 admin

Apple and Cisco just improved security in the iOS enterprise

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:47:00 -0800

Apple and Cisco have struck yet another blow for enterprise IT. They know that iOS is the most secure mobile solution, but that’s not everything because mobile threats are incredibly complex these days.

The enigma code

Here’s a scenario: You work in an enterprise with perhaps 1,000 other employees. One morning, perhaps 50 of you woke to find an authentic-seeming email in your in-box that requests you click on a link to update some system related to the work you do. While many employees remembered not to click on that link, a small number did click. No one thought too much of the email — spam is frequent and most just thought the mail was aimed at them.

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ComputerWorld Independent

December 13, 2017 admin

How Apple’s Safari browser can save your Christmas

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2017 05:24:00 -0800

While I see online ads as a necessary evil if you want to keep websites in business, I’m so annoyed at the way the latest ads services seem so focused on ruining everybody’s Christmas surprise.

The ads Grinch stole Christmas

This is what happens: Ads sites track where you go online; retailers track you too and all this information is shared. Look at an item online, see an ad for it on the next page you go to. Not only is this behavioural retargeting vastly creepy, but when it comes to Christmas these things make it impossible to keep secrets, particularly on a shared Mac. Been looking at [insert name of hot new obsessive teenage-focused product here] with a view to buying one to gift your child? Don’t be too upset if said child gets onto your computer to check their Bitcoin investment only to find themselves staring at ads for the object of their desire. Kids aren’t stupid – they know how ads work online (even if we don’t). What’s happened? Your Christmas surprise is spoiled and your teenager won’t believe in Santa Claus any more, even if they are looking for a flat Earth shadow during the next eclipse.

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ComputerWorld Independent

December 8, 2017 admin

Apple’s HomeKit security blunder exposes the risk of smart homes

Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2017 06:42:00 -0800

The expression “safe as houses” will become a thing of the past if tech firms don’t get connected home security right, and the need to be incredibly watchful was visible in Apple’s latest security blunder this week.

Not so ideal home

The latest iOS 11.2 update held a zero-day vulnerability attackers could exploit to control smart home devices, including connected locks, 9to5Mac explains. While the vulnerability was difficult to exploit, and Apple has acted very swiftly to close this security gap, its existence exposes the risk of smart homes.

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