Category: Security Threats

Stay Protected Against the WannaCry Ransomware Virus

You may have heard by now, ransomware is in the news again. This strain, known as the “WannaCry” or “WannaCrypt” ransomware virus, claimed over 200,000 victims in 150 countries, including factories, hospitals, small businesses and schools. Organizations in Europe and Asia were seriously affected, but according to The Guardian, an anonymous “accidental hero” halted the…

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FBI Issues Warning on New Malware leveraging the IoT

FBI Issues Warning on New Malware to Spur Large-Scale Cyber Attacks “The exploitation of the ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT) to conduct small-to-large scale attacks on the private industry will very likely continue due to the open availability of the malware source codes for targeting IoT devices and insufficient IOT device security,” the FBI’s Task Force…

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What are Phishing emails?

Phishing refers to the process of deceiving recipients into sharing sensitive information with an unknown third party (cyber criminal). Typically in a phishing email scam, you receive an email that appears to come from a reputable organization, such as: Banks Social media (Facebook, Twitter) Online services with access to your financial information (e.g., iTunes, student…

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Can Mobile Devices Get Malware?

The answer to that question is most definitely YES! Thousands of mobile malware variants have been discovered since late 2010, when the first malware samples for Android and iOS devices were identified. Today, malware researchers have discovered many more malicious apps for Android than for iOS, most likely due to Android devices allowing their users…

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What is a Computer Worm?

Worms are a form of malware that replicates across the Internet or local networks. Worms differ from computer viruses because they can propagate themselves, rather than using a carrier program or file. They simply create copies of themselves and use communication between computers to spread. The Conficker worm is an example of a computer worm that…

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What is Hacktivism?

Hacktivism is the term used to describe hacking activity that’s typically for political and social purposes, attacking corporations, governments, organizations and individuals. Hacktivist groups may deface websites, redirect traffic, launch denial-of-service attacks and steal information to make their point.   A hacktivist group dominated headlines in 2011 with attacks on Sony, PBS, the U.S. Senate,…

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Are you aware of Fake Antivirus Malware?

Fake antivirus malware reports non-existent threats in order to scare the user into installing malicious software and/or paying for unnecessary product registration and cleanup. Fake antivirus malware is commonly known as scareware. Typically it is installed through malicious websites and takes the form of fake online scans. Cybercriminals attract traffic to these sites by sending…

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