Chrome is Number One, and For Good Reasons

Security, Software, , , , , , ,
22
Jan 2014

w3-counter-browser-share

Browser share according to W3Counter

The debate about which internet browser is the best has essentially ended.  Personal preferences aside, the consensus among most casual users as well as developers is that Chrome, the Google-backed browser, is number one (for the time being).

Why should you pick Chrome over all other browsers?  First and foremost, let’s consider the fact that the browser is constantly being revamped and tweaked by a huge community of developers worldwide.  Google gave developers the source code for Chrome back in 2008.  Since then, the open source Chomium project has thrived, leading to a robust and constantly updated browser.

A Think Tank is Better Than One Einstein

ad-block

AdBlock can be easily integrated into Chrome

What it comes down to is this, Google is allowing outside developers to tinker with Chrome.  Among some of the crucial benefits resulting from the open collaboration of many brilliant minds are these:

  • Exceptional security measures as developers are constantly debugging and patching up vulnerabilities
  • Add-ons built around the Chrome browser allows for a highly customizable surfing experience.  For instance, the adblock plugin lets surfers select which site is allowed to have ads or popups.
  • Convenience.  Users can sync their browsing history, usernames, passwords, and etc. across multiple platforms.  By simply logging into one’s Google account, he/she can have access to all his past browsing history, and save his present browsing experience for future syncing on other platforms.

It Can Always Be Better

Google, with its involvement in adding parts to the Internet of Things (IoT), has greatly improved the browsing experience for most average internet surfers.  Much of the work done in the development of Chrome (past, present, and future) ultimately serves as medium for Google to grow and profit.  However, Google is taking input from outside developers, and thus it has given the search giant an edge in the browser war over its competitors like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox.

Although Chrome is an exceptional browser for almost everyone and every purpose, a tool for surfing the internet is only a piece of the personal computing experience.  Chrome users will still need to consider what other tools will complement the browser, so that surfing the Internet becomes as secure as possible.

For more ideas and tips on staying safe and secure online, contact your office IT professionals.

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Microsoft Extends Antimalware Updates for Windows XP Until July 2015

Repairs and Upgrades, Security, Software, , , , , ,
18
Jan 2014

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Windows XP, despite its age in the software ecosystem, still controls nearly 30% of worldwide operating system share distribution.  Microsoft announced several months back that it will cease supporting Windows XP as of April 8, 2014.  For consumers, especially those that have already upgraded to Windows 7, the news didn’t mean much.  Businesses that rely on Windows XP for their IT solution, however, the news meant that they will have to either upgrade or find an exemplary IT partner to maintain their infrastructure.

There’s no running away from Windows XP if your business relies heavily on the dated OS to run things like legacy software.  So when Microsoft announced earlier this week that it will continue to provide antimalware signature and engine updates until July 14, 2015, most were relatively happy about the news.

Old Software and Hardware Can’t Keep Up

According to Microsoft, XP users will continue to get antimalware updates because Microsoft wants to ‘help organizations complete their migrations.’  On the enterprise end, the patch updates apply to System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection and Windows Intune.  Casual XP users will continue to receive the antimalware patch as a part of the Microsoft Security Essentials.

Although antimalware support will last for a bit longer, Microsoft recommends that XP users upgrade as soon as possible.  The reason being, old software and hardware may not be capable of keeping up with modern day threats.

What Are the Upgrade Options?

As we’ve already mentioned in a previous post, businesses that have a heavily connected infrastructure should consider upgrading from Windows XP.  When patches and update packages stop coming, the systems will become vulnerable to hackers and other threats on the internet.  Windows 7 still has quite a bit of shelf life left in it, so upgrading to this version of Windows is ideal if businesses are seeking a similar-to-XP experience.

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At the moment, most businesses will probably stay away from Windows 8 as it is a rather new platform that will take some getting used to.

If your business is still running Windows XP, contact our IT professionals for advice on how you can extend the life of the system without official Microsoft support, or how you can leverage your current hardware and save by upgrading to Windows 7.

Lastly, Microsoft also clarified to XP users that as of April 8, 2014, the ‘no longer supported operating system’ means that users will no longer get the official security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical updates.

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Target estimates 1 in 5 Americans may be affected by recent security breach

Security,
14
Jan 2014

target_front_entrance

In mid-December Target disclosed that hackers broke into the company’s computer system and stole several millions of its members’ personal information.  A month later and Target has just tripled the number of people that might be affected by the security breach.

It’s Okay to Shop, But Be Wary of Who You Give Your Information to

According to Target’s latest revision, the recent security breach might affect one out of every five Americans—that is, roughly 70 to 110 million are susceptible to identity theft.  The data stolen from Target’s database range from email addresses to credit card numbers, so the magnitude to which one’s identity is compromised will vary.

Given that the recent Target debacle gave hackers just bits and pieces of information on people’s financial data, the ensuing aftershock should not be as bad as some might predict.  Target, to its own credit, has been proactive about mitigating the damages that its customers have or will experience because of the security breach.  The company, and affiliating banking institutions, has reached out to members by issuing them new account numbers and credit cards.

Finders Keeper, Losers Weepers

Security experts, however, predict that the fraudulent activities that coincide with such a huge security breach will be an everlasting one if consumers don’t take matters into their own hands.  Information such as emails and phone numbers can, if left in the hands of experienced cyber criminals, be used as tools to indirectly steal more personal information.  When all the pieces of a person’s identity is pieced together, thieves can easily access their target’s banking accounts and make off with the loot with just a click of a mouse.

Hackers Grab 40 Million Accounts From Target Stores

So what can you, as a consumer—especially if shop at Target, do to protect yourself if your personal information linked to a company like Target?  First, check your banking statements for any unusual activities, and if something out of the ordinary occurs report it immediately to your financial institution.  Next, Target members with a credit/debit card on record need to contact the company to make sure that the account number is completely erased from the database.  As an extra preventative measure, take yourself off Target’s database completely—that is, make sure Target does not have your email, phone number, home address, etc.

There’s not much you can do once your personal data has been stolen from you, but what you can do is try to plug in the holes while you still can.  Security analysts and firms that monitor the World Wide Web for activities regarding the intrusion and manipulation of peoples’ personal data saw a huge spike in black market activities since the breach occurred.  Since most average consumers have no means of tracking down cyber criminals or stop their malicious activities, it’s up to the local authorities and banking institutions to stop them from draining out a bank account.

Bullseye!

Target is working closely with private and government security/forensic experts to close up some of the holes, but only time will tell if people can once again trust the Target brand.  One could say that it was a bad omen for Target to choose a bullseye for its logo as that image has mutated into a double edged sword.  On one end, the retailer flourished as consumers flocked to the red buildings to make purchases, and at the same time gave away their personal information.  On the other end, the bullseye also became an attractive target for hackers and cyber criminals, evident by the recent security breach.

For more details about security issues that can affect you or your business, contact your office IT support.

Update:

Target is offering customers affected by the breach 1 year of free credit monitoring.  Sign up here.

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Check Your Network: Linksys and Netgear Vulnerable

Internet, Security, , ,
13
Jan 2014

A Common Netgear Wireless Router. Model DG834G.

A Common Netgear Wireless Router. Model DG834G.

A number of Linksys and Netgear DSL modems have been found to be exploitable via a simple hole in the components’ firmware.

How Was This Discovered?

Eloi Vanderbeken recently took up the task of reverse engineering his Linksys WAG200G wireless DSL gateway’s firmware.  At first he did it just for kicks, but during the process he found out even brand name tech components are just as vulnerable to hackers as off-brand products.  Vanderbeken found out during his self-imposed hack-a-thon that his WAG200G DSL gateway was accessible to hackers via an undocumented port.

After Vanderbeken toyed around with the Linksys firmware, he was able to come up with a simple interface that allowed him to send various commands to the gateway without administration authentication.  At first, Vanderbeken found that he couldn’t do much with the interface besides resetting the gateway to its factory settings.  However, as he delved deeper into it, he found that he could inject some home-brewed command lines into the interface.  These simple code injections allowed him to gain control of certain administrative properties using a wireless connection, and to reset the gateway’s web password.

How To Check if Your Are Affected

People interested in the hack and are tech savvy enough can check out Vanderbeken’s published work on Github.  Would-be hackers can do a few things with the script.  Firstly, Vanderbeken only hacked his router because he wanted access to his router’s web console without having to input the admin password—which he forgot.  So if you are the proud owner of these selective devices, you can be assured that they’re hack-able to both you and others with malicious intents.  Chances are most people will rather reset their gateways the easy way by pressing the little red reset button on the back of their device using a pen tip.  People looking for an adventure into the world of coding, however, might actually test out the scripts to see if their highly secured network is bulletproof or not.

Eloi Vanderbeken's bruteforce code to test the vulerability.

Eloi Vanderbeken’s bruteforce code to test the vulerability.

Another thing to note is that the backdoor vulnerability in these LinkSys and Netgear components are only assessable locally.  Meaning, a hacker would have to be in range of your Wi-Fi network for them to compromise your network and personal data.

What Should I Do If I Am Affected?

Quite frankly speaking, unless your neighbor or a passerby knows exactly the type of router you’re currently using, they won’t bother to attempt to hack your network.  The easiest solution, if you happen to own one of these vulnerable devices, is to name your wireless network something other than the router’s brand and model.

Often times, the routers come shipped with preconfigured settings which use the brand or model as the default wireless network name.  If that is the case, simply log into your router, and change the network’s name.  Next, you may also want to upgrade the product’s firmware, but keep in mind that different manufacturers have different firmware upgrade requirements.  Check your product manuals or website before attempting to upgrade firmware, because one wrong move can render your router unusable.

If you need further help, contact your office IT support.

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Quickly Check If You’re Email Was Breached

Uncategorized,
06
Jan 2014

OnsitePCSolution_Have_I_Been_Pwned

Recently, eight major websites have had security breaches where attackers got access to user’s email addresses, user names, passwords and various other personal information. Some of the sites include:

  • 152,445,165 Adobe Accounts
  • 4,609,615 Snapchat Accounts
  • 453,427 Yahoo Accounts
Adobe is among some of the recent companies to have security breaches.

Adobe is among some of the recent companies to have security breaches.

Finding out whether one of your accounts or emails were a part of the breach has been difficult to do until now. Newly created website https://haveibeenpwned.com/ lets you type in your email address or username and will check if your account was compromised.

If your account has infact been compromised, the best thing to do is to change your password immediately.  If you are not sure what steps to take, contact your office iT support.

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