As security researchers investigate last Friday’s massive attack from the WannaCry ransomware, they’ve noticed clues that may link it with a North Korean hacking group that has been blamed for attacking banks across the world.The evidence is far from a smoking gun, and may prove inconclusive. But security researchers have noticed a similarity between an earlier version of WannaCry and a hacking tool used by the Lazarus Group.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As security researchers investigate last Friday’s massive attack from the WannaCry ransomware, they’ve noticed clues that may link it with a North Korean hacking group that has been blamed for attacking banks across the world.The evidence is far from a smoking gun, and may prove inconclusive. But security researchers have noticed a similarity between an earlier version of WannaCry and a hacking tool used by the Lazarus Group.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Last Friday’s massive WannaCry ransomware attack means victims around the world are facing a tough question: Should they pay the ransom?Those who do shouldn't expect a quick response -- or any response at all. Even after payment, the ransomware doesn’t automatically release your computer and decrypt your files, according to security researchers. Instead, victims have to wait and hope WannaCry’s developers will remotely free the hostage computer over the internet. It's a process that’s entirely manual and contains a serious flaw: The hackers have no way to prove who paid off the ransom."The odds of getting back their files decrypted is very small," said Vikram Thakur, technical director at security firm Symantec. "It's better for [the victims] to save their money and rebuild the affected computers."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Last Friday’s massive WannaCry ransomware attack means victims around the world are facing a tough question: Should they pay the ransom?Those who do shouldn't expect a quick response -- or any response at all. Even after payment, the ransomware doesn’t automatically release your computer and decrypt your files, according to security researchers. Instead, victims have to wait and hope WannaCry’s developers will remotely free the hostage computer over the internet. It's a process that’s entirely manual and contains a serious flaw: The hackers have no way to prove who paid off the ransom."The odds of getting back their files decrypted is very small," said Vikram Thakur, technical director at security firm Symantec. "It's better for [the victims] to save their money and rebuild the affected computers."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Users of old Windows systems can now download a patch to protect them from this week’s massive ransomware attack.In a rare step, Microsoft published a patch for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 8 -- all of them operating systems for which it no longer provides mainstream support.Users can download and find more information about the patches in Microsoft’s blog post about Friday’s attack from the WannaCry ransomware.The ransomware, which has spread globally, has been infecting computers by exploiting a Windows vulnerability involving the Server Message Block protocol, a file-sharing feature.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Users of old Windows systems can now download a patch to protect them from this week’s massive ransomware attack.In a rare step, Microsoft published a patch for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 8 -- all of them operating systems for which it no longer provides mainstream support.Users can download and find more information about the patches in Microsoft’s blog post about Friday’s attack from the WannaCry ransomware.The ransomware, which has spread globally, has been infecting computers by exploiting a Windows vulnerability involving the Server Message Block protocol, a file-sharing feature.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Friday’s unprecedented ransomware attack may have stopped spreading to new machines -- at least briefly -- thanks to a "kill switch" that a security researcher has activated.The ransomware, called Wana Decryptor or WannaCry, has been found infecting machines across the globe. It works by exploiting a Windows vulnerability that the U.S. National Security Agency may have used for spying.The malware encrypts data on a PC and shows users a note demanding $300 in bitcoin to have their data decrypted. Images of the ransom note have been circulating on Twitter. Security experts have detected tens of thousands of attacks, apparently spreading over LANs and the internet like a computer worm.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Friday’s unprecedented ransomware attack may have stopped spreading to new machines -- at least briefly -- thanks to a "kill switch" that a security researcher has activated.The ransomware, called Wana Decryptor or WannaCry, has been found infecting machines across the globe. It works by exploiting a Windows vulnerability that the U.S. National Security Agency may have used for spying.The malware encrypts data on a PC and shows users a note demanding $300 in bitcoin to have their data decrypted. Images of the ransom note have been circulating on Twitter. Security experts have detected tens of thousands of attacks, apparently spreading over LANs and the internet like a computer worm.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Consumers with HP laptops that have been accidentally recording their keystrokes can easily address the problem with a patch from the PC maker.More than two dozen HP laptop models, including the EliteBook, ProBook and ZBook, have an bug in the audio driver that will act as a keylogger, a Swiss security firm said Thursday. A list of affected products can be found here. Fortunately, HP began rolling out fixes through its support page, and in a Windows update, starting on Thursday, HP Vice President Mike Nash said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Consumers with HP laptops that have been accidentally recording their keystrokes can easily address the problem with a patch from the PC maker.More than two dozen HP laptop models, including the EliteBook, ProBook and ZBook, have an bug in the audio driver that will act as a keylogger, a Swiss security firm said Thursday. A list of affected products can be found here. Fortunately, HP began rolling out fixes through its support page, and in a Windows update, starting on Thursday, HP Vice President Mike Nash said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A ransomware attack appears to be spreading around the world, leveraging a hacking tool that may have come from the U.S. National Security Agency.The ransomware, called Wanna Decryptor, struck hospitals at the U.K.’s National Health Service on Friday, taking down some of their network.Spain’s computer response team CCN-CERT has also warned of a "massive attack" from the ransomware strain, amid reports that local telecommunications firm Telefonica was hit.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A ransomware attack appears to be spreading around the world, leveraging a hacking tool that may have come from the U.S. National Security Agency.The ransomware, called Wanna Decryptor, struck hospitals at the U.K.’s National Health Service on Friday, taking down some of their network.Spain’s computer response team CCN-CERT has also warned of a "massive attack" from the ransomware strain, amid reports that local telecommunications firm Telefonica was hit.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Over two dozen HP laptop models have been secretly recording users’ keystrokes, possibly by mistake, according to a Swiss security firm.The keylogger is found within the PCs' audio driver software and has existed since at least Dec. 2015, the security firm Modzero said in a Thursday blog post. The audio driver was designed to identify when a special key on the PC was used. But in reality, the software will capture all the keystrokes and write them in an unencrypted file located on the laptop.In other cases, the keystrokes will be passed to a Microsoft Windows debugging interface on the PC, and expose them to possible capture, Modzero said. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Over two dozen HP laptop models have been secretly recording users’ keystrokes, possibly by mistake, according to a Swiss security firm.The keylogger is found within the PCs' audio driver software and has existed since at least Dec. 2015, the security firm Modzero said in a Thursday blog post. The audio driver was designed to identify when a special key on the PC was used. But in reality, the software will capture all the keystrokes and write them in an unencrypted file located on the laptop.In other cases, the keystrokes will be passed to a Microsoft Windows debugging interface on the PC, and expose them to possible capture, Modzero said. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
President Donald Trump has finally signed a long-awaited executive order on cybersecurity, and he called for the U.S. government to move more into the cloud and modernize its IT infrastructure.The order, signed on Thursday, is designed to "centralize risk" and move the government's agencies toward shared IT services, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said in a press briefing To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
President Donald Trump has finally signed a long-awaited executive order on cybersecurity, and he called for the U.S. government to move more into the cloud and modernize its IT infrastructure.The order, signed on Thursday, is designed to "centralize risk" and move the government's agencies toward shared IT services, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said in a press briefing To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Over 100,000 internet-connected cameras may be falling prey to a new IoT malware that’s spreading through recently disclosed vulnerabilities in the products. The malware, called Persirai, has been found infecting Chinese-made wireless cameras since last month, security firm Trend Micro said on Tuesday. The malware does so by exploiting flaws in the cameras that a security researcher reported back in March. The researcher, Pierre Kim, found that the vulnerabilities can allow an attacker to remotely execute code on the cameras, effectively hijacking them.At least 1,250 camera models produced by a Chinese manufacturer possess the bugs, the researcher went on to claim.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Over 100,000 internet-connected cameras may be falling prey to a new IoT malware that’s spreading through recently disclosed vulnerabilities in the products. The malware, called Persirai, has been found infecting Chinese-made wireless cameras since last month, security firm Trend Micro said on Tuesday. The malware does so by exploiting flaws in the cameras that a security researcher reported back in March. The researcher, Pierre Kim, found that the vulnerabilities can allow an attacker to remotely execute code on the cameras, effectively hijacking them.At least 1,250 camera models produced by a Chinese manufacturer possess the bugs, the researcher went on to claim.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Several German firms are taking a stab at a single login process for accessing different online services -- an approach that could compete with U.S. offerings. The companies, which include automaker Daimler, insurance provider Allianz and Deutsche Bank, among others, announced the joint effort on Monday. Their goal: to create a platform that revolves around a “master key” for users that can access sites and services across industries.The platform will not only make online registration simpler, but also more secure, they said. To do so, the companies will incorporate top standards in data security, and comply with local European Union data protection laws.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Several German firms are taking a stab at a single login process for accessing different online services -- an approach that could compete with U.S. offerings. The companies, which include automaker Daimler, insurance provider Allianz and Deutsche Bank, among others, announced the joint effort on Monday. Their goal: to create a platform that revolves around a “master key” for users that can access sites and services across industries.The platform will not only make online registration simpler, but also more secure, they said. To do so, the companies will incorporate top standards in data security, and comply with local European Union data protection laws.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Michael Kan