Security – Page 539 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2017 03:07:00 -0800

It’s an inevitable moment in the smartphone-owning cycle, the point at which a newer, shinier model comes along and your trusty old device is no longer needed.

Maybe your company bought you a new Android phone. Maybe your old one was getting too slow. Or maybe you just love electronics and couldn’t resist the lure of whatever sexy new Android device your favorite manufacturer started selling.

Whatever the case, it’s common nowadays to find yourself with an extra phone. And while there are plenty of practical uses for an old Android device, there’s also a time when the best choice is to sell, donate, or otherwise pass it along.

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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 19, 2017 admin

Office as a malware delivery platform: DDE, Scriptlets, Macro obfuscation

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 13:34:00 -0800

I, for one, thought that Office-based malware reached its zenith in the late 1990s, with the likes of Melissa. Sure, we’ve seen macro-based pain-in-the-neckware over the past two decades, including some macro malware that specifically attacks Macs, but by and large, Word, Excel and, to a lesser degree, PowerPoint now throw warning dialogs into the middle of just about any attack. Those with malevolent intent have moved on to greener fields.

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Security Wired

December 19, 2017 admin

Hold North Korea Accountable for WannaCry—and the NSA, Too

Credit to Author: Andy Greenberg| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 19:33:56 +0000

As the US government points the finger at North Korea for the WannaCry ransomware epidemic, it also needs to acknowledge the role of its leaked hacking tools.

Security TrendMicro

December 19, 2017 admin

With 1.4 Billion Stolen Log-Ins on the Dark Web, it’s Time to Take Password Management Seriously

Credit to Author: Michael Miley| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 14:58:08 +0000

Today, we'll take a deep dive into passwords, including what vulnerabilities weak passwords can open up and how to improve authentication security. Last week you may have seen some worrying news: researchers probing the darkest corners of the underground web found a secret trove containing 1.4 billion breached usernames and passwords. Yes, that’s right: 1.4 BILLION. Yours might very well be among them, and if you reuse the same password across numerous accounts, they may all now…

ComputerWorld Independent

December 19, 2017 admin

Windows 7 update guide: How 'security-only' and 'monthly rollups' differ

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 04:52:00 -0800

It’s been more than a year since Microsoft ended the decades-old practice of letting customers choose which patches they apply, and instead instituted a cumulative update maintenance model for Windows 7 and its shadow-of-a-sibling, Window 8.1.

And yet some users still don’t grasp the new scheme.

“There are plenty of people who don’t know which kind of update they should use,” Chris Geottl, product manager with client security and management vendor Ivanti, said in a recent interview. “‘Which one should I do? What non-security features are included in the monthly rollup? There’s still some confusion.”

No wonder there.

Microsoft asked for a lot last year. It asked enterprise IT administrators to upend ingrained patching practices. It asked them to make radical changes to how they maintain Windows 7 deep into its lifecycle, when there were just three years and change remaining before retirement, a phase most admins probably thought they’d be coasting as they prepped for Windows 10. It asked customers to absorb new terminology. And it changed the rules more than once after the new process debuted.

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Security Wired

December 19, 2017 admin

In ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, the Resistance Keeps Making the Same Tactical Mistake

Credit to Author: Angry Staff Officer| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:00:00 +0000

The urge to fight one decisive battle has undone countless real-world rebellions—and those in the Star Wars universe as well.

Security Wired

December 19, 2017 admin

In _Star Wars: The Last Jedi_, the Resistance Keeps Making the Same Tactical Mistake

Credit to Author: Angry Staff Officer| Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:00:00 +0000

The urge to fight one decisive battle has undone countless real-world rebellions—and those in the Star Wars universe as well.