Computer Safety & News

The Ryuk Ransomware is  targeting organizations globally with warnings by UK & USA cybersecurity government agencies, as outlined in the 9 page PDF: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/ryuk-advisory https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2019/06/28/ncsc-releases-advisory-ryuk-ransomware Ryuk was first seen in August 2018 and has been responsible for multiple attacks globally. Ryuk is a targeted ransomware where demands are set according to the victim’s perceived ability […]

In a future WIN10 “features” release, Cortana will become a separate new app rather than being integrated in the WIN10 O/S: https://www.pcmag.com/news/369301/cortana-is-now-a-microsoft-store-app Ever since Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana appeared for Windows 10 in 2015 it has been dependent on the operating system for updates. However, Cortana is set to become a completely separate service as […]

Google’s Chrome O/S is popular for tablets, notepads, and some laptops.  The newly released version 75 contains new features & addresses multiple security vulnerabilities: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2019/06/27/google-releases-security-updates-chrome-os https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2019/06/stable-channel-update-for-chrome-os-m75.html The Stable channel has been updated to 75.0.3770.102 (Platform version: 12105.75.0) for most Chrome OS devices. This build contains a number of bug fixes and security updates. Systems will […]

The FTC has launched a campaign called “Operation Call it Quits” to reduce unsolicited & illegal robo-call activities: https://www.pcmag.com/news/369264/ftc-announces-call-it-quits-robocall-crackdown https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/06/ftc-law-enforcement-partners-announce-new-crackdown-illegal The crackdown is called “Operation Call it Quits” and it has resulted in 94 actions, four new cases, and three new settlements by the FTC. In total, this accounts for operations that placed over one […]

https://redmondmag.com/articles/2019/06/26/cloud-security-concerns-remain.aspx About 27 percent of business workloads currently use public cloud services, but that number is expected to reach 48 percent in a year or two, according to survey findings published by Spiceworks, an Austin, Texas-based marketing services company.  This research report can be found at: “Public Cloud Trends in 2019 and Beyond”      Cloud service […]

The IIL shares an the Phoenix Project which is used for training purposes to simulate real life scenarios in leadership Key Takeaways from ‘The Phoenix Project’ DevOps Simulation QUOTE:    These were the headlines confronting the team participating in a walk-through of The Phoenix Project DevOps Business Simulation as they failed to effectively collaborate and apply […]

This IIL article is an excellent Q&A series on “leading with Joy” as you work with employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders of the organization.  “Leading with Joy” uses a theme of a positive attitude, acknowledgment of others, and grateful leadership principals.  It is applicable to business, IT, or any other management approach Rich Sheridan […]

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2019/06/26/nist-releases-report-managing-iot-risks https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST17-001 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the Considerations for Managing Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks report. The publication—the first in a planned series on IoT—aims to help federal agencies and other organizations manage the cybersecurity and privacy risks associated with individual IoT devices.   The Cybersecurity and […]

Microsoft has enhanced it’s popular “OneDrive” cloud storage facility, to add a new highly secure Personal Vault option as described below: https://www.pcmag.com/news/369236/microsoft-enhances-onedrive-with-a-personal-vault You’d hope that any cloud storage option was secure, but Microsoft is going an extra step to offer enhanced security for OneDrive by introducing a new protected area.   OneDrive is Microsoft cloud storage service allowing you […]

The Dept. of Homeland Security has launched a revamped & improved US-CERT website.  For years this has been a helpful resource in tracking latest major threats & vulnerabilities.  In late 2018, there was a realignment of national cyber-security agencies as documented below to become Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) https://www.us-cert.gov/ On November 16, 2018, […]