Category: Security News

Hackers Went Looking for a Backdoor in High-Security Safes…

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Hackers Went Looking for a Backdoor in High-Security Safes—and Now Can Open Them in Seconds

source: wired.com (contributed by Artemus founder, Bob Wallace)  |  Image: pixabay.com

 

Security researchers found two techniques to crack at least eight brands of electronic safes—used to secure everything from guns to narcotics—that are sold with Securam Prologic locks.

 

About two years ago, security researchers James Rowley and Mark Omo got curious about a scandal in the world of electronic safes: Liberty Safe, which markets itself as “America’s #1 heavy-duty home and gun safe manufacturer,” had apparently given the FBI a code that allowed agents to open a criminal suspect’s safe in response to a warrant related to the January 6, 2021, invasion of the US Capitol building.

Politics aside, Rowley and Omo were taken aback to read that it was so easy for law enforcement to penetrate a locked metal box—not even an internet-connected device—that no one but the owner ought to have the code to open. “How is it possible that there’s this physical security product, and somebody else has the keys to the kingdom?” Omo asks. Continue reading “Hackers Went Looking for a Backdoor in High-Security Safes…” →

Have You Turned Off Your Virtual Oven?

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Have You Turned Off Your Virtual Oven?

sosurce: thehackernews.com  |  image: pixabay.com

 

You check that the windows are shut before leaving home. Return to the kitchen to verify that the oven and stove were definitely turned off. Maybe even circle back again to confirm the front door was properly closed. These automatic safety checks give you peace of mind because you know the unlikely but potentially dangerous consequences of forgetting – a break-in, fire, or worse.

Your external-facing IT infrastructure deserves the same methodical attention. External Attack Surface Management (EASM) and Digital Risk Protection (DRP) tools provide that same peace of mind for your digital “home,” automating the everyday safety checks that prevent costly incidents. Continue reading “Have You Turned Off Your Virtual Oven?” →

Driving to Mexico or Canada? US Will Snap Pics of Everyone in Your Car

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Driving to Mexico or Canada? US Will Snap Pics of Everyone in Your Car

source: pcmag.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

Photographs will be matched to images in passengers’ passports, visas, or travel documents.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to begin collecting photographs of everyone leaving the US for Mexico or Canada by car. The photographs will then be matched to the images in the passengers’ passports, visas, or travel documents. Continue reading “Driving to Mexico or Canada? US Will Snap Pics of Everyone in Your Car” →

Countries shore up their digital defenses…

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Countries shore up their digital defenses as global tensions raise the threat of cyberwarfare

source: apnews.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers linked to Russia’s government launched a cyberattack last spring against municipal water plants in rural Texas. At one plant in Muleshoe, population 5,000, water began to overflow. Officials had to unplug the system and run the plant manually.

The hackers weren’t trying to taint the water supply. They didn’t ask for a ransom. Authorities determined the intrusion was designed to test the vulnerabilities of America’s public infrastructure. It was also a warning: In the 21st century, it takes more than oceans and an army to keep the United States safe.

A year later, countries around the world are preparing for greater digital conflict as increasing global tensions and a looming trade war have raised the stakes — and the chances that a cyberattack could cause significant economic damage, disrupt vital public systems, reveal sensitive business or government secrets, or even escalate into military confrontation. Continue reading “Countries shore up their digital defenses…” →

Critical Vulnerability Found in Canon Printer Drivers

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Critical Vulnerability Found in Canon Printer Drivers

source: securityweek.com  |  image: pixabay.com

Microsoft’s offensive security team has warned Canon about a critical vulnerability affecting some printer drivers. 

According to an advisory published last week by Canon, drivers associated with several production printers, office multifunction printers, and laser printers are affected by an out-of-bounds vulnerability. Continue reading “Critical Vulnerability Found in Canon Printer Drivers” →

A New Era of Attacks on Encryption Is Starting to Heat Up

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A New Era of Attacks on Encryption Is Starting to Heat Up

source: wired.com  |  image: pixabay.com

 

The UK, France, Sweden, and EU have made fresh attacks on end-to-end encryption. Some of the attacks are more “crude” than those in recent years, experts say.

OVER THE PAST decade, encrypted communication has become the norm for billions of people. Every day, Signal, iMessage, and WhatsApp keep billions of messages, photos, videos, and calls private by using end-to-end encryption by default—while Zoom, Discord, and various other services all have options to enable the protection. But despite the technology’s mainstream rise, long-standing threats to weaken encryption keep piling up.

Over the past few months, there has been a surge in government and law enforcement efforts that would effectively undermine encryption, privacy advocates and experts say, with some of the emerging threats being the most “blunt” and aggressive of those in recent memory. Officials in the UK, France, and Sweden have all made moves since the start of 2025 that could undermine or eliminate the protections of end-to-end encryption, adding to a multiyear European Union plan to scan private chats and Indian efforts that could damage encryption. Continue reading “A New Era of Attacks on Encryption Is Starting to Heat Up” →

Cybersecurity officials warn…

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Cybersecurity officials warn against potentially costly Medusa ransomware attacks

source: apnews.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are warning against a dangerous ransomware scheme.

In an advisory posted earlier this week, government officials warned that a ransomware-as-a-service software called Medusa, which has launched ransomware attacks since 2021, has recently affected hundreds of people. Medusa uses phishing campaigns as its main method for stealing victims’ credentials, according to CISA. Continue reading “Cybersecurity officials warn…” →

ClickFix: How to Infect Your PC in Three Easy Steps

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Clickfix:  How to Infect Your PC in 3 Easy Steps

source: krebsonsecurity.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

A clever malware deployment scheme first spotted in targeted attacks last year has now gone mainstream. In this scam, dubbed “ClickFix,” the visitor to a hacked or malicious website is asked to distinguish themselves from bots by pressing a combination of keyboard keys that causes Microsoft Windows to download password-stealing malware. Continue reading “ClickFix: How to Infect Your PC in Three Easy Steps” →

The cyber threats to watch in 2025…

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The cyber threats to watch in 2025, and other cybersecurity news to know this month

source: weforum.org  |  image: pexels.com

 

1. Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025: Navigating complexity

The cyber threat landscape in 2025 will be shaped by increasingly sophisticated attacks, with ransomware, social engineering and AI-powered cybercrime remaining top concerns, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Cybersecurity Outlook.

Data breaches continued at historic levels in 2024, with 3,158 data compromises tracked by the Identity Theft Resource Center – on par with the previous record-breaking year. However, victim notices surged 211% to 1.3 billion, but this was largely due to five mega-breaches, each triggering over 100 million notices.

Continue reading “The cyber threats to watch in 2025…” →

The US Is Considering a TP-Link Router Ban—Should You Worry?

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The US Is Considering a TP-Link Router Ban—Should You Worry?

source: wired.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

Several government departments are investigating TP-Link routers over Chinese cyberattack fears, but the company denies links.

TP-Link is one of the most popular routermanufacturers in the US, but the company is facing a potential ban due to security concerns about its links to China. A December report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that the US Commerce, Defense, and Justice Departments are investigating TP-Link, though no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing has yet emerged.

“We are a US company,” Jeff Barney, president of TP-Link told WIRED, “We have no affiliation with TP-Link Tech, which focuses on mainland China, and we can prove our separateness.” Continue reading “The US Is Considering a TP-Link Router Ban—Should You Worry?” →