Tag Archives: malware

Google Search caught six times more spam sites in 2021 than it did in 2020, according to a Webspam report published by Google on Thursday. The Alphabet subsidiary lauded its AI-based spam-prevention system called SpamBrain, which it said has helped keep “more than 99% of searches spam-free.” SpamBrain has helped prevent users from clicking to …

By now, you’ve surely gotten at least one: an unexpected SMS message carrying a tiny link just begging to be clicked on. Do so and you might be handing cyber thieves valuable information they can use to swipe your bank account balance, fake your identity or even track your whereabouts.  Dubbed smishing, a contraction of SMS and phishing, some texts …

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, cybersecurity concerns in the US are mounting for small businesses, home offices and larger enterprises, according to national security alerts issued by the FBI, DHS and CISA.  Even though government-sponsored attacks are gaining public attention, cyberattacks from independent actors or groups are always a concern for small to midsize businesses. Factors like budget …

This story is part of War in Ukraine, CNET’s coverage of events there and of the wider effects on the world. Amazon Web Services reported it has detected numerous instances of malware targeting charities, NGOs and other aid organizations providing relief to Ukraine. In some of the worst cases, the malware has targeted medical supply, food and clothing relief efforts, …

We’ve put together a list of some of the most common questions people typically have about virtual private networks, and we’ve done our best to answer those questions as clearly and concisely as possible. So we’ll try to keep the jargon at a minimum and focus on what you need to know about VPNs without getting bogged down.  Hopefully, once …

Apple’s head of software engineering, Craig Federighi, took to a stage in Lisbon, Portugal, to defend the way his company manages its popular App Store, and its tight control over the iPhone and iPad. In a public speech, which is a rare moment for any Apple executive outside one of the company’s presentations, Federighi reiterated the company’s arguments that sideloading could …

Apple’s spent years marketing its iPhones and iPads as more secure and reliable than competing devices powered by Google’s Android software, including from Samsung. One of the primary reasons is the App Store, the only sanctioned way to download apps for the iPhone and iPad. Though other phone makers have their own app stores too, they often allow what’s called …

Android malware is often deceptive. A mobile app called Ads Blocker, for example, promised to remove pesky ads from your phone, which sometimes pop up to cover your screen just when you’re about to access something important. But people quickly found the app was nothing less than malware that served up more ads, according to security researchers. It’s just one …

It’s been almost two years since Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 in January 2020. The end shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Windows users: Microsoft promised 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released in October 2009, before shifting focus to supporting newer technologies, like Windows 11.  That means Microsoft no longer offers technical assistance …

Law enforcement aimed to make it harder for criminal hackers to cover their tracks on Tuesday. Europol, joined by the FBI and law enforcement agencies from Germany, the Netherlands and France, said they shut down a service favored by ransomware groups and other cybercriminals for hiding their identities, a VPN called Safe-Inet.  The service, which hides its customers’ IP addresses …