Blog

Individuals at Risk
Cyber Fraud
Google Just Killed What Might Be The Biggest Android Ad Fraud Ever: Google has thrown more than 40 apps out of its Play store after it emerged they were quietly forcing Android users to click on ads. As the apps been downloaded as many as 36 million times, security researchers said it appeared to be the biggest ever case of ad fraud perpetrated via Google Play and probably the most successful malware in terms of installs from the official store.

Bay Area Maker Faire 2017

The Bay Area MakerFaire is a science fair on steroids, a geek fest, a craft show, a giant show and tell, and a festival all wrapped into one!  The MakerFaire is pushing boundaries while drawing people in to participate.  It wows and amazes while also inspires people to go out and try new things.

Important Security Updates
Adobe Flash Player: Adobe has released version 25.0.0.171. Updates are available from Adobe’s website. To see which version you have, go to Adobe’s web page.

Apple iTunes: Apple has released version 12.6.1 (64-bit and 32-bit) of iTunes.

Individuals at Risk
Identity Theft
Fraudsters Exploited Lax Security at Equifax’s TALX Payroll Division: Identity thieves who specialize in tax refund fraud had big help this past tax year from Equifax, one of the nation’s largest consumer data brokers and credit bureaus.

You may have read about the worldwide malware attack caused a ransomware virus. This virus was responsible for the near shutdown of the UK National Health Service, Fed Ex and  other companies and systems worldwide.  As a ransomware virus, it targets victims by demanding a ransom to get their computer files unlocked via a pop-up window.

Important Security Updates
Adobe Flash Player: Adobe has released version 25.0.0.171. Updates are available from Adobe’s website. To see which version you have, go to Adobe’s web page.

Google Chrome: Google has released Google Chrome version 58.0.3029.110. Updates are available from within the browser or from Google Chrome’s website.

Individuals at Risk
Cyber Update
HP issues fix for ‘keylogger’ found on several laptop models:
A security researcher says an audio driver is recording every keystroke entered, accessible to any person or malware that knows where to look. ZDNet, May 12, 2017

Emergency Fix for Windows Anti-Malware Flaw Leads May’s Patch Tuesday: Adobe and Microsoft both issued updates today to fix critical security vulnerabilities in their software.

A password manager is a must-have weapon in your security and privacy arsenal.  There are a few password managers available and my advice is to pick one and learn how to use it.  My preference is LastPass which is a more mature product, has great security practices and is very transparent in their security practices.

Important Security Updates
Avast: Avast! Free Antivirus has released version 17.4.2294. Updates are available on Avast’s website. Avast! has also released updates for Premier Antivirus, Pro Antivirus and Internet Security.

Dropbox: Dropbox has released version 25.4.28 for its file hosting program.

Individuals at Risk
Identity Theft
Identity Theft Protection: 10 Ways To Secure Your Personal Data: I was recently the victim of a hack. My identity was impersonated and the information was used to steal my personal data from GoDaddy. How could this happen I asked myself? The cybercriminal got hold of my social security number, used it to locate my credit card number from my bank, then used that credit card number to access my GoDaddy profile by socially engineering a customer service representative embedded at the hosting giant’s offices.