NTP fixes denial-of-service flaws
The Network Time Foundation’s Network Time Protocol Project has patched multiple denial-of-service vulnerabilities with the release of ntp-4.2.8p9. The last update to the open source protocol used to synchronize computer clocks was in June. “NTP users are strongly urged to take immediate action to ensure that their NTP daemons are not susceptible to being used…
Researchers Demo Method For Turning A PC Into An Eavesdropping Device
Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have devised a way to turn any computer into an eavesdropping device by surreptitiously getting connected headphones or earphones to function like microphones. In a paper titled “SPEAKE(a)R: Turn Speakers to Microphones for Fun and Profit,” the researchers this week described malware they have developed for reconfiguring…
BrandPost: Desperately seeking cybersecurity help
Security executives desperate to fill cybersecurity openings face the worst IT skills shortage in memory with the workforce gap in the information security field expected to reach 1.5 million cybersecurity job openings by 2019. The White House grew so concerned that it introduced the Cybersecurity National Action Plan earlier this year. The government’s investment to…
If You’re Only as Strong as Your Allies, Should You Trust Third-Party Code?
Doing business is a highly interactive endeavor and software is increasingly at the heart of those interactions. Agility becomes a key component of staying competitive, so organizations are seeking allies to help them obtain the software they need to stay in the race. Notice I said “obtain” rather than “build” or “code,” because help from…
BrandPost: Emerging cybersecurity vulnerabilities
One unfortunate aspect of human psychology involves how people tend to deal with potential threats. As long as the threats are more abstract than actual, all too often we reason that there’s no rush to build defenses against them. Only after a threat materializes and does actual harm do we start to really take it…
BrandPost: Fighting the cybersecurity knowns: 4 core components
Earlier this year, SevOne fell victim to a phishing scam that resulted in the release of W-2 wage and tax data belonging to current and former employees of the network infrastructure monitoring company. After learning about the breach, management apologized and urged employees to follow “good data security” practices in order to lower their chance…
NYC landmarks hacked, customer data leaked
New York City is one of those places that people from around the globe make a pilgrimage to see. During the holiday season, Radio City Music Hall and the tree at Rockefeller Center are traditions that many families do annually. Similarly, Madison Square Garden is a beacon for fans of sports and concerts. Unfortunately, the…
Internet freedom around the world keeps decreasing
For the sixth year in a row, Internet freedom is declining. According to the latest Freedom on the Net report, 67 percent of all Internet users now live in countries where online criticism of the government, ruling family or the military is subjected to censorship, and such activity can result in individuals getting arrested.
Configuring the Windows firewall
Show of hands—How many of you have heard someone say something like this: “You don’t need an extra firewall. The one that comes with Windows is sufficient for home users”. While this may be true for the default settings when it comes to protection, how many who have heard this remark are able to check…
IDG Contributor Network: Cybersecurity woes can be remedied through decentralization
Someone in some faraway place has my Social Security number. Or so suggests a notice I received recently from the US government. Along with an offer of one year of free credit monitoring, the notice informed me that my personal data was compromised in the 2014 breach of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) computer…