Information

Black Hat Europe 2023: The past could return to haunt you

Critical Infrastructure Legacy protocols in the healthcare industry present dangers that can make hospitals extremely vulnerable to cyberattacks. Tony Anscombe 08 Dec 2023  •  , 3 min. read The healthcare industry will, I am sure, remain a significant target for cybercriminals due to the huge potential it provides them to monetize their efforts through ransomware demands or by abusing the exfiltrated data of patients. Operational disruption and sensitive data, such as medical records, combined with…

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Surge in deceptive loan apps – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Video ESET Research reveals details about a growth in the number of deceptive loan apps on Android, their origins and modus operandi 08 Dec 2023 This week, ESET researchers have taken a look at a steep increase in deceptive loan apps for Android. According to ESET Research, there has been a large growth of these apps across unofficial third-party app stores, Google Play, and websites since the beginning of 2023. These apps request various sensitive…

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To tap or not to tap: Are NFC payments safer?

Magnetic stripe cards were all the rage 20 or so years ago, but their security was fragile, and the requirement for signatures often added to the hassle of transactions – not to mention, they lacked data encryption, making them vulnerable to skimming and cloning by criminals.  Chip-based cards emerged as a successor, offering enhanced security through data encryption. These cards required insertion into payment terminals (POS) and authentication with a PIN, marking a shift toward…

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Beware of predatory fin(tech): Loan sharks use Android apps to reach new depths

Since the beginning of 2023, ESET researchers have observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps, which present themselves as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds. Despite their attractive appearance, these services are in fact designed to defraud users by offering them high-interest-rate loans endorsed with deceitful descriptions, all while collecting their victims’ personal and financial information to blackmail them, and in the end gain their funds. ESET products…

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Navigating privacy: Should we put the brakes on car tracking?

Tracking has recently become a big bogeyman. The sheer amount of data that an app or an operating system (OS) can use to identify you and collect your data is enormous, depending on the method of tracking it uses. While it’s clear why manufacturers and sellers desire more data – to tailor their products, enhance efficiency, appeal to consumers, boost sales, and fuel innovation – this often incurs a hidden cost – our privacy. Some…

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ICANN Launches Service to Help With WHOIS Lookups

More than five years after domain name registrars started redacting personal data from all public domain registration records, the non-profit organization overseeing the domain industry has introduced a centralized online service designed to make it easier for researchers, law enforcement and others to request the information directly from registrars. In May 2018, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) — the nonprofit entity that manages the global domain name system — instructed all…

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Teaching appropriate use of AI tech – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Video Several cases of children creating indecent images of other children using AI software add to the worries about harmful uses of AI technology 01 Dec 2023 It has been reported recently that children are using artificial intelligence (AI) image generators to create indecent images of other children. The reports came amid a few publicized cases where several young people faced severe emotional distress and trauma as a result of fabricated imagery depicting them, further…

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Executives behaving badly: 5 ways to manage the executive cyberthreat

Business Security Failing to practice what you preach, especially when you are a juicy target for bad actors, creates a situation fraught with considerable risk Phil Muncaster 30 Nov 2023  •  , 5 min. read When it comes to corporate cybersecurity, leading by example matters. Yes, it’s important for every employee to play their part in a security-by-design culture. But their cues more often than not come from the top. If the board and senior…

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Very precisely lost – GPS jamming

Digital Security The technology is both widely available and well developed, hence it’s also poised to proliferate – especially in the hands of those wishing ill Cameron Camp 29 Nov 2023  •  , 2 min. read Who would be to blame if your plane got tricked into flying into a war zone? If GPS gets jammed, machines could confidently err off course into strange and dangerous locales, potentially edging up already mounting tensions in geopolitical…

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Retail at risk: Top threats facing retailers this holiday season

Business Security While it may be too late to introduce wholesale changes to your security policies, it doesn’t hurt to take a fresh look at where the biggest threats are and which best practices can help neutralize them Phil Muncaster 28 Nov 2023  •  , 6 min. read The holiday shopping season has begun in earnest. While retailers are focused on jockeying for an estimated $1.5 trillion in sales this year (and that’s just for…

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