Security

Reported cyber crime has more than doubled in the last two years according to the FBI. Over 60s are the group with the biggest value losses. The figures come from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a central resource for reporting ... cyber crime. The IC3 works with local and national agencies and businesses to coordinate work on cyber threats and identify particular patterns of risk. In 2019 it received 467,361 complaints with the reported losses topping $3.5 billion . That's up from $2.7 billion in 2018 and $1.4 billion in 2017. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) Part of the rise may be people ... (view more)

Researchers have warned of a sneaky trick that uses malware to collect passwords for online banking. The "Metamorfo" malware disables autocomplete to force users to retype passwords that can then be hijacked. Metamorfo is familiar to security ... researchers, but has developed two new characteristics. The first is that it no longer targets only financial institutions in Brazil, but has expanded to other countries. The seconds is a new tactic to make it more effective. The malware works in a familiar fashion. It's distributed through a .ZIP file that's disguised as an invoice attached to ... (view more)

A computer security company claims malware attacks are on the decrease. The difference appears to be that criminals are more closely targeting attacks, which could be good news for the average user. The figures come from Sonicwall, which offers ... firewalls and other cyber security solutions. The data is based on the attacks and attempted attacks it detected among customers covering 1.1 million sites in 215 countries. (Source: sonicwall.com ) Although the actual numbers it gives aren't necessarily meaningful, the year-on-year comparisons between its new report covering 2019 and the one it did ... (view more)

A security company has spotted 17 rogue Android apps that users should immediately delete. All 17 apps were approved by the Google Play store, where they managed to get past Google's security checks. Bitdefender, which published the list of apps, ... says the apps aren't malware as such. However, they use tactics associated with malware creators and could seriously inconvenience users. Bitdefender dubs this as 'riskware'. The List Of Shame The apps to immediately delete are: 4K Wallpaper (Background 4K Full HD) Backgrounds 4K HD Barcode Scanner Car Racing 2019 Clock LED Explorer File ... (view more)

A malicious network of 500,000 computers used to spread malware around the globe has been taken over by do-gooders in an apparent hijack meant to foil cyber criminals. Victims of the botnet have not only found the stealth malware removed from their ... system, but are also receiving an on screen warning to update their computers. It appears the malware creators are themselves the victim of a hack attack by an online vigilante. Phorpiex Botnet a Decade Old, 500k Strong The malware concerned is distributed through the Phorpiex botnet, which has been operating for nearly 10 years. A botnet is a ... (view more)

Ransomware attackers could turn a key Windows security tool against the system, according to new research. The tactic could also evade leading security tools. The research from SafeBreach Labs covered "EFS", otherwise known as Encrypting File ... System. EFS was released as far back as Windows 2000 (in the year 2000), and is somewhat similar to Bitlocker. The main difference between the two is that Bitlocker can encrypt an entire volume, while EFS can encrypt individual files and folders. In either case, the reason for encrypting files / folders or an entire volume is that if an ... (view more)

The National Security Agency (NSA) has told Microsoft about a major Windows 10 bug which also affects Windows Server 2016 and 2019. A patch is already available and is a must install. For the NSA to tell Microsoft about a Windows vulnerability and ... then discuss it publicly is relatively rare. In the past, the NSA has used such security flaws to take advantage of potential suspects, as part of its surveillance program. In this case, the bug was so serious the NSA seems to have concluded any benefits it could gain itself would be more than wiped out by the threat to the general public (and US ... (view more)

An old Internet scam has got a new twist. The new scam makes it appear as if local police have taken over the web browser in order to "fine" the user for "illegal activities". The "police browser locker" scam is an example of what's dubbed scareware ... by preying on a user's paranoia (or guilt). It involves popup window from within the web browser, or an unexpected web page appearing and giving a bogus message demanding payment. A common form of this scam is the infamous Microsoft tech support scam stating that the computer has been infected with malware and the user needs to ... (view more)

Cyber analysts warn Iran may further target the US with cyber attacks as tensions rise in the Middle East. While one federal website has already been compromised for propaganda purposes, the real danger may be to infrastructure, with businesses and ... home users caught in the crossfire. The most eye-catching attack this week involved the website of the Federal Depository Library Program, which was altered to show and Iranian flag and an unflattering picture of the President. However, this doesn't appear to be a particularly sophisticated breach and may well have been the work of amateur hackers ... (view more)

Researchers have spotted new ransomware with a nasty new twist. "Clop," as it's called, doesn't just encrypt files, but deliberately attempts to screw up applications as well. The move is most likely intended to reduce the chances of the ransomware ... being blocked, but also means an attack could be even more disruptive and make it more likely a complete rebuild of the affected PC is necessary. Normally ransomware's main task is to encrypt as many files as possible on a computer. The idea here is to extort the user by forcing them to pay a ransom to regain access to the locked files. ... (view more)