Monthly Archives: December 2012
Zero day vulnerability in Internet Explorer being used in targeted attacks, FixIt now available
Microsoft has released an advisory on a new zero day attack against users of Internet Explorer. While a Fixit is available it may be best to avoid using IE for awhile.
PowerPoint about the Mayan "end of the world" secretly boobytrapped with malware
Interested in the buzz around the Mayan calendar ceasing to increment after December 21st, 2012? Don't go looking for presentations about the topic, you might be in for a nasty surprise.
Would you like spam with that? McDonald's pinged for spamming by Australian regulator
The world-famous restaurant chain McDonald's was deemed to have been spamming when it implemented a 'send to friends' feature on one of its websites.
Does your organisation have any email auto-generation tools? If so, make sure you comply with the law...
Java 7 update 10 introduces important new security controls
Last week Oracle released Java 7 update 10 to the world without fixing a single vulnerability. That doesn't mean there aren't serious security improvements though. New settings could make Java users much safer from here forward.
Sudoku and malware with your coffee?
As the end of the year approaches and things calm down around the office, what better way to while away a few minutes than with a harmless Sudoku?
Perhaps not so harmless...
Iran claims discovery of new targeted malware
Iran's CERT has issued a warning about a new targeted malware attack that erases hard drives. Is this really the next Stuxnet? Hardly.
Man who hacked Scarlett Johansson's email gets a whopping ten years in prison
The crook who cracked into the email of numerous celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis, has been sent to prison.
Is there anything the rest of us can learn from this?
Find out more...
Windows passwords: "Dead in Six Hours" - paper from Oslo password hacking conference
The total number of Windows passwords you can construct using eight keyboard characters is vast: one followed by 16 zeros, or near enough.
Gone in six hours.
Plus you get to heat your house at the same time.
Monday review - the hot 18 stories of the week
Here you go.
All the stories we wrote in the past seven days, in case you missed anything (or just want to read them again).
NASA hacker Gary McKinnon will not face charges in the UK
46-year-old hacker, who hunted for secrets about UFOs, will NOT be charged in the UK after escaping extradition to the United States.
Securing a tablet for web browsing in six easy steps
Taking your tablet online can make you vulnerable to an assortment of internet dangers, including identity theft and hackers. This is especially true if you’re taking advantage of a public hotspot rather than your home network.
Follow these simple steps to ensure safe and secure browsing no matter where you are.
Internet Explorer flaw allows attackers to track your mouse movements
An Internet Explorer vulnerability allows hackers to track mouse cursor movement anywhere on the screen, even if a given window is inactive, unfocused or minimised. It can also compromise the security of virtual keyboards and keypads, thereby thwarting their use against keyloggers.
Suspected gang behind the $850 million Butterfly botnet arrested
Facebook helps the FBI arrest 10 suspected members of an $850 million botnet gang.
Carly Rae Jepsen nude photos hacker suspect arrested
A man who is alleged to have stolen nude photographs from the computer of "Call Me Maybe" popstar Carly Rae Jepsen has been arrested.
Facebook privacy control overhaul will remove ability to limit who can find us
Facebook's most recent round of changes carry some good privacy tidings, including Privacy shortcuts from the main page drop-down menu, plus a new Request Removal tool for getting untagged (and telling the tagger why) in multiple photos.
But it's also a story of missed opportunities and privacy features being taken away.
Samsung Smart TV security hole allows hackers to watch you, change channels or plug in malware
Researchers have found a vulnerability in an unspecified model of a Samsung LED 3D TV that they exploited to get root access to the TV and any attached USB drives. The bug, which can be used to gain root access, affects multiple Samsung models and device generations, they say.
Three people arrested over "Police ransomware" computer attacks [VIDEO]
British Police have arrested two men and a woman in connection with a spate of computer attacks that have held innocent internet users to ransom.
Jim Carrey has NOT died in a snowboarding accident, despite what you read on the net
Messages have spread across social networks today claiming that film actor Jim Carrey has been killed in a snowboarding accident.
Of course, it's nonsense. But there's an important security lesson for those who believed it.
Cyber attackers seize, encrypt and ransom medical centre's patient database
The data-kidnappers are demanding $4,000 to release thousands of patient records belonging to the Miami Family Medical Centre on Australia's Gold Coast.
Mobile apps for kids collecting and sharing information with third parties
The second of two FTC reports on kids' mobile apps shows that the industry hasn't improved with regards to privacy, with many apps sharing personal information with third parties, all without notifying parents or asking for their permission.
![Have your say - LulzSec: helpful, harmless or hideous? [VOTE NOW]](http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/lulzsec-poll-thumb.jpg?w=75&h=75&crop=1)
![Password security infomerical leaves Ellen DeGeneres in disbelief.. and it will you too [VIDEO]](http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ellen-thumb.jpg?w=75&h=75&crop=1)
![Can multiple moving cursors really hide your password from spyware and peepers? [VIDEO]](http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/cursors-thumb.jpg?w=75&h=75&crop=1)
![Hacked TV channels broadcast zombie apocalypse emergency alert [VIDEO]](http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/zombie-thumb.jpg?w=75&h=75&crop=1)
