North American businesses suffer twice as many cyber attacks
A new report from Kaspersky Lab finds that businesses in North America are significantly less protected against cyberattacks compared to those worldwide.
According to the study 20 percent of global enterprises suffered four or more data breaches in the past year, while 44 percent of North American businesses suffered a similar number of attacks.
Police warn about dating apps after serial killer conviction
Police are warning people who use dating sites and dating apps to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. The advice comes after serial killer Stephen Port who contacted his victims through apps such as Grindr and Gaydar.
While people making use of dating services have always been warned to take safety precautions, police are concerned that sexual predators are increasingly using such sites and apps as a way of finding potential victims.
UK bank will let customers withdraw cash using their smartphone
UK bank Barclays is testing a new feature for cash withdrawals which should eliminate skimming at ATM machines, the BBC reports. The idea is similar to contactless and mobile payment systems -- you wave your smartphone close to an ATM machine and, when prompted, type in your PIN code in either the smartphone or the ATM.
The bank says that way it will make it much harder to hijack card details. The new feature is being tested for Android-powered devices only, with iPhones being out of the picture. Apple has limited the use of iPhone NFC chips to their own Apple Pay technology, making it impossible for Barclays to use the device. However, those that don't have an Android phone will be able to use an NFC-enabled card.
Kaspersky: DDoS attacks are a smokescreen
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks make a lot of noise, and according to a new Kaspersky Lab report, that’s exactly what hackers are using them for.
As businesses are preoccupied with handling DDoS attacks, hackers use the opportunity for another, more targeted, and more deadly type of attack. Basically, DDoS is nothing more than a smokescreen. The conclusion comes in Kaspersky Lab’s report, which polled businesses about their cybersecurity experiences. More than half (56 percent) say DDoS is being used to cover something else.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise laptop hack exposes personal details of 130,000 US Navy sailors
A data breach has exposed the personal details of more than 130,000 US Navy sailors, including social security numbers.
Rather than being a breach of the Navy's own defences, the data leak came about after a laptop owned by a Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee was compromised. In total, 134,386 current and former sailors are affected by the problem.
Microsoft shares Windows 10 telemetry data with third parties [Updated]
It’s no secret that Windows 10 records all sorts of usage information, some of which it feeds back to Microsoft. To help with the smooth running of Windows 10, and to get an idea of how users interact with the operating system, Microsoft collects telemetry data, which includes information on the device Windows 10 is running on, a list of installed apps, crash dumps, and more.
Telemetry data recorded by Windows 10 is, in a nutshell, just technical information about the device the OS is on, and how Windows and any installed software is performing, but it can occasionally include personal information. If you’re worried about that, the news that Microsoft is sharing telemetry data with third parties might concern you.
CERT warning: Windows 10 is less secure than Windows 7 with EMET
In direct contrast to Microsoft's assertion that Windows 10 is its most secure operating system ever, the US-CERT Coordination Center says that Windows 7 with EMET offers greater protection. With EMET due to be killed off, security experts are concerned.
A vulnerability analyst from CERT, Will Dormann, advises Microsoft to continue the development of EMET. Microsoft says 'many' of EMET's features have been integrated into Windows 10, but the concern is that key components are missing, and others have been implemented in such a way that reduces their security.
11 rules to improve mobile security
Mobile devices have inundated our lives. Smartphones, tablets, phablets, wearables, the list of mobiles and their variants is endless. People have stopped talking and started dat(a)ing in a big way. Communication through smart devices has clearly overwhelmed us like never before. People are buying, paying and living through their mobiles. Love and relationships can be activated through a single app.
We have reached a state where people use more than a single smart device at a time. As long as the smart-ness of smartphones was confined to individuals, the corporate world could afford to remain a silent bystander, but no longer. The BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is the new norm and not a single business can avoid the challenges which come with mobility in management.
How will quantum computing impact security processes?
Quantum computers have the potential to perform calculations faster than ever possible before, inviting a significant rethink in how we approach cyber security.
Given the amount of research being ploughed into this area, we are likely to see a commercially viable machine in the near future, so cryptographers and the cyber security industry in general should work to have a clear view on the implications way ahead of that achievement.
Free tool helps consumers check online security ahead of Black Friday
On this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, more Americans will be shopping online than ever before, but a new study reveals that the majority are concerned about the potential to have their personal and financial information hacked.
The survey from cybersecurity company UpGuard shows that almost 95 percent of consumers are concerned about the security of their information online, and more than half would break with their favorite brands if they knew their information was at risk.
OneDrive for Business accounts used to spread malware
Malware purveyors have been making use of cloud services for some time, sending cloud-storage links that host malware to victims is an efficient way for cyber criminals to operate.
In a new twist to the technique, Forcepoint Security Labs has discovered that cybercriminals have been utilizing compromised Microsoft OneDrive for Business accounts to host malware since at least August of this year.
People don't understand how they get infected with malware
A new Kaspersky Lab report says a lot of us end up with viruses on our machines, but we just don't know how. But, in fact, we very much do. Here are the report's figures.
Almost half (42 percent) of internet users have either come across or have been targeted by malware online. A fifth of those (22 percent) have fallen victim to it, and almost a third (29 percent) have "no idea how it ended up on their device".
Microsoft releases Windows Defender Hub
Windows Defender can help keep Windows 10 safe from threats, and run as a second line of defense alongside any existing security software you have installed.
Microsoft has added various new elements to the program in the Anniversary Update, including Limited Periodic Scanning and Block at First Sight protection. There’s now a new Windows Defender Hub available to download in the Windows Store.
What you need to know about mobile payments
Mobile payments have actually been around for a few years now, but have only recently made the kind of impact that makes consumers and businesses take note. Unsurprisingly, mobile payments refer to financial transactions that are performed using a mobile device, most commonly a smartphone. As an alternative method of payment to debit cards or cash, mobile payments have gained in popularity all over the world, with businesses ranging from tech giants to independent startup all vying for market share in this fledgling industry.
As with any other new technological phenomenon, mobile payments are sure to create as many disruptions as opportunities, so it’s vital that businesses carefully manage the introduction of new payment platforms.
'BlackNurse' DDoS attack targets firewalls vulnerable to ping flood
Security researchers have discovered a new distributed denial of service (DDoS) method that requires less effort to launch large-scale attacks that can bring down servers or firewalls from a single laptop.
The new method of launching DDoS attacks called BlackNurse was discovered by researchers at the Security Operations Center of the Danish telecom operator TDC (TDC SOC). It operates by using attacks based on low volume Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to overload firewalls to the point where they shut down.
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