Chrome OS May Get Some Competition From Windows 10 Cloud

February 15th, 2017

Windows hasn’t had much luck with scaled down operating systems, but there have been hints that the company is about to try again. This time, the company will try with a product called Windows 10 Cloud.

Two of their earlier efforts, Windows CE and RT, didn’t go anywhere.

Android HummingBad Malware Back, Now Called HummingWhale

February 14th, 2017

It is an article of faith that Google’s Play Store and Apple’s iStore are the two safest sources for downloading apps. As good as their security routines are, however, they’re not perfect, and sometimes, things slip through the cracks.

The world got a painful reminder of their fallibility last year when a group of hackers managed to infect millions of Android devices by successfully dodging Google’s security and uploading poisoned versions of popular apps with a malware program called “Hummingbad.

Lego Creates New Social Network For Kids

February 13th, 2017

Here’s’ an interesting and inspiring story about corporate inventiveness and good citizenship.

If you grew up playing with Legos, then you know that half the fun of them is in sharing your creations with others Adults, of course, have plenty of platforms to share on, but those platforms don’t tend to be kid-friendly, and because of that, Lego has designed a space just for kids 13 and under.

Facebook Attempting To Fix Password Recovery To Minimize Hack Possibility

February 11th, 2017

Password security continues to be the single biggest weak point in the realm of digital security. The problems on this front are numerous, but chiefly stem from the facts that:

• Too many people use simple, easily guessed passwords
• Too many people use the same password across multiple accounts
• And too many people adopt a “set and forget” mindset when it comes to passwords.

Using Android Pattern Lock May Not Be Best Phone Security

February 10th, 2017

If you use an Android device, and since they are the most popular devices on the planet these days, you probably do, then you may also be using a pattern locking mechanism to secure it.

On the face of it, that seems to make a lot of sense. After all, given the number of high profile data breaches we’ve seen in recent years, it seems clear enough that standard text-based passwords have real issues.

Not Even Police Can Avoid Ransomware – Back Up Regularly!

February 9th, 2017

How’s your network security? Is it on par with police departments, which, you’d have to imagine, have fairly robust security?

If so, you’re still not safe.

Recently, police in Cockrell Hill, Texas, announced in a press release that they had been the victim of a ransomware attack that cost them dearly.

More HP Laptop Batteries Are Being Recalled

February 8th, 2017

Is your laptop a fire hazard? If it’s using an HP battery, it may be. Recently, HP began receiving reports of batteries overheating, and in at least one case, in Canada, a laptop actually caught fire.

That prompted HP to issue a recall of more than 41,000 batteries, but as the number of complaints continued to escalate, it quickly became apparent that the problem was more widespread than was initially believed.

Update Your Mac To Fix GarageBand And Logic Security Issues

February 7th, 2017

If you’re a Mac user who uses GarageBand or Logic Pro, you’re going to want to update both of those programs with Apple’s latest patches.

According to the company, they discovered critical security flaws in both pieces of software that could allow hackers to remotely execute code.

Stolen USB Drive Gets Insurance Company $2.2 Million HIPAA Fine

February 6th, 2017

The Department of Health and Human Services is off to a busy start in 2017, having just levied their second hefty fine for HIPAA violations. In this instance, the company in question was Puerto Rican insurer MAPFRE.

Back in 2011, MAPFRE had reported an ePHI incident involving a flash drive that was stolen from the company’s IT department, where it had been left in the open and unsecured overnight.