#1 Trusted Cybersecurity News Platform Followed by 4.50+ million
The Hacker News Logo
Get the Free Newsletter
SaaS Security

operating system | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Raspberry Pi 3 to get official Android OS support

Raspberry Pi 3 to get official Android OS support

May 26, 2016
It's fair to say the success of the ARM-powered Raspberry Pi computers have surpassed expectations and have been a godsend to hobbyists, hackers, and students. If you're one of those people looking for unofficial hacks to install Android OS on a Raspberry Pi device, then stop and wait for the official release. Raspberry Pi computers have largely been Linux affairs, as several Linux distributions have supported this tiny ARM computer. Now, it seems like Raspberry Pi is ready to get official support for one of the most popular mobile operating systems out there: Android . Google has recently registered the $35 Raspberry Pi 3 ‒ the newest version of the Raspberry Pi ‒ as a new device 'tree' in its Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository . If you're not aware, Raspberry Pi is cheap, credit card-sized, single board ARM computer that looks and feels very basic, but could be built into many geeky projects. What Google is planning for Android and the P
China wants Apple's Source Code, but the Company Refused

China wants Apple's Source Code, but the Company Refused

Apr 20, 2016
In Brief Apple's head of legal has denied all rumors about providing its complete source code or any backdoor to the Chinese government. Apple officially confirmed that the Chinese government has asked Apple twice in the past two years to hand over the source code for its operating system, but the company refused in both the cases. In a Tuesday hearing entitled "Deciphering the Debate Over Encryption: Industry and Law Enforcement Perspectives,"  the police officials put allegations on Apple for handing over user data to Beijing while refusing the authorities at its home in the US. However, speaking under oath at the congressional hearing, Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell denied the claims, saying "We have been asked by the Chinese government" for the source code behind the iPhone. But, "we refused." The response came just after Indiana State Police Captain Charles Cohen accused Apple of providing its source code to China. N
Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu
Microsoft built a special version of Windows 10 just for Chinese Government

Microsoft built a special version of Windows 10 just for Chinese Government

Mar 29, 2016
China is very strict about censorship, which makes it difficult for companies to launch their products in the country. But companies like Microsoft are playing smartly to target the largest market in the world. Microsoft has found a way to enter into the banned Chinese Market, but this time with official support for Chinese Government through a new custom and exclusive Windows 10 version for China. It sounds like Microsoft has no issues like Apple, which strongly refused the court order to create a special 'GovtOS' version to help the Feds with unlocking iPhone. Microsoft's CEO for the Greater China region Ralph Haupter has confirmed that the company has built a Chinese government-approved version of Windows 10 OS that includes " more management and security controls " and less bloatware ( pre-installed apps ). Specialized Windows 10 'Zhuangongban' for China In a joint venture with a state-run technology and defense company, CETC ( China Electronic Technology Gr
cyber security

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.
Mac OS X Zero-Day Exploit Can Bypass Apple's Latest Protection Feature

Mac OS X Zero-Day Exploit Can Bypass Apple's Latest Protection Feature

Mar 25, 2016
A critical zero-day vulnerability has been discovered in all versions of Apple's OS X operating system that allows hackers to exploit the company's newest protection feature and steal sensitive data from affected devices. With the release of OS X El Capitan, Apple introduced a security protection feature to the OS X kernel called System Integrity Protection ( SIP ). The feature is designed to prevent potentially malicious or bad software from modifying protected files and folders on your Mac. The purpose of SIP is to restrict the root account of OS X devices and limit the actions a root user can perform on protected parts of the system in an effort to reduce the chance of malicious code hijacking a device or performing privilege escalation. However, SentinelOne security researcher Pedro Vilaça has uncovered a critical vulnerability in both OS X and iOS that allows for local privilege escalation as well as bypasses SIP without kernel exploit, impacting all versions
Windows 10 Started Showing Ads on LockScreen — Here's How to Turn It OFF

Windows 10 Started Showing Ads on LockScreen — Here's How to Turn It OFF

Feb 26, 2016
If you've upgraded your older version of Windows OS to an all new Windows 10 operating system then you may have noticed an advertisement appearing on your desktop or laptop's lock screen over the past couple of days. Yes, this is what Microsoft has chosen to generate revenue after offering Free Windows 10 Download to its users: Monetize the Lock Screen . Thanks to Windows 10's new Spotlight feature that usually shows you clean and beautiful photographs and fun facts on your lock screen, but now started displaying advertisements to over 200 Million devices running Windows 10. Some Windows 10 users have reported seeing ads for Rise of the Tomb Raider with links to Windows Store from where users can purchase the video game. Microsoft started selling the game last month. Although the ads are not as annoying as the Windows 10 privacy concerns related to the way Microsoft collects your personal data , the good news is that you can turn the ads OFF. Must
Warning — Linux Mint Website Hacked and ISOs replaced with Backdoored Operating System

Warning — Linux Mint Website Hacked and ISOs replaced with Backdoored Operating System

Feb 21, 2016
Are you also the one who downloaded Linux Mint on February 20th? You may have been Infected! Linux Mint is one of the best and popular Linux distros available today, but if you have downloaded and installed the operating system recently you might have done so using a malicious ISO image. Here's why: Last night, Some unknown hacker or group of hackers had managed to hack into the Linux Mint website and replaced the download links on the site that pointed to one of their servers offering a malicious ISO images for the Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon Edition . "Hackers made a modified Linux Mint ISO, with a backdoor in it, and managed to hack our website to point to it," the head of Linux Mint project Clement Lefebvre said in a surprising announcement dated February 21, 2016. Who are affected? As far as the Linux Mint team knows, the issue only affects the one edition, and that is Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon edition. The situation happened last night, s
Linux Foundation Launches 'Zephyr', a tiny OS for Internet of Things

Linux Foundation Launches 'Zephyr', a tiny OS for Internet of Things

Feb 20, 2016
The 21st century is witnessing a great change over in the daily life of folks with the advent of IoT devices that are capable of talking to each other without any human intervention. Yeah! Now you do not have to individually cascade an instruction to each of your home devices to accomplish a task. All have gone automated with the actuators and sensors which are infused into the home appliances. The fact is that your IoT devices would only comply within the family of same manufacturers. For example, if you have a Samsung smart refrigerator, and your wearable device is from Apple or any other vendors, then it couldn't sync as both are from different genres. No need to worry now! Zephyr: Future of IoTs The Linux Foundation has broken all the barriers of compatibility issues by releasing a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) for Internet of Things devices , dubbed " Zephyr ". This OS enables connected devices to communicate with the same protocol.
Microsoft Windows 10 is now Installed on over 200 Million Devices

Microsoft Windows 10 is now Installed on over 200 Million Devices

Jan 05, 2016
Windows 10 here, Windows 10 there, and it is everywhere. This is exactly what Microsoft dreamed of, and it seems like the company is actively working to reach its One Billion goal by the end of 2017 or mid-2018. Proudly announcing its first huge success, Microsoft reported that its newest Windows 10 operating system is now officially installed on more than 200 Million devices worldwide since its launch five months ago. Windows 10 is the latest as well as the greatest operating system from Microsoft that took less than six months to hit 200 Million milestone. The growth is really impressive, and Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices Yusuf Mehdi outlined other milestones for Windows 10 in a blog post on Monday. Here's the list: Windows 10's adoption is growing 140% faster than Windows 7 and over 400% faster than Windows 8. More than 40% of the new Windows 10 devices were activated since Black Friday. Over 11 Billion hours have b
North Korea's Red Star OS (Looks Like Mac OS X) Spies on its Own People

North Korea's Red Star OS (Looks Like Mac OS X) Spies on its Own People

Dec 30, 2016
North Korea has its own homegrown computer operating system that looks remarkably just like Apple's OS X, which not only prevents potential foreign hacking attempts but also provides extensive surveillance capabilities. Two German researchers have just conducted an in-depth analysis of the secretive state's operating system and found that the OS does more than what is known about it. Dubbed Red Star OS , the operating system based on a Linux 2009 version called Fedora 11 limits its users to a government-approved view of the world and has the tendency to ' watermark ' files on USB sticks to track user's shuttling contraband material. Red Star OS Tracks User's Every Move In short, whenever a user inserts a USB storage device containing photos, videos or other documents, into a computer running Red Star, the OS takes the current hard disk's serial number, encrypts that number, and writes that encrypted serial into the file, marking it. The p
Google is Merging its Chrome OS with Android

Google is Merging its Chrome OS with Android

Oct 30, 2015
Google is planning to merge its Chrome OS with Android operating system and roll out a single operating system by 2017. New Android OS Optimized for Laptops: Yes, a Single Operating system for Mobile devices, desktops, laptops and notebooks, just what Microsoft is offering to its users with  Windows 10 . Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system based on the Linux kernel and designed by Google to power its Chromebook Laptops and Desktops. Here's the deal: According to a recent report published by the Wall Street Journal, Google has been working for two years to merge Chrome OS and Android, and you can expect to see an early version of the 'single OS for all' as soon as next year at Google I/O event. Is Google Killing Chrome OS? NO, Google isn't Killing Chrome OS.  Some have reported that Google might "kill" Chrome operating system, but it's not what the company has planned about. Also Read:  Google OnHub Router actu
This Secure Operating System Can Protect You Even if You Get Hacked

This Secure Operating System Can Protect You Even if You Get Hacked

Oct 07, 2015
Hackers, Government Agencies and sophisticated malware, are collecting every piece of Digital data that we transmit through our Computers, Smartphones or Internet-enabled Gadgets. No matter how secure you think you might be, something malicious can always happen. Because, " With the right tools and Talent, a Computer is an open book. " Many people ask, How to stay safe and secure online? And, Answer is... ...Knowledge of Cyber threats, little Smartness and a Secure Operating System. Which Operating System is the Most Secure? Nearly every Operating System is designed with Security as a requirement, but believe me… there can't be a truly Secure Operating System. If you are Interested in Security and Hacking, you have probably already heard of various security-focused Operating Systems like Tails , Whonix and Kali Linux . All these operating systems, including Windows, Linux, BSD, even OSX, are all based on a Monolithic Kernels, and it requir
NeoKylin: China's Linux OS that Seriously Looks Like Windows XP

NeoKylin: China's Linux OS that Seriously Looks Like Windows XP

Sep 25, 2015
Do You Know:  China has planned to eliminate all foreign Technologies and Services by 2020, just like Google and Facebook . And it seems China in some years would be an entirely independent IT economy; building homegrown Mobile and computer devices, Operating Systems, Applications, Browsers and almost everything existing in the IT ecosystem. Well, China was not at all happy when Microsoft finally announced the end of official support for Windows XP. At the time, Windows holded 91% of total market share, compared to just for Mac OS X and just 1% for Linux. However, China wasn't interested to pay either for extended support for Windows XP or for switching to Windows 8. So, they decided to develop their own Operating System. Yes, China has developed a Desktop Operating System named " NeoKylin " ( and ' Kylin ' in Chinese ), tagged as a substitute to Windows XP by Quartz , who got an opportunity to have a hands-on experience of its "community version" OS. NeoKylin
Apple Boosts iOS 9 Security with improved Two-Factor Authentication

Apple Boosts iOS 9 Security with improved Two-Factor Authentication

Sep 12, 2015
Apple iOS 9 , codenamed Monarch , will be available to the world on September 16th. While most of the upgrades on iOS 9 focus on making devices: Faster Smarter Secure and more efficient. Today we are going to discuss the improved Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) pumped within the new iOS operating system. WHAT'S NEW AND HOW IT WORKS Apple has strengthened the foundation of iOS 9 and further of your device by modifying the operating system with an improved two-factor authentication built into it. As the two-factor authentication structure lies within the operating system, this makes the device's Apple ID even harder to break. 2FA secures your Apple ID by acting as an additional support to protect your data on your device, preventing any intrusion to occur on your device. Also, when you have more than one devices running Apple's operating system, 2FA enables sign-in on a new device in a streamlined manner… ...Besides verifying your identi
Microsoft is Auto-Downloading Windows 10 to PCs, Even If You Don't Want it

Microsoft is Auto-Downloading Windows 10 to PCs, Even If You Don't Want it

Sep 11, 2015
Microsoft wholeheartedly wants you to upgrade to Windows 10. So much that even if you have not opted-in for Windows 10 upgrade, you will get it the other way. Surprised? If you have Windows Update enabled on your PCs running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you'll notice a large file — between 3.5GB and 6GB — mysteriously been downloaded to your computer in the background. The huge file is actually linked to Windows 10 installation that Microsoft is reportedly downloading on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers even if users have not opted into the upgrade. The news comes days after it was disclosed that Microsoft is installing Windows 10's data collecting and user behavior tracking features onto Windows 7 and 8.1 machines. With this latest automatic Windows 10 installation, Microsoft is not only consuming your storage space but also using your Internet bandwidth for unrequested files, as the Windows 10 installer downloads up to 6 gigabytes, depending on which Wind
Apple Mac OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' Update unveiled at WWDC 2015

Apple Mac OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' Update unveiled at WWDC 2015

Jun 09, 2015
After Google made its Android users happy by unveiling new features in Google I/O developer conference last month, it's now time for Apple fans… WWDC 2015 event is upon us. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is going on in San Francisco and the company has many new surprises for its users. One of them is the new operating system for Macs, which Apple unveiled on stage on Monday. Long served Yosemite, a Heartiest Welcome to the newest version of OS X: El Capitan . Yes, El Capitan — the famous mountain in Yosemite National Park — is the latest version of Apple's desktop operating system that. What are the best features of EI Capitan? EI Capitan is the Apple major move towards providing a better desktop experience to its users. With OS X El Capitan, Apple wants to focus heavily on performance improvements to make its Mac computers " snappier and more efficient. " So, What's new in OS X 10.11 El Capitan? Improved User Experience 1. New sm
Google Brillo OS — New Android-based OS for Internet of Things

Google Brillo OS — New Android-based OS for Internet of Things

May 23, 2015
Internet of Things is the future, and every big tech companies are trying to become an integral part of this upcoming trend. Keeping this in mind, Google is developing an operating system for connecting all devices via the Internet. Google is expected to launch a new Android-based operating system that would be lightweight enough to run on low-power devices connected to the " Internet of Things " (IoT), reported The Information. Google's Brillo OS for Internet Of Things The OS is dubbed " Brillo ," and the news outlet claims the company is likely to release the new operating system under the Android brand next weekend at Google I/O, the company's annual conference for software developers. The connected OS, which may require as little as 32 or 64 MB of RAM to run, could be used on everything from major smart home appliances such as refrigerators, TVs to smaller tech such as garden monitors, light bulbs, door locks and sensors. Acc
Cybersecurity Resources