Consumers in the U.S. will soon see IoT devices sold with a strange little logo on the box called the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark. The label will be the equivalent of the Energy Star logo but for cybersecurity-conscious customers. It will be in the shape of a midlevel shield with a string of connected squares on it.   While the Energy Star logo gives confidence to buyers who care about the environment, the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark will aim to provide the same peace of mind for tech junkies who want to make sure that the products they buy are built to the highest cyber security standards.&nbs ..read more

To remove malware from a PC or Mac, follow these steps: 1. Disconnect from the internet. 2. Boot your computer in safe mode. 3. Delete temporary files. 4. Check activity monitor for suspicious programs. 5. Run a malware scan. 6. Repair your web browser. 7. Clear your cache. Malware removal can seem daunting after your device is infected with a virus, but with a careful and rapid response, removing a virus or malware program can be easier than you think. We created a guide that explains exactly how to rid your Mac or PC of malware.  If you think your PC or Mac has a malware infection ..read more

Research conducted by Channel 4 News, a UK nightly news show, has uncovered a massive explosion in deepfake pornography. According to the program, more than 4000 celebrities have had their likenesses used to create pornographic images and videos. With generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools users are able to ‘map’ faces of well-known celebrities onto existing pornographic videos. This then gives the impression that the celebrity has participated willingly in the films. What is going on? As with all new technologies, someone, somewhere is always looking for a way to exploit it. Deepfake ..read more

Rewards For Justice (RFJ), a U.S. government interagency rewards program. Offers up to $10 million reward for any information that could lead to the identification or location of any person from the ALPHV cyber gang, also known as BlackCat, who attacks U.S. critical infrastructure. The reward offered by the intelligence-driven law enforcement government program is similar to what the RFJ provides for information about high-profile Yemeni and Saudi terrorist elements and al-Qa’ida members. Targeting critical infrastructure and the change healthcare attack The U.S. government takes attacks on c ..read more

When a VPN (Virtual Private Network) works properly, it prevents your online activity from being tracked. To do this, it connects your devices to remote servers and encrypts your data streams, preventing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from reading your online activity. However, VPNs don’t always work perfectly, and a failed VPN can open the door to a number of security issues. Even if your VPN app says you’re connected, there could still be a leak. This may leave you wondering—is my VPN working? Luckily, you can perform several quick tests to check if your VPN is working properly and sp ..read more

A new smart home security standard is due to launch in the second half of this year. That’s according to a recent announcement by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the organization behind the cross-platform “Matter” smart home technology. This new, voluntary framework will allow smart home/IoT manufacturers to have their devices tested and certified for compliance against a common security standard. Devices that pass the certification testing will then be awarded the Product Security Verified (PSV) Mark. Building trust in IoT Security professionals have been warning about the potenti ..read more

Red Hat has issued an “urgent security alert” warning of an attack detected in two versions of the popular XZ Utils data compression library (formerly known as LZMA Utils). Attack details CVE-2024-3094 The attack, identified as CVE-2024-3094, has been given the highest possible CVSS score of 10.0. Indicating a threat of maximum severity. The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is used to assess the severity and security risk to the system using a scale of 0 to 10. The affected versions are 5.6.0 (released on February 24th) and 5.6.1 (released on March 9th) of XZ Utils. Impact and recom ..read more

What Is a Heuristic Virus? A heuristic virus is a type of computer virus that uses heuristic techniques to infect systems. Instead of following a specific set of instructions or patterns that are known to antivirus programs, it behaves more flexibly and adaptively. You eagerly power up your computer, ready to dive into a day of productivity or leisure, only to be greeted by a digital nightmare: All your computer data is missing. Your system is infected with a mysterious and elusive intruder. This isn’t just any ordinary virus; it’s a cunning and adaptive foe known as a heuristic virus.  ..read more

In today’s interconnected world, every click, swipe and share leave a trail of digital footprints behind. Your data is constantly collected, analyzed and sometimes exploited without your consent. As technology advances, so do the methods used to track and monetize your online activities. This is where the importance of data privacy comes into play. What Is Data Privacy? Data privacy refers to the protection of sensitive information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. It encompasses the measures individuals and organizations take to control who has access to their data and how it is ..read more

Late last year, the Digital Services Act (DSA) came into force across the European Union. Initially the DSA applied only to the very largest online services like Facebook and Google, forcing them to institute safeguards against malicious content and several other important factors. However, as of February, the DSA now applies to any online service that is used by EU citizens. Under the legislation providers must: Describe their content moderation practices in their terms and conditions and publish annual transparency reports on content moderation practices. Clearly identify online advertisin ..read more