Tag Archive for: boost

Boost Your Online Security: Here’s Why You Should Install an Ad Blocker Today : Tech : Tech Times

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By Quincy Jon, Tech Times

New research reveals ad blockers’ unexpected importance in malicious software prevention. 

Recent findings show how spyware makers employ banner advertisements for government surveillance. Innovators in ad-based spyware distribution include European firm Intellexa, which created Predator. 

Documents showing Intellexa’s 2022 Aladdin proof-of-concept system was received by Haaretz. The papers indicate that Aladdin used internet job advertising to install phone spyware on graphic designers and campaigners, according to a TechCrunch report.

Malvertising: How Does It Work?

Aladdin’s growth and clients are unknown, but Insanet, an Israeli company, has created an ad-based infection system that can identify persons in advertising networks.

Ad exchanges are crucial to websites’ income, but unscrupulous actors use them to spread destructive malware to consumers’ devices. Malvertising, which uses user input to execute its payload, threatens online security and privacy.

Government surveillance can target dissenters with surreptitious spyware due to pervasive web advertising. Ad blockers prevent web browser advertising from loading, protecting against malvertising and ad-based malware.

In Feburary, FBI Director Christopher Wray has stressed the agency’s attention on Chinese attempts to enter computer networks with harmful malware, increasing fears about disrupting crucial US infrastructure, per the Financial Times.

After the Munich Security Conference, Wray worried about malware “pre-positioning” after the dismantling of the Volt Typhoon, a Chinese hacking network that targeted American infrastructure like the electricity grid and water supply and other global targets.

Read Also: Security Engineer Faces 3-Year Prison Sentence After $12 Million Crypto Heist

“We’re laser-focused on this as a real threat and working with a lot of partners to identify, anticipate, and disrupt it,” Wray said, emphasizing the need for caution.

Volt Typhoon is a notable instance, but Wray warned that it is simply one of several Chinese…

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Android 15 Could Offer a Boost to Two-Factor Authentication Security to Keep User Data Safe: Report

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Android 15 is still under development, but on Friday, February 16, Google released the first Developer Preview of the upcoming operating system. The tech giant said that the new Android software will largely focus on security, and a new report claims to have found three new ways it will make your smartphone and your sensitive data more secure. According to it, Android 15 will be able to better protect the notifications that arise from two-factor authentications (2FA) so that a malicious app or malware cannot access it to steal user data.

According to a report by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman, Android 15 will be implementing new ways to cover the gaps left behind by its predecessors. Currently, most two-factor authentication methods for social media profiles, emails, and banking apps use SMS to send a one-time password (OTP). However, there is a risk if a malicious third-party app can read this notification and use it to hack into sensitive data or get into your banking apps and steal money.

To reduce the risk, Google has already begun placing strings of codes in the current edition of the OS. The report found a line of code in the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 update that mentions a new permission named RECEIVE_SENSITIVE_NOTIFICATIONS. This permission comes with a higher protection level and can only be given to apps that Google personally verifies. The exact role of this permission is not known but given its naming, it appears to deal with a special category of notifications that will not be accessible for third-party apps to read.

The report highlights that it is likely aimed at 2FA-related notifications. The belief comes from a separate string of code found by Rahman, which points to an under-development platform feature, to which the permission is tied. The feature is named NotificationListenerService and it is an API that lets apps read or take action on notifications. A general use case would be how many apps ask for access to notifications to auto-fill OTP when creating a new account. However, once this API becomes active (it isn’t in the Android 14 build), this will get more difficult.

This API will require the user to enter Settings and then manually grant permission to apps…

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How Aluminum Foil Can Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal

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This surprising hack could be the remedy when your Wi-Fi throws a buffering tantrum—but is it the real deal or just another tech myth?

Imagine that it’s a cozy Friday night at home, and you’re all settled in to binge-watch your favorite show. You’ve got your snacks lined up, your comfiest blanket at the ready and the perfect spot on the couch. There’s just one problem: Your Wi-Fi signal is dragging.

In this age of instant streaming and virtual meetings, all of us are sadly way too familiar with that dreaded spinning wheel. But what if I told you there’s a science-approved tech tip that promises to put an end to your Wi-Fi woes, and the solution is a household staple that’s probably sitting in your kitchen right now?

Yes, you read that right. Turns out, boosting your Wi-Fi signal is one of many fascinating aluminum foil uses you never knew about. To get the inside scoop, I asked an expert to explain how this trick works and even grabbed my lab coat (aka my pajamas) to test it out. Thanks to a strategically placed sheet of aluminum foil, you just may be one step closer to banishing sluggish internet connections for good.

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How can aluminum foil boost a Wi-Fi signal?

The way this hack works is shockingly simple. But first, you need a little background on Wi-Fi signals: They come from the antenna on your router, which creates the connection with your smartphone, computer and other internet-connected electronics. To reach all the devices in your home, these signals behave like radio or light waves, spreading out to cover every available space—”like a sprinkler head spraying water in all directions,” according to tech expert James McQuiggan, a security awareness advocate at the online security platform KnowBe4.

Unfortunately, this can make the signals less efficient, weaken the connection and be one of the reasons your internet is slow. Not only does it send Wi-Fi signals to parts of your home where you don’t need it, but it can also lead to dead zones in certain areas where the signals can’t reach or are blocked by large obstructions like…

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CREST introduces global initiative to boost cyber security standards

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The international cyber security arena is set to be bolstered by an open collaboration and partnership initiative, introduced by CREST, the not-for-profit, industry representative body. The initiative, aptly named the CREST Community Supporter, aims to rally various organisations toward making a tangible contribution in improving the global cyber security industry standard. Its launch in July has resulted in the enrolment of the initiative’s inaugural nine Community Supporters.

The Centre for Internet Security (CIS), Cloud Security Alliance, Cyber Threat Alliance, Global Anti Scam Alliance, Global Cyber Alliance, Global Resilience Federation, ISC2, Stott and May Consulting, and The Security Institute have joined forces with CREST for this ambitious project. Their collective mission will be to foster capability development, capacity building, and consistent collaboration—an initiative aimed at enhancing trust and resilience within the digital landscape.

CREST CEO, Nick Benson, emphasised the role of collaboration in tackling the diverse challenges plaguing the cyber landscape. He said, “I am thrilled to welcome our first nine Community Supporters. To meet the vast array of challenges facing the world of cyber we must join forces and be serious about open and effective collaboration. Developing relationships and formalising them through our supporter initiative is key to our mission, and each of these fantastic organisations will play an important role in helping us build a globally resilient cyber security industry.”

It is expected that merging the strengths of the CREST membership—made up of cyber security service providers—and the newly inducted Community Supporters will promote a unified effort. This collaboration aims to address the pressing and complicated digital issues currently plaguing the globe.

The CREST Community Supporter initiative was launched to foster partnerships with bodies and organisations committed to raising global cyber security standards in alignment with CREST’s core mission and values. Becoming a Community Supporter offers many perks, such as deepened collaboration with CREST, marketing support, discounted event entry, and more….

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