Computer Safety & News

Over a dozen utility companies have acknowledged they experience daily attacks as noted in the Bit9 security blog: https://blog.bit9.com/2013/05/30/us-electric-grid-under-persistent-cyber-attack/ QUOTE: A recent report by Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) referenced more than a dozen utility companies that acknowledged they experience daily persistent cyber attacks. Although statistically similar to companies in other sectors, there […]

Potential new BIOS security attacks are being analyzed by security researchers with possible POC malware demonstrated at the next Black Hat convention this summer http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability/bios-bummer-new-malware-can-bypass-bios/240155473 QUOTE: As more hardware vendors seek to implement the new NIST 800-155 specification that was designed to make the start-up BIOS firmware on our PCs and laptops more secure, they […]

Effective July 1st, revised US privacy laws will require parental consent.  As this article from Facecrooks security notes, improved controls are needed to ensure all users meet age restriction requirements. http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/Preteens-Use-of-Instagram-has-Privacy-and-Safety-Advocates-Concerned.html QUOTE: More and more teenagers (and even preteens) are moving away from traditional social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and embracing photo-sharing services […]

While link below is more oriented to Apple OSX environment, version 27 also became available for Windows also http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/googles-chrome-27-includes-security-fixes-and-more/   The Google team has updated its web browser to Google Chrome 27.0.1453.93 for Mac and other operating systems, which includes security fixes for fourteen vulnerabilities (11 high-level bugs, 2 medium-level bugs, and 1 low-level bug). Google […]

This article shares techniques to create stronger passwords http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/security/312068-infographic-the-smart-approach-to-password-creation QUOTE: In a recent study, Deloitte reported that over 90 percent of passwords created by individual users are “vulnerable to hacking in a matter of seconds.” This includes stupid passwords like “password” and “123456,” but also includes “those considered strong by IT departments.” The researchers determined that […]

This new phishing attack targets page administrators to divulge credentials that could be misused later http://facecrooks.com/Scam-Watch/Fan-Page-Verification-Scam-Targets-Facebook-Page-Administrators.html http://www.hoax-slayer.com/fan-page-verification-scam.shtml QUOTE: A new phishing scam on Facebook claims that page administrators need to verify page ownership by submitting their Facebook username and password. Of course, it’s just a ploy to divest users of their personal info, as is […]

Summary from several evaluations below: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/053013-microsoft-outs-the-new-features-270303.html http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/start-button-returns-in-windows-8.1/ http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-81-restores-start-button-with-tw/240155767?cid=nl_IW_daily_2013-05-30_html http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2419698,00.asp http://www.zdnet.com/windows-blue-whats-new-on-the-search-front-7000016075/ http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-1-unveiled-will-it-change-your-mind-about-windows-8-7000016112/ QUOTE: Microsoft announced Thursday that Windows 8.1 will restore the Start button and include a boot-to-desktop option, confirming a series of reports published the previous afternoon.  At face value, the tweaks smooth over several of Windows 8’s most-criticized rough edges. What remains to be […]

Firefox 23 features improved security for webpages with mixed http and https modes https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2013/05/16/mixed-content-blocking-in-firefox-aurora/ QUOTE: Firefox 23 moved from Nightly to Aurora this week, bundled with a new browser security feature. The Mixed Content Blocker is enabled by default in Firefox 23 and protects our users from man-in-the-middle attacks and eavesdroppers on HTTPS pages. When an […]

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/internet-crime/311558-cyber-criminals-stole-500-million-in-internet-crime-in-2012 QUOTE: Cyber-criminals stole more than a half-billion dollars last year, relying on a variety of scams including fake sales, extortion, and scareware, according to the latest figures from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 289,874 complaints, or approximately 24,000 complaints a month, in 2012, according to the 2012 […]

Further Details on “Windows Blue” project announced today. http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2013/05/30/continuing-the-windows-8-vision-with-windows-8-1.aspx QUOTE: Windows 8.1 will advance the bold vision set forward with Windows 8 to deliver the next generation of PCs, tablets, and a range of industry devices, and the experiences customers — both consumers and businesses alike — need and will just expect moving forward. It’s […]