Tag Archive for: Leaving

Leaving Bluetooth ‘On’ 24/7 On Android Devices Is A Security Risk

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Android Devices

We all know that modern gadgets, including tablets, laptops, and speakers now come with Bluetooth capabilities. Bluetooth is actually a common wireless communication protocol used to connect two devices together over short distances. They can be two smartphones, earbuds and a smartphone, and vice versa. The Bluetooth technology is quite fast and convenient. Moreover, its modern version is quite reliable, which is why so many devices use it to communicate with each other. The fact is that most Android smartphone owners keep it turned on at all times. No one should do that because leaving Bluetooth enabled on your Android devices may present a security risk.

Here Is Why You Should Turn Bluetooth ‘Off’ on Your Android Devices?

Leaving Bluetooth enabled on your smartphone potentially opens up your device to install malware that turns it into a surveillance device. The Bluetooth technology operates on having devices discover each other within close range. The Bluetooth-enabled gadget sends a signal that can be detected by other devices that are in its range. So, the major factor lies in its nature that discoverability leaves them vulnerable to a malicious attack if a hacker is in the area. Hackers can easily manage to connect to the device without the user’s permission or by sending a barrage of connection requests that leaves the phone temporarily unusable. It would be extreme to ditch your wireless devices so, you should turn off Bluetooth when it’s not in use.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has advised users to turn off Bluetooth when it’s not needed. You should take more care of it when you’re in public areas like airports, shopping centers, restaurants, or on public transportation. There is another way to eliminate the risk factor. You can make your device’s Bluetooth connection undiscoverable by default and only switch it on when you’re ready to pair it with another device. While doing so, only trusted devices that were previously paired will be able to connect to your device.

There are certain things you need to take care of. First of all, you should dismiss any Bluetooth connection requests that appear unexpectedly on your devices. In addition to…

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Senate ransomware investigation says FBI leaving victims in the lurch

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Written by Tonya Riley
Mar 24, 2022 | CYBERSCOOP

The FBI might be coming up short when helping ransomware victims restore their systems, according to an investigation released Thursday by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s ranking member Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

Senate investigators plumbed three case studies of ransomware attacks against U.S. companies within the past five years. All three companies interviewed for the investigation reported the attacks to the FBI at the time, but only two pursued assistance. All three attacks were committed by REvil, the notorious Russian ransomware gang that drew intense scrutiny from U.S. law enforcement last year after major attacks on software supplier Kaseya and global meat supplier JBS.

The Senate committee report withholds the names of the victims and dates of the attacks to protect victims from potential retaliation from hackers, a committee aide said in a call with reporters. The aide declined to say if the attacks were previously publicly reported.

The report notes that both companies that sought out assistance from the FBI found the response lacking.

“They told the Committee that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prioritized its investigative efforts into REvil’s operations over protecting the companies’ data and mitigating damage,” the report notes. “Both companies also indicated they did not receive advice on best practices for responding to a ransomware attack or other useful guidance from the Federal Government.”

In the case of “Entity A,” a Fortune 500 company, the FBI reportedly offered a hostage negotiator with no experience in ransomware. Neither of the companies in the report interacted with CISA during their response to the attacks, according to investigators.

There have also been publicly reported cases of the FBI leaving victims in the lurch. The FBI reportedly withheld a decryption key that could have helped hundreds of Kaseya customers in order to not tip off REvil to an operation against the group, The Washington Post reported in September.

When asked about the decision at a Senate Homeland hearing,…

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Big Web Security Firms Ditch Russia, Leaving Internet Users Open To More Kremlin Snooping

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Ordinary Russians face another major blow to their everyday lives due to the backlash to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. On the same day, two major web-security companies have decided to quit selling to them, making Russians’ internet use more vulnerable to Kremlin snooping, hacking and other cybercrimes.

The departure of the two companies, Avast, a $6 billion antivirus provider based in the Czech Republic, and Utah-based website-certification firm DigiCert, will further isolate the country of 145 million people.

“We are horrified at Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, where the lives and livelihoods of innocent people are at severe risk, and where all freedoms have come under attack,” Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek wrote on Thursday.

Vlcek said the company was including Belarus in the withdrawal of services, and was continuing to pay the full salaries of employees in Russia and Ukraine, many of whom it was helping to relocate.

“We do not take this decision lightly,” Vlcek wrote. “We’ve offered our products in Russia for nearly 20 years and users in this country are an important part of our global community.”

While Avast joins other antivirus companies, including NortonLifeLock and ESET, in halting sales, Russians will still be able to get antivirus protection from Moscow-based Kaspersky and other providers within the country. The departure of DigiCert could prove more significant.

DigiCert is one of the world’s biggest providers of website certificates, which aim to prove that when a person visits a site it’s owned by the entity they expected. If a website loses that certificate, it’s possible for hackers or a government to intercept a person’s attempt to reach a given site and replace it with their own webpage. That could then be used to launch…

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They created a mobile food bank. Now, the family behind NL Eats is leaving the province

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Adib Rahman, Mehnaz Tabassum, Saif Ahmed and Shourov Islam—four founders of the nonprofit NL Eats—visiting Terra Nova National Park last summer. (Submitted by Adib Rahman)

The family behind NL Eats — a nonprofit known for the mobile food bank they began during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other community projects—is saying goodbye to Newfoundland and Labrador … at least for now.

Originally from Bangladesh, siblings Adib Rahman, Mahmudul Islam Shourov, Fabiha Tarannum and Mehnaz Tabassum, along with Tabassum’s fiancé, Saif Ahmed, formed NL Eats in 2019.

“We all recently graduated and we were looking for opportunities,” said Adib Rahman, who is the director of marketing for NL Eats.

“We have looked for opportunities in Newfoundland. But because of the pandemic … it’s very, very scarce right now, the opportunities available for youth.”

The family has now moved to Ottawa for work after living in St. John’s for more than six years. Some family members are permanent residents; some, like Rahman and Shourov, are still considered international students in the eyes of the federal government.

“With that status comes a lot of different restrictions,” Rahman said. “A lot of jobs are not available to us. And while we are in the process of our permanent residency right now, it is a lengthy process.”

While the family is sad to go, they’re vowing to make an annual visit.

They even bought a house before they left—and Tabassum said they definitely hope to return in a couple of years. 

In the meantime, they’re all staying very much involved with NL Eats. Working with their staff and volunteers on the ground in Newfoundland, the family will keep overseeing a wide array of community projects.

A mobile food bank and so much more

The Road to Success program is one of their latest ventures. Aimed at helping youth launch their careers through volunteering, paid internships and professional skills building, the family’s departure from Newfoundland actually sparked the idea for the program.

Shourov Islam and Adib Rahman preparing food hampers in St. John’s as part of Project #FoodForThought in June 2020. (Paul Daly/CBC)

“We love Newfoundland and it was very heartbreaking…

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