RSS Reader for Computer Security Articles
Credit to Author: Andy Greenberg| Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:02:25 +0000
A data wiper posing as ransomware bears a discomfiting resemblance to the earlier wave of Russian cyberattacks that ended with NotPetya.
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Credit to Author: Lucas Mearian| Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:16:00 -0800
In the latest release of its Edge beta, Microsoft introduced a new way for IT admins to better secure the Chromium-based browser against web-based attacks.
The release notes for Microsoft Edge Beta Channel describe the new security features as employing several techniques to guard against so-called zero-day exploits; Zero-day exploits are software or network vulnerabilities developers are unaware of, and so they’ve not been patched.
Imagine if the keylock mechanism on your home’s backdoor was faulty and jiggling the doorknob released the latch. Burglars could walk door to door looking for that particular vulnerability and jiggle doorknobs until one opened. Zero days are the same concept, but in cyberspace.
Credit to Author: David Nield| Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000
The newest security measure is still in beta. But if you want to make use of it, here’s what you need to know.
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Credit to Author: Ed Tittel| Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0800
Look around a typical Windows desktop. Whether it’s running Windows 10 or 11, chances are that it’s running at least a couple of dozen Windows applications (.exe files), and at least four dozen Microsoft Store apps. On my local fleet of 10 PCs, the range for applications is from a low of 24 to a high of 120; for Store apps, it ranges from 49 to 81. Such numbers are quite typical, if my online research is at all accurate.
In general, it’s considered good security practice to keep apps and applications up-to-date. Why? Because many updates involve security patches and fixes that block potential attacks and prevent unauthorized and unwanted access to applications and their data (and sometimes, the host OS and the PCs they run on). In this story, I will offer some tools to help you streamline this process, along with some instructions on how to put them to work to help you keep your apps and applications current and safe.
Credit to Author: Brian Barrett| Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2022 14:29:31 +0000
Plus: Open source sabotage, Ukrainian website hacks, and more of the week’s top security news.
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Credit to Author: Matt Burgess, Lily Hay Newman| Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:17:29 +0000
Over a dozen alleged members of the notorious ransomware group have been arrested, but the Kremlin’s critics are wary of the underlying motivation.
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Credit to Author: Susan Bradley| Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2022 03:42:00 -0800
Do you feel more secure? Is your computing experience more trustworthy these days?
Seriously — you’re reading this article on a computer or phone, connecting to this site on an internet shared with your Grandma as well as Russian hackers, North Korean attackers, and lots of teenagers looking at TikTok videos. It’s been 20 years since then-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates wrote his Trustworthy Computing memo where he emphasized security in the company’s products.
So are we actually more secure now?
I’m going to keep in mind the side effects from last week’s Patch Tuesday security updates and consider them in my answer. First, the good news: I don’t see major side effects occurring on PCs not connected to active directory domains (and I haven’t seen any showstoppers in testing my hardware at home). I can still print to my local HP and Brother printers. I can surf and access files. So, while I’m not ready yet to give an all-clear to install the January updates, when I do, I doubt you’ll see side effects.
Credit to Author: Andy Greenberg| Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000
The regime had a “banner year,” thanks to skyrocketing cryptocurrency values and a new generation of vulnerable startups.
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