NASA Suffers Data Breach With Device Connected To Network

July 15th, 2019

Not even NASA is immune to hacking.  Recently, the American space agency announced that they traced a breach back to April of 2018.

That was when a group described as an APT (Advanced, Persistent Threat) breached the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's network via a 'Raspberry-Pi' device that was improperly connected to the network.

Update Any Nest Cam Security Cameras You May Own

July 13th, 2019

Did you get your Google Nest Security Camera system used or second hand?  If you did, be sure your cameras are running the latest firmware.

Recently, the tech review site Wirecutter reported that some older Nest cams allowed their former owners to access camera feeds, even after the devices had been reset to factory settings.

Florida City Paid Big Bucks To Hackers Using Ransomware  

July 12th, 2019

The city of Riviera Beach, Florida is the latest high-profile victim of a ransomware attack.

Recently, the city council voted to pay more than $600,000 to a hacking group to regain access to data that had been locked and encrypted via ransomware nearly a month ago.

Sudden Bluetooth Issues Could Be Due To Microsoft Update

July 10th, 2019

Be advised, according to a recently published Microsoft support document, certain Bluetooth devices may experience pairing and connectivity issues after installing the latest Windows 10 update.

The bulletin reads in part, as follows:

"These security updates address a security vulnerability by intentionally preventing connections from Windows to unsecure Bluetooth devices.

RSVP Site Evite Suffers Data Breach

July 9th, 2019

The hacker who calls himself 'Gnosticplayers' has been busy and prolific.  Over the years, he's sold more than one billion user accounts on the Dark Web.  His most recent product is more than ten million user records for the social planning and e-invitations service, Evite.

If You Use Evernote Your Data May Have Been Exposed

July 6th, 2019

Do you use Evernote Web Clipper for the Chrome web browser?

If so, be advised that the developer recently reported that a critical flaw in the extension could allow hackers to access user information from third party online services.

Online security company Guardio discovered the flaw and had this to say:

"Due to Evernote's widespread popularity, this issue had the potential of affecting its consumers and companies who use the extension - about 4,600,000 users at the time of discovery.

Critical Flaw Found In Medical Device Pump Software

July 5th, 2019

Researchers have recently discovered a pair of critical vulnerabilities in Alaris Gateway Workstations. These bring us closer to the tragic day when a hacker will actually be able to kill someone with code. Alaris workstations are used to deliver fluid medications.

AMCA Suffers A Medical Patient Information Breach

July 3rd, 2019

The recent hack of the American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA) is having ripple effects around the world.

Recently it was reported that as a direct consequence of that hack, Quest Diagnostics (one of the largest diagnostic testing laboratory services in the United States) was breached.

Undelivered Mail Notification Could Be A Phishing Scam

July 2nd, 2019

Hackers are always on the lookout for new ways to freshen up time-tested techniques. Where time-tested techniques are concerned, few are older than the humble phishing email.

In one form or another, it seeks to trick an unsuspecting user to innocently hand over sensitive information, like usernames and passwords that the hacker can then use later for any purpose.

Hackers Placing Hidden, Malicious Code In Media

July 1st, 2019

If you're not familiar with the term, 'Steganography' is the term used to describe the act of hiding code in images and video.  It's a creative strategy that allows hackers to slip past even the most robust defenses. Recently, researchers at Kaspersky have discovered evidence of a novel approach to using steganographic techniques.