CyberSecure Specialist

Brightly Software Notifying 3 Million SchoolDude Users of Data Breach

Brightly Software last week started informing roughly three million individuals that their personal information might have been compromised in a recent data breach. A Siemens subsidiary, Brightly provides asset management solutions, including CMMS, EAM, IoT remote monitoring, strategic asset management, and more. The company claims to have over 12,000 clients worldwide, across different industries. On May 11, the company started sending out notification letters to its SchoolDude users, to flag a cybersecurity incident that occurred…

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Why you should spring clean your home network and audit your backups

Do you know how many devices are connected to your home network? You don’t? This is precisely why it’s time for a network audit. The rite of spring cleaning is clearly good for your home and your mind and well-being, but trust me, your home network and all the devices connected to it could use it, too. Yesterday, we looked at a few simple ways to breathe new life into your computers, smartphones and tablets.…

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Cleaning up your social media and passwords: What to trash and what to treasure

Give your social media presence a good spring scrubbing, audit your passwords and other easy ways to bring order to your digital chaos Spring has sprung, the sun is out longer, and the birds’ chirping, peeping and tweeting in the trees have put that much-needed pep in your step. With the arrival of spring also comes the annual rite of decluttering and cleaning your living space. If you’ve already given your home a major refresh,…

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Steer clear of tax scams – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

In a rush to file your taxes? Watch out for cybercriminals preying on stressed taxpayers as Tax Day looms large on the horizon. The IRS-approved tax return filing service eFile.com has been caught compromising people’s devices with malware for weeks, serving a strong reminder that cybercriminals are also well aware of the fact that it’s the height of tax season. We’re now down to its last days, and chances are that you have yet to…

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10 things to look out for when buying a password manager

Here’s how to choose the right password vault for you and what exactly to consider when weighing your options Wave after wave of new technologies have threatened to bring about the end of the password over the years. But none so far have succeeded. That leaves most users with a problem. Passwords are a potential security risk, which is particularly bad news when you realize what they’re protecting – everything from your messaging and social…

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What are the cybersecurity concerns of SMBs by sector?

Some sectors have high confidence in their in-house cybersecurity expertise, while others prefer to enlist the support of an external provider to keep their systems and data secured While threat detections continue to rise, the widening cybersecurity skills gap is leaving businesses exposed. It is an issue particularly felt by SMBs forced to rein in their spending due to the current economic climate. With this in mind, we recently surveyed over 700 SMBs across a…

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Safety first: 5 cybersecurity tips for freelance bloggers

The much-dreaded writer’s block isn’t the only threat that may derail your progress. Are you doing enough to keep your blog (and your livelihood) safe from online dangers? Whether we like it or not, writers and bloggers are part of a community. And while we might write on totally different topics and espouse views from opposite sides of the fence, we all know that a writer’s life isn’t easy. That’s not just because creating fresh…

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Executive Fired From TikTok’s Chinese Owner Says Beijing Had Access to App Data in Termination Suit

A former executive fired from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance made a raft of accusations against the tech giant Friday, including that it stole content from competitors like Instagram and Snapchat, and served as a “propaganda tool” for the Chinese government by suppressing or promoting content favorable to the country’s interests. The allegations were made in a complaint Friday by Yintao Yu, the head of engineering for ByteDance’s U.S. operations from August 2017 to November 2018,…

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Hunting down BlackLotus – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Microsoft releases guidance on how organizations can check their systems for the presence of BlackLotus, a powerful threat first analyzed by ESET researchers Microsoft has released guidance on how organizations can detect BlackLotus, a powerful threat that was first analyzed by ESET researchers. BlackLotus is a UEFI bootkit that is capable of operating on Windows systems even with UEFI Secure Boot enabled, giving them full control over Windows’s boot process all while disabling various OS…

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Why you need parental control software – and 5 features to look for

Strike a balance between making the internet a safer place for your children and giving them the freedom to explore, learn and socialize There was a time when parents didn’t have to worry much about their children’s digital activities. A single, centralized computer in the house was the only gateway to the internet, and could be monitored relatively easily. Then came mobile devices. Now the challenge is much greater. Not only are there more opportunities…

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