Update: Additional informational reveals that the attack could affect as many as 14 million US government employee files.
The day is finally almost over and all you want to do is tune out, lie on your couch, check Facebook and maybe watch a funny cat video on YouTube. With your laptop in hand, you open up your browser and find your plans are rudely interrupted by a notification asking you to update Internet Explorer. So like most people, you follow the prompts, execute an update and continue on about your business.
2014 was certainly not a great year for cyber security. We saw high-end data breaches of large companies such as Ebay, Target, Sony, Home Depot and JP Morgan to name a few. Millions of data, personal records and financial information were stolen and sold on the black market in a matter of days.
Criminals are certainly stepping up their game and data breaches are becoming both common and devastating. To see the enormity of data breaches in the past years, Information is Beautiful has compiled a great interactive visual that includes all of the major hacks dating back from 2004 until today.
Online shopping provides a sense of convenience for everyone. The fact that we are able to buy goods online without having to physically go out to a store is definitely one of the main appeal for many consumers.
The software we use on our computers is in regular need of attention. Like a racing car needing to find the optimum performance or a pair of socks in the ‘make do and mend’ post-war days, your software must be patched up on a regular basis to keep it fit for use.
We don’t want to unduly excite anyone, but we’re pretty sure we’ve found the secret to happiness, to optimism, and to the ability to look ahead and see only good things on the horizon. And that secret would be: never examine the details of anything.
If you’ve been around a teenager recently, chances are they’ve not been more than an arm’s length away from their cell phone. They’re talking about their Twitter feed or something they saw online that a friend of a friend sent them.
Cyberbullying, or bullying/teasing online, is becoming a fad that is all too easy with the availability of Internet-ready devices at teens’ fingertips. Cyberbullying can take on many forms and can become toxic quickly.
Did you know that February 9th is National Clean Up Your Computer Day? The Institute for Business Technology originally sponsored it several years ago, assigning it to the second Monday in February. It is the time you’re encouraged to give your machine a good scrubbing inside and out.
Since Jan 15, it is now illegal in Canada for websites to install any updates or installations without permission from the user. This also applies to app updates on your smartphones and tablets.
This means no more automatic downloads; “Implied” consent is not enough, the permission must be clearly stated before any download can take place. However, there are some exemptions—these include HTML, Javascript, operating system cookies and bug fixes.
With 2014 in the rear view mirror, it is fun to look forward to the year ahead and see if we can predict what may happen over the next twelve months. Our Director at Malware Labs, Andrew Browne has prepared an overview of what we can expect in terms of malware trends in the coming year.
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