Heads up - "Constant Vigilance is the Price of freedom" [Archive]

View Full Version : Heads up - "Constant Vigilance is the Price of freedom"

LightOrder

05-08-2017, 20:01

For those using the on-line password manager 'Lastpass'; if you are not already aware, they have doubled their annual subscription for Premium users to $28 [£21.47]. - GITS

LightOrder

06-08-2017, 14:24

Facebook has got your number even if it is not your number.

I may be a bit late with this as it headlined a few weeks ago however it may help somebody, if you already aware forgive duplication, personal security refers.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/07/20/facebook-has-got-your-number-even-if-its-not-your-number/

jones20

06-08-2017, 16:12

What's Facebook

jones20

06-08-2017, 16:36

Introduction to Cyber Security: Stay Safe Online by The Open University [Kindle] - FREE @ Amazon

just in case anybody is worried

LightOrder

06-08-2017, 21:16

Whats Amazon?...

welchboy

07-08-2017, 09:46

Whats Amazon?...

Thought it was a river

LightOrder

09-08-2017, 12:12

Thought it was a river

No thats Argos which runs between the 'Fat Cats' and the 'Profiteers'

LightOrder

07-09-2017, 20:15

'Power-Point' users watch for this, specially if involved with any of these set-ups. "Threat actors are leveraging malicious PowerPoint files and a recently patched Microsoft Office vulnerability to target UN agencies, foreign ministries, international organizations, and entities interacting with international governments."

http://www.securityweek.com/targeted-attacks-leverage-powerpoint-file-malware-delivery

LightOrder

17-09-2017, 15:21

The bearer of bad news again : For those of you with Bluetooth devices (ie pretty much everyone!) please note the risk of remote malware infection/device hijack/data theft using Blueborne (some kind of weird homage to 2 Sqn, RAF Regt?) which is a vulnerability in the underlying protocol stack in Bluetooth - pretty serious as it affects billions of devices worldwide including smart TVs, smart watches, smart TV's, Bluetooth speakers, Bluetooth car audio systems, etc, etc, etc.... Check
https://www.armis.com/blueborne/
for more details re updates for Apple, Microsoft, Android, Linux - most major items addressed but many Internet of Things (IoT) things (smart fridge anyone?) have built-in Linux appliances which may not be able to be updated...Best advice, if you can, turn Bluetooth off when not actually in beneficial use. 💀

jones20

19-09-2017, 12:35

More than two million people who downloaded security software CCleaner have been infected by malware on their computers, its developers have confirmed.
Piriform, the company behind the software, said on its website that a new version of the app had been tampered with before being released.
The malicious code was added to the legitimate code for CCleaner, which allows users to wipe unwanted files from their hard-drives, and could have allowed hackers to take over the devices of 2.27 million people.

LightOrder

19-09-2017, 15:32

More bad news I am afraid, Equifax, the credit checking agency has been hacked as well, if you have an account with them it is suggested that you change your password or if you have any dealings with financial organizations [like most of us have ] you may be on their data base so keep an eye on your financial dealings.

LightOrder

21-09-2017, 14:45

"Heads up" again Chaps, seems to be a lot of this '****' about this week, there is a 'Ransom Ware' scam coming up to watch out for, as usual I wont post any links here as thats how the bad guys get in.
Suggest watch out for e-mails from or containing 'Herbalife' within, Googe for more info.

LightOrder

23-09-2017, 09:52

On a bright note and not to detract from the thrust of the matter:

What do you do if you are attacked by a circus mob?

Go for the juggler. 🤣

LightOrder

23-09-2017, 09:54

and an even brighter note: Why does it take pirates so long to learn the alphabet?

Because they spend years at "C". :)

Both these credited to 'Cortana'

LightOrder

29-09-2017, 19:12

Netflix scam
Another “pain in the undercarriage” guys, but we all know not to click on links in
e-mails by now, so just one to watch out for.

“Netflix users are receiving phishing emails in their inboxes.

This Netflix scam is convincing. It's easy to get fooled by these phishing emails. The sender of the email is SupportNetflix.
There's a support phone number too.
The fraudulent messages can look official to the untrained eye but they are actually spoofed by cybercriminals.”

Once again it’s out on the web if you really need to know more, as usual no links to click on here for the obvious reason.

LightOrder

05-10-2017, 14:48

Hackers Using iCloud's Find My iPhone Feature to Remotely Lock Macs and Demand Ransom Payments

Another one for Apple users (the once 'impregnable' Apple!), hackers have compromised some Apple accounts (likely on non-Apple web sites) passwords have then been used to lock people out of their Macs, see macrumors.com for more info; as usual I WONT paste links on here for the obvious reason.

Suggest two-factor-authentication mechanism or use complex passwords and use a different one for each account to alleviate this.

LightOrder

13-10-2017, 15:06

Posting under the banner of ‘Internet security , I thought these web sites and info might help with safety when navigating the Cyber Frontier.

Submit any downloads to virustotal.com which uses 50-odd antivirus packages to check for malware (file size caps at 150MB)

For the more paranoid (or on critical systems) also look for hashes in any downloaded software and validate the hashes against those advertised on the source web site in case anyone's hacked the download file web page.

For websites, VT has a good URL checker but the one on URLVoid.com can also do IP address etc lookups.

These sites are all operated and maintained by security threat researchers who spend their lives doing this kind of stuff.

Also safeweb.norton.com enables you to submit a website’s URL to see if there are any Security issues.

Self-evidently it is NOT appropriate to upload sensitive documents to any Internet web sites!

As you are aware it is normally my policy NOT to post any links here for the obvious reasons, so suggest you Google the above sites for access.

LightOrder

26-10-2017, 14:47

Apple Users
If you are on iOS 11 [not sure about iOS 10] the latest security thinking is to disable “Allow Siri when locked”, you can do this in Settings – Siri - Allow Siri when locked, on phones, tablets and pods.
The reason for this is that anyone picking up one of these devices could activate Siri without the passcode and get into all your ‘stuff’, i.e. contacts, files and other Apps.

You are especially vulnerable if you have not calibrated your voice to your device, as any voice could activate Siri.

jones20

26-10-2017, 16:11

LightOrder

27-10-2017, 14:29

Good to see Dan is "ahead of the game", I thought this was a recent observation , good stuff!

LightOrder

09-11-2017, 12:50

Mechanical keyboard maker accused of keylogging as customers examine software

Reports have surfaced that software supplied with MantisTek's GK2 mechanical keyboard is keylogging input and transmitting the data online in plain text. This data is supposedly collected and used by a customer of Alibaba Cloud [China].

Check out Digital trends November 6, 2017 - or currently on finance.yahoo.com under the above heading.

jones20

02-12-2017, 09:57

Just saw this and whist it relates to government departments surly the warning ⚠️ should apply to public users of their system The Government has been warned by Britain's main cyber security agency not to use Russian anti-virus software.Bit worrying as well is the fact that our government departments are having to use cyber security from foreign countries surly GCHQ can write a programme

jones20

02-12-2017, 18:05

LightOrder

02-12-2017, 20:33

iOS 11.2 Update just released.

LightOrder

02-12-2017, 20:47

Mc Afee is a good alternative to the Russian stuff and its free with most BT broadband packages, also the "built in" one in Windows 10 seems to do the job, although it might not have all the "Bells & Whistles".
Even if you are using Kaspersky and unless you are doing somthing tricky [Sensitive] on your machine you should be ok, I should think their targets would be the big corporates or Government departments, change when your subscriptions runs out.

jones20

03-12-2017, 10:39

if you do your banking online I would think that’s good enough reason to change it like every other institution that takes your money they are very reluctant to give it back,if you are a Barclays customer and have been told they are withdrawing it I would have thought that they have send a message to use a different security as well therefore if money is taken guess what they are going to say.But As Lightorder says doubt they would be after small fish like us

jones20

03-12-2017, 11:09

If you bank with HSBC McAfee is free for a year but at the end of the year just use a different email address to download it free again

jones20

03-12-2017, 15:34

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is being told to 'get your house in order' after admitting she shares login passwords with staff, including temporary interns.

What hope does joe blogs have this is what people who run the country are doing

LightOrder

04-12-2017, 20:56

Ideal target for 'Harry Hacker'

jones20

12-12-2017, 06:27

Dozens of laptop models sold by HP contain built-in "keylogging" technology that stores everything users type, researchers have warned.

The records of what users type on the keyboard were stored in plain text on the computers, meaning anyone with access to them could read messages, passwords, web searches and credit card numbers if they knew where to look.
HP issued a fix for some of the affected models on Thursday night and promised another for the rest of the devices would be released today.

LightOrder

10-06-2018, 11:09

iPhone users - Not desparate if you keep your mobile with you and look after it, but be aware there is a device out there that can Allegedly
crack iPhone/Pad passwords.

LINK VERIFIED - https://www.macworld.com/article/3268910/security/graykey-what-you-need-to-know-about-this-iphone-hacker-and-how-to-protect-yourself.html

LightOrder

23-06-2018, 15:20

"Lets be careful out there", Link verified
https://youtu.be/vwbKYcBdVyk

LightOrder

29-06-2018, 15:13

Those of you with Android phones would do well to watch for a scam doing the rounds telling you your battery's a bit flaky and to download a tool to sort the issue - if you see such a pop-up RESTART your phone, do NOT click either option on the pop-up as either will install malware – LINK VERFIED
https://www.scmagazine.com/60000-android-devices-hit-with-ad-clicking-bot-malware/article/775634/

LightOrder

12-07-2018, 11:22

For the Guys with Apple devices...Patch releases...[LINK VERIFIED]
https://www.scmagazine.com/apple-patches-76-security-issues-with-latest-software-releases/article/779699/

jones20

25-07-2018, 20:26

Google Chrome starts telling users huge numbers of sites are 'not secure' after latest update

LightOrder

03-09-2018, 14:57

A couple of new threats to watch out for if it effects you, links verified.

For you artistic types, please note some critical Photoshop patches
Patch time! Adobe issues unexpected ‘critical’ fix for Photoshop CC
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2018/08/23/patch-time-adobe-issues-unexpected-critical-fix-for-photoshop-cc/

for those working in the defence sector, watch out for PDF attachments to emails, apparently targeted attacks ('phishing') per
(https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2018/08/23/patch-time-adobe-issues-unexpected-critical-fix-for-photoshop-cc/)Latest Turla backdoor leverages email PDF attachments as C&C mechanismhttps://medium.com/@anastasisvasileiadis/latest-turla-backdoor-leverages-email-pdf-attachments-as-c-c-mechanism-7ca89a66c8c8

(https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2018/08/23/patch-time-adobe-issues-unexpected-critical-fix-for-photoshop-cc/)

jones20

28-09-2018, 18:27

Facebook (https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/Facebook) has suffered an attack that exposed 50 million people's personal accounts, the company has admitted.
A vulnerability in the social network's code meant that hackers could take over people's log-ins and see their most private information (https://apple.news/AZHjsK4LlQJiWX-5nDyIRoQ), the company said. It said that it was "sorry" the potential breach had occurred.

LightOrder

10-10-2018, 14:07

A couple of new threats to watch out, links verified, Microsoft W10 & Ios 12 updates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45784482

https://www.scmagazine.com/home/news/apple-ios-12-passcode-bypass-allows-unauthenticated-access-to-iphone-features

LightOrder

07-11-2018, 11:28

I'm sure no one on this group would ever view porn but 'if you know someone that does' they might like to be aware of a scam which uses compromised email addresses, from various hacks, to convince people they've been videoed watching porn when in fact the passwords being shown are from these hacks and there's no comprise of their PCs/laptops/etc - might be worth considering. Check the story at
SC MediaSC Media

Sextortion plot uses public breach data to trick victims into thinking they were hacked | SC Media

Two research reports are providing details on an ongoing "sextortion" scam in which malicious actors use publicly available lists of breached email addresses and passwords to contact victims and then blackmail them with claims that they were caught viewing pornographic materials.

https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/sextortion-plot-uses-public-breach-data-to-trick-victims-into-thinking-they-were-hacked/
(https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/sextortion-plot-uses-public-breach-data-to-trick-victims-into-thinking-they-were-hacked/)
Link verified

jones20

20-11-2018, 14:00

A TERRIFYINGLY convincing scam is targeting iPhone users with fake websites.
Hackers can create web addresses that look identical to actual websites – but these phoney mock-ups are designed to steal your passwords.
The scam is known as an IDN homograph attack.
It’s when someone registers a web domain that uses special Unicode text characters – with look like normal letters.
Gadget makers regularly tweak their devices to stop this from happening, but people using older versions of software can be caught out.

jones20

21-11-2018, 15:29

Amazon has suffered a data breach, disclosing the names and email addresses of a number of its users, in a blow ahead of its busiest time of year.
The retail giant confirmed it had "informed customers" who may have been affected by the disclosure, which happened due to a technical error on Amazon's website.
Writing to customers, Amazon had said: "We’re contacting you to let you know that our website inadvertently disclosed your name and email address due to a technical error

jones20

30-11-2018, 10:32

Just had a phone call from 01796858255 an Indian woman stating she was from BT and saying I had a virus on my router strangely when I told her I was a Detective inspector on the fraud they hang up but not before I told her she will be getting an early morning call soon.But just beware they ask to access your computer my daughter s friend have just had 9.5k taken out of their account and because they gave authority to access their laptop the bank said it was down to them and will not refund

LightOrder

12-03-2019, 15:15

For those still using Windows 7, might be time to upgrade? watch out for this if you are [link verified]
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2019/03/08/chrome-windows-exploit/

LightOrder

13-03-2019, 16:08

Yet another thing for ios users to watch out for, link verified. https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/phishing/facebook-phishing-campaign-hitting-ios-users/

LightOrder

22-07-2019, 15:15

Yet another for Apple users to watch for - Link verified - For the 'truly paranoid' (possibly including those in CP), it's possible to track someone using Apple devices' BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy on iPhone/Ipad.etc) - someone would have to be within metres of a target but it would be possible to saturate an area/route in sensors which could report when the target was within meters. Further info, if interested, at https://9to5mac.com/2019/07/18/bluetooth-flaw/

jones20

17-08-2019, 19:06

GOOGLE has warned users that billions of passwords – and hundreds of thousands of username and password combinations – have been hacked.
Cyber-experts are now urging users to make sure they're using tough passwords that haven't already been stolen.

jones20

20-08-2019, 07:27

For those of you that drive Mercedes
MERCEDES has sparked a privacy row by admitting it spies on drivers with tracking devices covertly installed in its cars.
The secret sensors, fitted to all new and used motors sold by the firm’s dealers, pinpoint the vehicle’s exact location.

jones20

21-11-2019, 12:13

Windows 10 update is packed with dangerous ransomware - do notWINDOWS 10 users are receiving emails purporting to be from Microsoft, urging them to install a new update to their machine. But be warned, it’s not an official message from the US firm and the update is packed with dangerous malware and other vicious viruses.

LightOrder

20-12-2019, 19:59

Anyone using Avast antivirus? Might want to check the content of https://palant.de/2019/10/28/avast-online-security-and-avast-secure-browser-are-spying-on-you/ (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpalant.de%2F2019%2F10%2F28% 2Favast-online-security-and-avast-secure-browser-are-spying-on-you%2F&v=3) as it appears avast are spying on their own customers! Good way to lose business ?

link verified.

LightOrder

24-01-2020, 14:43

How Attackers Could Hijack Your Android Camera to Spy on YouWatch out for this Android users, link verified.

Its worth watching the video first to save reading all the bumf.

https://www.checkmarx.com/blog/how-attackers-could-hijack-your-android-camera

jones20

02-03-2020, 13:32

One to watch tonight Panorama spying on the scammers

LightOrder

03-03-2020, 14:53

Philips WiFi light bulb vulnerable to attackSomthing to watch for if you have one of these - link verified

https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/iot/philips-wifi-light-bulb-vulnerable-to-attack/The light given off by some WiFi light bulbs may expose more than just a dark room as Check Point researchers have found a vulnerability in Philips Hue smart bulbs and bridge enabling them to remotely infiltrate the device.

LightOrder

02-04-2020, 14:36

Zoom
Be on the lookout for malware-infected copies of the Zoom video conferencing apps on the Internet - lots of people downloading and using 3rd party type apps at the mo' but make sure you get Zoom from zoom.com (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fzoom.com&v=3) and nowhere else, Zoom link verified.

LightOrder

28-04-2020, 15:01

Probably for the paranoid but you cant be too careful.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/03/02/siri-and-google-assistant-hacked-in-new-ultrasonic-attack/

Hackers exploiting ultrasound to access smartphone voice assistants, Link verified.

jones20

05-05-2020, 15:04

A good site to see if any of your email accounts have ever be leaked to hackers if they have then change your passwords

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

jones20

06-05-2020, 09:17

At last... somewhere you can forward scam emails. (report@phishing.gov.uk) A reminder from last week. Send them to report@phishing.gov.uk, and the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ) analyses them and can remove the culprit sites. Pls spread the word

LightOrder

18-08-2020, 11:37

https://rwf-forum.co.uk/vBulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=7432&stc=1not really a security issue but thought it was amusing😁

LightOrder

22-08-2020, 12:49

You may not also be aware, but BT Openreach is closing the Copper Wire Telephone Network for every home and business premises across the UK by the year 2025, when all copper-based lines will stop working.

Watch out for; getting tied into long term Telecoms/Broadband contracts, as hopefully "Fibre to the house/premises" - FTTH/P, [as opposed to "Fibre to the cabinet" - FTTC. - {current situation; in most cases}], will mean cheaper Calls and Broadband?

link verified:

https://www.simpletelecoms.co.uk/Broadband-for-the-Elderly-and-Pensioners

(https://www.simpletelecoms.co.uk/Broadband-for-the-Elderly-and-Pensioners)

LightOrder

19-12-2020, 13:45

A couple more to watch out for, links have been verified.

1.Anyone own a Tesla Model X - is it still on the drive? a case of too much technology!https://www.zdnet.com/article/tesla-model-x-hacked-and-stolen-in-minutes-using-new-key-fob-hack/
the video on this site gives a good demo of the hack.

2. This one is a long way from home but worth being aware of; https://www.zdnet.com/article/hacker-opens-2732-pickpoint-package-lockers-across-moscow/

LightOrder

09-01-2021, 16:32

For those concerned with Privacy.

There seems to be a lot of chatter on the tech. media about privacy concerns on the 'Whatsapp' messaging app, it seems [from Feb.], it will be feeding a lot of info to its parent company; 'Facebook', although NOT the message content itself. Seemingly; the the 'Signal' App. is being touted as a much more secure alternative, with no information gathering taking place at all, plus it is open source [so it can be scrutinised and checked].
There are some good diagrams on line showing how much info is actually garnered by the various messaging apps.

LightOrder

12-01-2021, 13:34

It appears my previous post regarding ‘Whatsapp’ privacy issues may have been unfounded; even a bit alarmist, for this I must apologise.

Evidently the messaging service used by UK residents [and the EU] is administered by an EU company based in Ireland and therefore is covered by EU privacy legislation which means no user information can be shared.

However, Facebook is due to move the UK out of the EU’s privacy jurisdiction at some point this year [2021], now that Brexit has been completed.

The social media giant told Reuters in December: “Like other companies, Facebook has had to make changes to respond to Brexit and will be transferring legal responsibilities and obligations for UK users from Facebook Ireland to Facebook Inc.”

It added: “There will be no change to the privacy controls or the services Facebook offers to people in the UK.”

Going by this, Facebook is saying Whatsapp will not share your data even after the transition.

However, it will legally be able to do so, so could go back on this at any point in the future.

As you have to agree to the new terms and conditions when they come; to keep using the system, there is no getting away from this situation and needs keeping an eye on.

https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/whatsapp-facebook-sharing-data-privacy-terms-update-policy-uk-users-explained-820838
(https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/whatsapp-facebook-sharing-data-privacy-terms-update-policy-uk-users-explained-820838)
Link verified.

LightOrder

27-01-2021, 14:12

A Telegram bot is flogging the phone numbers of Facebook users
Somthing else to cheer us up [Not!] and watch out for if you are a Facebook or Telegram user
Link verified.
https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/a-telegram-bot-is-flogging-the-phone-numbers-of-facebook-users

LightOrder

28-01-2021, 11:52

NHS scam message, another to watch out for, link verified.

https://apple.news/ArcQJm28EQayQ59vTYbDYmg

LightOrder

14-02-2021, 15:30

New phishing attack uses Morse code to hide malicious URLs
(https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-phishing-attack-uses-morse-code-to-hide-malicious-urls/)
A new targeted phishing campaign includes the novel obfuscation technique of using Morse code to hide malicious URLs in an email attachment. (96 kB)
Watch out for this in MS Excel attachments, mainly seems to have targeted Financial organisations so far, link is verified.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-phishing-attack-uses-morse-code-to-hide-malicious-urls/
(https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-phishing-attack-uses-morse-code-to-hide-malicious-urls/)
PS for the [ex] Signallers; we knew those old Morse skills would come in handy one day.

LightOrder

25-02-2021, 14:19

Links verified, watch out Android users.

Anyone using the Android phone ShareIt app might want to try something in its place...https://threatpost.com/unpatched-android-app-billion-downloads-malware/163976/

https://slack-imgs.com/?c=1&o1=wi32.he32.si&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthreatpost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fthreatpost-2018%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Ffavicon%2Fapple-touch-icon.pngthreatpost.com
Unpatched Android App with 1 Billion Downloads Threatens Spying, Malware (https://threatpost.com/unpatched-android-app-billion-downloads-malware/163976/)
Attackers can exploit SHAREit permissions to execute malicious code through vulnerabilities that remain unpatched three months after app makers were informed.

LightOrder

27-03-2021, 17:22

Thousands of taxpayers' personal details potentially exposed online through councils' debt-chasing texts
Bulk SMS messages sent by local councils across the UK contained weblinks leading to pages that freely exposed to the public thousands of taxpayers' names, addresses, and outstanding debts.

Cardiff seems to be the only Welsh Council affected.

link verified. - https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/23/council_tax_texts_exposure/

LightOrder

01-04-2021, 14:52

In case it comes as a surprise, Big Brother(s) is watching...
Google collects 20 times more telemetry from Android devices than Apple from iOS | The Record by Recorded Future (https://therecord.media/google-collects-20-times-more-telemetry-from-android-devices-than-apple-from-ios/)
Academic research published last week looked at the telemetry traffic sent by modern iOS and Android devices back to Apple and Google servers and found that Google collects around 20 times more telemetry data from Android devices than Apple from iOS.
Written by
Catalin Cimpanu
Est. reading time
5 minutes
link Verified

LightOrder

16-04-2021, 14:11

Data Stolen from 500 Million LinkedIn Users Leaked Online - https://www.ehackingnews.com/2021/04/data-stolen-from-500-million-linkedin.html

This follows the recent 'Facebook' hack that has been in the news recently, might be worth changing your password just to be on the safe side, link verified.

LightOrder

03-05-2021, 12:03

One for 'Mac' users - link verified - https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/malware/apple-patches-worst-macos-bug-in-recent-memory-after-it-was-used-in-the-wild/
<time pubdate="" datetime="Mon, 26 Apr 2021 13:00:00 -0400" class="post-time -published">April 26, 2021 </time> Apple patches ‘worst macOS bug in recent memory’ after it was used in the wild Bit technical but worth checking you have patched just in case.

LightOrder

28-05-2021, 10:10

Update Your Mac Now: Nasty Hack Breaks Apple Security To Take Sneaky Photos - https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/05/24/update-your-mac-now-nasty-hack-breaks-apple-security-to-take-sneaky-photos/?sh=285b184620a0 - link verified

LightOrder

06-08-2021, 14:34

Windows 10 Users -Link verified.Heads-up that Microsoft are turning-on by default PUA protection - in my experience often stops cybersecurity related tools from working and possibly other stuff that MS deem 'potentially unwanted'!https://therecord.media/microsoft-to-enable-pua-protection-for-windows-10-users-this-month/

PS checked mine toady 060821 and found turned on.

LightOrder

14-09-2021, 14:38

Link verified -
One for iPhone/iPad users relating to the Israeli spyware that made it into the press recently - mostly an issue for HVTs, as generally targeted attacks & not random/shotgun, but one to note 'if the cap fits'!https://threatpost.com/apple-emergency-fix-nso-zero-click-zero-day/169416/

LightOrder

22-09-2021, 18:33

Watch for this NHS C19 Passport scam...https://www.emcrc.co.uk/post/beware-of-nhs-covid-pass-scams

https://slack-imgs.com/?c=1&o1=wi32.he32.si&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2F9 bdcbc_33ef39c8e9c34ea5bbf5d19f37944659%257Emv2.png %2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_16%252Ch_16%252Clg_1%252Cusm_0.66 _1.00_0.01%2F9bdcbc_33ef39c8e9c34ea5bbf5d19f379446 59%257Emv2.pngEMCRC
Beware of NHS Covid Pass scams (https://www.emcrc.co.uk/post/beware-of-nhs-covid-pass-scams)
Action Fraud has received over 700 reports from members of the public about fake emails purporting to be from the NHS offering Covid passes as fraudsters continue to capitalise on the pandemic. The emails claim to be able to provide people with a “digital passport” that “proves you have been vaccinated against COVID-19”. These emails are fake, and the links within them lead to genuine-looking websites that steal your personal and financial information. Link verified.

jones20

23-09-2021, 08:11

Well we all knew that this was only a matter of time before this happened unfortunately there will be people who will take advantage of this and put us at risk

LightOrder

24-11-2021, 15:10

Another few things to keep an eye on, all links verified.

The UK’s PSTN network will switch off in 2025 (https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/)
In 2025, public switched telephone network (PSTN) will switch off, so we're moving all our customers to a fully digital network. Find out more on BT Business.

Hackers Are Targeting VoIP Providers In Ransomware Attacks (https://tech.co/news/hackers-targeting-voip-ransomware-scam)
VoIP service Telnyx became the latest in a line of VoIP services to suffer outages, after it was hit by hackers this week.

BEWARE: Delete These Two Google Play Store Malware-Ridden Apps If You Have Them (https://www.techtimes.com/articles/267962/20211113/beware-delete-two-google-play-store-malware-ridden-apps.htm)
Google has banned two apps with Joker malware from the Play Store.

"Theres always somthing to brighten the horizon".

LightOrder

19-12-2021, 12:07

All in the Apple 'Eco-system' - There are new updates across most devices - for iphone users with older devices, the update is quite large, suggest updating using your computer if your dont have enough storage [Like me].

jones20

20-12-2021, 08:35

already switched over[

QUOTE=LightOrder;103251]Another few things to keep an eye on, all links verified.

The UK’s PSTN network will switch off in 2025 (https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/)
In 2025, public switched telephone network (PSTN) will switch off, so we're moving all our customers to a fully digital network. Find out more on BT Business.

Hackers Are Targeting VoIP Providers In Ransomware Attacks (https://tech.co/news/hackers-targeting-voip-ransomware-scam)
VoIP service Telnyx became the latest in a line of VoIP services to suffer outages, after it was hit by hackers this week.

BEWARE: Delete These Two Google Play Store Malware-Ridden Apps If You Have Them (https://www.techtimes.com/articles/267962/20211113/beware-delete-two-google-play-store-malware-ridden-apps.htm)
Google has banned two apps with Joker malware from the Play Store.

"Theres always somthing to brighten the horizon".[/QUOTE]

LightOrder

20-12-2021, 11:26

Well done Jonesy,👍 who have you gone with and what was the costing like?

jones20

21-12-2021, 13:32

Didn’t cost me anything,they are switching people over as and when ,

it does away with the phone line into the socket so the phone runs off the Wi-Fi hub what will cost is if you decide to go for the amazon phone they change you £25 a phone think they supply the first one for free however if you decide not to go for the amazon phones they will give you two what they call essential phones which costs nothing

thats with BT

Baconwallah

08-02-2022, 20:29

On LinkedIn I have been contacted by several pretty Chinese girls over the past few months. They all urge me to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. When I tell them I do not have or want WhatsApp I never hear from them again.

I wonder why WhatsApp is so interesting to the Chinese secret aquirrels. Anyway, you have been warned.

John

LightOrder

01-04-2022, 12:21

The UK’s PSTN network will switch off in 2025 (https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/)
In 2025, public switched telephone network (PSTN) will switch off, so we're moving all our customers to a fully digital network.

LATEST - Long read

An interesting article today on BT’s Intranet from the BT CEO for Consumer, Marc Allera – outlining the challenges around the voice switchover we were discussing! It’s a longer read – though reflects some of the challenges and next steps..

“In an external blog Marc Allera, CEO, Consumer explains that we’re working on a more resilient rollout. Check it out
Last year, we began our major rollout of Digital Voice – BT's new home phone service that will mean calls are made over our new broadband network, rather than the old analogue network which is over 40 years old.

Put simply, instead of plugging a home phone into a wall-mounted phone socket that people have done for decades, customers will connect their handset to their broadband router.

Doing this will replace old analogue technology that is fast becoming obsolete with a new digital service that will provide crystal-clear calls, prevent the vast majority of scam calls and ultimately will be more efficient on electricity usage making it better for the environment.

It is, in short, a necessary upgrade to customers' phones in their homes that will bring long term benefits and a service fit for the future.

However, we underestimated the disruptive impact this upgrade would have on some of our customers. With hindsight we went too early, before many customers – particularly those who rely more heavily on landlines – understood why this change is necessary and what they needed to do.

We also recognise we have more work to do on getting better back-up solutions in place for when things disrupt the service like storms and power cuts.

We got this part of our programme wrong and for that, we're sorry.

The huge disruption caused by recent Storms Arwen and Eunice brought this into sharper focus, when people – including many of our customers in rural areas – needed to get in touch with loved ones during power outages. While many lines were cut in those storms, including the older phone lines, as well as power lines – we do recognise that for some customers, making calls would not have been possible with a broadband-only connection.

We have listened to our customers' concerns and we have more work to do to improve the resilience of the network, working with energy providers on faster power restoration and providing better back-up solutions for customers.

Digitising the UK's future is a national mission, and we're determined to get it right.

So, we are pausing all further Digital Voice switch-overs for customers who don't want to move to the new technology straight away. This will give us the opportunity to get better, more resilient back-up options in place for customers who need or want them. It will also mean we can ensure all of our customers are aware this change is coming – and why it is needed.

This will be a pause to part of the programme, we will aim to re-start once we have key solutions in place to provide our customers with more resilient connectivity. These include:

• Hybrid phones that can switch to a mobile network and have an in-built, long-lasting battery.
• The option of longer-lasting battery back-up units for customers who want or need them.
• Providing in-home 'mobile landlines' for people without broadband.
• Addressing so-called mobile 'not-spots', with continued investment in the Shared Rural Network. We've recently announced a further 1,500 locations that will get better coverage as a result.
• Launching an awareness campaign so that our customers better understand the need to switch.
• Continuing to proactively engage the related industries - like healthcare pendants and burglar alarm providers to ensure our most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.
• And we're continuing to work on other things, too, including advancements to scam-call shielding and fraud reduction tools, that we know are becoming ever more important to our users of landlines.
There are some exceptions
There are some customers for whom our Digital Voice rollout will continue. This includes those using our Fibre Voice Access broadband package, which means they receive voice services over their fibre broadband. This is a legacy product which needs to be upgraded to Digital Voice.

We will also continue our rollout for customers in Salisbury and Mildenhall, where Openreach has been working closely with BT and other providers to trial the retirement and withdrawal of old, analogue landline technology. It's important we continue this work so that we learn how to upgrade customers in the smoothest, most efficient way.

And what about our Enterprise customers? They will be upgraded to a different, business-grade IP voice product so are not affected by this temporary pause. BT's Enterprise business will begin to proactively contact customers in phases over the coming months to advise on timescales and process for upgrading to new Digital Voice and broadband products.

Eventually, Digital Voice will be seen for the benefits it brings
Like the shift from analogue to digital TV, in the long-term, the move to Digital Voice is both critical and necessary.

It's not just BT customers who will need to make these changes, all home phone users, with any provider, will need to move to a digital system before 2025. At BT, we have 10 million customers to upgrade by then.

I'm often asked, why do we have to move to a new technology at all, why do we need to replace the landline that serves so many customers so well and has done for years?

As I said before, the existing analogue technology is up to 40-years-old in some parts and is becoming obsolete. Manufacturers no longer make replacement parts for it, new engineers aren't being trained on it, it is becoming less and less reliable and prone to outages and is very inefficient on energy usage.

We need to upgrade the UK's infrastructure in so many areas, telecommunications is one of them and that includes a once in a generation upgrade to a new Full Fibre network that will be the backbone for our digital lives. It will change the way we watch TV, connect our homes and businesses and help the UK maintain its position as one of the most advanced Digital economies on the planet.

This upgrade has to happen and all customers will have to be part of this change. That includes our landline customers because the old analogue phone lines will not be supported over the full fibre network in the future.

Many other countries are doing the same and experiencing the same challenges. These upgrades are huge in scale and complexity and will see network providers like Openreach replacing millions of miles of copper with new Fibre optic cables. With a programme of this scale, sometimes we don't always get everything right and on this occasion we acknowledge we have more work to do and will get on with putting these solutions in place to better help our customers go through this change.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this and for your understanding.“

jones20

02-04-2022, 16:23

Already on it the switch over was painless
The UK’s PSTN network will switch off in 2025 (https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/)
In 2025, public switched telephone network (PSTN) will switch off, so we're moving all our customers to a fully digital network.

LATEST - Long read

An interesting article today on BT’s Intranet from the BT CEO for Consumer, Marc Allera – outlining the challenges around the voice switchover we were discussing! It’s a longer read – though reflects some of the challenges and next steps..

“In an external blog Marc Allera, CEO, Consumer explains that we’re working on a more resilient rollout. Check it out
Last year, we began our major rollout of Digital Voice – BT's new home phone service that will mean calls are made over our new broadband network, rather than the old analogue network which is over 40 years old.

Put simply, instead of plugging a home phone into a wall-mounted phone socket that people have done for decades, customers will connect their handset to their broadband router.

Doing this will replace old analogue technology that is fast becoming obsolete with a new digital service that will provide crystal-clear calls, prevent the vast majority of scam calls and ultimately will be more efficient on electricity usage making it better for the environment.

It is, in short, a necessary upgrade to customers' phones in their homes that will bring long term benefits and a service fit for the future.

However, we underestimated the disruptive impact this upgrade would have on some of our customers. With hindsight we went too early, before many customers – particularly those who rely more heavily on landlines – understood why this change is necessary and what they needed to do.

We also recognise we have more work to do on getting better back-up solutions in place for when things disrupt the service like storms and power cuts.

We got this part of our programme wrong and for that, we're sorry.

The huge disruption caused by recent Storms Arwen and Eunice brought this into sharper focus, when people – including many of our customers in rural areas – needed to get in touch with loved ones during power outages. While many lines were cut in those storms, including the older phone lines, as well as power lines – we do recognise that for some customers, making calls would not have been possible with a broadband-only connection.

We have listened to our customers' concerns and we have more work to do to improve the resilience of the network, working with energy providers on faster power restoration and providing better back-up solutions for customers.

Digitising the UK's future is a national mission, and we're determined to get it right.

So, we are pausing all further Digital Voice switch-overs for customers who don't want to move to the new technology straight away. This will give us the opportunity to get better, more resilient back-up options in place for customers who need or want them. It will also mean we can ensure all of our customers are aware this change is coming – and why it is needed.

This will be a pause to part of the programme, we will aim to re-start once we have key solutions in place to provide our customers with more resilient connectivity. These include:

• Hybrid phones that can switch to a mobile network and have an in-built, long-lasting battery.
• The option of longer-lasting battery back-up units for customers who want or need them.
• Providing in-home 'mobile landlines' for people without broadband.
• Addressing so-called mobile 'not-spots', with continued investment in the Shared Rural Network. We've recently announced a further 1,500 locations that will get better coverage as a result.
• Launching an awareness campaign so that our customers better understand the need to switch.
• Continuing to proactively engage the related industries - like healthcare pendants and burglar alarm providers to ensure our most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.
• And we're continuing to work on other things, too, including advancements to scam-call shielding and fraud reduction tools, that we know are becoming ever more important to our users of landlines.
There are some exceptions
There are some customers for whom our Digital Voice rollout will continue. This includes those using our Fibre Voice Access broadband package, which means they receive voice services over their fibre broadband. This is a legacy product which needs to be upgraded to Digital Voice.

We will also continue our rollout for customers in Salisbury and Mildenhall, where Openreach has been working closely with BT and other providers to trial the retirement and withdrawal of old, analogue landline technology. It's important we continue this work so that we learn how to upgrade customers in the smoothest, most efficient way.

And what about our Enterprise customers? They will be upgraded to a different, business-grade IP voice product so are not affected by this temporary pause. BT's Enterprise business will begin to proactively contact customers in phases over the coming months to advise on timescales and process for upgrading to new Digital Voice and broadband products.

Eventually, Digital Voice will be seen for the benefits it brings
Like the shift from analogue to digital TV, in the long-term, the move to Digital Voice is both critical and necessary.

It's not just BT customers who will need to make these changes, all home phone users, with any provider, will need to move to a digital system before 2025. At BT, we have 10 million customers to upgrade by then.

I'm often asked, why do we have to move to a new technology at all, why do we need to replace the landline that serves so many customers so well and has done for years?

As I said before, the existing analogue technology is up to 40-years-old in some parts and is becoming obsolete. Manufacturers no longer make replacement parts for it, new engineers aren't being trained on it, it is becoming less and less reliable and prone to outages and is very inefficient on energy usage.

We need to upgrade the UK's infrastructure in so many areas, telecommunications is one of them and that includes a once in a generation upgrade to a new Full Fibre network that will be the backbone for our digital lives. It will change the way we watch TV, connect our homes and businesses and help the UK maintain its position as one of the most advanced Digital economies on the planet.

This upgrade has to happen and all customers will have to be part of this change. That includes our landline customers because the old analogue phone lines will not be supported over the full fibre network in the future.

Many other countries are doing the same and experiencing the same challenges. These upgrades are huge in scale and complexity and will see network providers like Openreach replacing millions of miles of copper with new Fibre optic cables. With a programme of this scale, sometimes we don't always get everything right and on this occasion we acknowledge we have more work to do and will get on with putting these solutions in place to better help our customers go through this change.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this and for your understanding.“

LightOrder

16-04-2022, 16:30

Another Whatsapp scam to watch, link verified.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/whatsapp-voice-message-phishing/

LightOrder

16-04-2022, 16:32

Yet another bit of 'trickyness', Mod recruitment portal problem.

UK MoD's Capita-run recruitment portal support offline (https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/ministry_of_defence/)

Baconwallah

28-06-2022, 19:06

The current LBGTOPQetc craze has reached the darker nooks and crannies of the internet. Beware the various kinds of scam.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2022/06/27/ftc-warns-of-lgbtq-extortion-scams-be-aware-before-you-share/

John

Baconwallah

04-07-2022, 18:36

New Facebook phishing scam found.

If you're into FB, read this!

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2022/07/01/facebook-2fa-phish-arrives-just-28-minutes-after-scam-domain-created/

John

LightOrder

06-07-2022, 20:26

Good article, if you are on the web you have got to have your wits about you all the time.

LightOrder

19-08-2022, 20:24

Another Apple threat to watch out for, link verified. "Apple has disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for certain models of iPhones, iPads and Macs "
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11126551/Apple-reveals-security-vulnerabilities-affecting-iPhones-iPads.html

Baconwallah

19-08-2022, 21:21

Additional info here:

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2022/08/18/apple-patches-double-zero-day-in-browser-and-kernel-update-now/

John

LightOrder

03-11-2022, 15:01

Another update from Apple for those in that eco system, patch for possible zero-day attack. Link verified. https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2022/10/25/apple-megaupdate-ventura-out-ios-and-ipad-kernel-zero-day-act-now/

LightOrder

15-11-2022, 11:36

WORLD CUP - Link verified
Going to Qatar for the World Cup? Not sure how 'mandatory' this will be in reality but scary to see governments demanding visitors load spying apps onto their phones - very '1984'!!
https://www.nrk.no/sport/everyone-going-to-the-world-cup-must-have-this-app---experts-are-now-sounding-the-alarm-1.16139267

jones20

16-11-2022, 10:32

But everyone can be tracked with a smart phone anyway regardless of loading apps on them

LightOrder

17-11-2022, 13:42

Think the problem with the ones mentioned,
is that [ as far as I can make out] is that they enable access to the phones settings...

LightOrder

20-11-2022, 23:02

A bit more on subject from another source - link verified.

England and Wales fans warned to take burner phones to Qatar World Cup to avoid being spied on
Qatari authorities will use compulsory smartphone app to spy on football fans at the World Cup, it has been reported.

https://apple.news/AOmGTo_bASGyr_2mrCX17LQ

LightOrder

16-02-2023, 13:06

For those in the Apple system there is an update out for IOS

LightOrder

12-04-2023, 12:10

For those in the Apple system - some threats recently identified - also note if you have older Apple kit,
there are recent security updates about - link verified.
https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/pair-apple-zero-days-active-exploit-patch-accordingly-

LightOrder

31-10-2023, 15:10

Important Apple update out, affects Ios/Ipad/Mac, also affects older devices, check 'software update' in settings to see if your device affected.

LightOrder

10-03-2024, 14:30

Apple’s 17.4 emergency update patches two iPhone zero-days | SC Media - https://www.scmagazine.com/news/apples-17-4-emergency-update-patches-two-iphone-zero-days

Baconwallah

17-10-2024, 14:58

QR codes in emails: do not scan them! They may be dangerous.

For the latest type of scam, see

https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2024/10/16/quishing/

John