- Follow this blog:
- RSS
- Email Alert
IT Security
Selena Frye
TechRepublic Staff
Selena Frye
-
Infographic: How cyber-secure are public companies?
This infographic presents some less-than-stellar numbers illustrating how well public companies are securing their web applications.
Posted by Selena Frye | May 9, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by JJMach
-
Preparing for the DNSChanger Internet outage
Alfonso Barreiro tells all you need to know to clean up the DNSChanger malware that has affected millions of users. Make sure your organization is prepared for the July 9, 2012 deadline that the...
Posted by Alfonso Barreiro | May 8, 2012, 6:42 AM PDT | Latest comment by Kenton.R
-
How user-behavior monitoring helps reduce risk
Dominic Vogel asks a researcher and a vendor to explain what behavioral monitoring adds to an organization's security strategy.
Posted by Dominic Vogel | May 7, 2012, 11:39 AM PDT
-
Ashkan Soltani introduces MobileScope, an innovative approach to online privacy
There's a lot of debate taking place on how to guarantee online privacy -- but few user-ready solutions. Michael Kassner talks to Ashkan Soltani about a new tool called MobileScope that may change...
Posted by Michael Kassner | May 7, 2012, 7:38 AM PDT | Latest comment by OldGuru
-
Facebook adds Antivirus Marketplace: Security or marketing?
Patrick Lambert looks at the additional security measures that Facebook put in place for its users, including free antivirus options.
Posted by Patrick Lambert | May 3, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT
-
How quantum cryptography works: And by the way, it's breakable
Quantum cryptography is not infallible. But before getting to how it can be compromised, Michael Kassner calls on some experts to explain how Quantum Key Distribution works.
Posted by Michael Kassner | May 1, 2012, 7:26 AM PDT | Latest comment by pgit
-
2012 Sophos security report: The threat landscape
Patrick Lambert breaks down the threat types that the Sophos 2012 security report identified in their annual survey. What's still around and what threats are on the rise?
Posted by Patrick Lambert | April 24, 2012, 7:29 AM PDT
-
Government task force seeks to eradicate insider threats: Practical recommendations
Is the President's new task force, launched last fall, really going to deal with the insidious role of the insider threat? Paul Kenyon, Avecto COO, recommends some security industry best practices.
Posted by Guest Contributor | April 24, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Tinman57
-
TaintDroid: Warns about Android apps leaking sensitive data
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to determine what personal data is leaking from your smartphone. Michael Kassner interviews members of a research team that want to change that.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 22, 2012, 8:04 PM PDT | Latest comment by 1ronman
-
Security vs. convenience: Will users embrace the opt-in?
Patrick Lambert looks at Mozilla's recent decision to make Flash and other plugins an opt-in feature for users instead of a default. Will users regard it as a nuisance or a safeguard?
Posted by Patrick Lambert | April 19, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Fairbs
-
Defending against Advanced Persistent Threats
Alfonso Barreiro defines the security class known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and describes the security view you should take of your organization to combat them.
Posted by Alfonso Barreiro | April 16, 2012, 1:30 PM PDT | Latest comment by bvergara@...
-
Does your flashlight app know where you are? Probing Android permissions
Android permissions are difficult to understand. Michael Kassner interviews a research team using the "wisdom of the crowd" to clarify what a permission actually does.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 16, 2012, 7:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by JohnMcGrew@...
-
Does your cloud storage provider hold the keys to your data?
Patrick Lambert looks at some recent cloud data breaches and our approach to safeguarding data that is trusted to cloud providers. Take the poll about what data, if any, you trust to the cloud.
Posted by Patrick Lambert | April 10, 2012, 6:20 AM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
-
The dark side of anonymous remailers
Anonymity needs to be preserved in some situations, but in the case of some security threats, total anonymity is dangerous. Michael Kassner looks at the problem of remailers.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 9, 2012, 7:19 AM PDT | Latest comment by jhoward@...
-
New exploits targeting critical infrastructure added to Metasploit
Security researchers release exploits that target the programmable logic controllers at the heart of critical infrastructure.
Posted by Selena Frye | April 5, 2012, 1:15 PM PDT | Latest comment by bboyd@...
-
Infographic: The who, what, and where of identity theft in the U.S.
The source of this infographic on identity theft complaints in the U.S. is the Federal Trade Commission. See a breakdown of the numbers by age group and region.
Posted by Selena Frye | April 4, 2012, 10:39 AM PDT | Latest comment by Gisabun
-
The price for free Android apps may be your privacy
In-app advertising receives the same permission set as the host app. Michael Kassner reviews what that controversial decision means to the user.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 2, 2012, 7:58 AM PDT | Latest comment by Michael Kassner
-
How effective is antivirus software on smartphones?
Patrick Lambert looks at the limited usefulness of smartphone antivirus apps. Should you bother with it?
Posted by Patrick Lambert | March 30, 2012, 9:54 AM PDT | Latest comment by Ken4354
-
Attacked by Anonymous: How to defend against a denial-of-service
Alfonso Barreiro witnessed an Anonymous-led attack firsthand. Here is a description of their primary weapons and the countermeasures that can be taken against them.
Posted by Alfonso Barreiro | March 27, 2012, 6:48 AM PDT | Latest comment by tom.marsh@...
-
Mobile password managers: Cracking the security mechanisms
Password managers for mobile devices are convenient. But are the cached passwords sufficiently protected? Michael Kassner asks two experts to explain the vulnerabilities.
Posted by Michael Kassner | March 26, 2012, 8:07 AM PDT | Latest comment by Barala
-
List open ports and listening services
You should turn off any services you don't actually need so that they will not become avenues of attack for security threats. Different systems will have different services running by default,...
Posted by Chad Perrin | April 15, 2008, 8:47 PM PDT | Latest comment by jackhard
-
Hackers: From innocent curiosity to illegal activity
Researchers asked why talented youth skilled in "computerese" evolve into criminal hackers. Michael P. Kassner explains their unexpected results.
Posted by Michael Kassner | May 6, 2013, 7:59 AM PDT | Latest comment by mattohare@...
-
Cloud-service contracts and data protection: Unintended consequences
There are things your cloud-service (Facebook, Amazon, Google, Dropbox, etc.) contracts aren't telling you. Michael P. Kassner interviews an attorney concerned about what's not being said.
Posted by Michael Kassner | May 13, 2013, 11:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by Michael Kassner
-
Battling the Google Redirect virus
Consultant Bob Eisenhardt recounts his frustrating experience trying to track down and get rid of a client's search-redirect virus. Here's how he finally ditched it.
Posted by Bob Eisenhardt | January 2, 2013, 10:56 AM PST | Latest comment by Jane3344
-
DropSmack: Using Dropbox to steal files and deliver malware
Michael P. Kassner interviews a digital forensic scientist who uses Dropbox to compromise targeted networks -- something the bad guys probably figured out as well.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 15, 2013, 7:46 AM PDT | Latest comment by Michael Kassner
-
BoxCryptor vs. DropSmack: The battle to secure Dropbox
Can DropSmack malware be stopped? Michael P. Kassner asks the creators of BoxCryptor if it is up to the task of securing the Dropbox file-synchronization service.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 29, 2013, 10:30 AM PDT | Latest comment by Michael Kassner
-
How to spoof a MAC address
MAC address filtering for wireless networking isn't real "security". Anyone who pays any attention to current trends in wireless security at all should know that MAC filtering is less effective...
Posted by Chad Perrin | January 22, 2008, 1:28 PM PST | Latest comment by Doug Vitale
-
Aaron Swartz legacy lives on with New Yorker's Strongbox: How it works
Strongbox was Aaron Swartz's final project. Michael P. Kassner explains why The New Yorker requested a way to keep sources and their information secret.
Posted by Michael Kassner | May 20, 2013, 7:17 AM PDT | Latest comment by tylerpitchford
-
The basics of using a proxy server for privacy and security
Patrick Lambert goes over the basics of how proxy servers work and why they are used to add security and privacy.
Posted by Patrick Lambert | December 5, 2012, 6:30 AM PST | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
-
DDoS attack methods and how to prevent or mitigate them
Patrick Lambert covers the various methods attackers use to launch distributed denial of service attacks, and the precautions you can take to prevent or at least, mitigate these types of events.
Posted by Patrick Lambert | October 15, 2012, 11:24 AM PDT
-
Use PuTTY as a secure proxy on Windows
Last month, I wrote about using OpenSSH as a secure Web proxy on UNIX and Linux systems. This time, I'll show you how to do the same thing on Microsoft Windows using PuTTY -- probably the single...
Posted by Chad Perrin | March 10, 2008, 4:30 PM PDT | Latest comment by abaabaa
-
Security lessons from the 2013 Verizon Data Breach Report
Verizon's latest report on data breach statistics offers security pros a guide to the most persistent threats and where attention should be focused to defend against them.
Posted by Alfonso Barreiro | May 15, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT
-
Dropbox: Convenient? Absolutely, but is it secure?
A potential security lapse and possibly misleading statements are plaguing Dropbox, a hugely popular file-syncing app. What are the issues and is concern justified?
Posted by Michael Kassner | June 13, 2011, 8:03 AM PDT | Latest comment by kprivigyi@...
-
Software-Defined Networking: How it affects network security
SDN technology is set to rewrite the book of networking. Michael P. Kassner looks into how SDN will improve security, and where it's vulnerable.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 8, 2013, 7:13 AM PDT | Latest comment by Michael Kassner
-
The future of IT security compliance: 201 CMR 17.00
Why should you be concerned about a security rule that is part of the State law of Massachusetts -- especially if you aren't in business there? Donovan Colbert explains how compliance regulations...
Posted by Donovan Colbert | April 30, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by dcolbert@...
-
New McAfee patent hints at a more walled-off online world
A McAfee patent hints at content filtering at the user level in order to block sites that offer pirated content.
Posted by Patrick Lambert | May 3, 2013, 9:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by public_domain
-
Understanding what motivates Chinese hackers
Michael P. Kassner, with the help of a noted academic and author, looks at what motivates Chinese hackers. It may not be what you think.
Posted by Michael Kassner | April 22, 2013, 10:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
-
Hacker vs. cracker
The word "hacker" gets used in a pejorative sense by journalists an awful lot. Some people think this is perfectly reasonable; others find it offensive, and recommend an alternative term for that...
Posted by Chad Perrin | April 17, 2009, 1:20 PM PDT | Latest comment by wizard57m-cnet
-
10 services to turn off in MS Windows XP
As I pointed out on 19 October, in point number four of the article 10 security tips for all general-purposes OSes, an important step in the process of securing your system is to shut down...
Posted by Chad Perrin | November 7, 2007, 10:02 AM PST | Latest comment by JonB2008
-
The CIA Triad
The CIA Triad is a venerable, well-known model for security policy development, used to identify problem areas and necessary solutions for information security. Read on for an introduction to the...
Posted by Chad Perrin | June 30, 2008, 3:13 PM PDT | Latest comment by white house
