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Why Antivirus Standards of Certification Need to Change

Security software is designed to keep users safe from malware and other online threats. As such, it enjoys great affect among ordinary users, the majority of whom feel antivirus solutions have helped protect them along each episode of their digital lives. People worry they would be exposed to considerably greater risk online without it. That's a...
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3 New Scams Job-Seekers Should Look Out For

Earlier this year, I published a guide on five common types of scams that fraudsters use to prey upon LinkedIn users. One of those schemes involves a scammer tricking a job seeker into accepting a seemingly legitimate, high-paying "work from home" job that in actuality offers no compensation. In most instances of the scam, the fake company either...
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Yahoo! Introduces Password-Less Account Login Feature

On Friday, Yahoo! announced the company is “moving fast in its mission to ‘kill the password’” with a stable release of its two-factor account login tool, Yahoo Account Key. The Sunnyvale, California-based tech company said the feature allows users to securely access their Yahoo account by sending a push notification to their mobile device when...
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Starting Your Career in Information Technology

Early February is when Red River College puts on its Directions conference, which I attended twice as a student. The purpose of this conference is to connect students and businesses and to assist the former in the transition from student to professional. This year, I had the privilege to speak about my journey of starting out with little experience...
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Enterprise Impressions of Cloud Security in 2016

Data breaches at large companies, such as Target or Home Depot, call to mind concerns about cloud infrastructure security. However, does the media do these cases justice, or is security in the cloud actually better than ever? How do medium and large businesses – enterprises – perceive cloud security systems? Cloud security is both a benefit and...
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Ransomware Propagation Tied to TeamViewer Account (UPDATED)

Researchers have tied the propagation of a new type of ransomware to a TeamViewer user. TeamViewer is a cross-platform service that enables remote computer access for tech support calls, meetings, and other purposes. It has been installed on more than a billion devices, which makes its potential attack surface quite extensive. On March 9th, someone...
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Hidden Tear Project: Forbidden Fruit Is the Sweetest

The scourge of ransomware is by far today’s biggest computer security concern. By stepping into the crypto realm, cybercrooks have thrown down the gantlet to antivirus labs around the globe that are still mostly helpless in the face of this challenge. While many experts have been busy reverse-engineering obtained ransomware samples and posting...
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Are You Using a Secure Tax e-Filing Site?

These days, consumers are constantly being pushed to move away from paper correspondence and communication to an electronic alternative. Every time I sign into my bank account, I’m reminded of my option to forego the physical receipt of my monthly statement and go paperless. While the benefits of going paperless are clear to both businesses and...
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What To Do with That Found USB Stick

I found a USB stick in the street the other day. This is not the first thumb drive I have found, and apparently this is not an unusual event, as some reports indicate that dry cleaners find thousands of them (along with some more unsavory items) each year. These reports are consistent with news stories about unusual items left in the back of taxis,...
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Crypto-ransomware Spreads via Poisoned Ads on Major Websites

Some of the world's most popular news and entertainment websites have been spreading poisoned adverts to potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors, putting innocent readers at risk of having their computers hit by threats such as ransomware. Famous sites which displayed the malicious ads and endangered visiting computers include MSN, bbc.com,...
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Hacker Charged with Stealing Nude Photos from Celebrities

A hacker has been charged with illegally accessing the nude photos of several celebrities in the "Fappening" or "Celebgate" scandal. On Tuesday, Ryan Collins, 36, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania signed an agreement in which he agreed to plea guilty to a federal violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse...
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Report: DDoS Attacks Grew in Number, Size, and Sophistication in Q4 2015

On November 3, 2015, ProtonMail, a Switzerland-based encrypted email service, tweeted out that it had been taken offline by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The attack was so massive that it spread to the datacenter where the email service kept its servers, causing several banks and some tech companies to be knocked offline. For days,...
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The 'Human Firewall' Is Dead - Long Live the People

Recently, I read an article that suggested the 'human firewall' is broken and that it cannot be fixed. This observation comes from a company that provides commercial technical solutions to assist with mitigating cyber threats. The first aspect of this comment I would like to address is the element referred to as ‘the human firewall.’ Let's call it...
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2.2 Million Patient Records Exposed in Cancer Clinic Breach

21st Century Oncology, a Florida-based chain of 181 cancer treatment centers in the US and Latin America, announced earlier this month that an unauthorized intrusion into one of its databases may have exposed patient information. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the clinic said it is...
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Why Do I Need SCM?

What is SCM? Well, let’s start with what it stands for. Generally, it represents "Security Configuration Management," but it is also referred to as "Secure Configuration Management." Both are equally acceptable and mean the same thing. SCM exists at the point where IT Security and IT Operations meet. It’s a software-based solution that aims to...
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Shining a Light on Mobile App Permissions

Last weekend, I was doing some work around the house and needed a flashlight. I cursed having to get up and get one from the closet when my daughter said, "Use the flashlight app, Dad." Then we discovered that my Android phone doesn't have a built-in light. This, of course, led me to look for an app and spend much more time than getting off my lazy...
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Code.org Fixes Error that Exposed Volunteers' Email Addresses

Code.org has fixed an error on its website that accidentally exposed email addresses belonging to its volunteers. On Saturday, Hadi Partovi, the CEO of the non-profit organization that encourages students to learn about computer science, issued a statement of apology on the company's blog. "On Friday night we discovered and fixed an error in the...