Tag Archive for: Protects

Effectively closing entry gates for hackers: How strong authentication protects against ransomware

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Ransomware is a problem that is here to stay and that will in time become an even bigger issue – that is a fact that is clear to everyone involved in IT security. According to the international study “The State of Ransomware”, more than half of all organizations have experienced a ransomware cyberattack in 2020. Once hit, giving in to criminal demands or restoring the system wholesale is an expensive strategy, if it can be deemed a strategy at all. True risk mitigation should first ask what the main attack vectors exploited by this type of malware actually are. This is the only solution that not only staves off the problem of ransomware, but ideally minimizes the risk permanently. 

The three main attack vectors of ransomware  

Attack vector number 1 – the technology: As in many other attack scenarios, hackers exploit vulnerabilities and backdoors of infrastructure for their ransomware attacks in order to smuggle malware into a system. Infrastructure is especially vulnerable when it is based on unpatched systems. For example, the well-known Wannacry ransomware – which gained notoriety by taking out entire universities and hospitals – directly targets computers running outdated versions of Microsoft Windows. It exploits a known programming flaw in the SMB implementation to create crashes and persistent bluescreens (hence the name “Eternal-Blue”), spying on computers and locking users out of systems. The Wannacry ransomware attack shows just how virulent the problem of unpatched computers is. The attack spread to 150 countries and infected more than 230,000 computers. 

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How a Burner Identity Protects Your Inbox, Phone, and Cards

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Between vaccine appointment notifications, store pickups, online food ordering, and a general increase in online ordering, I feel like I’ve created three times as many online accounts in the past 18 months than I did in all previous years combined.

Handing out any sort of personal information, whether it’s an email address or a phone number, can lead to spam, data breaches, or harassment. More abstractly, it can also enable tracking by data brokers—companies that take identifiable bits of data, including phone numbers, email addresses, and device-specific identifiers (such as a browser fingerprint or device ID that’s linked to a phone or computer) and then aggregate that data into a marketing profile. One way to protect your personal details from both individuals and corporations is to use alternate details, which you can generate through a number of tools. These “burner” identity tools create disposable email addresses, credit card numbers, and phone numbers, all of which can help protect your main accounts while you do just about anything online.

Private email forwarding: SimpleLogin

A screen shot of the Simple Login app dashboard where the user can create and organize multiple alias email addresses.

If you spend a lot of time online, you likely have dozens of accounts spread across the internet, with sites and services ranging from retail stores you’ve shopped at once to random apps that require your email address to use. You’ve probably handed that email address to plumbers, car salespeople, social networks, and countless others who may have gone on to spam your inbox.

Over the years, I’ve taken two approaches to managing the situation: creating a free email address explicitly for shopping (Gmail, Outlook, ProtonMail, and the like all work fine for this purpose) and using email forwarding to obfuscate that address so I can pull the plug if spam starts coming in.

Email-forwarding services—I like SimpleLogin, which generates a nonsense email address, such as [email protected]—forward any emails sent to that address to your real inbox. If an account gets too much spam, you can block it and start over with a new email address from your forwarding service. This approach is great for shopping, where you may need an email receipt for only a few weeks, or company…

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Free McAfee Gamer Security Offering Protects and Boosts U.S. PC Gamer Experience

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SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, McAfee announced that it will offer a free 1-year subscription for McAfee Gamer Security to new and existing U.S. multi-device security customers. Gaming has become one of the primary sources of entertainment for consumers in the wake of the global pandemic, and with the shift to a digital-first lifestyle, McAfee continues to focus on protecting consumers during moments that matter – when opportunistic hackers find an entry point – especially as gaming PC sales growing 16.2% in 2020.

Launched in 2019, McAfee Gamer Security delivers a unique combination of performance and protection through its built-from-ground-up feature set, considering the needs of the wide spectrum of PC gaming – from families with children that game to PC gamers themselves. Even though PC gamers are the most connected online users, they often forgo necessary security protocols which potentially exposes them to threats such as malware, ransomware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and other threats in favor of squeezing more performance for gaming. According to McAfee’s 2021 Consumer Security Mindset: Gamer Edition, nearly 2 in 3 (65%) Americans admitted that it never occurred to them that they might need to use security solutions while gaming.

“We knew that it was imperative that we meet PC gamers where they are as tech-savvy, performance-centric individuals. They know that they need online protection, but aren’t willing to compromise their experience for it,” said Baker Nanduru, Head of Consumer Products at McAfee. “Consumers are looking to gaming as a release from everyday stresses, and McAfee is giving them one less thing to worry about. With this new offering of McAfee Gamer Security, our greater U.S. customer base can enjoy a smoother, safer gaming experience.”

Key Features and Benefits of McAfee Gamer Security Include:

  • Minimal Security Resource Consumption: With a new product architecture and a smaller resource footprint, gamers will enjoy low-impact security protection at all times. Security features can even be paused during gaming mode for further performance gains.
  • Game Mode: Automatically boosts and optimizes resources…

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Intego VirusBarrier X9 protects your Mac from macOS malware like Silver Sparrow and Xcode Spy [Save 50% on Mac Premium Bundle]

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While you may hear that Macs are not be vulnerable to Windows viruses, the popularity of the Mac means that nefarious parties are actually targeting macOS more than ever before. Fortunately, Intego Mac Security has over two decades of experience protecting Apple users, and 9to5Mac readers can save 50% on Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle X9.

Intego’s software suite features macOS Big Sur compatible apps for Internet security, removing digital cruft, and backing up your most important data. This includes Intego’s all-new VirusBarrier X9 software so you can have peace of mind when new malware makes headlines.

Silver Sparrow protection

For macOS users, this means you can rely on Intego VirusBarrier X9 to detect the recently discovered Silver Sparrow malware that was found this year.

Silver Sparrow is mysterious malware discovered in the wild that found its way onto at least 40,000 Macs, including both Intel and M1 Macs. The full impact is not yet known of Silver Sparrow nor is its origin, but infected machines check in with a mysterious remote server every hour — seriously invasive.

XcodeSpy infection

Intego VirusBarrier X9 also eliminates XcodeSpy, a piece of malware that affects Apple’s developer environment Xcode. iPhone and iPad apps can only be developed on a Mac using Xcode, and XcodeSpy exploits this requirement by being distributed to Mac users through trojanized Xcode projects that are lightweight in file size and easy to share and download.

Peace of mind

Those are just two examples of how Intego VirusBarrier X9 keeps your Mac safe from creepy and privacy invasive malware that targets macOS. An infected Mac can make that all your data from personal photos and documents to passwords and browser data can be compromised. The worst part about malware like Silver Sparrow and XcodeSpy is that you won’t even know if your Mac is infected without software like VirusBarrier X9.

Intego VirusBarrier X9 actively protects your Mac from malware and phishing attempts with real time scans and automatic updates. You don’t have to be a computer expert to start using VirusBarrier X9 either. Set up is designed to be easy for all users, and configuration is simple enough for…

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