Laptop updaters riddled with security holes
A recent test of pre-installed updater software on 10 laptops showed that every single one had security problems.”We went and bought about 10 laptops,” said…
Regulators: cybersecurity poses biggest risk to global financial system
Last week, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission called cybersecurity the biggest risk facing the global financial industry.”Cyber risks can produce far-reaching impacts,”…
Cybercriminal business model vulnerable to intervention
Cybercrime may be booming but its business model is vulnerable on many fronts, according to a new report.”We’ve been observing that they’ve been acting like…
Terrorists opt for consumer tools
Although cybercriminals have been turning out specialized hacking and attack tools at a rapid pace, terrorists are often using legitimate, consumer-focused technologies, according to a…
10 companies that can help you fight phishing
According to the most recent Verizon data breach report, a phishing email is often the first phase of an attack. That’s because it works well,…
DDoS costs, damages on the rise
Peak-time distributed denial-of-service attacks cost organizations more than $100,000 per hour, said half of the respondents to a new survey of mid-sized and large corporations…
DDoS costs, damages on the rise
Peak-time distributed denial-of-service attacks cost organizations more than $100,000 per hour, said half of the respondents to a new survey of mid-sized and large corporations…
Enterprises fall behind on protecting against phishing, detecting breaches
The ninth annual Verizon Data Breach Report came out this morning with bad news on multiple fronts, including click-through rates on phishing messages, how long…
CEO targeted by fraud twice a month
Every couple of weeks or so, Tom Kemp’s company gets hit by ever-more-sophisticated attempts to trick them out of large sums of money.It started two…
Symantec: Zero-days doubled in 2015, more companies hiding breach data
Fifty-four zero-day vulnerabilities were discovered last year, according to a report released this morning by Symantec, more than double that of 2014, and the number…
Millions of child support records stolen, D.C. officials want answers
In early February, a thief broke into several offices in Olympia, Washington to steal anything he could grab that was worth selling. In one locked…
Is the blockchain good for security?
Overstock was one of the first online retailers to adopt Bitcoin in a big way. Now it’s become the first major company to issue stock…
Feds tackle open source code quality
Even as the White House is calling on federal agencies to make more use of open source projects, there’s also a federal effort under way…
Merging firms appealing targets for attackers
Companies going through a merger or acquisition, as well as their lawyers, financial advisers, and other associated firms are all tempting targets for cyberattackers, according…
How virtual reality could transform health care
For those who ordered early, the long-awaited Oculus Rift starts shipping today, the HTC Vive is expected to officially ship April 5, and Sony’s Playstation…
FBI, Apple battle may leave lasting legacy
The FBI may have backed off from its demand that Apple build a backdoor to an iPhone security mechanism, for now at least, but experts…
27% of US office workers would sell their passwords
In a survey released today, 27 percent of of U.S. office workers at large companies would sell their work password to an outsider, compared to…
FTC orders nine PCI auditors to share assessment details
The FTC is on a data breach enforcement roll. Last summer, the courts allowed it to fine companies with weak cybersecurity practices. Now, the FTC…
Cybersecurity no longer merger afterthought
As little as four years ago, only about a third of companies considered cybersecurity when planning a merger. Today, that percentage has flipped.”When you look…
Next-generation endpoint security tools ready to replace antivirus
The market for next-generation endpoint security tools has doubled each of the last two years, and will continue to grow at a compound annual growth…
Cybercriminals face hacker talent shortage
Cybercriminals and hacktivists face many of the same hiring problems as defending security organizations, but with their own particular twists, according to report released this…
Verizon releases first-ever data breach digest with security case studies
Verizon is known for its huge annual Data Breach Investigations Report, but this morning it released a less data-heavy digest organized by case study.The digest…
Firms expect greater government cybersecurity oversight
The U.S. Senate recently proposed a cybersecurity disclosure bill that would require public companies to describe what cybersecurity expertise their boards have, or, if they…
VTech not backing down on terms change after data breach
Despite widespread public condemnation, Hong Kong toy maker VTech is not backing down from a change in its Terms and Conditions ducking its responsibilities in…
IBM’s X-Force team hacks into smart building
As buildings get smarter and increasingly connected to the Internet, they become a potential vector for attackers to target.IBM’s X-Force ethical hacking team recently ran…
Survey: Average successful hack nets less than $15,000
The majority of cyber attackers are motivated by money, but make less than $15,000 per successful attack, according to a survey of hackers in the…
Reporting to CEO reduces risks and costs, but change comes slowly
An increasing number of experts are urging companies to stop having the CSOs and CISOs report to the CIO in order to reduce conflict of…
Telephonic DoS a smokescreen for cyberattack on Ukrainian utility
The late December telephonic denial-of-service attack against a Ukrainian power company was a smokescreen to cover up a cyber attack, experts say.”This is one of…
Linux zero-day affects most Androids, millions of Linux PCs
A new zero-day vulnerability has been discovered that allows Android or Linux applications to escalate privileges and gain root access, according to a report released…
DDoS attack on BBC may have been biggest in history
Last week’s distributed denial of service attack against the BBC website may have been the largest in history.A group calling itself New World Hacking said…