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Security Experts Warn About Scanning QR Codes With Your Smart Device – CBS Miami

February 3, 2022/in Computer Security

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – QR codes are those black and white boxes you shoot, your phone interprets, and then everything from menus to deals pops right up on your device via the internet.

Companies share them on social media, signs, and flyers.

But security experts say think twice before scanning one with your smart device.

“They’re a cool technology and that means they’re subject to abuse, like all the cool technologies, right?” said Tim Helming, a computer security expert from DomainTools.

Helming says scammers are now in the game, turning those codes into your misery.

“It could be that they are making a fraudulent payment, it could be that they are downloading malware onto your phone,” he said.

The other issue at play is that a person can check a web address to see if it’s legitimate.

A QR code doesn’t give consumers that chance.

“You have fewer ways to validate what it is that you’re about to get to, than you do if it’s an actual link,” Helming says.

The Better Business Bureau’s scam tracker shows one person lost $65,000 in a con that used QR codes.

They are easy to get. CBS reporter Jesse Jones found a number of sites that offer QR codes for free.

Just enter the website you want the code to send people to and you’re good to go.

Helming says consumers need to consider the source before pointing and clicking.

“If I saw a QR code that was slapped up on a telephone poll, on the side of the building, or something like that, I don’t care how tempting the offer sounds, I am running away from that thing,” Helming said.

Scammers often send QR codes in emails that appear to be from legitimate companies, so experts say don’t use it unless you can verify the source.

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There are scanner apps available that include extra security which can help make sure the code you are seeing is the real deal.

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Allegheny Health Network Says Payroll System Was Hit By Ransomware Attack – CBS Pittsburgh

December 15, 2021/in Internet Security

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Allegheny Health Network said its payroll system was hit by a ransomware attack.

Earlier this week, Ultimate Kronos Group — a human resources management company — notified its clients that there was a ransomware security breach. Allegheny Health Network uses the company for its payroll, scheduling and other services.

AHN and Highmark Health activated their cyber team to close the program and assess the damage.

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AHN said it is doing everything it can to make sure everyone gets paid on time.

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‘The Internet’s On Fire;’ Software Vulnerability May Enable Worldwide Hack Attacks – CBS San Francisco

December 11, 2021/in Internet Security

BOSTON (AP) — A critical vulnerability in a widely used software tool — one quickly exploited in the online game Minecraft — is rapidly emerging as a major threat to organizations around the world.

“The internet’s on fire right now,” said Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike. “People are scrambling to patch,” he said, “and all kinds of people scrambling to exploit it.” He said Friday morning that in the 12 hours since the bug’s existence was disclosed that it had been “fully weaponized,” meaning malefactors had developed and distributed tools to exploit it.

The flaw may be the worst computer vulnerability discovered in years. It was uncovered in a utility that’s ubiquitous in cloud servers and enterprise software used across industry and government. Unless it is fixed, it grants criminals, spies and programming novices alike easy access to internal networks where they can loot valuable data, plant malware, erase crucial information and much more.

“I’d be hard-pressed to think of a company that’s not at risk,” said Joe Sullivan, chief security officer for Cloudflare, whose online infrastructure protects websites from malicious actors. Untold millions of servers have it installed, and experts said the fallout would not be known for several days.

Amit Yoran, CEO of the cybersecurity firm Tenable, called it “the single biggest, most critical vulnerability of the last decade” — and possibly the biggest in the history of modern computing.

The vulnerability, dubbed “Log4Shell,” was rated 10 on a scale of one to 10 the Apache Software Foundation, which oversees development of the software. Anyone with the exploit can obtain full access to an unpatched computer that uses the software,

Experts said the extreme ease with which the vulnerability lets an attacker access a web server — no password required — is what makes it so dangerous.

New Zealand’s computer emergency response team was among the first to report that the flaw was being “actively exploited in the wild” just hours after it was publicly reported Thursday and a patch released.

The vulnerability, located in open-source…

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OpenTable Joins With Secure ID Firm CLEAR To Streamline Vaccine Verification For Diners, Restaurants – CBS San Francisco

August 25, 2021/in Mobile Security

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — As San Francisco and other major cities begin requiring proof of a COVID vaccination for indoor dining, online restaurant reservation provider OpenTable is partnering with secure identity firm CLEAR to help establishments check diners’ vaccine status.

San Francisco-based OpenTable said Wednesday that when diners use the app to make a reservation at a restaurant requiring vaccination, it will display a “CLEAR” banner on the reservation confirmation page linking to instructions on creating a digital vaccine card on the CLEAR app.

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The CLEAR digital vaccine card will appear on the OpenTable app for easy proof of vaccination. The CLEAR vaccine card connects a person’s verified identity to their proof of vaccination from hundreds of vaccine providers across the country, including the state of California and national pharmacies.

“Our partnership with CLEAR furthers our commitment to help both restaurants and diners navigate dining out in the next chapter of the pandemic,” said OpenTable CEO Debby Soo in a press statement. “This collaboration aims to streamline restaurant entry, saving time for both restaurant staff and diners and lets everyone focus on the meal – not the logistics.”

The OpenTable/CLEAR integration is expected to launch in September on OpenTable’s iPhone and Android apps.

Last week, San Francisco began requiring businesses in high-contact indoor sectors such as bars, restaurants, indoor gyms and entertainment venues to obtain proof of vaccination from their patrons and employees, the first health order of its kind in the nation.

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The mandate follows a number of tough COVID-19 measures San Francisco imposed since the beginning of the pandemic. The city and its neighboring counties in the Bay Area were the first in the nation to order residents to stay at home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus and was the first big city in the nation to require all city employees to be vaccinated, without the option of testing…

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