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ComputerWorld

ComputerWorld Independent 

The case against knee-jerk installation of Windows patches

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Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2019 03:10:00 -0700

Heresy. Yes, I know. Any way you slice it, from my point of view anyway, Windows Automatic Update is for chumps.

Just like the “users must be forced to change their passwords frequently” argument that’s no longer au courant, the “users must get patched immediately” argument is based on old, faulty, and totally unsubstantiated claims that make security people feel better — and little else.

With a few notable exceptions, in the real world, the risks of getting clobbered by a bad patch far, far outweigh the risks of getting hit with a just-patched exploit. Many security “experts” huff and puff at that assertion. The poohbahs preach Automatic Update for the unwashed masses, while frequently exempting themselves from the edict.

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ComputerWorld Independent 

Microsoft is better at documenting patch problems, but issues abound

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Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2019 03:55:00 -0700

I don’t know about you, but I’ve given up on Microsoft’s ability to deliver reliable patches. Month after month, we’ve seen big bugs and little bugs pushed and pulled and squished and re-squished. You can see a chronology from the past two years in my patching whack-a-mole columns starting here.

For the past few months, though, we’ve seen some improvement. Microsoft has started identifying and publicly acknowledging big bugs, shortly after they’re pushed. Consider:

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ComputerWorld Independent 

Apple is losing value and that’s a good thing

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Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2019 08:50:00 -0800

Apple must be doing something right as the cost of Apple ID data on the Dark Web has dropped, even as the value of Fortnite, Facebook, Netflix and Uber accounts has increased.

Apple is losing value

Last year, I reported that online scammers were spending up to $15 per account on Apple ID information, making Apple customers, “the most appealing targets” for scammers.

That’s changed.

The latest edition of Top10VPN’s ​Dark Web Market Price Index​ claims scammers are only willing to spend up to $11 for this information today and are targeting arguably less well-secured services instead.

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ComputerWorld Independent 

How to stay as private as possible on Apple's iPad and iPhone

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Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2019 09:39:00 -0800

Apple believes in your right to privacy. Here is some advice on how to use the tools it has given you to protect your privacy on an iOS device.

Use a better passcode

You probably already use a 4-digit passcode, but you can improve that with a 6-digit or alphanumeric code.

You change this in Settings>Touch ID/Face ID & Passcode, select Change Passcode and then tap the small Passcode Options dialog. Alphanumeric codes are harder to decipher, just make sure you remember the code.

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ComputerWorld Independent 

How to use your Mac safely in public places

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Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:59:00 -0800

Coffee shops across the planet are populated by earnest Apple Mac-wielding remote and/or freelance workers – but are they taking steps to protect themselves in a public place? Follow this checklist to make sure you are protected.

12 ways to use your Mac safely in public places

1. Worry about Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are dangerous places, not least because you don’t really know how the network is set up or who else is sitting on the same network with you.

Criminals are known to set up legitimate-seeming hotspots on which their software lurks, attempting to take data (including your bank and intranet passcodes) in transit. Please beware:

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ComputerWorld Independent 

Apple’s Group FaceTime: A place for spies?

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Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:30:00 -0800

Apple has disabled Group FaceTime following discovery of a flaw that could potentially let people hear audio from other people’s devices without permission. What’s going on and what can you do about it?

The Group FaceTime bug, in brief

A 9to5Mac report based on a video published to Twitter by @BmManski that revealed this flaw lets a user listen to audio captured using another person’s device before they accept or reject the call requesting a FaceTime chat. The problem affects only iOS devices running iOS 12.1 or later (pending an update).

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ComputerWorld Independent 

Android security audit: An easy-to-follow annual checklist

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Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:35:00 -0800

Android security is always a hot topic on these here Nets of Inter — and almost always for the wrong reason.

As we’ve discussed ad nauseam over the years, most of the missives you read about this-or-that super-scary malware/virus/brain-eating-boogie-monster are overly sensationalized accounts tied to theoretical threats with practically zero chance of actually affecting you in the real world. If you look closely, in fact, you’ll start to notice that the vast majority of those stories stem from companies that — gasp! — make their money selling malware protection programs for Android phones. (Pure coincidence, right?)

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ComputerWorld Independent 

How to protect Windows 10 PCs from ransomware

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Credit to Author: Preston Gralla| Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2018 13:53:00 -0800

CryptoLocker. WannaCry. Petya. Bad Rabbit. The ransomware threat isn’t going away anytime soon; the news brings constant reports of new waves of this pernicious type of malware washing across the world. It’s popular in large part because of the immediate financial payoff for attackers: It works by encrypting the files on your hard disk, then demands that you pay a ransom, frequently in Bitcoins, to decrypt them.

But you needn’t be a victim. There’s plenty that Windows 10 users can do to protect themselves against it. In this article, I’ll show you how to keep yourself safe, including how to use an anti-ransomware tool built into Windows 10.

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(Insider Story)

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