Category Archives: Security

Bing’s Search Results Include Five Times As Much Malware as Google

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Google Search Coupon: 1 FREE Google Search

Searches on Bing returned five times more links to malicious websites than Google searches, according to an 18-month study from German independent testing lab AV-Test.

The study concluded that while all the search engines the lab evaluated delivered malware, Google delivered the least. It was followed by Bing, which returned five times as many malware sites than Google. Yandex, the Russian website, delivered 10 times as many malicious sites.

To move their malware-ridden spawn to the top of Google’s search results, the bad guys are using tried and true search engine optimization tactics—the very same used by corporations and bloggers.  According to AV-Test, the attackers use a very simple trick, “they first create a multitude of small websites and blogs before selecting the most frequently used search terms from top news stories and using backlinks to optimise these terms for search engines.”

The study went on to say that users “are the least suspicious” when they see a search result attached to a hot news story. More troublingly, AV-Test reports that sites with Trojans or other malware are returned as “top” results.

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Keep Kids Safe Online – Tools from AT&T

Posted on April 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

AT&T Parental Controls allows parents to protect their children from inappropriate online content.

This image was selected as a picture of the we...

Control access to Websites, E-mail, Instant Messaging, Chat, Message Boards, and more! Plus, you can even set time limits for access to the Internet!

  • Customizable profiles for Kids, Teens and Adults. Set up a unique profile for up to five family members & define access to websites.
  • Filter and Block access to specific websites.
  • Allow or Deny access to E-mail, Instant Messaging, Chat, Message Boards, NewsGroups, Personals and File Sharing activities.
  • Time Limits let’s you define how much time your children spend on the Internet.
  • Software Controls gives you control to define who can access specific software programs or files on your computer.
  • Dynamic Filtering automatically blocks pages for child and teen accounts that contain questionable material.
  • Access Requests allow children to request access to blocked websites or applications and then you decide whether or not to allow access.
  • Usage Reporting allows you to monitor each family members online activity.
  • Update your Parental Controls settings from any computer through the web-based interface.

To set up AT&T Parental Controls, you must first download the Parental Controls Software.

Parental Controls Promo

System Requirements:

Windows 7, XP or Vista (32 & 64 bit) operating systems

Microsoft Internet Explorer v 6.0+

Mozilla Firefox 3.0+

AT&T Internet Security Suite powered by McAfee®
Using the Internet means being smart about how you surf and interact online to avoid falling prey to viruses, spyware, and other online threats. The good news is AT&T High Speed Internet members can protect themselves and their PC’s or Macs with the AT&T Internet Security Suite – powered by McAfee®. This suite is FREE* to qualifying members and includes anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection so you can surf, search and transact online with confidence.

The McAfee® Advantage
The AT&T Internet Security Suite includes revolutionary McAfee® Active Protection technology, which provides the fastest protection against malicious threats to your PC or Mac. New and emerging threats are analyzed and blocked in milliseconds, so you don’t have to wait for regular updates to arrive.

Download and install the AT&T Internet Security Suite now by clicking on the download button below!

Have questions? See answers to some Frequently Asked Questions >>

*available at no charge to AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T High Speed Internet customers who have a service with a maximum speed of 3.0 or higher. For AT&T High Speed Internet customers who have a service with a maximum downstream speed of 1.5 Mbps or lower, the AT&T Internet Security Suite i

s an optional service for only $5 per month.

Why Mac users need protection. Mac users are not vulnerable to the same viruses and threats that have traditionally plagued PCs, but the Internet has leveled the playing field. Mac users are now just as susceptible to online risks as PC users. With the rise in adoption of the Mac OS, hackers and thieves are increasingly focusing their efforts to develop attacks that will work on Macs.
McAfee Internet Security for Mac is comprehensive protection against hackers, identity theft, phishing scams, malware, viruses and more. It protects you from dangerous websites, letting you explore the web without worry.

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Home Security Via the Cloud

Posted on December 26, 2011 by | Leave a comment
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: A Samsung Wi-Fi v...

Looking to protect your home or office? How about broadcasting real-time video? Today we spoke with Devin Chawda, the President of Y-cam about their Internet/Cloud-based Security Cameras

1. It is now possible to set up a video camera at your home or business which records instantly to the cloud rather than on some local recording device. This is a revolution in home/business security as it not only means the video is stored safely away from the property but it can be viewed from anywhere and motion alerts sent to any mobile device.
2. Anyone that wants to broadcast live steaming video to their local community, or even the world can now do so. Whether you’re a watersports shop owner on the beach wanting to show off the waves or a homeowner just wanting to share the amazing view outside her bedroom window, it’s now accessible to anyone.
3. Now you can use your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and your existing Wi-Fi network to monitor your baby in a way that wasn’t possible before

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Who is Craig Talking to this weekend

Posted on November 20, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Now we are finally caught up and this Sunday November 20, 2011 we will air our 630 show. Craig will speak with the following people.

Malcom Lewis the SVP and General Manager at Spreebird. Craig and Malcom will discuss Social Media and Black Friday and how Websites, Email and Mobile can get you daily deals from thousands of merchants. About 1 in 4 smartphone owners will use a mobile device for holiday shopping, according to an annual holiday survey by Deloitte. About 59% will use their phones to compare or check prices, 46% will use phones to check product availability, and 41% will get coupons through their handsets.        Mobile search, for example, matches local businesses’ products and services with the needs of busy household managers, empowering consumers by providing valuable search environments for discovering local deals, saving time and money, and shopping smarter, during the heaviest shopping season of the year.

Nick Swinmurn the Founder of Rankd. Craig and Nick will talk about Black Friday and how you can use RNKD as a fun way to earn VIP status, discounts and rewards from the brands you love by showing them which products you already own.

Kevin Johnson the CEO at E-Bates. Craig and Kevin will discuss E-commerce and Digital Marketing. From niceties to necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to airfare hassle-free shopping with Ebates that includes no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem, the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world.

Amar Hanspal the SVP of Platform Solutions at Autodesk. Criag and Amar will discuss how Autodesk has taken advantage of the iPhone, iPad and the infinite computing power available in the cloud to offer companies of any size access to high performance visualization, simulation, analysis and collaboration technologies including AutoCAD WS and the Inventor Publisher Mobile Viewer App. Additionally, Mobile and web technologies are also making it possible for Autodesk to offer a new audience of amateur designers, home owners, students and casual creators access to professional strength design tools through SketchBook, Homestyler and TinkerBox.

Todd McKeller the VP North America for Mobiles Republic. Craig and Todd discuss Apps what makes them successful. Mobiles Republic quickly established a reputation for innovation and excellence in developing successful apps for the smartphone market as well as award winning apps for feature phones including the prestigious Sony Ericsson Content Award. News Republic delivers 10,000 news stories a day from over 180 major news providers, but allows users to create topic-specific “My News” streams that filter this mass of information down to the exact stories that interest them.  For example, if you create a “My News” stream for “Paul Westcott,” that stream will capture every article about Paul Westcott for you.

Michael Wong the CEO and Founder of CooTek. Craig and Michael will discuss how to enrich the functionality of your mobile devices. TouchPal Keyboard, based on CooTek’s multiple patented technology, offers a good substitution to stock mobile device keyboards. After using TouchPal  Keyboard for a while, users often find they can type faster than ever on a virtual keyboard.

Bob Schena the CEO and Co-Founder of Rajant Corporation. Craig and Bob will discuss portable wireless mesh networks that offer secure communications-on-the-move through by being able to rapidly reconfigure and adapt in real-time. Rajant’s kinetic mesh networks are a new approach to portable wireless networks where all of the components of the networks including the nodes are constantly in motion.

Sonpreet Bhatia the Co-Founder of MyCityWay. Craig and Sonpreet will discuss MyCityWay which was designed to help anyone navigate and explore the world’s cities, like never before. for example: To find a Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood, locate the nearest wireless hotspot, or buy tickets for the next showing of a blockbuster movie or even to Connect with other users to find the perfect lunch spot, keep tabs on apartments for rent, or check a live traffic feed before you leave the office.

Andy Zimmerman the Chief Marketing Officer at Brainshark. Craig and Andy will discuss how to conduct business on the go cloud-based software lets users create online and mobile video presentations – using simple business tools like PowerPoint and the telephone – and then share and track their content anytime, anywhere improving the reach and results of their business communications, while dramatically reducing communications costs.

Catherine D’Amato the Executive Director at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Craig and Catherine will discuss how the Greater Boston Food Banks distribution of food has increased from 8 to 35 million pounds of food per year and how they are using Social Media to raise awareness and involve people in their mission. They have released an app called Give a Doodle.

Todd Porter – VP Product Innovation and Marketing at QUMU. Craig and Todd will discuss Mobile Video Solutions that engage and inspire employees, improve productivity, and reduce costs Regardless of audience size, viewer device, or network configuration, Qumu simply makes video work. Only Qumu delivers the Freedom to work with existing infrastructure; the Power to reach everyone; and the Control to do it right.

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Posted in Advertising, Audio, Business, Cloud, Computers, Email, Energy, Marketing, Networking, Security, Tablet

Hacking World Moves into Celebrity Nudes

Posted on September 15, 2011 by | Leave a comment
Scarlett Johansson.

Image via Wikipedia

The FBI has confirmed that it’s investigating claims by at least three young celebrities, Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, and singer Justin Timberlake, that their phones have been hacked.  Turns out that smart phones aren’t too smart when it comes to security and that celebrities seem to follow that same trend.

The two nude photographs of Scarlett Johansson became widely available in the US after links to them were posted on an aggregator site this week and photos and texts between Kunis and Timberlake have been available for some time.

The FBI’s rapid involvement in the case is the most interesting twist.  Cell phone hacks have been ongoing for well more than a decade, and there’s been little that has been done by law enforcement or congress to curb the assault — which may be a good thing.  Technology always leads society’s response to that technology.

If you’re not a celebrity, it doesn’t mean that you’re safe.  The contents of your phone’s contacts list, documents, email, etc. have been available to professional hackers for years and although the security technology embedded in our smart phones is getting better, it will likely be a couple of years before using our phones is reasonably safe.

Your phone can be hacked via its Bluetooth connection, WiFi connection and even over the airwaves you use to talk.  Hackers have demonstrated devices which allow them to have the same access privileges as your phone’s provider — which means that they can get at everything and anything on your phone without your permission, and without even your knowledge.

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Black Hat and Def Con Expose Serious Security Issues

Posted on August 25, 2011 by | Leave a comment
Hackers

Image by José Goulão via Flickr

This time every year, the world’s largest hacker convention convenes in Las Vegas.  Hundreds of network security professionals, both “White Hat” and “Black Hat“, discuss security vulnerabilities which can be used to take over everything from cell phones through Defense Department computers.

This isn’t the type of conference you attend with cell phone, tablet and Internet-connected laptop.  It’s the type of conference where you turn off every electronic device you have and leave them at home.  Hacking has been the name of the game for almost 20 years at Def Con.

The scariest hacks out of Def Con?

  • Siemens S7 hacks. NSS researcher Dillon Beresford demonstrated how to hack a Siemens S7 computer, gain read-and-write access to the memory, steal data, run commands, and shut the computers off.
    The scariest part?  These are the computers that are used to run big business, utilities and government systems.
  • Botnets of computers which are used to steal information, now can be controlled by almost untraceable telephone calls.  Researchers Itzik Kotler and Iftach Ian Amit demonstrated a VOIP-based control infrastructure with text-to-speech feedback.
  • Broadband-over-power technology monitoring allows criminals to break into homes, businesses and control power and other infrastructure.
  • A spy drone made from off-the-shelf electronics was demonstrated at both Black Hat and Defcon by its creators, Richard Perkins and Mike Tassey.
  • Hijack cars via their cell phone interfaces.  Remember that OnStar in your car and the new cell-phone controlled cars?  The one which the Secret Service removes from all cars it’s protecting?   A demo at Black Hat hacked a Subaru Outback car alarm, unlocked the doors, and started the vehicle, all using text messages sent over phone links to wireless devices in the vehicle.
  • It’s possible to acquire a person’s Social Security number using nothing more than a photo publicly available in online social-network databases, face-recognition software, and an algorithm for deducing the numbers.

Is this the new electronic future we’ve all been waiting for?

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Extreme Vulnerabilities Exposed in Our Cars and Country’s Infrasture

Posted on August 4, 2011 by | Leave a comment
Las Vegas, Nevada

Image by RobertCiavarro via Flickr

Our cars are getting easier to use, coming stacked with features and, as it turns out, are becoming more and more vulnerable to attack.  The integration of cellular phones into our phones and the country’s infrastructure  is getting dangerous.

Just this past week, Don Bailey revealed that he could use a simple text message to unlock certain car doors and do much more.  He said in an interview with CNN at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas that the same technique could also be used to attack industrial systems, the power grid and the water system.

“I could care less if I could unlock a car door,” he said. “It’s cool. It’s sexy. But the same system is used to control phone, power, traffic systems. I think that’s the real threat.”

As insecure technologies continue to be used by companies who are unaware of the security implications of their products, our country is at severe risk.  Foreign governments, organized crime or even a small, dedicated crew of hackers looking to make a name for themselves, could quite literally destroy our economy.

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Cyber Attacks on Government and Business by China

Posted on August 4, 2011 by | Leave a comment
David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for ...

Image by US Mission Geneva via Flickr

The US has a problem with cyber attacks, and those attacks seem to be originating from China.  Or maybe Russia.  Or…  Well, they are a problem.

McAfee has said that hundreds of servers have been attacked by what has to be described as professional hackers who appear to be looking for ways to get at secrets.  From government weapons systems and our diplomatic papers through the Associated Press and computer programs from companies like Google. On top of that, they’re looking for financial information from just about everybody.  And it keeps getting worse.

Don’t think that they’re not interested in your, or your company.  These hackers are quite interested in finding information which they can provide to your oversees competitors just as much as they’d like your bank account information.  Most people here in the US don’t consider that, due to the fact that there are no Intellectual Property rights in China and the fact that the Chinese government runs the entire economy, that they are very likely behind these exploits in an attempt to give their People’s Liberation Army every manufacturing advantage possible.

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