malware

The COVID-19 pandemic isn't just an opportunity for some to finally embrace the work from home life, it is also an opportunity for hackers to exploit people's newfound dependence on the Internet and apps. Of course, it does seem that it's business as usual for Android users as news of yet another malware sneaking into Google Play Store surfaces. Given how it has targeted even children's games, it's a worrying precedent that needs to be nipped at the bud immediately.

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Google is upgrading its Advanced Protection system, the most stringent security it offers to at-risk users, with two new ways protect from potential hacks and malware. Announced at the tail-end of 2017, Advanced Protection builds on existing two-factor authentication with extra security systems, for those who might be a more alluring target for hackers.

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The Internet has connected thousands if not millions of computers to make the world a virtually smaller place but that has also enabled a new form of criminal activity. Botnets do more than just infect computers, they also use those infected computers to further spread their illegal activities. Now Microsoft is proudly announcing how it took part in an operation that has disrupted one of the most prolific botnets in the world, at least for the next 25 months.

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Not all two-factor authentication systems, a.k.a. 2FA, are created equal and some, like SMS, are deemed insecure but still better than no 2FA at all. In lieu of ubiquitous biometrics, the easiest 2FA method recommended is the use of a 2FA app of which Google Authenticator is perhaps the most popular. But what if that 2FA app itself is discovered to be insecure? That's the rather worrying situation users may find themselves in thanks to a new but thankfully still unreleased malware.

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Today Microsoft Defender ATP for Linux was made available for public preview, and a version for iOS (for iPhone and iPad) and Android were announced. The Android and iOS versions of Microsoft Defender ATP will be released later this year. Today's preview of the Linux version was first shown at Ignite 2019 running on Ubuntu.

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Windows has had the reputation of being the biggest target of viruses, trojans, and all sorts of malware, particularly because of how easy it has been to get through the OS' defenses. To some extent, that's still true, especially because of the number of potential victims throughout the world. The winds of change are blowing, though, even in the malware industry and it seems that, at least for 2019, Macs have outpaced their Windows counterparts when it comes to the growing number of malware and attacks that threatened Apple's desktops and laptops.

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The US government has painted the image of a Chinese government that will use every trick in the book to spy both on its own citizens as well as other countries. The latter can come in the form of smartphones with spyware, which is one of the accusations it hurled at Huawei. It is almost ironic, then, that smartphones that the US government itself has funded to sell at an affordable price do exactly that and, unfortunately, there is no way to get rid of these malware.

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Wawa, a chain of convenience stores and gas stations in the US, has disclosed the discovery of malware on its payment processing servers. The company said its security team found the intrusion on December 10 and had it fully 'contained' by December 12, though it spent months harvesting payment card data until then. The malware may have been able to nab debit and credit card numbers as well as the cardholder's name and its expiration dates.

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Visa has issued a new security alert warning that scammers are targeting gas stations throughout North America in order to steal payment card information. Though gas station pumps have historically been a popular target for scammers seeking credit card information, this latest attack is different and there's little customers can do to protect themselves: the attackers are installing malware on the point-of-sale systems used by these gas stations.

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Once upon a time, you couldn't go living a normal Internet-connected life without an anti-virus software of some kind. While the threat and effects of malware haven't really gone down, the quality of said security software sadly has. Some of the giants in that industry have been gobbled up by even bigger giants while others have been accused of using their reach for their government or for their own profit. The latest to fall prey to that tactic is Avast, which also owns the free AVG software, and its questionable activities are apparently also at work even on web browsers.

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It's no longer really surprising to hear about yet another malware on the rise on the Android platform. Sometimes, their threat can be genuinely frightening, especially when they manage to get past Google's automated security checks. The Xhelper malware being reported is, fortunately a bit different in that, this time, infected apps are being traced to unofficial sources outside Google Play Store. Unfortunately, the evolution of the malware over the past months may prove it to be just as dangerous and damaging if left unchecked.

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System security is something that's always evolving, and that's especially true as malicious attacks become more sophisticated. In recent years, we've seen malware begin to target vulnerabilities in firmware, which is bad news since that can make malicious code harder to detect and remove. Microsoft today presented a solution to that problem, announcing that it's partnered with manufacturers to develop Secured-core PCs.

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