PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
PCR rounds up some of the biggest security stories from the past seven days.
BullGuard released free safety guide for retailers
Internet and mobile security provider BullGuard has released a guide offering parents tips on keeping their children safe online.
In contains scenarios that kids may face whilst online, infections from viruses and malware, plus how to manage a child’s natural curiosity when surfing the web.
Parents are introduced to the basics of security for children and learn how to put measure in place to ensure they are being protected.
Darwin Nuke
Kaspersky Lab has discovered a vulnerability in the OS X and iOS open source component: Darwin.
The ‘Darwin Nuke’ leaves devices running on these operating systems exposed to remotely activated denial of service (DoS) attacks, which can damage the device and impact corporate networks it is connected to.
Game of Thrones leak
Security firm Tripwire has said that the recent hack to HBO’s network, which saw the Game of Thrones episodes leaked, was not a normal hack.
Ken Westin, security analyst from Tripwire, commented: “I believe this is not a traditional hack where HBO’s network was compromised, but an example of supply chain security in relation to data.
"There is a great deal of demand for Game of Thrones episodes as it has an incredible fan base so there is a great deal of motive to find and leak the material.”
Interpol joins Kaspersky and Microsoft to tackle infected PCs
A global operation led by the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore is being backed by the likes of Kaspersky, Microsoft, Trend Micro and Japan’s Cyber Defence Institute.
The operation has disrupted the pay-per-install malware called Simda Botnet, which is a network of infected computers around the world.
The 82-second phishing campaign
A report from Verizon has revealed that it takes less than two minutes for cyber-thieves to capture the first victim of a phishing campaign, reports the BBC.
The report says that in many companies, around 25 per cent of employees who receive a phishing email will open it.
The emails trick recipients into opening the message, allowing attackers to attackers to access login details.
FTSE 100 companies are careless with consumer data
Only one company in the FTSE 100 admits to auditing cookies on their websites, despite a new EU regulation about to come into force, and the ever present risk of leaking their consumer data to third parties, reveals Cookie Reports.
This audit follows an initial cookie sweep by the European Union of 478 sites in eight EU countries, revealing that 70 per cent of the 16,555 cookies identified were set by third parties.
Holiday scams
British holidaymakers were conned out of £2.2 million in 2014 through internet scams, reports the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
Overall there were 1,569 cases of holiday booking fraud reported to the ActionFraud team last year, with the most common types being fake plane tickets, account hacking, bogus ads and websites.
72 per cent of Brits worried about their data
British adults are concerned about the safety of their emails, chat, files and pictures, reports CloudMask.
In fact 72 per cent are worried that their data isn’t as secure as they would like.
Wael Aggan, CEO of CloudMask, said: “Gone are the days when consumers took a back seat in protecting their data online.
“High-profile data breaches, including celebrities’ nude photographs being pasted over the internet, credit card details being hacked and governments gaining permission to access Google and Microsoft customer data is forcing consumers to take more control of their privacy.”
OPSWAT announces new feature for anti-malware service
IT management and security solutions provider OPSWAT has announced a new statistic feature to its services.
The Metascan Online data delivered by the new feature can be used to investigate threats generated by most searches. It provides a nearly real-time visualisation of the value of the security check.”
Image source: Shutterstock
