Have you ever created an account on Dell's website to purchase computer equipment?  If so, your account may have been compromised.  As a precaution, Dell has forced password resets for every account on their site. You've likely already got a notification sitting in your inbox with a password rest link and additional instructions and information.

In recent years we've seen several companies suffer from hacks of various magnitudes. Over time, we've witnessed the growth of what could be described as best practices in terms of how to respond.

The typical arc goes something like this:

The hack is discovered.

Back in October, Microsoft issued an update for Windows 10 that was a bit of a disaster.  It wound up deleting some user files and sparked a completely justified outrage.  The company pulled the update back, taking it offline so more people wouldn't be impacted.

Remember earlier this year when net neutrality got killed off and everybody said it wouldn't matter? Well, it seems it might have mattered after all.

Recently, three US Senators sent letters of inquiry to four wireless carriers. They are investigating allegations that the carriers have been throttling (slowing down) video services or Skype video calls.

If you own an iPhone X and have been experiencing problems with the touch responsiveness of your display, you're not alone.  Apple has acknowledged that faulty components in an unspecified number of iPhone X's may cause the display module to fail.  In response, they've launched a new program to replace affected screens for free.

Target is the latest company to fall victim to a simple but effective Twitter-Bitcoin scam.  The scam is about as straightforward as it gets:  A tweet gets sent out by a well-respected brand or prominent individual.  It contains a link which is likely to be clicked on, given that it's from a prominent individual or well-respected brand.

How long does it take from when hackers steal credit card data from a given company until it appears for sale on the Dark Web?

The answer varies from one hacker to the next, but the short answer is 'not very long.'  The more precise answer, at least in the case of New Egg and British Airways, (both of whom were hacked recently) is, 'just over one week.

The Radisson Hotel Group joins the ranks of globally-recognized brands to be on the receiving end of a successful hack.  According to the company, a small percentage of their loyalty club members had some of their personal information accessed by an unauthorized and as yet unknown third party.

A research team has found an exploit that allows hackers to decrypt and view encrypted files on a number of well-known SSD drives.

 

 

 

They include:

Samsung T5 Portable
Samsung T3 Portable
Samsung 850 EVO
Samsung 840 EVO
Crucial MX 300
Crucial MX 200
Crucial MX 100

According to the research team:

"We have analyzed the hardware full-disk encryption of several SSDs by reverse engineering their firmware.

In recent months, hackers around the world have been finding new ways to invade people's privacy, hijacking an increasing number of cameras and microphones attached to smartphones and PCs.  Apple is responding to the evolving threat by introducing a new layer of physical security to their latest MacBooks.