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Israeli Power Grid Authority Suffers Massive Cyber Attack

Israeli Power Grid Authority Suffers Massive Cyber Attack

Jan 27, 2016
The country which built a Digital Iron Dome , Israel had undergone one of the largest serious cyber attack this year. This time, the name of Israel is being popped up in the current headlines is for the massive cyber attack which triggered against the Nation's Electrical Power Grid Authority's Network. "Yesterday we identified one of the largest cyber attacks that we have experienced," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz confirmed at the CyberTech 2016 Conference at the Tel Aviv Trade Fair and Convention Center on Tuesday, according to an article published by The Times of Israel. "The virus was already identified and the right software was already prepared to neutralize it," Steinitz added. "We'd to paralyze many of the computers of the Israeli Electricity Authority. We are handling the situation and I hope that soon, this very serious event will be over...but as of now, computer systems are still not working as they should." Sev...
Oh Snap! Lenovo protects your Security with '12345678' as Hard-Coded Password in SHAREit

Oh Snap! Lenovo protects your Security with '12345678' as Hard-Coded Password in SHAREit

Jan 27, 2016
What do you expect a tech giant to protect your backdoor security with? Holy Cow! It's " 12345678 " as a Hard-Coded Password . Yes, Lenovo was using one of the most obvious, awful passwords of all time as a hard-coded password in its file sharing software SHAREit that could be exploited by anyone who can guess '12345678' password. The Chinese largest PC maker made a number of headlines in past for compromising its customers security. It had shipped laptops with the insecure  SuperFish adware , it was  caught using Rootkit  to secretly install unremovable software, its  website was hacked , and it was  caught pre-installing Spyware  on its laptops. Any of these incidences could have been easily prevented. Now, Research center of Core Security CoreLabs issued an advisory on Monday that revealed several software vulnerabilities in Lenovo SHAREit app for Windows and Android that could result in: Information leaks Security protoco...
Critical Flaws in Magento leave Millions of E-Commerce Sites at Risk

Critical Flaws in Magento leave Millions of E-Commerce Sites at Risk

Jan 27, 2016
If you are using Magento to run your e-commerce website, it's time for you to update the CMS ( content management system ) now. Millions of online merchants are at risk of hijacking attacks due to a number of critical cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Magento, the most popular e-commerce platform owned by eBay. Why the Bugs are So Serious? Virtually all versions of Magento Community Edition 1.9.2.2 and earlier as well as Enterprise Edition 1.14.2.2 and earlier, are vulnerable to the Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaws. The stored XSS flaws are awful as they allow attackers to: Effectively take over a Magento-based online store Escalate user privileges Siphon customers' data Steal credit card information Control the website via administrator accounts However, the good news is that the vulnerabilities are patched, and an update has been made available to the public after security firm Sucuri discovered and privately reported the v...
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Password Security — Who's to Blame for Weak Passwords? Users, Really?

Password Security — Who's to Blame for Weak Passwords? Users, Really?

Jan 26, 2016
The majority of Internet users are vulnerable to cyber threats because of their own weaknesses in setting up a strong password. But, are end-users completely responsible for choosing weak passwords? Give a thought. Recently we wrote an article revealing the list of Worst Passwords of 2015 that proved most of us are still using bad passwords, like ' 123456 ' or ' password ,' to secure our online accounts that when breached could result in critical information loss. If the end-user is to blame for weak password security, then the solution is to educate each and every Internet user to follow the best password security practice. But is that really possible? Practically, No. Even after being aware of best password security measures, do we really set strong passwords for every website? I mean EVERY. Ask yourself. Who's Responsible for allowing Users to Set a Weak Password? It's the websites and their developers, who didn't enforce a...
Warning — People are Sharing a Link that will Crash and Reboot your iPhone

Warning — People are Sharing a Link that will Crash and Reboot your iPhone

Jan 26, 2016
A new prank circulating on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platform could crash your iPhone or iPad completely. If you come across a link to crashsafari.com, you are advised not to open it on your iPhone, iPad or even Macs. Doing so will cause Safari application to crash, potentially causing your Apple device to restart. In case, you want to try this out, just click here to visit the website and watch what happens. Currently, people are spreading the link to CrashSafari.com via Twitter using a URL shortener, and users are tricked into visiting the site without being knowing. How does this Prank Work? The prank website (crashsafari.com) generates a ridiculously long, and increasing string of characters and then overloads this text string in the address bar of Apple's default Safari browser. CrashSafari site's code is very simple and includes: A Header Title that you will never actually see because the browser crashes. A small piece of Ja...
Apple Can Still Read Your End-to-End Encrypted iMessages

Apple Can Still Read Your End-to-End Encrypted iMessages

Jan 25, 2016
If you are backing up your data using iCloud Backup , then you need you watch your steps NOW! In government fight against encryption, Apple has positioned itself as a staunch defender of its user privacy by refusing the federal officials to provide encryption backdoors into its products. When it comes to Apple's iMessage service, the company claims that it can't read messages sent between its devices because they use end-to-end encryption, which apparently means that only you and the intended recipient can read it. Moreover, in case, if the federal authorities ask Apple to hand over messages related to any of its users, there is nothing with Apple to offer them. "If the government laid a subpoena to get iMessages, we can't provide it," Apple CEO Tim Cook told Charlie Rose back in 2014. "It is encrypted, and we do not have a key." But Wait! There are still hundreds of Millions of Apple users whose data are stored on Apple'...
Samsung Get Sued for Failing to Update its Smartphones

Samsung Get Sued for Failing to Update its Smartphones

Jan 22, 2016
One of the world's largest smartphone makers is being sued by the Dutch Consumers' Association (DCA) for its lack in providing timely software updates to its Android smartphones. This doesn't surprise me, though. The majority of manufacturers fail to deliver software updates for old devices for years. However, the consumer protection watchdog in The Netherlands, The Dutch Consumentenbond, filed a lawsuit against Samsung, due to the manufacturer's grip over the local market compared to other manufacturers. Last year, the discovery of the scary Stagefright Security Bug , which affected over 1 Billion Android devices worldwide, forced Samsung to implement a security update process that " fast tracks the security patches over the air when security vulnerabilities are uncovered a security update process that " fast tracks the security patches over the air when security vulnerabilities are uncovered, " and that the security updates will...
Google to Speed Up Chrome for Fast Internet Browsing

Google to Speed Up Chrome for Fast Internet Browsing

Jan 22, 2016
Google is planning to make Chrome faster in order to provide its users fast Internet browsing experience. Thanks to a new, open-source data and web compression algorithm for the Internet called Brotli , which Google announced last year to boost its web page performance. With Brotli, Google will speed up Chrome and users could get a significant performance boost in coming months. Google introduced Brotli last September and claimed that the new algorithm is a "whole new data format" that could reduce file sizes by up to 26 percent higher than Zopfli , the company's three-year-old web compression technology. Net result – Fast Internet Browsing In a post on Google+ on Tuesday, web performance engineer at Google Ilya Grigorik announced that the new algorithm is coming to Chrome soon, which will change the way files are compressed, improving loading speeds by a quarter. Besides faster loading speeds, Brotli also have additional benefits for smartphone users, which ...
You Wouldn't Believe that Too Many People Still Use Terrible Passwords

You Wouldn't Believe that Too Many People Still Use Terrible Passwords

Jan 21, 2016
Some things online can never change like -- Terrible Passwords by Humans . When it's about various security measures to be taken in order to protect your Internet security, like installing a good anti-virus or running Linux on your system doesn't mean that your work gets over here, and you are safe enough from online threats. However, even after countless warnings, most people are continuously using deadly-simple passwords, like '123456' or 'password,' to safeguard their most sensitive data. Evidence suggests that weak passwords are as popular now as they ever were, and the top 25 passwords of 2015 are very easy to guess. Password management firm SplashData on Tuesday released its annual " Worst Passwords List ". The 2015 list almost resembled the 2014 list of the worst password, but there are some interesting new entries, including the Star Wars-inspired ' solo ,' and ' starwars .' Also Read:  Best Password Manager —...
Apple testing Ultra-Fast Li-Fi Wireless Technology for Future iPhones

Apple testing Ultra-Fast Li-Fi Wireless Technology for Future iPhones

Jan 21, 2016
Apple to make future iPhones compatible with a cutting-edge technology that has the capability to transmit data at 100 times the speed of WiFi , suggests the code found within the iOS firmware. Apple may ship future iPhones with Li-Fi capabilities, a new technology that may end up replacing the widely-used Wi-Fi in the future technology. Beginning with iOS 9.1 update, the operating system's source code makes mention of " LiFiCapability " alongside declarations to other hardware and software capabilities, hinting that Apple may be experimenting with ways to integrate Li-Fi technology with future iPhones models. Li-Fi compatibility with Future iPhones Li-Fi compatibility was spotted in the code for iOS 9.1 by a Twitter user, who goes by name Chase Fromm, and was independently confirmed by Apple Insider. However, there is no such indication that Apple is actually working with Li-Fi. But, as pointed out by Apple Insider, Apple filed a patent applic...
Critical iOS Flaw allowed Hackers to Steal Cookies from Devices

Critical iOS Flaw allowed Hackers to Steal Cookies from Devices

Jan 21, 2016
Apple has patched a critical vulnerability in its iOS operating system that allowed criminal hackers to impersonate end users' identities by granting read/write access to website's unencrypted authentication cookies. The vulnerability was fixed with the release of iOS 9.2.1 on Tuesday, almost three years after it was first discovered and reported to Apple. The vulnerability, dubbed " Captive Portal " bug, was initially discovered by Adi Sharabani and Yair Amit from online security company Skycure and privately reported to Apple in June 2013. Here's How the Vulnerability Worked The vulnerability caused due to the way iOS handles Cookie Stores at Captive Portals , generally a login page that requires users to authenticate themselves before connecting to the free or paid public Wi-Fi hotspots when they are first joining. So, when a user with a vulnerable iPhone or iPad connects to a captive-enabled network ( sample page shown in the screensho...
US releases Iranian Hacker as part of Prisoner Exchange Program

US releases Iranian Hacker as part of Prisoner Exchange Program

Jan 20, 2016
The United States has freed 4 Iranian nationals ( including one Hacker ) and reduced the sentences of 3 others in exchange for the release of 5 Americans formerly held by Iran as part of a prisoner swap or Prisoner Exchange Program. The Iranian citizens released from the United States custody through a side deal to the Iran nuclear agreement. Iran released five Americans, including: Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati Student Matthew Trevithick Christian pastor Saeed Abedini Pastor Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari The United States pardoned seven Iranian nationals, including: Nader Modanlou Bahram Mechanic Khosrow Afqahi Arash Ghahreman Touraj Faridi Nima Golestaneh (Hacker) Ali Sabounchi "These individuals weren't charged with terrorism or any violent offenses. They are civilians, and their release is a one-time gesture to Iran given the unique opportunity offered by this moment and the larger circumstance...
Facebook adds Built-in Tor Support for its Android App

Facebook adds Built-in Tor Support for its Android App

Jan 19, 2016
Rejoice for Privacy Lovers! Facebook today took a surprising move by announcing that it is bringing the free anonymizing software TOR support to its Android app , almost two years after the social network planned to make Facebook available directly over Tor network. Yes. Believe it or not, the Android version of the popular Facebook application now supports the Tor anonymity network. In October 2014, Facebook launched a .onion website on TOR in order to let its users around the world access its service more securely. Access Facebook over TOR via Orbot This latest move to expand that access to the Android app opens up the option to millions more users to maintain their privacy when they visit the world's most popular social network. Facebook says "a sizeable community of people" are already accessing the site over TOR, so the company is bringing this feature to Android via the free Orbot proxy app , which is available on the Google's Play...
Zero-Day Flaw Found in 'Linux Kernel' leaves Millions Vulnerable

Zero-Day Flaw Found in 'Linux Kernel' leaves Millions Vulnerable

Jan 19, 2016
A new critical zero-day vulnerability has been discovered in the Linux kernel that could allow attackers to gain root level privileges by running a malicious Android or Linux application on an affected device. The critical Linux kernel flaw ( CVE-2016-0728 ) has been identified by a group of researchers at a startup named Perception Point. The vulnerability was present in the code since 2012, and affects any operating system with Linux kernel 3.8 and higher , so there are probably tens of millions of computers, both 32-bit and 64-bit, exposed to this flaw. However, the most bothersome part is that the problem affects Android versions KitKat and higher , which means about 66 percent of all Android devices are also exposed to the serious Linux kernel flaw. Impact of the Zero-Day Vulnerability An attacker would only require local access to exploit the flaw on a Linux server. If successfully exploited, the vulnerability can allow attackers to get root access ...
WhatsApp is Now Free For Lifetime

WhatsApp is Now Free For Lifetime

Jan 18, 2016
Good News for WhatsApp users! The widely popular messaging service is going completely free. And you'll be able to use WhatsApp without paying a penny. Old WhatsApp users might not be aware of this, but WhatsApp introduced the subscription fees for its service a few years ago, forcing new users to pay an annual 99 cents (~$1) subscription fee after the first year. However, WhatsApp announced Monday that the Facebook-owned company is dropping its annual subscription fee to make its service free to all users. While announcing the plan today, WhatsApp's founder Jan Koum stated that the annual subscription fee was still a barrier to some users. "As we have grown, we have found that this approach has not worked well," WhatsApp admitted in a company blog post today. "Many WhatsApp users do not have a debit or credit card number, and they worried they'd lose access to their friends and family after their first year." What will be What...
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