CyberSecure Specialist

Has your Wi-Fi speed slowed down to a crawl? Here are some of the possible reasons along with a few quick fixes to speed things up. Wireless internet connectivity is a wonder of the modern age. There are few more ubiquitous technology protocols than Wi-Fi, the means via which radio signals sent from our router connect with the devices we use around the smart home. Previously, such internet-enabled devices mostly included one or two laptops,…

ESET researchers have uncovered another tool in the already extensive arsenal of the SparklingGoblin APT group: a Linux variant of the SideWalk backdoor ESET researchers have discovered a Linux variant of the SideWalk backdoor, one of the multiple custom implants used by the SparklingGoblin APT group. This variant was deployed against a Hong Kong university in February 2021, the same university that had already been targeted by SparklingGoblin during the student protests in May 2020.…

ESET Research first spotted this variant of the SideWalk backdoor in the network of a Hong Kong university in February 2021 ESET researchers have published their findings about a Linux variant of the SideWalk backdoor, which is one of a number of custom implants used by the SparklingGoblin APT group. This piece of malware was first detected by ESET in February 2021 in the network of a Hong Kong university. The same university had previously…

by Paul Ducklin Google pushed out a bunch of security fixes for the Chrome and Chromium browser code earlier this week… …only to receive a vulnerability report from researchers at cybersecurity company Avast on the very same day. Google’s response was to push out another update as soon as it could: a one-bug fix dealing with CVE-2022-3723, described with Google’s customary we-can-neither-confirm-nor-deny legalism saying: Google is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2022-3723 exists…

Cross-site tracking cookies have a bleak future but can still cause privacy woes to unwary users For many years, privacy advocates have been sounding the alarm on the use of cookies to track, profile, and serve personalized ads to web users. The discussion has been especially acute over cookies used for cross-site tracking, in which a website leaks or offers visitor data to third-party services included in the site. In response, some of the major…

The news seems awash this week with reports of both Microsoft and Apple scrambling to patch security flaws in their products The news seems awash this week with tech companies scrambling to patch security vulnerabilities in their software. This month’s Patch Tuesday saw Microsoft plug 64 security holes, including a zero-day that is being actively exploited in the wild. Apple also joined the party, issuing security updates for both iOS and macOS and also plugging…

A look at a recent string of law enforcement actions directed against (in some cases suspected) perpetrators of various types of cybercrime A Canadian, a Nigerian, a Brit and a Ukrainian – what’s the connection? As Cybersecurity Awareness Month draws to a close, we look at a recent string of law enforcement actions directed against (in some cases alleged) perpetrators of various types of cybercrime. Watch the video to learn more about: a court sentence handed…

by Paul Ducklin Regular readers will know two things about our attitude to Apple’s security patches: We like to get them as soon as we can. Whether it’s a full version upgrade that also includes a bunch of security fixes, or a point release (one where the leftmost verion number doesn’t change) with the primary purpose of patching bugs rather than adding new features, we’d rather err on the side of applying known security fixes…