Tag Archive for: tech

Boost Your Online Security: Here’s Why You Should Install an Ad Blocker Today : Tech : Tech Times

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By Quincy Jon, Tech Times

New research reveals ad blockers’ unexpected importance in malicious software prevention. 

Recent findings show how spyware makers employ banner advertisements for government surveillance. Innovators in ad-based spyware distribution include European firm Intellexa, which created Predator. 

Documents showing Intellexa’s 2022 Aladdin proof-of-concept system was received by Haaretz. The papers indicate that Aladdin used internet job advertising to install phone spyware on graphic designers and campaigners, according to a TechCrunch report.

Malvertising: How Does It Work?

Aladdin’s growth and clients are unknown, but Insanet, an Israeli company, has created an ad-based infection system that can identify persons in advertising networks.

Ad exchanges are crucial to websites’ income, but unscrupulous actors use them to spread destructive malware to consumers’ devices. Malvertising, which uses user input to execute its payload, threatens online security and privacy.

Government surveillance can target dissenters with surreptitious spyware due to pervasive web advertising. Ad blockers prevent web browser advertising from loading, protecting against malvertising and ad-based malware.

In Feburary, FBI Director Christopher Wray has stressed the agency’s attention on Chinese attempts to enter computer networks with harmful malware, increasing fears about disrupting crucial US infrastructure, per the Financial Times.

After the Munich Security Conference, Wray worried about malware “pre-positioning” after the dismantling of the Volt Typhoon, a Chinese hacking network that targeted American infrastructure like the electricity grid and water supply and other global targets.

Read Also: Security Engineer Faces 3-Year Prison Sentence After $12 Million Crypto Heist

“We’re laser-focused on this as a real threat and working with a lot of partners to identify, anticipate, and disrupt it,” Wray said, emphasizing the need for caution.

Volt Typhoon is a notable instance, but Wray warned that it is simply one of several Chinese…

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Sunbird iMessage for Android Returns After Shutting Down Due to Security Issues : Tech : Tech Times

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Sunbird is returning to bring iMessage to Android after the company shut down its services due to security issues. 

The last time it was available, the company partnered with Nothing for the service known as ‘Nothing Chats,’ another iMessage for Android service that promised blue bubbles but faced massive security issues.

Sunbird iMessage for Android Returns Soon

(Photo: Sunbird )

The company promises that the experience will be returned soon for all to enjoy.

According to their latest press release, they will start with a beta release for everyone to try, which already features several fixes, enhancements, and improvements compared to its initial run. 

From its earlier AV1 iMessage architecture, the company has developed its better and new take on this implementation, the AV2. It is now focused on improving user privacy and uses an MQTTS message broker, an OASIS standard for secure messaging. 

Sunbird promises that when the decrypted message is passed to the iMessage and RCS/Google Messages Network, it will only exist in memory for a brief time.

Read Also: Nothing Chats: Security Concern over Apple ID, iMessage Login-Should You Download?

Sunbird’s Shut Down and Security Issues

In 2022, Sunbird was among the first to bring iMessage for Android and promised this experience for all, after which it was made partner by Nothing Chats to bring the same experience for its app.

However, many security issues were found, including privacy problems wherein the messages were stored in the Firebase Database, unencrypted HTTP API Calls, and more. 

Now, the company is looking to fix all this, make it more secure, and roll it out gradually to users who have signed up (with the waitlist still open for those who want to join it via this link), with Sunbird sending out invitations to accepted ones. 

iMessage for Android’s Interconnectivity

Last year, there came a massive wave of companies looking to bring the iMessage service for Android, and this was amidst the sparking conversations regarding Apple’s reluctance to adopt RCS.

Among the many companies to do this, the first was Sunbird, followed by Nothing Chats via a…

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Shifting Targets of Cyberattacks from Governments to Big Tech

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  • In recent months, bad actors seem to be modifying their modus operandi. State-sponsored cyber attackers were expected to target governments primarily, particularly owing to growing global tensions; cyberattacks have increasingly shifted their focus toward big tech companies.
  • This shift highlights changes in the global geopolitical landscape and emphasizes the vital role of technology in modern society. Understanding the change and its implications is critical to devising and implementing effective strategies to minimize cyber threats.

The evolving threat landscape

Historically, cyber warfare has largely targeted government assets, with threat actors sabotaging sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and strategic assets. Cyber espionage and sabotage have often been conducted by state-sponsored actors whose objectives were primarily aligned with military, political, or economic gains. The Stuxnet worm, which is believed to be developed jointly by the United States and Israel, targeting Iran’s nuclear program, is one such example.

However, as technology has become increasingly intertwined with all aspects of modern life, the landscape of cyber threats has also experienced an evolution. Tech companies possess massive repositories of valuable information, including financial records, personal information, trade secrets and other intellectual property.

These businesses have become critical to the global economy and have a substantial influence on multiple areas of specialization. This makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking geopolitical advantage, pushing ideological motives, or financial gain.

See More: 5 Serious Repercussions of Targeted Cyberattacks on Business Leaders

Factors that make tech companies a target

One of the key reasons behind the shift in targets is the value of the data held by big tech companies. With the rapid spread of cloud computing and digital services, companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have collected massive volumes of data ranging from behavioral patterns and user preferences to proprietary algorithms and sensitive corporate data that have become a very lucrative target for cybercriminals.

In the last year…

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I’m a tech expert still in shock at these ways hackers steal your password

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You’ve probably heard it a million times, right? Keep your passwords strong, unique and under wraps. Don’t go clicking on shady links, and change your passwords like you change your socks. Oh, and let’s not forget about tucking them away in a cozy, encrypted password manager. The advice list is never-ending.

But here’s a kicker. What if you tick all those boxes and your password still ends up in the wrong hands? I know it sounds like we’re going overboard, but it’s a legitimate worry. How can you keep yourself safe from all the password-stealing scams out there and the damage that can potentially come with that?

The truth is, you can never keep yourself 100% safe from anything. But you can try your best. It starts by taking a step back and understanding the ways that your password, emails and usernames could be potentially compromised.

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

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Illustration of locking up your devices (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The many ways hackers try to steal your password

Theoretically, there are many ways that hackers can go about stealing your password and other login information, especially when it comes to tricking you into giving it to them. But, all the methods go back to the basics. Here are some of the methods hackers employ to steal passwords from innocent people like you and me.

Password spraying: This isn’t always successful, but attackers may attempt to log in to your accounts by trying random common passwords and seeing if anything hits.

Credential stuffing: Hackers test databases or lists of stolen credentials against multiple accounts to see if there’s a match. If you use the same password across different sites,…

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