Recently, our own Harry McCracken revealed that even he’d been hit by the Mac malware known as Mac Defender (also known as Mac Protector). Here’s how to remove it from, or avoid getting it on, your Mac.
First of all, let’s clear up some definitions. “Malware” means “stuff that’s bad for your computer”, and this most certainly …
TechnologizerComputers
This post originally appeared on Technologizer.
“A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged.” I thought of that old wisecrack this morning when I encountered something I’d never seen before: a serious trojan attack on my Mac.
(Follow-up: How to Avoid or Remove ‘Mac Defender’ Malware)
The attack in question was an …
Google has addressed the recently-reported security hole that potentially affected 99% of Android phones used on open Wi-Fi networks.
The issue was detailed in this post here, but the basic gist is as follows:
“[W]hen a vulnerable Android phone connects to the internet, the Google apps on that phone will attempt to synchronize with
…
Follow-up: Sony: PSN Password Issue Was Exploit, Not Hack
Reports are starting to bubble up saying that Sony’s PlayStation Network may have been compromised yet again and, sure enough, I can’t even log into my own account on PlayStation.com: I get the above message.
MCVUK.com reports the following:
“The exploit allows people to
…
The trouble with being the latest big thing on the internet is that everyone wants a piece of your success. Including scammers.
As we reported yesterday, scams are appearing on Facebook. And because Facebook is so huge, people are falling for them.
It isn’t entirely Facebook’s fault, either. There’s an old computer helpdesk …
Follow-up: Google Patches Up Security Hole Affecting Most Android Phones
Whuh oh. Researchers in Germany have found that most Android phones contain a dangerous security hole that, if exploited, would allow someone to access your accounts for certain Google services.
“The weakness stems from the improper
…
You may not like someone on Facebook. You may practically despise someone on Facebook. Just don’t fall for a new scam that claims to offer you a chance to vent by giving someone a very public thumbs-down.
If you see a message offering to enable a “Dislike” button, beware: security firm Sophos claims the “fast-spreading scam …
The UK government’s computers are subjected to thousands of attempted cyber-attacks every month, the country’s finance minister said today.
The total number averaged out at more than one per day, and that’s just the ones targeted against his department.
George Osborne, the UK’s current Chancellor of the Exchequer, was speaking at
…
Osama bin Laden was a prolific user of email for many years, evading the global intelligence community by using simple, cheap tech: USB sticks.
His system depended on couriers who would use internet cafes, checking in to his anonymized email accounts and copying incoming messages to a simple USB memory stick.
They’d take he stick …
Passwords are such a pain. They’re so essential to modern life, but no-one likes using them, or remembering them, or inventing new ones.
Biometrics company Hoyos says it has the solution, with a little hand-held gadget called EyeLock.
Hold it in front of your face, and it scans and recognises the unique patterns in your iris. Once it
…
Sony had believed that its PlayStation Network service would have been restored by now but things have been delayed once again.
A company blog post finds Sony saying, “We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly …
You wouldn’t know it from the buzz, but the hack of Sony’s PlaysStation Network that compromised 77 million accounts is not the biggest breach in history. It’s only 4th according to DataLossDB. We’ve been losing much more data for quite a while now.
In a thoughtful blog post this week, computer scientist Ben Adida reflected on …
