Security – Page 686 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:56:00 -0700

Microsoft this week began blocking Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs equipped with the very newest processors from receiving security updates, making good on a policy it announced but did not implement last year.

But the company also refused to provide security fixes to Windows 7 systems that were powered by AMD’s “Carrizo” CPUs, an architecture that was supposed to continue receiving patches.

The decree that led to the update bans, whether allowable or not under Microsoft’s new policy, was revealed in January 2016, when the company said making Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 run on the latest processors was “challenging.” Microsoft then ruled that Windows 10 would be the only supported edition on seventh-generation and later CPUs and simultaneously dictated a substantial shortening of support of both editions.

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ComputerWorld Independent

April 14, 2017 admin

Quantum computing advances toward the enterprise

Credit to Author: Sharon Gaudin| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:19:00 -0700

Quantum computing may still sound like the stuff of science fiction, but within the next 10 years, it could be a reality.

“Systems are still pretty rudimentary,” said Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT. “Though they perform some specific kinds of calculations faster than traditional computers, they are defined by their limitations. When true, fully operable quantum systems come online, they will force the IT industry, public and private sector organizations and individuals to fundamentally rethink certain kinds of problems and all but abandon some conventional solutions.”

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Security Wired

April 14, 2017 admin

Major Leak Suggests NSA Was Deep in Middle East Banking System

Credit to Author: Andy Greenberg| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:42:27 +0000

The Shadow Brokers hacker group is back with another trove of NSA documents including Windows exploits and evidence of financial spying in the Middle East. The post Major Leak Suggests NSA Was Deep in Middle East Banking System appeared first on WIRED.

ComputerWorld Independent

April 14, 2017 admin

IDG Contributor Network: Massive change to a moderate Patch Tuesday

Credit to Author: Greg Lambert| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 09:02:00 -0700

Last month, we had the largest ever release of patches and updates from Microsoft.

This month, we see the biggest change to Patch Tuesday since the first updates were released on the second Tuesday in October 2003, starting with MS03-041. Security bulletins with easy to follow formats like MSyy-xxx are no longer published by Microsoft as of April 2017.

Now, we have the Microsoft Security Update Guide which is defined by Microsoft as the “authoritative source of information on our security updates.” The MSUG is a searchable database of patches and updates that offers some basic queries and filtering. In addition to this database-driven approach, Microsoft has published summary release notes for April 2017 that can be found here. Helpfully, this summary outlines that the following technologies are updated for April:

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Security TrendMicro

April 14, 2017 admin

TippingPoint Threat Intelligence and Zero-Day Coverage – Week of April 10, 2017

Credit to Author: Elisa Lippincott (TippingPoint Global Product Marketing)| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:36:54 +0000

Earlier this week marked the end of support for Windows Vista. This means anyone using Vista will no longer receiving new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft. If you’re unable to update your version of Windows, this is where virtual patching becomes very important….

Kaspersky Security

April 14, 2017 admin

Are travel Wi-Fi routers secure?

Credit to Author: Jeffrey Esposito| Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:00:30 +0000

Is that travel Wi-Fi router you purchased safe?

ComputerWorld Independent

April 13, 2017 admin

IDG Contributor Network: Improve your internet privacy, with or without help from the government

Credit to Author: Robert C. Covington| Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:39:00 -0700

President Trump, as part of his plan to roll back regulations put in place by President Obama, just signed legislation that eliminates the prohibition against internet service providers selling customer data without their written consent. Although the original restriction had not yet taken effect, its elimination ignited a firestorm of controversy among privacy organizations, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union (which tried to no avail to get Trump to veto the legislation at the last minute).

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