D-Silence

Crooks have a new target…retirement accounts. Cybercriminals today are “looking for any possible route into people’s financial transactions, and they are increasingly focusing their efforts outside financial institutions’ firewalls,” said Steven Silberstein, chief executive officer of Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry consortium dedicated to reducing cyber-risk in the global financial system….

According to Krebs on Security, be on the lookout for a critical patch for all versions of Windows. According to sources, the vulnerability in question resides in a Windows component known as crypt32.dll, a Windows module that Microsoft says handles “certificate and cryptographic messaging functions in the CryptoAPI.” The Microsoft CryptoAPI provides services that enable…

Following a series of earthquakes, the situation in Puerto Rico remains dire. What is causing them? “Puerto Rico has been hit by what scientists call an earthquake swarm, which is a series of earthquakes rather than the usual pattern of one dominant earthquake followed by aftershocks,” John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Southern…

Wired has posted a story about how researchers have found a new way to attack some antibiotic bacteria. Khan hopes this discovery can lead to new therapies that will make existing ones more effective. A drug that could disrupt the signaling between LiaX and the cell, for example, won’t kill bacteria. But it will prevent…

IEN takes a look at some of the more intriguing tech. Here’s one Uber and Hyundai are teaming up to build a fleet of flying taxis. Uber, the ride-hailing giant, said its four-passenger “Uber Air Taxi” will initially be piloted, but over time will become autonomous. Uber says it wants to conduct flight demonstrations in…

NBC News has posted a guide to buying a wifi modem router – to suit your internet speed and budget, including routers for gaming, routers for streaming video and for using social media. But not all Wi-Fi routers are born equal. Just having one doesn’t necessarily mean it can handle your smart devices — how…

I saw this a couple of places…abbreviating 2020 as “20” could be helping the bad guys. Why? This year’s abbreviation is easily changeable and could be used against you. The concern is that scammers could easily manipulate a document dated “1/1/20” into “1/1/2000” or even “1/1/2021.” Writing out the full date “could possibly protect you…

With the new year upon us, USA Today has posted a guide to protect folks from phishing attempts. When Chase bank e-mails you to warn of a fraud alert to your account, you pay attention. But when your work e-mail is associated with a card you don’t have, and when the return address isn’t from…

I want to wish everyone the warmest of holiday seasons. I will be taking a much needed vacation. I doubt I will post anything until after the New Year. Be safe!

Will this entice koalas to chase you? Recently, Adidas-owned brand Reebok unveiled the Floatride GROW, its first plant-based running shoe. The upper is comprised of eucalyptus, supported by natural rubber and caster bean soles. For more, check out this IEN page.