WyzGuys Tech Talk

In my last post I covered the nature of the crypto-ransomware exploit.  In this article we will discuss things you can do to help defend against this attack.

Avoidance

The best solution for preventing crypto-ransomware exploits is avoidance.  For this exploit to work, you have to help it happen.  Your risky online behavior makes it possible. 

• Never open an email attachment unless you know who sent it and are expecting to receive it.  Don’t be afraid to check; it never hurts to ...

The different variants of crypto-ransomware have become an area of significant concern for information technology professionals.  There has been a decline in their confidence in endpoint protection solutions such as typical Internet security software products.  This decline, from 96% to 59%, shows how serious the crypto-ransomware threat has become for most network administrators.

The variants of this exploit are known as CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, CryptoDefense, Cryptorbit, HowDecrypt, and similar names.  They all work the same way.  Usually the exploit starts with a ...

Thanks to Deb Vosejpka , who posted this article about synthetic ID theft from the KNX News Radio website.  An interesting read, it explained how synthetic ID theft is different from “true-name” identity theft.  Basically, in classical identity theft, the perpetrator secures your social security number and other personal information and opens accounts in your name, operating for all intents as a second you. 

In synthetic identity theft, a real social security number is married to information of ...

In Silicon Beat it has been reported that in the aftermath of the high profiles security breaches of major retailers such as Target, PF Chang’s, Neiman Marcus, and Michael’s, many wary shoppers are returning to cash as a more secure form of payment.  A recent survey showed that following a breach, 64% of people responding to the poll said they would be using cash in the future, with millennials being more likely to use cash than other demographic ...

Brian Krebs is probably my favorite security investigator, journalists and blogger.  Brian is the guy who uncovered the Target breach last winter, and I highly recommend his blog, Krebs on Security, as a great read if you are interested in the dark web and how cybercrime works.

In an interesting case of “hacker-fu” or my skills beat your skills hacking, last summer Brian was targeted by a hacker known alternatively as “Fly,” “Flycracker,” and “Muxacc.”  It started with taunts ...

Today in honor of our nation, our freedoms, our Constitution, and our military at home, abroad, and in combat, we publish this portion of the the Declaration of Independence. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent ...

An  atheist was walking through the woods.

‘What majestic  trees!  What powerful rivers!  ‘What beautiful  animals!’ He said to himself.
As he was walking  alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind  him.  He turned to look.  He saw a 7-foot grizzly  bear charge towards him.  He ran as fast as he  could up the path.  He looked over his shoulder & saw  that the bear was closing in on him.  He looked over  his ...

I again find myself reviewing Michael Kassner in TechRepublic.  His June 23 article does a great job explaining why were are currently losing more battles than we are winning in the realm of cyber-security.  The problem is that we live in disruptive times.  The Internet has completely changed the balance of power, and the bad guys quite frankly are more willing to learn how to exploit the technology and more nimble and quicker to adapt the good guys ...