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Target confirms encrypted debit PIN data was stolen during hack
Target has confirmed that encrypted debit card PIN data was stolen as part of the massive hack carried out against the retailer between late November and early December. The company previously admitted that card numbers and expiration dates were compromised in the attack that affected 40 million customers. That data has already started appearing on the black market, which in turn has put financial institutions across the US on high alert as banks look to protect customers from fraudulent activity. [Read more…]
Vulnerability Found in Samsung’s Galaxy S4
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University’s security lab (BGU) discovered a vulnerability in the Samsung Galaxy S4’s Knox architecture. If exploited, the attacker could capture all communications like email and file activity; leaving no data secure.
The Knox security suite is Samsung’s answer to business security concerns when it comes to Android.
A key component of this security layer is using an application container to separate corporate and personal applications so users could freely use personal apps without worrying about cross-contamination. According to BGU’s discovery this is no longer the case. [Read more…]
Windows XP: Microsoft’s ticking time bomb
The final deadline for Windows XP support will act as a starting pistol for hackers, as they target hundreds of millions of users on unpatched systems.
Microsoft has already granted the 12-year-old OS several stays of execution, but the firm has said it will finally end extended support on 8 April 2014 – despite the fact that XP remains the second-most popular OS, with almost a third of PCs running it.
These hundreds of millions of desktops and laptops will be vulnerable to hackers once XP stops receiving security updates, with Microsoft warning earlier this year that hackers could use patches issued for Windows 7 or Windows 8 to scout for XP exploits. [Read more…]
How Long Can You Reasonably Expect Your Hard Drive To Last?
A little over a year into the life of my first ever laptop—a Powerbook G4, if you’re curious—the hard drive straight up died on me, seemingly for no reason. Enough stuff was backed up elsewhere that it wasn’t exactly a tragedy; the worst part was the fact that Apple made me pay to replace it. But the replacement hard drive outlasted that laptop, even surviving when a kicked cup of water burned out the logic board; I just took the hard drive out of the burnt-out body and popped it into another Powerbook body. It’s probably still working today, ready to be plugged in and play Tha Carter III as soon as you uncover it from my parent’s basement. [Read more…]
Security: Finding the balance
Finding the balance between security and ease of use.
A computer system, or almost anything else for that matter, can never be 100 percent secure. And generally speaking, the more security we apply, the less easy the system becomes to use. More security programs means more resources are being used, before you can start to work or play.
On the other side of the scale, less security means you will be troubleshooting more often to get rid of the unwanted software that landed on your computer. And that is an even bigger loss of “productive time”.
Of course there is such a thing as too much security.
The best example is the worsening cry for safer and more complicated passwords.
In some offices this has resulted in the password being written down and pasted to the bottom of the screen.
Not what you hoped for when you made the password mandatory and too hard to guess. In this case ease of use has won in the end-users mindset.
Considerations to be made when you try to decide how much and which kind of security you want to apply: [Read more…]
Windows XP Users Six Times More Likely To Be Hacked
Microsoft Windows XP Support ends in…
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SEATTLE — Microsoft’s venerable Windows XP operating system is six times more likely to be successfully hacked than newer Windows 7 and Windows 8 personal computers.
Microsoft disclosed that metric at the RSA Conference in Amsterdam this morning. The software giant hopes to compel XP users to dump XP and upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8 — before it ends all XP support, including issuing security patches. That will happen come April 8, 2014.
“XP has been a beloved operating system for millions and millions of people around the world, but after 12 years of service it simply can’t mitigate the threats we’re seeing modern-day attackers use,” says Tim Rains, director of Microsoft Trustworthy Computing. [Read more…]
Google Chrome’s Solution to the Unsavvy Poses A Potential Risk
Is Google Chrome’s attempts at making it “easier” for users to find where they want to go, show that their security purview isn’t focused enough on the internal threats?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Chrome, I think it’s a fantastic browser and has a great track record of protecting users from exploits and malicious sites. However, their attempts at making it “easier” for users to find where they want to go, makes me think that their security purview isn’t focused enough on the internal threats.
Read full story on Malwarebytes Unpacked
Cryptolocker Ransomware: What You Need To Know
Information from Malwarebytes Blog – http://blog.malwarebytes.org/intelligence/2013/10/cryptolocker-ransomware-what-you-need-to-know/
The Free version will still be able to detect the malware if present on a PC, but will need to upgrade to Pro in order to access these additional protection options.
Cryptolocker Malware May Cost You
I hope you have backups. It’s legit, it really encrypts. It can jump across network shares and encrypt anything with write access, and infection isn’t dependent on being a local admin. Most antiviruses do not catch it until the damage is done. The timer is real and your opportunity to pay them goes away when it lapses. You can pay them with a GreenDot MoneyPak, attempt to restore a previous version using ShadowExplorer, go to a backup, or be SOL.
It’s largely being spread via email attachments claiming to be a dispute notification, though members of the Zeus botnet have had the virus pushed to them directly. The virus is totally functional regardless of UAC or whether the logged in user is a local administrator, and has been reported on WinXP through 7 64-bit. No infections on 8 reported yet but that may be a market share thing, especially since MSE has proven ineffective at preventing the virus. [Read more…]