it risk management Archives - Mike Foster, CEH, CISA, CISSP

Mike Foster's IT Security & Best Practices Blog

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Mac Vulnerability Permits Unauthorized Login

Apple’s newest operating system has a serious vulnerability that can allow someone else to logon to your Mac. Here’s what to do:

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A Secret Operating System is Running Inside Your Computers

If this gives you a sinking feeling, it should. What most people don’t know is that, if your computer uses an Intel brand CPU, there is a hidden microprocessor dedicated to running a second operating system called MINIX. And MINIX is running right now.

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Portable Radios Can Replace Family Phones

This is the time of the year when youngsters remind parents that all of their friends have phones, the latest model is out, and everyone is getting one! Some parents ask if there is an alternative. Yes.

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Wireless Security is Broken & What You Need to Do

Many organizations rely on a wireless password to protect their Wi-Fi networks. Behind the scenes, that password is used as part of a security protocol called WPA2. An attack, dubbed KRACK, has been announced that breaks that security.

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5 Steps to Take Now Even if You do not use Kasperski Anti-Virus

According to the Wall Street Journal, followed by the Washington Post, Russian hackers used Kaspersky anti-virus to steal NSA cyber defense information off of an employee’s home computer. Even if you do not use Kaspersky, you still need to take 5 important steps.

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Please Alert Your IT Pros – Increase Your Security Log File Capacity

Windows computers can keep a log of security events, such as failed logon attempts. It is helpful to know if attackers are trying to gain access to your network. When the log fills up, it overwrites itself with the oldest events first. By default, the log files are very small, and that makes it much […]

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Do the Basics. Do not Believe that Threat Protection Software Will Save You.

This week, someone told me about a group of CEOs who came to the conclusion that their IT security was handled since they installed an artificial intelligence (AI) based threat protection tool. They didn’t know it, but they were wrong.

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New iPhone and iPad iOS 11 Can Quietly Override Your Attempt to Be Secure

The new Apple iOS 11 has a feature that appears to permit you to turn Wi-Fi on and off from the easy to reach Control Center. However, some people in the security community are concerned since the setting does no such thing.

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Your Software, such as CCleaner, May Have Backdoors

Can you trust programs you download? Millions of users, including outsourced computer firms, use a program called CCleaner on their own and on customers’ computers. CCleaner just announced that some of its software was compromised and has been stealing data from users’ computers.

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Credit Monitoring is Not Enough – You Must Place Credit Freezes to Protect Yourself

Regarding the Equifax breach, the breach affects about half of America’s population, so take action. Experts agree that one of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to place a credit freeze on your credit reports.

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