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March 26, 2020 by Vertical Axion
According to the latest statistics, there are more than 2.5 billion Android devices in use around the world. That’s a lot of devices by any reckoning. According to statistics gathered by Consumer Watchdog Which?, more than a billion of those devices are no longer receiving security updates. That is scary. That puts an awful lot […]
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March 25, 2020 by Vertical Axion
The Paradise ransomware is like a bad penny; it just keeps turning up. The strain first appeared back in 2017, when it was spread far and wide via phishing emails. Then it seemed to fall out of favor for a while, and now, it’s back again. Even worse, it’s back with a new trick up […]
March 24, 2020 by Vertical Axion
There’s a new malware threat to be aware of, called “CookieThief,” which is an apt name that describes what the malware does. Honestly though, the Hackers missed the mark here. “CookieMonster” would have been a much better name option. In any case, it’s part of a growing new collection of malware strains that is able […]
March 23, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you have a personal computer that uses Intel technology, you’re not going to want to miss the update released in March’s Patch Tuesday. The latest update addresses a total of 27 vulnerabilities. Ten of them rated as high severity flaws that impact Intel’s Graphics Drivers for Windows. Also impacted is the Smart Sound Technology […]
March 21, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Google has recently rolled out a small but important change to its Chrome browser for Windows, Linux and macOS users. The most recent update adds a ‘Default to Guest mode’ to the browser that can be enabled via Enterprise policy or a simple command-line switch. When the new feature is enabled, any time a browser […]
March 20, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Remember the Rowhammer vulnerability that made headlines around the world last year? 2019 saw all sorts of unusual threats, so if you’re struggling to recall the details of that one in particular, here’s a quick review: Any time a modern RAM card handles data, it is saved in memory cells that are arranged in a […]
March 19, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Are you a Walgreens customer? Do you make use of the company’s mobile app, available for both Android and iOS devices? If so, be advised that the company recently disclosed a serious flaw in the app that inadvertently leaked both Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI). The information was in the form […]
March 18, 2020 by Vertical Axion
It’s notoriously difficult to get reliable statistics on web browser usage. While there are sites that purport to track such things such as StatCounter and NetMarketShare, the numbers coming from these sources have proved to be problematic and unreliable. Enter the US Government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP, for short). While it doesn’t reveal anything about […]
March 17, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Are you a T-Mobile customer? If so, be advised, the company recently published a Notice of Data Breach on their website to inform all clients that an email vendor they utilize was hacked. The notice said that the hack exposed the financial and personal information of a small fraction of the company’s customers. In addition […]
March 16, 2020 by Vertical Axion
For the last couple of years, the primary means of communication when conducting phishing campaigns has been email. Phishing emails have been absolutely rampant. So much so that people are increasingly on their guard against them. Naturally, this prompts scammers to change their tactics, switching things up a bit to catch people by surprise. In […]
March 14, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Unit 42 is a research division of Palo Alto Networks. Their researchers have discovered a sneaky and surprisingly effective phishing campaign that appears to have been launched in January of this year (2020). When targeted by this attack, a user will get an email containing a braded document containing the name of a legitimate cybersecurity […]
March 13, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Unless you’re plugged into the world of social media, you may not realize it. There’s a war on, and until recently, it was a war that Facebook was losing. The war is being fought with billions of fake accounts being used to fundamentally alter the social media landscape. It is influencing the kinds of content […]
March 12, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Another week, another data breach. This time, the target being US clothing retailer J. Crew. The company announced that sometime in April of 2019, an unknown group of hackers utilized a credential stuffing attack to breach one of the company’s databases and accessed some of its customer account data. Credential stuffing, as you may know, […]
March 11, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Since 2010, Google has been doing its part to help keep its massive user base safe. They introduced a small but critical service called Google Authenticator, which is used by a number of online accounts as a two-factor authentication layer. Google launched the service as an alternative to SMS-based one-time pass codes. While SMS-based codes […]
March 10, 2020 by Vertical Axion
A few years ago, the people who track such things announced that the PC had been dethroned. They said a slight majority of people were turning to their phones as their primary means of accessing the web. Since that time, the trend has continued. The Social Media Management Company Hootsuite and their partners, We Are […]
March 9, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Photos are a new kind of currency, and gaining in value. Clearview AI is a facial recognition startup used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies around the country. The company was hacked, giving the hackers access to literally billions of photographs. In addition to the images themselves, the hackers gained access to Clearview’s customer list. […]
March 7, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Every kid who grew up watching sci-fi has dreamed of the day when a Universal Translator would be available, making seamless communication possible and eliminating the language barrier entirely. That day hasn’t arrived yet, but Google is steadily marching toward that goal. The company has been making use of new machine learning and other advanced […]
March 6, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Nemty Ransomware isn’t an especially well-known threat, but it’s dangerous and should not be discounted. Recently, researchers have discovered an ongoing spam-email driven campaign that’s attempting to spread the ransomware far and wide. An unknown group of hackers are sending out what appear to be love letters from secret admirers in a broad pattern. They […]
March 5, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft Edge has been changed and improved many times. It is now Chromium-based, and is one important step closer to widespread release. At present, the new browser is available to Windows 10 Insiders in the “Release Preview” ring. It will remain there for at least a few weeks for testing. Assuming no major problems are […]
March 4, 2020 by Vertical Axion
It’s tax season, and if you’re like many people, you make use of one of the numerous e-file platforms offered by TurboTax, TaxAct, and similar companies. Unfortunately, tax season also presents a tremendous opportunity for hackers. So much that the IRS has issued a formal warning to accountants and taxpayers alike, urging them to enable […]
March 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
In November of 2019, Microsoft made an announcement and gave users an early look at a new unified Office app designed specifically for Android and iOS devices. The purpose, of course, was to provide the essential functionality of Office in a faster, leaner, and lighter package that was better suited for use on mobile devices. […]
March 2, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Are you ready for the world of 5G? Even if you are, the available storage you have on your favorite devices may not be as robust as you’d like it to be. Anticipating this problem, Western Digital has announced a new bit of technology that will be available on the next generation of devices. The […]
February 29, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Finally, a smart device manufacturer is taking device security seriously, and that’s great news indeed. You may recall reading about a serious issue with Ring security systems recently. The news was that the security issue allowed hackers to commandeer user systems and spy on them. The hackers were sending the users messages and making disturbing […]
