Cyber Security: Five New Year's resolutions for your computer

Your computer might be showing its age, be it slow boot-up times, sluggish performance, annoying freeze-ups and pop-up windows caused by malware ("malicious software"). This is especially frustrating for those who rely on their computer for work. Instead of buying a new computer, however, perhaps you can squeeze more life out of your aging PC or Mac. Click here to read about five New Year's resolutions for your computer.

Cyber Security: Hackers deface Malaysia Airlines website, upload rap song

The Malaysia Airlines website has been commandeered by hackers who referenced Islamic State and claimed to be from the "Lizard Squad", a group known for previous denial-of-service attacks. Read more here.

Cyber Security: Computer security experts warn of cell phone hack attacks

Text messages from your phone company could mean a security problem for you. Those texts are apparently so easy to mimic that crooks could send you alerts that look like the real thing. Click on those links and the hacker could grab your login information, or fool you into divulging your credit card details. Read the article here.

Cyber Security: Hackers could infiltrate NSW traffic and sewage systems, Auditor-General Grant Hehir warns

Hackers could infiltrate Sydney's traffic light network and cause accidents or road chaos, an official investigation has found, raising serious doubts over the preparedness of the state's vital infrastructure to ward off cyber attacks. Click here to read the article.

Cyber Security: A Thief Named 'Mastermind' Hacked 20 Million Accounts On A Russian Dating Website

As if online dating wasn't sketchy enough, now you have to worry about hackers. About 20 million accounts on a Russia-based dating website called Topface were hacked, according to a report by Bloomberg. About 40% of the data came from European users. The thief who operated under the alias "Mastermind" then offered the accounts for sale on a website used by cyber criminals, which was detected by the fraud-detection software-maker, Easy Solutions Inc. Read more here.

Cyber Security: ICS-CERT Vulnerability Summary for Week of January 19

Click the link below to view the summary of cyber security vulnerabilities for the week of January 19 as collected and reported by ICS-CERT.

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/bulletins/SB15-026

Cyber Security: ‘Malvertising’ the latest threat to computer security

The recent barrage of stories about computer security attacks are enough to make you unplug your computer and go back to reading books and writing letters. Well, it turns out there’s another one consumers need to have on their radar. It’s called “malvertising,” and USA TODAY reports that it’s malicious software — what we call malware — hidden in online ads. Often, the advertiser doesn’t even know it’s there, much less you. But malvertising works differently than plain old malware. Click here to read more.

Cyber Security: Website of Georgian state minister's apparatus subjected to cyber attack

The website of the apparatus of Georgian state minister for diaspora affairs, diaspora.gov.ge that was subjected to cyber attack on Jan.18, still doesn't work. Click here for the article.

Cyber Security: CENTCOM'S Twitter, YouTube accounts hacked

The Twitter and YouTube accounts of the Pentagon's command for its forces in the Middle East were hacked Monday, according to U.S. Central Command. Click here to read the article.

Cyber Security: Hackers Steal Miles of American, United Customers

Thieves with stolen usernames and passwords have broken into customer accounts at American and United airlines and in some cases booked free trips. The airlines say the incidents happened in late December. American began notifying affected customers by email on Monday, a spokeswoman said.
American spokeswoman Martha Thomas said that about 10,000 accounts were affected and some have been frozen while the airline and customer set up new accounts, starting with customers who have at least 100,000 miles. She said the airline isn't aware of anyone booking a free trip. Read the article here.

Cyber Security: UK National Grid under constant cyber attack

Conservative MP James Arbuthnot chaired the Defense Select Committee up until last year and said that the National Grid is facing cyber-attacks every minute. He plans to visit the National grid next month to discuss the issue. "Our National Grid is coming under cyber attack not just day-by-day but minute-by-minute,” said Arbuthnot at a London conference last year, with his comments first reported by Bloomberg. “There are, at National Grid, people of very high quality who recognize the risks that these attacks pose, and who are fighting them off…but we can't expect them to win forever.” Click here to read more.

 

 

Cyber Security: AOL Ad Network Hit with Malvertising

Cybercriminals have targeted one of the largest digital networks to kick off the year: AOL's Advertising.com. Hackers hijacked ads on the network and served up drive-by malware downloads to the Huffington Post, GameZone, LA Weekly and several other sites last week, according to Cyphort, an advanced malware defense firm. Read the full story here.

Cyber Security: Pro-Russian group claims cyber attack on German government websites

German government websites including Chancellor Angela Merkel's page were hacked on Wednesday in a cyber attack claimed by a group demanding that Berlin sever official ties with the Ukrainian government. The attack, against which counter-measures were taken, had left the sites periodically inaccessible since 10 a.m. , her spokesman Steffen Seibert said. Read the article here.

Cyber Security: Tampa #1 in nation for computer hacker attacks

Tampa is number one in the nation, but not for the reason you might hope. A new study from EnigmaSoftware.com finds this region is the single-most hacked spot in the country when it comes to people's personal computers. Click here to read the article.

Cyber Security: ICS-CERT Vulnerability Summary for Week of December 29

Click the link below to view the summary of cyber security vulnerabilities for the week of December 29 as collected and reported by ICS-CERT.

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/bulletins/SB15-005

Cyber Security: Retail cyber attacks drop by half despite rising data theft

A report released Monday from IBM security researchers suggests that, overall, cyber attacks against retailers are on the decline, even though the total amount of data compromised continues to steadily rise. Read the article here.

Cyber Security: ID theft, IRA risks, stock scams in 2015

The new year will bring a host of financial threats. Consumers should know what to do following data breaches and be aware of IRA-rollover penalties and topical stock-scam alerts. Click here to read more.

Cyber Security: A Hacker Says He Can Recreate Fingerprints From Photographs

A speaker at a yearly hacking conference in Germany has claimed the ability to recreate someone's fingerprints using just photographs of their fingers, as reported by the BBC. This capability would highlight the compromised nature of replacing passwords with fingerprints, which is already seen by experts as far from fully secure. Read the full story here.

Cyber Security: Banks, oil & gas, governments most vulnerable to cyber-attacks, Cisco says

Banks and other financial institutions, oil and gas firms as well as governments in Nigeria have been identified as the most vulnerable to cyber attacks by a Cisco report released yesterday. These sectors were among the global list of industries susceptible industries to cyber security across the globe according to the Cisco 2014 Security Report. Read the article here.

Cyber Security: Low-risk cyber security issue found at nuclear plant

Personnel at the PPL Susquehanna Steam nuclear power plant in Salem Township are working to address a low-level security violation discovered by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission during a recent inspection at the facility. The violation was related to cyber security, and PPL spokesman Joe Scopelliti said it was a low risk infraction. Read more here.