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August 30, 2021 by Vertical Axion
The magnetic stripe on the back of credit and debit cards has been a standard feature for as long as most people can remember. MasterCard recently made a rather surprising announcement concerning those stripes and are planning to phase them out of most markets beginning in 2024. The company will no longer require US-based companies […]
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August 28, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Over the last couple of years ransomware has become the malware of choice for hackers around the world. It’s easy to understand why. Hackers using malware win in two different ways. If they successfully breach a corporation they can steal copies of important files and sell them on the black market. They can simultaneously demand […]
August 27, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Version 12.5 of iCloud for Windows is now out and features a small but important upgrade. The new version adds password access and management features. These allow users to manage passwords that have been saved in the iCloud from a Windows-based machine. The management features you will find here are pretty bare bones which makes […]
August 26, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Facebook has recently announced an important addition to its Facebook Messenger app. Most popular communications platforms utilize end-to-end encryption (E2EE). These include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and even Facebook’s WhatsApp. Until recently Facebook’s Messenger app was a notable holdout. Although popular it simply wasn’t as secure as the others mentioned above. Facebook has now changed that […]
August 25, 2021 by Vertical Axion
A NAS manufacturer based in Taiwan called Synology recently issued a warning to its customers relating to the StealthWorker botnet. This botnet has been targeting a wide range of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices using simple brute force tactics. Anytime the botnet succeeds in breaching the security of a NAS it will deploy a ransomware […]
August 24, 2021 by Vertical Axion
If you’re worried about ransomware attacks know that help is on the way. The CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) has announced a partnership with some of the biggest names in tech. The specific purpose of this collaborative effort called the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative is to put an end to ransomware and other serious […]
August 23, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Retailers, hospitals and financial institutions tend to be the targets of choice for the hackers of the world. Of course they’re not the only targets. The simple truth is that any company can find itself in the cross hairs of a hacker. The most recent victim is Taiwanese motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte. In addition to shutting […]
August 21, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Internet users are notoriously bad at selecting secure passwords for the sites they frequently use that require a login. Surveys reveal that more than a third of internet users are in the habit of using the same password across multiple sites. The danger is that if a hacker breaches one of your accounts then many […]
August 20, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Do you own an Amazon Kindle? Amazon has a warning for you if you do. Beware. Hackers are now using poisoned ebooks to delete the contents of infected Kindle readers and take control of a victim’s Amazon account. The hackers take advantage of the fact that on any given day there are literally hundreds of […]
August 19, 2021 by Vertical Axion
A startling revelation was made at the recent Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ongoing pandemic has given rise to a new threat named Stalkerware. It is defined as apps (both malicious and mundane) that are being used increasingly to coerce and control individuals. Stalkerware is used mostly by one intimate partner […]
August 17, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft made a small but significant change to Windows 10 recently as it relates to PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Apps). It wasn’t something that got a lot of press but it’s a change well worth knowing about. Beginning with the May 2020 update for Windows 10, 2004, the Redmond Giant added a PUA blocking feature to […]
August 16, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Google has had a long history of taking steps to make the web more secure for everyone. One of their early moves involved warning users via popup box when they surfed their way to a site that did not use the secure socket (HTTPS) protocol. This warning was good for users but didn’t do anything […]
August 12, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Apple is generally very good about providing its users with a safe and secure computing environment. For many years the company was able to rightly claim that Microsoft had a far worse problem with malware than Apple did. That is still true but the gap has now virtually disappeared. As Apple products surged in popularity […]
August 11, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft Defender has long included “Safe Links” protection as part of its overall function. The company recently announced that it would be extending Safe Link functionality so that it provides protection from inside Microsoft Teams as well. Safe Links is a powerful safety feature that scans a web link in real time as a user […]
August 10, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Do you have an Apple device? If so then you should be aware that the company recently issued an OS update that includes Macs, iPads, and iPhones. You’ll want to update to iOS 14.7.1 or iPadOS 14.7.1 immediately if you have not already done so because this version includes a patch for a high severity […]
August 9, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Google recently announced some additional details relating to their “Safety Section” feature of the Google Play store. This is part of an ongoing effort to make the Play Store a safer and more transparent place. At the center of this plan is a new requirement that app developers must share details about what information their […]
August 7, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Do you own an older Amazon Kindle? Older Kindles utilize 3G internet connectivity protocols but mobile carriers are currently racing to upgrade their networks to 4G/5G. Older devices that only have a 3G connection option will be frozen out of the internet entirely once the upgrade is complete. Amazon has been emailing owners of older […]
August 6, 2021 by Vertical Axion
XLoader is a newly discovered strain of malware designed to infect systems running macOS. This new strain was built from a malware strain called FormBook which was designed to steal passwords from Windows-based machines. The new strain is currently being offered on at least one forum on the Dark Web. It is being billed as […]
August 5, 2021 by Vertical Axion
SentinelOne recently published a report that revealed a previously undiscovered security flaw found in a wide range of printers that include printers manufactured by Samsung, Xerox, and HP. The bug is being tracked as a high severity security vulnerability and puts hundreds of millions of older printers in currently in service at risk. The flaw […]
August 4, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Security company BitDefender has recently discovered a new strain of malware you should be aware of. They have dubbed the new threat MosaicLoader. According to the company it is currently being distributed via ads displayed in search results when an internet user searches for links to cracked versions of popular software. It is designed to […]
August 3, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Chipotle recently reported that an account used by their company’s marketing department had been hacked. A currently active campaign is underway leveraging this account. The hackers are sending out phishing emails containing poisoned links. A recipient clicking on these links will be directed to a malicious website designed to prompt users for a wide range […]
Google has recently released Chrome 92. The latest version of the browser includes a raft of high value updates and has fixes for a number of high severity security issues. Here’s a quick overview: Chrome for iOS now allows users to lock their “incognito” browsing tabs. This secures them with either a passcode or your […]
August 2, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Apple delayed the release of iPadOS 14.7 and iOS 14.7. Both updates are now available. Users of both are advised to update immediately as the new versions patch a variety of high severity security flaws and offer an impressive array of enhancements. According to the release notes, the update includes the following improvements: Apple’s “MagSafe […]
July 31, 2021 by Vertical Axion
The Akamai Corporation reported a major outage on Thursday (7/22/2021) that caused major disruptions on the internet in the United States for a period of several hours. A tweet from the company confirmed that the outage was caused by a software update. The update triggered a bug in the DNS system which caused the outage. […]
