Computer Safety & News

This NBC Tech article shares that most websites actively track users extensively as the visit or shop on e-commerce sites http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/cyber-monday-what-happens-your-data-when-you-shop-online-n461711 So how exactly is your data collected, stored, and profited from? And how safe is it? Put down that credit card, because it’s time for a lesson on what happens to your personal information […]

Tech Republic shares a list of 8 special techniques when using the Visual Basic Editor to improve productivity: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/eight-tips-for-working-more-efficiently-in-the-visual-basic-editor/ Office uses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), an application development language, to extend functionality beyond its standard features. You might write a simple printing macro or use more complex procedures to perform custom tasks or even […]

Microsoft has improved security gradually over the years through a continuous improvement process and strategic initiatives of it’s executives.  Microsoft’s CEO recently discussed security improvements as noted below: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/technology/microsoft-once-infested-with-security-flaws-does-an-about-face.html REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft was once the epitome of everything wrong with security in technology. Its products were so infested with vulnerabilities that the company’s co-founder, […]

Numerous articles warm of security dangers duing this intense period of e-commerce and credit card activity http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities—threats/cyber-monday-what-retailers-and-shoppers-should-watch-for/d/d-id/132330 http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities—threats/black-friday-security-brick-and-mortar-retailers-have-cyber-threats-too/d/d-id/1323235 https://r-cisc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/R-CISC-2015-Hacking-Season-.pdf Cyber Monday: What Retailers & Shoppers Should Watch For –Attackers have a variety of ways to commit fraud and may take advantage of busy time to sneak in a data breach. While store managers and salespeople […]

The Internet Storm Center warms of a new malicious spam attack wave that appears to be a billing statement during this season of high e-commerce activity: https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/Malicious+spam+Subject+RE+Bill/20417/ Earlier today (Wednesday 2015-11-25), one of our readers notified the ISC of malicious spam (malspam) with a Word document designed to infect a Windows computer with malware.  I […]

Microsoft has released build 1511 (aka Threshold project) as first major update to Windows 10 and some key tuning is found in the following 3 areas below: http://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/11/12/first-major-update-for-windows-10-available-today/ http://www.computerworld.com/article/3005602/microsoft-windows/what-you-need-to-know-about-windows-10s-new-upgrade.html With this update, there are improvements in all aspects of the platform and experience, including thousands of partners updating their device drivers and applications for great […]

An interesting technology development as standard headphone jack may no longer be an option due to the very thin design of this future model http://www.techtimes.com/articles/111442/20151128/iphone-7-and-iphone-7-plus-design-will-be-so-thin-3-5mm-headphone-port-will-be-replaced-with-lightning-port.htm A new report claims that Apple’s next-generation iPhone 7 is going to be so thin that the company will abandon the 3.5mm headphone port. Instead, the iPhone 7 will use […]

Dell has quickly responded to potential manipulation of a new master root certificate, that could have been potentially compromised for a limited # of recent new laptops & PCs  http://www.eweek.com/security/dell-instructs-users-to-remove-rogue-edellroot-ca.html Dell installed a root certificate on new machines, in a security faux pas similar to Lenovo’s Superfish. Dell is back-pedaling today after it was revealed that the […]

PC Magazine notes porting of Windows 10 Cortana application to Apple iOS operating system as noted below http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2495757,00.asp http://warenotice.weebly.com/news/cortana-for-ios-beta-now-rolling-out-to-first-waves-of-users Microsoft has officially started its beta test of a new Cortana app for iOS. And if you’re one of the lucky few to be involved in it, consider yourself part of a fairly exclusive club. According […]

Facecrooks Security warns users to not accept untrusted or unfamiliar “friend requests” in Facebook or other social networks.  Attackers may mine for past historical data for identify theft or other fraudulent purposes. http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/Facebook-Users-Warned-About-Strange-Friend-Requests.html/ A strange new trend has bubbled up on Facebook lately that has users receiving strange friend requests from people all over the […]