Apple products have long touted that they are more secure. Times are changing...

It this report from thenexweb.com (link), the explore some of the recent security threats to Mac users, Safari users (the default web browser on Apple Mac O/S), what users should be aware of and how to remove the latest threat.

As in Windows platforms, many of these malware infections have the primary purpose of scaring users into handing over credit card information as well as tricking them in to potentially exposing other personal information.

We feel it is necessary to once again remind all users that if an application you don’t recognize shows up on your computer, take action immediately. Do not ever enter credit card information into an application or website unless you have initiated the transaction with a trusted vendor online.

This is only the beginning for Mac users. The long held belief is that Apple products are safer, more secure and don’t get viruses. However, a lot of that is due in part to their past lack of market saturation. Apple has started to cut into Microsoft’s heavy penetration into the desktop O/S market, and with that as their popularity in this market segment increases so will the number of threats specifically targeting Apple’s products.

Mac Users, Beware. is a post from: @ Blog

How do you make sure you're protected online?

Last week, Epsilon, a Dallas, Texas based company that handles mass-email marketing and communications for some of the world’s largest banks and corporations, sent out a notification and press release explaining that they had experienced a security breech into their customer database which exposed millions of personal records to a unauthorized entity.  Many of you may have already received notifications from the companies you work with on a daily basis explaining this issue. 

Although these companies send out very nice and calming notifications with verbiage such as:

“We have been informed by Epsilon Interactive, a vendor based in Dallas, Texas, that files containing your email address were accessed by unauthorized entry into their computer system. Epsilon helps us send you emails about products and services that may be of interest to you.

We want to assure you that (financial institution) has never provided Epsilon with financial information about you. For your security, however, we wanted to call this matter to your attention. We ask that you remain alert to any unusual or suspicious emails.” 

This was not a very finite event.  Although Epsilon is downplaying it stating it was only email addresses and names, and they only exposed 2% of all of their records, realize that Epsilon handles marketing information on a massive scale for companies such as: 

1800-Flowers
Best Buy
Capitol One
Chase
CitiBank
Hilton Honors
JP Morgan
Marriott Rewards
US Bank
Walgreens

And that is just a small sample of the dozens of their clients that were affected.

Or should I say, of their clients’ clients that are affected?  Ultimately this lands on each and every one of us that has done business with these companies and provided our names and email addresses in the course of doing business with them. 

What does this mean for you?

Obviously, first and foremost this means your security online has been compromised.  Perhaps not in a way that directly can lead to identity theft, but as an end result, it is a possibility.  Expect increased spam, phishing emails and virus attacks as a result of this.

At best you’ll get a letter acknowledging there was a problem – neither Epsilon nor their clients are offering any solutions or remediation and seem to be doing nothing more than analyzing the scope of the damage.  In essence, they are making this your problem to deal with as they work at fixing the security issue that caused the exposure.

Your security, as always, is your responsibility!

What should you do?

Epsilon and their clients can assure you all they want that nothing really important was stolen – just your name and email address – but for those that stole the information, you can bet their intentions are to get as much personal information as they can.

Act with extra caution when clicking links in emails or opening any emails from unrecognized sources.  If you receive and email from someone you know that looks suspicious but you’re not sure, pick up the phone and call them to verify what it is, or simply send an email to their address in return (not a reply!) asking them what it is and if they did indeed send it.

Be sure you are using a good quality desktop security software that offers aggressive spam and phishing filtering, web threat prevention and proactive internet security features – and make sure you keep it updated and the subscription active!  Our recommendation is Trend Micro Internet Security.  It is a lightweight but robust security platform that you can trust.

Change your passwords.  According to Epsilon passwords weren’t stolen, but do you really want to take the chance that they’re 100% accurate regarding that?  Besides, most of us use the same passwords for email, bank accounts, on-line shopping, etc. and our email address is almost always our login ID.  If the bad guys can get one of your passwords either through a phishing scam or Trojan download, it could expose much more than just your email address to them.

And as always, if you have questions call us.  We are indeed concerned about your security and are more than willing to answer your questions or inspect any suspicious emails you receive.  If you already suspect you may have a Trojan, spyware or other malware on your system, bring it in to us for our flat-rate PC Tune-Up service.  We’ll diagnose any issues your system may have and make security recommendations to keep you safe.

If you’re concerned about your network security or have multiple systems, schedule an on-site appointment with one of our technicians and we’ll come to you!

Remember, security is your responsibility – trust the professionals to make sure YOU are as secure as you need to be!

Security Alert is a post from: @ Blog

But with it come the inevitable problems and dangers of any new platform.  Problems that iPad users should keep in a mind and also consider while looking at the iPad as a solution.

Is iPad leaving users with a false sense of security?

For years part of Apple’s marketing campaign included the underlying message, “No Windows, no viruses.”  While this may be true to an extent, it doesn’t mean that there are no security flaws in their products.  And while the ultra-mobile iPad may not be vulnerable to such issues right now, that doesn’t mean that it never will be.

Part of Microsoft’s problem with security through the years is simply the breadth of their products usage in the business and government sector.  While approximately 98% of all desktops in these markets run a Windows O/S, the odds are good for the bad guys that they will find an open port or a vulnerable system somewhere.  As the iPad becomes more popular it too will become more frequently targeted, and more frequently hit by the bad guys.  Think of it as a numbers game; the more of them there are out there, the more attractive of a target it becomes.

Since it runs a very similar operating environment as the iPhone and the iPod Touch, distribution of malware that can exploit browser based vulnerabilities in these devices are equally effective, and all of these devices are currently vulnerable to numerous web kit attacks.

Along with that is Apple’s attempt to keep applications on these devices proprietary – meaning you have to go to Apple to get their officially licensed software for them.  Jailbreak attacks have grown in popularity as users and hackers alike attempt to open their iDevices to applications and software other than those sold by Apple.  As always with these applications it is, “buyer beware,” and you can bet not all of them are designed to be the user’s friend.

You might be asking, “So, some security software should cover these problems, right?”  Well, that would be the case, except there are no anti-virus or firewall options for the iPad.  With the ability to access public WiF and hotspots, the iPad is touted as a convenient mobile internet device.

But, would you consider doing internet banking on public network on a Windows laptop without having a firewall or encrypted connection?  I hope not – unfortunately without any built-in firewalls, that is exactly what you would be doing using an iPad for these purposes.  Lacking this feature will inevitably make for easy access for mobile hackers looking to steal personal information.

Compounding that is iPad’s lack of any comprehensive encryption and password protection.  A serious concern for a device designed to be used for mobile e-mail and internet capabilities.

Apple has marketed iPad as a robust media device, which also offers hackers a varied platform for attacks.  Just prior to the release of the iPad, Apple distributed patches to address 88 different vulnerabilities for Mac OS X, Quicktime and iTunes.  However, there are still security issues and known vulnerabilities in Quicktime, which is embedded as OS X’s default media player, as well as known exploits found in iTunes, CoreAudio and ImageIO. 

The media capabilities and security issues present can also allow malicious code to be embedded into media sent through e-mail via video CODECS or into phishing e-mails with fraudulent web links.

So with advancement and possibilities, the warnings should also be noted.  Identity theft continues to rise – and the best defense against it is being aware of where the threats can come from.  The iPad is a great device in concept, but my road-tested ThinkPad is still a durable platform and I’ll be waiting for the release of iPad 2.0 before jumping on this bandwagon!

iPad: Anything But Leak Free is a post from: @ Blog