Security

5th December 2017

Avast blocked more than 34 million Monero cryptomining attacks in one day

On Sunday, December 3rd, we saw a peak in one of our detections, JS:Miner-I, which blocks a cryptocurrency miner that uses the cryptonight algorithm to mine Monero, a popular cryptocurrency. The algorithm is suitable for using PC CPU for mining, and the miner is run using JavaScript. We blocked JS:Miner-I from launching on our users’ PCs, preventing 34.7 million attacks in just one day. The extreme peak wasn’t the only thing that caught our attention; all the detections were launched within Google’s Chrome browser.

4th December 2017

A week in security (November 27 – December 03)

Last week on Labs, we touched on a huge macOS High Sierra vulnerability, a PayPal phish, and Terror EK’s new tactic. We also took a crack at identity theft protection services, drive-by cryptomining, and rounded up interesting talks while attending a security conference in Ireland called IRISSCON. Other news Our friends at Zimperium investigated a fake WhatsApp on Google Play, and found that this app displays an advertisement of a malicious game called Cold Jewel Lines (already removed from the Play Store) that further infects users with a second malware “capable of click fraud, data extraction, and SMS surveillance.” (Source: SC Magazine) A question to parents: Should you buy your child smart toys for Christmas? Security experts say that whatever your decision is, make sure you read up on the potential risks first. (Source: Help Net Security) Facebook users, rejoice! The social media network now has a tool that tells you which posts you have liked that are mere propaganda from Russia..

1st December 2017

Home, sweet, home network

I recently conducted an informal survey among ten of my Mac-user friends. The results revealed a truth both unsurprising and frightening at the same time. I was asking how many had ever taken steps to secure their home networks. The answer, I learned, was a resounding NONE.

1st December 2017

Mr. Robot Review: eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko

Wednesday’s Mr. Robot episode, eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko, lacked hacks, but delivered a side of Elliot we we’ve never really seen before, a more compassionate Elliot. The episode’s theme was deletion.

28th November 2017

Yes, Macs are susceptible to ransomware, too

By now we’ve demystified the myth that Macs are impervious to harm. The cybercrime world has caught up to the technology, and no computer — PC nor Mac — is safe. We have recently discussed some growing Mac concerns, like the rise in adware attacks and a full system slowdown caused by too much clutter, but now we need to talk about something even more malicious: Ransomware.