Tag Archive for: Scanning

2024 Guide for Virus Scanning

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Key Takeaways: How to Run an Antivirus Scan

  • A full virus scan checks your device for viruses, worms and other types of malware.
  • Antivirus software can block or remove any potential infections.
  • Running regular virus scans is an essential part of device maintenance.

Malware, short for malicious software, poses many threats and can render devices inoperable, steal, delete, or encrypt data, take control of devices for further attacks, pilfer login credentials, or even mine cryptocurrency without consent. Therefore, it is a good idea to know how to run an antivirus scan periodically to make sure your data and computer system are secure.

Choosing the best antivirus is not easy. For more information on the top antivirus programs, read our article on the best antivirus software. In this article, we will show you how to install antivirus software and give step-by-step instructions on how to run the first scan on various devices.

Running a Virus Scan: What You’ll Need

Antivirus software is an essential tool that can detect, prevent and remove malicious software and files to ensure that your device is secure. We will demonstrate how to run an antivirus scan using two popular antivirus programs:

Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender; We have compared these two programs before, and if you want more information on which to choose, read the full comparison.

Microsoft Defender offers real-time protection, checking files or apps as they are downloaded and installed as well as running scans of files already on your system. Bitdefender does the same and protects against e-threats and has features like a firewall, anti-theft and ransomware remediation.

How to Run a First Scan 

In this example, we are using Windows Defender. Windows Defender is a free antivirus software…

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Does your organization need both vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?

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By Katie Taisey
vCIO

The short answer is: Yes! We hear in the news almost daily about organizations that have fallen victim to Ransomware attacks.  During a ransomware attack, a hacker, or hacking organization, has gained access to a computer network and has encrypted data making it unusable.  The hackers then demand payment for the key, which can be used to unlock the data.  The consequences of a ransomware attack for businesses can be dire, as it has been estimated that half of the small businesses that suffer a cyber-attack go out of business within six months as a result.  It is important, though, to understand that not every cybersecurity breach results in catastrophic ransomware attacks.  Other attacks might involve infecting your computers with malware that turns the device into a bot (short for robot) which is then used as part of a Botnet (network of bots) to perform coordinated larger attacks.  These larger coordinated attacks can be used to launch distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks or even massive phishing campaigns targeted at much larger organizations.  While a company might not be the direct target of these attacks, being a victim of the malware/bot attack can severely impact both computer and network performance.  So, how do hackers gain access or infect devices with malware?  Hackers often use known vulnerabilities or flaws in systems to launch their attack.  

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS A VULNERABILITY AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Vulnerabilities are the gateway for hackers-in-the-wild to gain access to a system. To answer this question, we need to take a step back and understand what exactly a cybersecurity vulnerability is.   According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a vulnerability is “a flaw or weakness in system security procedures, design, implementation, or internal controls that could be exercised (accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited) and result in a security breach or a violation of the system’s security policy.”  In 1999 MITRE corporation launched what is known as the common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) List.  The CVE List is a list of records – each containing an…

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Security Experts Warn About Scanning QR Codes With Your Smart Device – CBS Miami

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – QR codes are those black and white boxes you shoot, your phone interprets, and then everything from menus to deals pops right up on your device via the internet.

Companies share them on social media, signs, and flyers.

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But security experts say think twice before scanning one with your smart device.

“They’re a cool technology and that means they’re subject to abuse, like all the cool technologies, right?” said Tim Helming, a computer security expert from DomainTools.

Helming says scammers are now in the game, turning those codes into your misery.

“It could be that they are making a fraudulent payment, it could be that they are downloading malware onto your phone,” he said.

The other issue at play is that a person can check a web address to see if it’s legitimate.

A QR code doesn’t give consumers that chance.

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“You have fewer ways to validate what it is that you’re about to get to, than you do if it’s an actual link,” Helming says.

The Better Business Bureau’s scam tracker shows one person lost $65,000 in a con that used QR codes.

They are easy to get. CBS reporter Jesse Jones found a number of sites that offer QR codes for free.

Just enter the website you want the code to send people to and you’re good to go.

Helming says consumers need to consider the source before pointing and clicking.

“If I saw a QR code that was slapped up on a telephone poll, on the side of the building, or something like that, I don’t care how tempting the offer sounds, I am running away from that thing,” Helming said.

Scammers often send QR codes in emails that appear to be from legitimate companies, so experts say don’t use it unless you can verify the source.

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There are scanner apps available that include extra security which can help make sure the code you are seeing is the real deal.

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Client-side content scanning as an unworkable, insecure disaster for democracy • The Register

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Fourteen of the world’s leading computer security and cryptography experts have released a paper arguing against the use of client-side scanning because it creates security and privacy risks.

Client-side scanning (CSS, not to be confused with Cascading Style Sheets) involves analyzing data on a mobile device or personal computer prior to the application of encryption for secure network transit or remote storage. CSS in theory provides a way to look for unlawful content while also allowing data to be protected off-device.

Apple in August proposed a CSS system by which it would analyze photos destined for iCloud backup on customers’ devices to look for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), only to backtrack in the face of objections from the security community and many advocacy organizations.

The paper [PDF], “Bugs in our Pockets: The Risks of Client-Side Scanning,” elaborates on the concerns raised immediately following Apple’s CSAM scanning announcement with an extensive analysis of the technology.

Penned by some of the most prominent computer science and cryptography professionals – Hal Abelson, Ross Anderson, Steven M. Bellovin, Josh Benaloh, Matt Blaze, Jon Callas, Whitfield Diffie, Susan Landau, Peter G. Neumann, Ronald L. Rivest, Jeffrey I. Schiller, Bruce Schneier, Vanessa Teague, and Carmela Troncoso – the paper contends that CSS represents bulk surveillance that threatens free speech, democracy, security, and privacy.

“In this report, we argue that CSS neither guarantees efficacious crime prevention nor prevents surveillance,” the paper says.

“Indeed, the effect is the opposite. CSS by its nature creates serious security and privacy risks for all society while the assistance it can provide for law enforcement is at best problematic. There are multiple ways in which client-side scanning can fail, can be evaded, and can be…

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