Tag Archive for: Alerts

New smartphone-based notification tool alerts state residents of COVID-19 exposure

/in


Screen capture from the video explaining how WA Notify works.

Gov. Jay Inslee, along with the Washington State Department of Health on Monday announced the launch of WA Notify, a notification tool designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. By adding WA Notify to their smartphones, Washington residents will be alerted if they spent time near another WA Notify user who later tests positive for COVID-19.

WA Notify uses privacy-preserving technology jointly developed by Google and Apple and works without collecting or revealing any location or personal data.

“Secure, private and anonymous exposure notification technology is an important tool for Washington,” Inslee said Monday. “We’ve deployed WA Notify in 29 languages so as many Washington residents as possible can protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. I encourage everyone to start using WA Notify today so we can continue to work together to contain this virus.”

Data models for three counties in Washington found that COVID-19 infections and deaths could be reduced if even a small percentage of people enabled WA Notify. Studies from Oxford University and Stanford also show that the more people who use exposure notification technology, the more effective it is.

“WA Notify complements the actions Washington residents are already taking, like wearing masks, physical distancing and keeping gatherings small,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “We’re excited to be joining the states already using this safe and secure technology and encourage all Washingtonians to join the effort.”

When voluntarily activated, phones with WA Notify use Bluetooth technology to exchange random codes with the phones of other users they are near. It does this without revealing a user’s identity or location. Users who test positive for COVID-19 can enter a verification code provided by public health into WA Notify, so that other users who have been near them within the last 14 days can be anonymously alerted and take appropriate action.

WA Notify is free and can be enabled in iPhone settings or downloaded as an app from the Google Play Store for Android phones. Users can opt out at any time. Several states…

Source…

Cyber agency alerts against ransomware attacks of ‘Egregor’ virus

/in


The county’s cyber security agency has alerted users against the malicious spread of ransomware virus ‘Egregor‘ that threatens to release sensitive corporate data of the victim organisation if not paid.

The CERT-In or the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team said in a latest advisory that while the “initial infection vector and propagation mechanism is still unknown, it is anticipated that Egregor ransomware may infiltrate via spam email attachments or maliciously crafted link shared via email/instant messaging chats.”

“Individuals or organisations are not encouraged to pay the ransom as this does not guarantee files will be released,” it said.

“Report such instances of fraud to CERT-In and law enforcement agencies,” the advisory from the national technology arm to combat cyber attacks and guarding of the Indian cyber space said.

It said this ransomware was affecting organisations globally.

“The modus operandi used is typically breaking into organisations, stealing sensitive data, and running the malware to encrypt their files and (it) threatens ‘Mass-Media’ release of corporate data if ransom not paid in due time,” the advisory stated.

“It uses double extortion tactics generally used by NetWalker ransomware families,” it said.

The virus “uses several types of anti-analysis techniques, including code obfuscation and packed payloads, which means the malicious code ‘unpacks’ itself in memory as a way to avoid detection by security tools.”

It said the malware does not “exhibit its functionalities” thereby making it difficult for analysts to break its trap.

“The virus appends a string or random characters as the new extension of each encrypted file and creates the “RECOVER-FILES.txt” text file/ransom note in all folders that contain encrypted files,” the CERT-In said.

The agency also suggested some counter-measures to keep safe from such ransomware attacks.

“Perform regular backups of all critical information to limit the impact of data or system loss and to help expedite the recovery process. Ideally, this data should be kept on a separate device, and backups should be stored offline,” it said.

Also, the advisory said, regularly check for the integrity of the…

Source…

Microsoft alerts Android users of new ransomware that could render smartphone useless – Mint

/in

Microsoft alerts Android users of new ransomware that could render smartphone useless  Mint
“android security news” – read more

(3) Virus Alerts! How to Check Your Mac For Malware (And How to Get Rid of It)

/in

With your whole life on the computer, it’s important to keep it secure. This is how to check for malware and how to remove it from your Mac. The Internet is one of the most powerful tools that you can …
mac hacker – read more