Tag Archive for: Stop

How Hackers Outwit All Efforts to Stop Them: “It’s a Cyber Pandemic.”

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On the morning of January 11, the Federal Aviation Administration halted all airline takeoffs in the U.S. because of a glitch in a software system critical to flight safety. “There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point,” said the White House press secretary. But would officials know it if it were? And would they disclose it to the public?

Those are fair questions, given that in 2015 it took the FAA two months to disclose that hackers had planted malware in one of its computer networks. The federal government keeps tight wraps on what it knows about threats to American businesses and individuals.

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If hackers did indeed attack the FAA, it would be business as usual in the world of cybersecurity. On the same day, according to research firm Cybersecurity Ventures, hackers posted more than 120,000 records stolen from the San Francisco Bay Area transit system’s police department, took down the websites of eight major Danish banks, including the central bank, and broke into military and government agencies in several Southeast Asian and European countries. They also hijacked the cloud-computing platforms of Microsoft and Salesforce, making off with millions of dollars worth of untraceable cryptocurrency.

That’s just on January 11. Every day of the year, hackers unleash a stream of major attacks against government agencies, companies and individuals. Last year, they took down emergency services, threatened regional power grids, disrupted patient care at major hospitals, brought trains to a halt, took over radio stations to sow panic among listeners with a fake crisis, set off air-raid alerts and attacked U.S. nuclear scientists. So far this year, hackers broke into the communications firm Slack and stole email addresses of more than 200 million Twitter users.

More than 70 million Americans are hit by cybercrimes every year, according to computer security research firm Purplesec, often leaving people defrauded, spied on or publicly humiliated by having private photos and other information published online. More than two-thirds of small businesses have been victimized by hackers at least once. Some experts believe that just about every large…

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Stop from being hacked by getting this critical Windows update now

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If you are running Windows on your devices, this story is critically important to you. You see, recently, a significant security breach rocked Microsoft.  Luckily its tech experts were able to fix it – and you can avoid the trouble they found by following this story.

However, this is an important reminder for all of us to always have our devices as up-to-date as possible and to be on the lookout for potential scammers trying to obtain our private information.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS, SECURITY ALERTS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

Hackers figured out a way to bypass a security feature on Windows devices by using standalone JavaScript files to exploit what is known as CVE-2022-44698 zero-day, or SmartScreen. 

Hackers figured out a way to bypass a security feature on Windows devices by using standalone JavaScript files to exploit what is known as CVE-2022-44698 zero-day, or SmartScreen. 
(Kurt Knutsson)

What was the security issue with Microsoft

Hackers figured out a way to bypass a security feature on Windows devices by using standalone JavaScript files to exploit what is known as CVE-2022-44698 zero-day, or SmartScreen. By exploiting this, the hackers were able to override SmartScreen, a warning popup designed to appear when suspicious activity is being downloaded onto a Windows device.

HAVE A SPY ON YOUR PHONE? TAKE STEPS NOW!

Once this was done, hackers could trick Windows users into downloading malicious content onto their devices because there was no warning to stop them from doing so.

With their latest update, Microsoft was able to fix the issue during their December 2022 Patch Tuesday, a day held monthly when the company releases patches for their software issues. 

With their latest update, Microsoft was able to fix the issue during their December 2022 Patch Tuesday, a day held monthly when the company releases patches for their software issues. 
(Kurt Knutsson)

How did the hackers manage to exploit the security feature

Experts at Microsoft closely examined the issue and discovered that there are only 3 possible ways for the security feature to have been exploited:

  • The hacker could have hosted a malicious website that exploited the security feature bypass
  • The hacker could have sent the victim a specially crafted URL file via email to exploit the bypass
  • The security feature bypass could be exploited via compromised websites or websites that accept or host user-provided content
The most important and necessary way for you to protect your device from all types of malware is by installing solid antivirus software. 

The most important and necessary way for you to protect your device from all…

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Learn how to stop hackers before they strike for $79

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This content is made possible by our sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Engadget’s editorial staff.

Cybercriminals never seem to sleep, and their targets aren’t just . Hackers can go after everyday internet users with social engineering methods like , and it’s up to cybersecurity professionals to prevent these agents from accessing critical company and personal data.

Cybersecurity professionals are hackers themselves, in a way. They utilize the same tools to find vulnerabilities in their organizations’ networks, but they’re also quick to address potential risks before malicious actors can take advantage of them. If you want to learn how to use these skills ethically, the , the best price on the web.

The courses are provided by , an e-learning platform specializing in IT certification training. Its “edutainers” present content in a talk-show format to keep your learning experience fresh and compelling.

If you want to land your first cybersecurity role, earning professional credentials can help your application stand out. The bundle offers prep material for several key certifications, including CompTIA CASP+, Cisco CCNP Security, ISACA CISM and more. On top of that, the collection features courses on individual skills, including mobile security, penetration testing and Python. You’ll even find lessons on GDPR compliance.

Course list:

  • Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500)

  • Cisco CCNP Security SCOR (Exam 350-701)

  • CertNexus Cyber Secure Coder (CSC-110)

  • Python for Security

  • Linux Security Techniques

  • Microsoft 365 Security Administration (MS-500)

  • Microsoft MS-101: Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security

  • Hands-On Web App Pentesting

  • Penetration Testing

  • Mobile Security

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

  • Practical Pentesting featuring Brad Stine

  • Cisco CCNP Security SNCF (300-710)

  • CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002)

  • Ethical Hacker Certification v11

  • NIST Cybersecurity & Risk Management Frameworks

  • CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601)

  • (ISC) CISSP

  • Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Fundamentals (PCCSA)

  • Hands-on Hacking

  • CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-002)

  • ISACA Certified Information Security Manager…

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How to change your computer’s settings to stop spying programs

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You can go into your PC or Mac settings and restrict to access your camera, mic, and location.

Your phone knows a lot about you. It tracks your movement, browsing habits, downloads, and more. Go here for a trick to know when your phone’s camera or microphone is being used.

You also need to worry about social media apps, voice assistants, and smart TVs from listening and recording what you have to say. Tap or click for steps to put a stop to it.

Phone apps ask permission to access your camera, mic, and location. You can go into your phone’s settings to grant or restrict these permissions. Did you know you can do the same for your PC or Mac? Here’s how:

How to change app permissions on Windows

Windows has a Privacy page where you can fiddle with your app permissions. It just takes a few clicks.

Change app permissions on Windows 11

• Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security.

• Under App permissions, select an option (for example, Location). Then choose which apps can access it.

• You can also use the Recent activity dropdown menu for each permission to show which apps are accessing them.

Change app permissions on Windows 10

• Go to Start > Settings > Privacy.

• Under App permissions, select an option (for example, Microphone). Then choose which apps can access it.

There are many permissions on the list, including access to your calendar, files and folders, email, music library, notifications, and webcam. Consider whether an app truly needs the access level it requests by default.

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