People who try to breach computer security should be called crackers ideally, rather than hackers.So, hackers, as popularly defined, are computer experts who spend enormous amounts of time trying to breach the security of networks, Web servers and email servers. Normally hackers use a selection of specialist software to identify the weaknesses, which are then exploited. Continue reading “How hackers operate?”
Is it safe to bank online?
The answer is not very safe. Internet banking is automatically conducted over a relatively safe kind of Internet connection called Secure Socket Layers, and the banks themselves have high security which is rarely breached, but the weak link is your own personal computer. Continue reading “Is it safe to bank online?”
Assessing Internet Explorer 9
In September 2010, Microsoft commissioned a study to see how effectively Web browsers protect users against socially engineered malware and malicious websites, which are websites that look benign, but aim to convince visitors to download and execute malicious software. NSS Labs conducted tests involving six browsers using real-world threats that showed the beta version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) does a better job of defending against real-world malware than any other browser. Continue reading “Assessing Internet Explorer 9”
Computer Programmer withdraws cash from ATM without any record
In a strange, but very alarming, case reported in the media, a former Bank of America computer programmer was found guilty for ATM fraud.
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Whaling – an advanced and more focused model of Phishing
Whaling describes the most focused type of phishing currently encountered by businesses or government – targeted attacks against groups of high-level executives within a single organization, or executive positions common to multiple organizations (e.g. the CTO or CFO).
In a whaling attack, the phisher focuses upon a very small group of senior personnel within an organization and tries to steal their credentials – preferably through the installation of malware that provides back-door functionality and keylogging.
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