The Windows exploit landscape in 2014
Over the years we've grown used to Windows being the target of viruses, hacks and other forms of attack. Although other systems like Android are now coming under attack too it’s still Windows that gets the most attention.
Researchers from security company ESET have released a report showing the major trends in Windows exploits over the past year.
The US claims North Korea hacked Sony, security experts disagree
Let's get one basic thing out of the way -- incidents are sometimes used for political maneuvering. That's not always the case and I'll be making no accusations, as the information simply cannot confirm nor deny anything about the recent Sony hack, or North Korea's possible role in it. We can, however, defer to more expert opinion.
As for background, if you could possibly have missed this story, Sony was hacked rather badly and the big thing that came out of it was the movie The Interview, which ends with the death of Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea. The US government, in turn, accused the nation of perpetrating the act. That seems an odd thing, given that those responsible released the ending of the movie, which would be detrimental to North Korea.
Leakers go to great lengths to bring Oscar movie DVD screeners to torrent sites
There are around six weeks to go until the 87th Oscars, and the nominations are due to be announced very soon. TorrentFreak reports that over the last 24 hours there has been a huge jump in the number of big name movies leaked to torrent sites. In the run-up to the movie ceremony preview discs are sent out to critics, reviewers and industry insiders, and it's all-too easy for these to fall into the wrong hands.
We're not talking about dodgy torrents of movies shot on shaky camcorders or mobile phones -- these are DVD quality copies known as screeners. Near perfect copies of the likes of The Hobbit, The Imitation Game, and Birdman, in spite of security and watermarking put in place by movie studios.
Webcloak weaves a secure shroud around the web to keep you safe online
Kickstarter projects are ten a penny these days, as startup after startup vies for attention and financing. While many projects fall by the wayside, just a handful come to fruition and one of the latest is a handy USB dongle that allows for secure, anonymous web browsing. In just 45 days the campaign reached its target of $60,000, meaning that larger scale production can now go ahead on the line of security-focused USB sticks.
Webcloak is designed as an alternative to the likes of Tor, offering users a secure, self-contained browsing environment. This not only helps to keep browsing anonymous, but also protects against the threat of viruses, and its blend of hardware, encryption and "secure access" software has been designed with ease of use in mind.
XSS vulnerability uncovered in Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Information security company High-Tech Bridge has uncovered a flaw in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM package that could allow the insertion of malicious code.
The self-XSS issue isn't currently recognised by Microsoft itself as a flaw but could trick a logged in user into putting malicious HTML and script code into the 'newUsers_ledit' input field on vulnerable websites that are thought to be secure.
Simplicam brings face recognition to home video monitoring, cool or scary?
Security is very much in the news these days, with government surveillance, hacks and the like. However, what about video cameras that can recognize you simply by recording your face? Yes, that technology is also available, it's one of the things that scares people about Google Glass, The technology is there, so folks might as well get used to it.
Simplicam is debuting a home monitoring camera with built in facial recognition at the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. But it also goes a step further, telling the user who is at home.
Bitcoin exchange Bitstamp suffers $5 million hack attack
Bitcoin exchange Bitstamp has been taken offline after a hack attack relieved its coffers of $5 million. A message on the Bitstamp homepage explains that some of the exchange's operational wallets had been compromised, and warned customer to stop making deposits to previously-used addresses.
The attack took place over the week, but details are only now starting to come to light. Although more than 19,000 BTC ($5.2 million) were "lost" as a result of this, Bitstamp assures its customers that any Bitcoins stored up to January 5 are safe, but says that service is suspended for the time being.
2015 -- the year automated malware protection and firewalls become worthless?
Whether you're a home or business user, one thing you've probably had drummed into you for years is the importance of virus protection, an effective firewall and malware guards. Well, as we start our journey into 2015 such security tools may not be anywhere near as effective as they used to be. Is it worth investing in them at all?
The suggestion isn’t that we should ditch firewalls and malware protection altogether -- that would be insanity. But security expert Ilia Kolochenko says that we need to rethink our reliance on automated security tools.
Block VPNs? Us? No more than usual, says Netflix
If you have been experiencing problems accessing Netflix through a VPN recently, it's not because the company has started taking a harder line. Despite an apparent increase in problems connecting to Netflix through a VPN, the company says that it is not handling things any differently to normal.
TorGuard had reported an increase in the number of error messages its users experienced when trying to get their streaming fix, but Netflix is not owning up to clamping down on VPNs and proxies. While TorGuard expressed surprise at the appearance of a VPN-related error message, Netflix insists that it is business as usual.
North Korea says US sanctions after Sony hack demonstrate 'inveterate repugnancy'
North Korea has reacted angrily to the sanctions imposed on it by the US. President Obama signed an Executive Order putting sanctions in place after an FBI investigation placed the blame for the hack of Sony Pictures firmly at the door of Pyongyang.
North Korea continues to deny involvement in the hack which was sparked by Sony's comedy movie The Interiew in which North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is assassinated. The country's state-run news agency issued an angry statement accusing the US of "groundlessly stirring up bad blood".
Piracy-beating VPN clamp down by Netflix is pointless
Netflix is one of the many websites that can only be accessed in certain parts of the world or has region specific versions. Of course, where there's a will there's a way, and there are numerous tools that can be used to bypass any restrictions that may have been put in place.
Whether using a VPN or a proxy, it's relatively simple to access Netflix from anywhere in the world. Netflix -- or rather the studios whose shows are being "pirated" (if that's the right way of looking at it) -- has had enough. It is fighting back, blocking access to some people who use circumvention measures.
US sanctions North Korea for its role in Sony hack
Barack Obama today signed an Executive Order imposing sanctions against North Korea following the well-publicized hack of Sony Pictures. The move comes after the "recent cyber-attack targeting Sony Pictures Entertainment and the threats against movie theaters and moviegoers" which the US has pinned on North Korea following FBI investigations.
Although not directly named, the announcement of the sanctions makes clear reference to the movie The Interview which was pulled from theaters following a series of threats. The Executive Order is described as a reaction to attempt to "undermine U.S. cyber-security and intimidate U.S. businesses and artists exercising their right of freedom of speech".
Windows 8.1 vulnerability discovered by Google security researcher
When you are the top anything in this world it not only brings fame or notoriety, but it also provides a target. In the case of Microsoft's Windows, it has become the bullseye that bad guys aim for. Sometimes it's the bad guys who get there first, sometimes it's the security researchers who report the issues. In the latest case, it was thankfully the good guys.
The problem with this flaw is that it would allow a bad guy to bypass authentication on a system by using a generated token. Worse, while the flaw isn't part of User Account Control, the proof of concept released does use this part of Windows.
Want to launch your own DDoS attacks? Just buy them from Lizard Squad
You know what it's like. You have a niggling desire to launch a DDoS attack on a website but there are a couple of problems. You might not know how to do it, you might not want to run the risk of getting caught, or you might, you know, be too lazy to do it yourself. Never fear, Lizard Squad is on hand to help you out.
The hacker collective hit the headlines over the holidays after taking out the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. It then claimed to have had a (small) hand in the hack of Sony, but now the aim appears to be to monetize the whole venture. Lizard Squad has launched a service called LizardStresser that could be used to launch DDoS attacks.
Lizard Squad claims to have assisted with Sony hack: 'this is kind of a game for us'
To many people Lizard Squad comprises a collection of attention-seeking skiddies looking for their five minutes of fame. To others, they are the group that ruined Christmas by taking down the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live over the holiday period. Of course, it didn't end there. There were then claims of attacks on the Tor network, but the group's impact might be even more high-profile than first thought.
While not claiming full responsibility for the now infamous hacking of Sony, Lizard Squad has said that it provided Sony login details to the people who did. A man identifying himself as a Lizard Squad administrator said that Sony employee details were given to Guardians of Peace (GoP), one of the groups at whom the finger of suspicion is pointing.
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