Patching the Holes
So what is patching, what gets patched and what difference does it make anyway??? Every computer has a compilation of software programs residing within, and those programs perform a myriad of functions. From the operating system right down to the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or the more current UEFI, all software needs to be potentially updated from time to time. The purpose of these patches is generally to improve the performance of the system – but in some cases, the patch is designed to fill a very specific hole. As you are aware, cyber-security is paramount due to the evil ...
4 out of 5 hackers: “I’m in and out within 12 hours…with your data”
The cyber security firm Nuix compiled a recent report, ironically called the Black Report, based on interviews with active so-called “White Hat” hackers. White Hat is used here in the context of someone that’s doing ethical work at the invitation of their client to break into a network and then show how they did it (and return the data). This makes them different from “Black Hats” because those people are willing to bend or break some rules (and laws) for a wide variety of reasons. Those reasons can include political, monetary, internet gangsta cred, or just trolling for lulz ...
Ransomware means HIPAA Violation
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services issues cybercrime guidance for HIPAA compliance Summary: Titled “Your Money or Your PHI: New Guidance on Ransomware,” the HHS Office of Civil Rights blog site points to an 8-page fact sheet to help healthcare entities better understand and respond to the threat of ransomware and other malware. The fact sheet stresses the need for Covered Entities and their Business Associates to provide better education to their employees, to perform regular backups, and it states that a successful ransomware attack constitutes unauthorized “acquisition” of Protected Health Information and is therefore subject to the HIPAA ...
Computer Security: Bulls & the Bunnies
Computer Security: The Bulls and the Bunnies By: Brian Allison, December 29, 2015 When it comes to computer security, are you an angry Bull, ready to defend what’s yours, or more like a cute and defenseless Bunny? To find out, let’s explore the problem, and then compare the practices of the average computer user against the things the computer security professionals do to keep their systems and the vital information stored inside of them safe from intrusion. Based on current trends of compromised users, the respected research group IDC estimates that by the year 2020, 1 in 5 inhabitants ...
Ransomware: “Let’s Kidnap the Planet!”
A recent advertisement on the dark web demonstrates the ambition of the creator of a particular variety of the malignant software known as Ransomware, which encrypts the files of an infected system or network and holds the decryption key as ransom. There is now an entire industry coalescing around the creation and proliferation of this type of “malware,” which means two things:
- There’s money to be made.
- Because of how the malware is distributed, everyone is at risk, not just large “juicy target” organizations.
