Weekend Update

A quick Saturday digest of cybersecurity news articles from other sources.


Microsoft adds Windows Subsystem for Linux Preview to Windows 11 Microsoft App Store

It’s now even easier to install Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows 11. Jack Wallen lets you in on how it’s done.


Tech support scams top list of latest phishing threats

Tech support scams work because they try to trick people into believing there’s a serious security crisis with their computers, says Norton Labs.


Widespread Remote Working Scam Underway

This entry was posted in General SecurityPSA on October 28, 2021 by Mark Maunder   26 Replies

I’ve just gotten off the phone with a victim of the scam that I’m about to describe. This is impacting a lot of folks, so please do spread the word. It’s infuriating. I’ll be around to reply to your comments below, but please do not engage in victim-blaming, because until you’ve actually been hit by one of these scams, you don’t know how convincing attackers can be.  More…


Data Visually Explained

The classes I teach deal with the difference between data, which is machine useable, and information, which is human usable.  I thought this illustration does a good job of explaining how data is used in systems.

Most of the time, the data is in machine usable formats, but toward the bottom we move toward human useable data types.  For instance, in Laver 5, the Session layer of the OSI model, we begin to use protocols like SQL to arrange state in a serious of tables and create a database.

At Layer 6, the Presentation layer, data is finally turned into human usable formats using protocols such as ASCII for text, image formats like JPG and PNG, audio formats such as MP3, and so forth

This is just a great illustration of the different steps data can take moving through a data processing system.


Companies that pay ransomware attackers get thumbs down from consumers

More than half of those surveyed by data management firm Cohesity said that companies that pay the ransom in an attack encourage ransomware and bad actors.


FBI Releases Indicators of Compromise Associated with Ranzy Locker Ransomware

Original release date: October 27, 2021

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a Flash report detailing indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with attacks using Ranzy Locker, a ransomware variant first identified targeting victims in the United States in late 2020.

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the IOCs and technical details in FBI Flash CU-000153-MW and apply the recommend mitigations.


 

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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