Tag Archive for: Turn

After years of losing, it’s finally feds’ turn to troll ransomware group


After years of losing, it’s finally feds’ turn to troll ransomware group

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After years of being outmaneuvered by snarky ransomware criminals who tease and brag about each new victim they claim, international authorities finally got their chance to turn the tables, and they aren’t squandering it.

The top-notch trolling came after authorities from the US, UK, and Europol took down most of the infrastructure belonging to Lockbit, a ransomware syndicate that has extorted more than $120 million from thousands of victims around the world. On Tuesday, most of the sites Lockbit uses to shame its victims for being hacked, pressure them into paying, and brag of their hacking prowess began displaying content announcing the takedown. The seized infrastructure also hosted decryptors victims could use to recover their data.

The dark web site Lockbit once used to name and shame victims, displaying entries such as "press releases," "LB Backend Leaks," and "LockbitSupp You've been banned from Lockbit 3.0."
Enlarge / The dark web site Lockbit once used to name and shame victims, displaying entries such as “press releases,” “LB Backend Leaks,” and “LockbitSupp You’ve been banned from Lockbit 3.0.”

this_is_really_bad

Authorities didn’t use the seized name-and-shame site solely for informational purposes. One section that appeared prominently gloated over the extraordinary extent of the system access investigators gained. Several images indicated they had control of /etc/shadow, a Linux file that stores cryptographically hashed passwords. This file, among the most security-sensitive ones in Linux, can be accessed only by a user with root, the highest level of system privileges.

Screenshot showing a folder named
Enlarge / Screenshot showing a folder named “shadow” with hashes for accounts including “root,” “daemon,” “bin,” and “sys.”

Other images demonstrated that investigators also had complete control of the main web panel and the system Lockbit operators used to communicate with affiliates and victims.

Screenshot of a panel used to administer the Lockbit site.
Enlarge / Screenshot of a panel used to administer the Lockbit site.
Screenshot showing chats between a Lockbit affiliate and a victim.
Enlarge / Screenshot showing chats between a Lockbit affiliate and a victim.

The razzing didn’t stop there. File names of the images had titles including: “this_is_really_bad.png,” “oh dear.png,” and “doesnt_look_good.png.” The seized page also teased the upcoming doxing of LockbitSupp, the moniker of the main…

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How to Turn off Antivirus Protection: Software & Device 2024






How to Turn off Antivirus Protection: Software & Device 2024



























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Key Takeaways: How to Turn Off Antivirus

  • Most antivirus software can be disabled in just a few steps
  • Turning off antivirus protection can leave your device vulnerable to threats, so it is wise to turn it back on as soon as possible
  • There are a number of different ways to disable antivirus, and we cover many of them here

Sometimes it is necessary to disable antivirus protection in order to install software or troubleshoot issues. If you want to turn off your antivirus permanently or temporarily, you can do it through the antivirus app, your device or your browser. In this guide, we will walk you through several ways to turn off antivirus protection.

There are a lot of antivirus options to choose from. Check out our article on the best antivirus software for help on choosing the best option for you.

How to Turn Off Antivirus Protection: Quick Steps 

Turning off antivirus protection generally only requires a few steps. In our example, we will use Windows Security. We talk about other providers below. 

  1. Open Windows Security

    Search for Windows Security and open the app.

    Windows Security search bar
  2. Turn Off Windows Security

    Either switch “real-time…

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Could This Crazy New Smartphone Hack Turn 2024 Into 1984?


In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have revealed how hackers can turn your smartphone into a spying device akin to the TV screens featured in Orwell’s 1984.

The paper, Imaging privacy threats from an ambient light sensor, reveals how seemingly harmless ambient light sensors, used in most smartphones to auto-adjust screen brightness, are capable of covertly capturing user interactions thanks to a newly developed computational imaging algorithm.

How Smartphone Screens, Not Cameras, Can Spy On Users

I have written plenty of articles covering how seemingly innocuous items can be used to spy on users and create a security threat that one might not ordinarily imagine. Forget the more obvious targets for such stories as smart speakers, and think more about light bulbs and vacuum cleaners, both of which have been subject to research regarding covert surveillance techniques.

MORE FROM FORBESNew Galaxy S24: Samsung Confirms Massive Security Bombshell

More than a hint of 1984 shines through the research by Yang Liu, Gregory W. Wornell, William T. Freeman and Fredo Durand. Instead of Big Brother keeping tabs on citizens through enormous TV screens everywhere, the researchers talk of how hackers could covertly capture user gestures through the small screens we carry everywhere: smartphones.

More precisely, the researchers focus on the ambient light sensors that enable our smartphones to adjust screen brightness to match our environment. Apps can use ambient light sensors without the need to ask permission from the user. The lack of permission control is not exactly surprising, given that such sensors have not been considered a privacy or security risk. Until now.

MORE FROM FORBESGmail 2024 Hack Attack Advice: Turn It Off And On Again, Google Says

Novel Smartphone Security Risk Revealed By MIT Researchers

“The ambient light sensor needs to be always on for functionality and is…

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Why This Brain-Hacking Technology Will Turn Us All Into Cyborgs


It felt like magic: As I moved my head and eyes across the computer screen, the cursor moved with me. My goal was to click on pictures of targets on the display. Once the cursor reached a target, I would blink causing it to click on the target—as if it were reading my mind.

Of course, that’s essentially what was happening. The headband I was wearing picked on my brain, eye, and facial signals. This data was fed through an AI-software that translated it into commands for the cursor. This allowed me to control what was on the screen, even though I didn’t have a mouse or a trackpad. I didn’t need them. My mind was doing all of the work.

“The brain, eye, and face are great generators of electricity,” Naeem Kemeilipoor, the founder of brain-computer interface (BCI) startup AAVAA, told The Daily Beast at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. “Our sensors pick up the signals, and using AI we can interpret them.”

The headband is just one of AAVAA’s products that promises to bring non-invasive BCIs to the consumer market. Their other devices include AR glasses, headphones, and earbuds that all essentially accomplish the same function: reading your brain and facial signals to allow you to control your devices.

While BCI technology has largely remained in the research labs of universities and medical institutions, startups like AAVAA are looking for ways to put them in the hands—or, rather, on the heads—of everyday people. These products go beyond what we typically expect of our smart devices, seamlessly integrating our brain with technology around us. They also offer a lot of hope and promise for people with disabilities or limited mobility—allowing them to interact with and control their computers, smartphones, and even wheelchairs.

However, BCIs also blur the lines between the tech around us and our very minds. Though they can be helpful for people with disabilities, their widespread use and adoption raises questions and concerns about privacy, security, and even a user’s very personhood. Allowing a device to read our brain signals throws open the doors to these ethical considerations so, as they steadily become more popular, they could become more dangerous as well.

AAVAA's BCI devices on a table at CES 2024.

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