Be aware when installing Instant Messenger.

So I need to install and use (for my company) Microsoft Messenger.  Checkout and be aware of the attacks that come at you automatically!  (Sorry about the close mic!)

What apps are your kids using…and how are they using them?

Article from KSL talks about the dangers of one of the most popular apps out currently.  A must read for Parents!

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=22990051&nid=148&title=what-parents-should-know-about-snapchat-app&s_cid=featured-3

-SuperDale

I read your email!…ok not me…but others do!

The Government is either watching you’re doing online (every minute of the day) or through automated eavesdropping techniques, or has the ability to dip in as and when it deems necessary…The latest issues with Gen. Petraeus should be proof of that…

Great article at ZDNet…Remember folks…YOU ARE NOT Anonymous on the internet!!  I mean it!….Really!

http://www.zdnet.com/yes-the-fbi-and-cia-can-read-your-email-heres-how-7000007319/?s_cid=e550

-SuperDale

How are kids are learning about sex

Interesting video from ABCNews Nightline,  talks about how kids are learning about the birds and the bees…via pornography.  The documentary follows a young girl as she post info about herself on social sites and videos.  This report (even though it’s from ABCNews) is a little racy… so let’s call it a PG-13 report.

http://abcnews.go.com/watch/nightline/SH5584743/VD55242747/nightline-1025-porn-before-puberty

Personally over-empowering our children can destroy our children…I’m just saying…

-Dale

Top Passwords Folks are using….are you using one of them?

The point can’t be hammered home enough: As annoying as it is to have capitalized letters, numbers and symbols in a random password combination, it’s a much better alternative to having accounts infiltrated by those with malicious intent.

Just in case you’re unsure of what a bad password might be…here are the top 25.

Although the top three worst ones in the list remain unchanged – ”password,” “123456,” and “12345678,” — there are newcomers as well, including “jesus” and “ninja”.

“At this time of year, people enjoy focusing on scary costumes, movies and decorations, but those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen because of a hacked password,” Morgan Slain, SplashData CEO, said in a statement. “We’re hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites.”

Here’s the full list in order of worst password offender:

1. password      Unchanged
2. 123456          Unchanged
3. 12345678     Unchanged
4. abc123           Up 1
5. qwerty           Down 1
6. monkey         Unchanged
7. letmein          Up 1
8. dragon          Up 2
9. 111111            Up 3
10. baseball        Up 1
11. iloveyou        Up 2
12. trustno1        Down 3
13. 1234567        Down 6
14. sunshine      Up 1
15. master           Down 1
16. 123123           Up 4
17. welcome        New
18. shadow          Up 1
19. ashley             Down 3
20. football           Up 5
21. jesus                New
22. michael          Up 2
23. ninja               New
24. mustang         New
25. password1     New

This list was developed from files of stolen passwords posted online by hackers. I suggests if your personal or company passwords include any on this list to change them.

“Even though each year hacking tools get more sophisticated, thieves still tend to prefer easy targets,” Slain said. “Just a little bit more effort in choosing better passwords will go a long way toward making you safer online.”

Hacking at every level

This week the White House got hit… it just goes to show that you can place all kinds of solutions in front of your users….but THERE IS NO PATCH for human stupidity.

White House confirms network breach, thwarted attack | ZDNet

Later!

-SuperDale

Apple folks beware!

Now I’m really glad I didn’t go down that Apple road myself…;-)

The hacker group Anonymous and LulzSec “hit” the FBI and show that all iOS devices are being tracked.  So many things wrong here… Here’s the link:

-SuperDale

Not my “cup of joe”…

 

Cybercriminals are currently leveraging 12 vulnerabilities in Java, seven in Adobe Flash, three in Adobe PDF applications, and three in Microsoft Office…all of them are older except the Java ones, which are as new as this year.

The said thing is that Java is cross platform…meaning Windows/Apple/Linux, etc.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-windows-mac-malware-gets-in-via-adobe-java-office-7000001989/

Malware isn’t discriminative! ;-)

Wow…it doesn’t matter if it’s an iPhone or Android….they’re out there!

Android Malware: http://www.zdnet.com/warning-new-android-malware-tricks-users-with-real-opera-mini-7000001586/

iOS: http://www.zdnet.com/apple-removes-windows-malware-from-ios-app-store-7000001570/

Lesson here: Note what you’re installing, where your installing from and what “rights” your giving up to run the software! ;-)

-SuperDale

Ouch! Keep an eye on your Credit Cards!

The new out is that the “hack” at Global Payments (a company that some of the places you shop might have used to process your payment) could be worse then they thought….1.5 million (possibly more) cards were compromised.  Keep an eye on your statements!

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/over-15-million-visa-mastercard-credit-card-numbers-stolen/11755?tag=nl.e539

-SuperDale

Is your Hotmail account “hotter” then you think?

Some SERIOUS security holes were patched by Microsoft this week.  The issues was caused by an exploit in the password reset service.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/report-says-hotmail-exploit-spread-like-wild-fire-is-now-fixed/4892?tag=nl.e539

You should know my thoughts on this:

1. Passwords should be more than 13 characters.
2. If you use an online service of ANY kind, you need to check it once a day….leaving an online service “un-managed" is ASKING for it! :-)

I’m OUT!

-SuperDale

“I don’t need antivirus…I have a MAC”…yeah, right!

Ah oh!…. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/new-flashback-variant-silently-infects-macs/11686?tag=nl.e589

Daddy, make the bad man go away!

Children grow up addicted to online porn sites…

A 'guinea pig’ generation of children is growing up addicted to hardcore internet pornography, MPs were warned last night.

Four out of five 16-year-old boys and girls regularly access porn online while one in three ten-year-olds has seen explicit material, a disturbing cross-party report reveals.

more here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2131799/Children-grow-addicted-online-porn-sites-Third-10-year-olds-seen-explicit-images.html

Ahh Adobe…Still having issues?!

Adobe ships patches for flaws that could cause the application to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/adobe-warns-of-reader-x-security-holes/11486?tag=nl.e550

My point here is that when you think security, you can’t limit yourself to think JUST about the O/S or your anti-virus.  You have to keep your applications up to date.

-SuperDale

FLASHBACK…The malware? Or the fact “I TOLD YOU SO!” ;-)

It appears that the Flashback malware may have corralled some 600,000 Macs into a worldwide password-sniffing botnet. Has this latest attack against the Mac OS platform made you consider installing antivirus on your Mac?…

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/has-flashback-malware-made-you-consider-installing-antivirus-on-your-mac/19577?alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE

Ouch…Medicaid is Hacked!…IN UTAH! :-(

Hackers from Eastern Europe got into 181,000 records…resulting in 25,000 SSN’s stolen!!

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/medicaid-hacked-over-181000-records-and-25000-ssns-stolen/11432?tag=nl.e539

Configuring OpenDNS to protect your family.

Here’s a quick little video to help you configure OpenDNS to filter websites.

I use it for my home….it’s not a full solution (nothing is) but it’s a start!

-SuperDale