Securing Your Smart IoT Devices

It seems that everything you can buy comes with a smartphone app and an Internet connection.  As cool and shiny and modern as this is, every Internet connected device is one more place for a cyber-attacker or criminal to get onto your network and into your business.  There are steps you need to take to protect these cool toys from exploitation.

These devices include security cameras, refrigerators, thermostats, light bulbs and ...

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16
FEB
1

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Software vulnerability

Turn On Your Router’s Firewall

Your Internet Service Provider has provided you with a free hardware firewall, but often the firewall features are not enabled by default.  This is sort of like having seat belts in your car, but not wearing them.  It is foolish and risky.

On Monday we discussed how to find out of there are unnecessary open ports on your Internet router’s firewall settings.  Today ...

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14
FEB
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, Security

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How To Check Your Router For Security Holes

For nearly all home computer users, and many small businesses, the router that connects your home or business to the Internet is the first line of defense. How can you know if there are vulnerable security holes or open ports on your Internet router that might allow access for an attacker?

These routers are also called cable modems or DSL modems, ...

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12
FEB
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Software vulnerability

New Exploit Uses Disk Images to Deliver Malware

There is a new email attachment exploit making the rounds, that uses a file type called a disk image.  The file extension for this kind of file is ISO.  ISO files are not inherently dangerous, and in the exploit work much the same way that a ZIP attachment works.  This file type can sneak past email security filters because it is generally seen as ...

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9
FEB
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, malware, Phishing, Software vulnerability

SCADA Plus Smartphone Equals Insecure Utilities

What if cyber-criminals or enemy nations could take over the computer control systems that run electric utilities, water systems, or traffic control systems for traffic lights and commuter trains.  The effects could be disastrous.

We have written about these systems before.  These are known as SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) or ICS (industrial control systems).  One of the claims of the industries that use SCADA systems is that they are ...

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7
FEB
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Security, smartphones, Software vulnerability

Typosquatting – When Domain Name Typing Errors Produce Unfortunate Results

Registering common misspellings of popular website domain names is a big business.  A recent study found that 80% of all possible one-character typographical variants of Facebook, Google, and Apple are registered.  Registering close misspellings of domain names is know as “typosquatting.”

Security company Sophos recently analysed all the possible one-letter variations of six popular websites, a whopping 2249 unique site names.  Of the 2249 possibilities, 67% or 1502 domain names were actually registered.  ...

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5
FEB
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, social engineering

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