Safety Tips
New Mac OS X malware in the wild
Mar 21st
The new malware variant, OSX/Imuler-B, uses images of supermodel Irina Shayk in an attempt to trick end users into execution the malicious application. The malware relies on the fact that by default, Mac OS X doesn’t display full file extensions, and therefore is attempting to trick users into thinking that they’re about the view a JPG image file.
Once the file is executed the malware will delete the original infection file and only leave an image file of Irina Shayk. It will also open a backdoor on the infected host, transferring private information from the infected host to a remote Web More >
Another Facebook Scam
Jan 27th
You may have seen them already. They are popping up on accounts all over the place. More and more people have them. I’m talking about the new “Timeline” design for Facebook. You can opt in for the new format right now, or wait to be forced into it later. For a lot of people, They opted in early to receive it, only to find out that they don’t like it. But there is no way to go back to the old one. This is where the scams come in.
Scammers heard the complaints and have taken action. Pages and apps are More >
The Return of Zeus
Jan 10th
Besides wielding thunderbolts, Zeus can steal your usernames and passwords. At least, the offspring of the Zeus malware can. “Gameover” is the name of the latest Zeus variant and is called so for good reason. When a computer is infected, it steals your bank account information. Once in the bank account, it is essentially game over.
Lets break Gameover down and see how it works. Infections are usually brought about through phishing scams. These are scams sent through email that try and trick the user into clicking on things that they shouldn’t be clicking on. The emails usually look like they More >
Facebook Security Tip!
Nov 16th
If you use Facebook, you will want to read this. If you look at a normal URL it may look something like this:
http://www.somesite.com.
When you browse on a secure connection to a website it will look something like this:
https://www.somesite.com.
Notice the addition of the ‘s’ on the second URL. The ‘s’ means that you are connected to the website through a secure connection. Connecting through https rather than http makes it much harder for someone to steal information being transmitted to and from your computer and the website. So what does this have to do with Facebook?
Facebook has a security More >
Major Events Will Spur an Increase in Spam
May 4th
The death of Osama bin Laden is no exception. A major part of the bin Laden spam is coming from emails that look like Facebook updates from friends.
The email looks like it comes from friends and urges the user to cut and paste a string of malicious text in order to access a video of bin Laden’s killing. If a user follows the directions, they are actually granting full access of their accounts to the hackers.
The hackers then use the compromised accounts to further propagate the virus by sending it to the users’ friends.
Other hacker campaigns that exploit bin Laden’s More >
If You Haven't Thought About Mobile Security - Better Start Now
Apr 5th
Smartphones are amazing devices that allow a business to be more productive and lets the personal user have access to information, games, social networking sites, and more at their fingertips. It’s like having a computer in your pocket. Cell providers are watching more people switch to the smartphone for personal use and business. But they are not the only ones keeping an eye on this trend.
Cyber criminals are increasing the sophistication and frequency of attacks on business and government networks, including a shift in focus to mobile devices. Attackers have been waiting for the time when creating malware for smartphones More >
Holiday Shopping Tips
Dec 9th
The holidays are here and shoppers are out (and in) in full force. It seems as the years go by, online shopping is becoming the ideal way to get your loved ones, and yourself, gifts for the holidays. Cyber-Monday is growing every year with deals getting better than those offered on black Friday. Retailers are offering deals online that you just can’t get in the stores.
I still go out on black Friday, but it is more of a nostalgic thing. I like to watch people go crazy and reminisce about the good old days when shoppers would trample each other More >
Have You Changed Your Router Password?
Sep 13th
Your router is an important part of your connection to the online world. It gives you a level of protection from the outside world. It distributes the internet to all the computers in your house. But it can also be a major security risk.
All routers come with default passwords. I know this, you know this, and hackers know this. Hackers get lists (which are freely available online) of all the default usernames and passwords for routers. From Linksys to D-Link to Belkin and everything in between. If you have not changed the default credentials, it is very easy for someone More >
Information on 100 Million Facebook Users Published Online
Jul 30th
If you are anything like 500 million other people, you have a Facebook account. I admit, I do. I think Facebook has many useful purposes. I can share my photos and videos with family that live all over the world. I can keep in contact with friends I haven’t seen since high school, and make new friends with those that have the same interests as me.
With so much good that can come from Facebook and other social networking sites, we can’t ignore the security and privacy risks. No matter how hard developers of these sites try, they will never be More >
Do You Know What Your Kids Are Doing Online?
Jul 29th
Let’s face it, parental control software can be a hassle sometimes. Blocking legitimate sites as well as letting explicit sites through without even a hint of trying to block it. Kids these days are smart. It doesn’t take much to bypass content filters. It can be as easy as doing Google searches until a site is found that is not blocked by the filter, to using using proxy servers to hide the actual website they are visiting.
Parents cannot sit back and expect software to handle their parental responsibilities. The term “parental controls” is quite deceiving seeing how it makes no More >