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Major vulnerability in Bluetooth – Update your smartphone, watch, etc.

The Bluetooth that you use to connect your smart watch, speakers or other peripheral is seriously compromised. Please check that you have updated your device to the latest operating system version. This applies to iPhones and Android devices. The devices include Apple, Android smart phones, smart watches like Apple Watch and other devices (perhaps even Chrome laptops).

Failure to update your operating system may expose your confidential information to a nearby hacker who could ruin your finances and/or snoop on your messages and possibly put you in danger.

Forbes published a good explanation headlined, Update Your iPhones And Androids Now If You Don’t Want Your Bluetooth Hacked . Enough said, please just update now.

See below for how to update Android and Apple phones:

How to Update an Android

This wikiHow teaches you how to manually update an Android phone or tablet operating system. While your Android will typically update automatically, you can speed up the update process by manually updating as soon as you know an update is available.

Quick Summary

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings.
3. Tap System.
4. Tap System Update.
5. Tap Download and Install.

How to Update iOS

Two Methods:Performing an On-Device Update (Over-the-Air)Using iTunesCommunity Q&A

This wikiHow teaches you how to install the latest version of Apple’s operating system for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Performing an On-Device Update (Over-the-Air)

  1. Back up your iOS device.
  2. Open “Settings.” It’s a gray app with gears that’s typically located on your home screen.
  3. Scroll down and tap “General.“
  4. Tap Software “Update.” It’s at the top of the menu.
    • Tap Download and Install or Install Now. If a software update is already downloaded, the Install Now button will appear below the update description. Enter your passcode if prompted. Enter the passcode you use to unlock your phone.

      • Your phone will restart and the update process will begin.
      • In some cases, you may have to set up your phone again, although all your apps and data should be intact.You’ll need to accept legal agreements before manually downloading the update.

      Need help? Call or text Pilum Technology at 419-862-5252 email paulhem at paulhem dot com

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Update Windows – and all other operating systems – as soon as practical

Many successful data thefts and attacks relied on vulnerabilities that had patches available

First please heed this: If you are a large or small business leader or associate do not patch before you test that patch with any specialized software – that is any software other than generic office apps, like Microsoft (R) Office apps. Even commercial scheduling software should be tested. At least make sure that you create a Restore Point. before updating. Of course, Windows is supposed to create one for you. Do not bet your operation on that!

Many highly publicized data breaches occurred because firms did not patch or update software. For example Equifax had at least two months to patch/update specific software before 143 million people had their personal information stolen.  And some Equifax personnel were even aware of the need to patch the software in question. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management lost several million security clearance background investigation details because a contractor failed to update his computer.

As mentioned in My take on security, even if an individual believes that their information is not important enough to be stolen or abused, it can and will be collected and used.

Update your software.

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FBI advises you to reboot your home/office router right now; Why?

First, the news.

(RNN) – Russia’s hackers are busy folks.

The FBI and Cisco warned us this week that they’ve infiltrated 500,000 routers in more than 50 countries across the globe by using a malware system known as VPNFilter.

The compromised routers could be used for lots of things, but the experts believe the malicious software used to hack them are part of a plan for a huge cyber attack on Ukraine.

To torpedo the Russian plot, the FBI got court approval to seize a domain the hacking group was using to coordinate the operation.

The computer code used in the malware program shares code with previous Russian cyber attacks.

“Defending against this threat is extremely difficult due to the nature of the affected devices,” according to Cisco’s cyber intelligence unit, Talos.

“The majority of them are connected directly to the internet, with no security devices or services between them and the potential attackers.”

And most of these routers are older devices that don’t have up-to-date software.

And now from FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center:

May 25, 2018

Alert Number

I-052518-PSA

Questions regarding this PSA should be directed to your local FBI Field Office.

Local Field Office Locations: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field

———————————————–

There will be a lot more on this.  There are some lists of routers out there. Some of them may have been installed by your Internet Service Provider. The Boston Globe reports, The FBI is urging Internet service providers Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. and others to check whether their hardware is vulnerable, and work with customers on updating their routers.

This will be continually updated, until this becomes less of an issue.

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Congress vs. Facebook: Lack of tech understanding or political language?

Watching C-Span is like watching paint dry or like watching Windows slowly work through several months of updates. I don’t have the patience. So, I listened to a New York Times Podcast and a CBS news story about Zuckersberg’s solo testimony before Congress.

The news folks revealed what I thought would happen. The hearings were like a five hour tech support call. The Senators and Congressman seemed to stumble around trying to get sound-bites in for their constituents. Zuckerberg repeatedly had to say, “We already do that.” or “We already have that.”

Frankly, the poor showing by our elected officials may not demonstrate anything other than Congress’ attempt to make it easy for the U.S. public to understand. C’mon! Senators and Congressmen have substantial staffs who have tech expertise. So. Here you have our elected representatives attempting to ask intelligent questions about a subject with which they seem to be totally ignorant.

EXAMPLES from an Inc story by Minda Zetlin:

1. “Is Twitter the same as what you do?”

South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham (R) asked this as he was seeking to discover if Facebook is a monopoly. “It overlaps with a portion of what we do,” Zuckerberg said.

2. “If I’m emailing within WhatsApp…does that inform your advertisers?”

That question came from Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz (D), who seemed unaware that WhatsApp is a chat–not email–platform. Zuckerberg, manfully resisting any temptation to correct him, simply said that content on WhatsApp would not lead to related ads.

3. “How do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?”

This surprising question came from Utah Senator Orrin Hatch (R). Zuckerberg blinked for a moment–he couldn’t believe it either–and then said simply, “Senator we run ads.”

“I see. That’s great.” Hatch responded.

4. “What was Facemash and is it still up and running?”

Missouri Representative Billy Long asked that question, much to Zuckerberg’s embarrassment. If you’ve watched The Social Network, as Long evidently has, you know Facemash was an early Zuckerberg project in which users compared two photos of women and picked which was hotter. But Zuckerberg started Facemash from his dorm room 15 years ago and Harvard shut it down within days.

5. “What if I don’t want to receive [ads for chocolate]?”

Apparently, Florida Senator Bill Nelson (D) is fond of a particular type of chocolate, and having mentioned that fact to some Facebook friends, is now seeing ads for that chocolate. His question might be a good one but it’s one for the entire internet, not just Facebook, as anyone who’s ever shopped for anything online and been dogged by ads for that same item already knows.

Zuckerberg said that users can turn off third-party information within Facebook if they don’t want that info used to select ads for them. But, he added, “even though some people don’t like ads, people really don’t like ads that aren’t relevant.”

6. “My son is dedicated to Instagram so he’d want to be sure I mentioned him while I was here with you.”

That loving parental plug came from Missouri Senator Roy Blunt (R). It was a useful reminder that Zuckerberg is the real star in this roomful of powerful elders. And it wasn’t the only one.

7. “Would you bring some fiber because we don’t have connectivity?”

West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore (R) made this request–some of her state’s rural areas apparently lack broadband. Zuckerberg said there’s a group within Facebook bringing connectivity to rural areas and “we would be happy to follow up with you on that.”

8. “Some people refer to [Peter Thiel’s startup Palantir] as Stanford Analytica. Do you agree?”

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell (D) posed this odd question on her roundabout way to asking whether Cambridge Analytica’s data-gathering was the brainchild of a Palantir employee, as recent media reports have said. There’s no particular reason to think Zuckerberg would know the answer to either of her questions, and he said he didn’t.

9. “Did you know that the Motion Picture Association of America is having problems with piracy and…this is challenging their existence?”

Georgia Representative  Buddy Carter (R) asked this question after first noting the rampant sale of opioids and ivory from endangered elephants over Facebook. Never mind that piracy takes place all over the internet and not just Facebook, or the absurdity of suggesting that it poses an existential threat to the Hollywood movie industry. Zuckerberg merely replied: “Congressman, I believe that has been an issue for a long time.”

Some expert observers said after the hearings were done that Congress could have been a lot harder on Zuckerberg if its members were better informed about how social networks and the internet work. If they were, their questions might have been less entertaining. On the other hand, these are the congressional committees charged with overseeing the web and ensuring all our data is safe there. So we all might be better off.

 —End of Inc.com content by Minda Zetlin
There you have it. You decide. Is this a problem with Senators and their staffs attempting to create language to communicate with tech/internet ignorant constituents, or just tech/internet ignorance on the part of our elected leaders? I think, perhaps both.
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Windows update? No way! I have work to do! Later!

Or. Why is it taking all day to update Windows?

It seems that every time I want to use my Windows 10 computer, I have to wait through an update. For me, it may take only a friggin’ hour. However, for some friends it has taken all day – ALL DAY.  I was there for one of them.

It doesn’t make any difference which update that triggers the update jail-time. You are caught. You are caught because one of those updates that you deferred, won’t. It starts and the computer hangs – or seems to do so.

That’s when I get the call. “The computer is frozen.” It can’t be used and doesn’t respond. This usually happens when Microsoft issues a CRITICAL update. It is fixing one of those vulnerabilities that might get its executives hauled before Congress after regular folks lose their IDs and bank information – not to mention medical data. So, you WILL update! You click on the acknowledgement for the software to update itself. That’s when the sh1t hits the fan. The computer restarts and just sits there – perhaps for hours.

Most of the time, this loss of use – for a day perhaps – is caused by failure to update when the machine wants to update. It doesn’t care what reason you might want to use the computer. 60 Minutes has already left messages for the Microsoft execs and you will update before Congress gets back in session. Of course, I am joking about 60 Minutes and Congress (maybe not that much). However, the point remains, you just have to update when the computer tells you – just after you perform that crucial task that couldn’t wait. If you wait until the next two or three updates go by, then you are what we call in the I.T. business – screwed. The next time, you will be in computer jail, awaiting the update gods to finish their sacrificial ritual with your computer.

SOLUTION – most of the time

If you are using Windows 10, then follow the guidance below. If not and you are using Windows 7, then you must update when you are notified PERIOD! **Exception: If you have business custom software program on your computer, you should stop and call that software vendor. Otherwise, an update may screw up that custom software .

You have to leave your computer on for the following to work.

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EFF: How to fix your Facebook settings so the recent Cambridge Analytica spying doesn’t get you

Of course, your personal information is valuable so the cybercrooks will still come after you. Not the end-all-beat-all…. This will help make your Facebook privacy more robust, however.

From:

How To Change Your Facebook Settings To Opt Out of Platform API Sharing

By Gennie Gebhart
March 19, 2018

UPDATE (3/30/18): We have updated this post and its screenshots to reflect how Facebook reorganized and removed some settings this week.

You shouldn’t have to do this. You shouldn’t have to wade through complicated privacy settings in order to ensure that the companies with which you’ve entrusted your personal information are making reasonable, legal efforts to protect it. But Facebook has allowed third parties to violate user privacy on an unprecedented scale, and, while legislators and regulators scramble to understand the implications and put limits in place, users are left with the responsibility to make sure their profiles are properly configured.

Over the weekend, it became clear that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics company, got access to more than 50 million Facebook users’ data in 2014. The data was overwhelmingly collected, shared, and stored without user consent. The scale of this violation of user privacy reflects how Facebook’s terms of service and API were structured at the time. Make no mistake: this was not a data breach. This was exactly how Facebook’s infrastructure was designed to work.

In addition to raising questions about Facebook’s role in the 2016 presidential election, this news is a reminder of the inevitable privacy risks that users face when their personal information is captured, analyzed, indefinitely stored, and shared by a constellation of data brokers, marketers, and social media companies.

Tech companies can and should do more to protect users, including giving users far more control over what data is collected and how that data is used. That starts with meaningful transparency and allowing truly independent researchers—with no bottom line or corporate interest—access to work with, black-box test, and audit their systems. Finally, users need to be able to leave when a platform isn’t serving them — and take their data with them when they do.

Of course, you could choose to leave Facebook entirely, but for many that is not a viable solution. For now, if you’d like keep your data from going through Facebook’s API, you can take control of your privacy settings. Keep in mind that this disables ALL platform apps (like Farmville, Twitter, or Instagram) and you will not be able to log into other sites using your Facebook login.

Log into Facebook and visit the App Settings page (or go there manually via the Settings Menu > Apps ).

From there, click the “Edit” button under “Apps, Websites and Games.” Click “Turn Off.”

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Boeing hit by WannaCry virus via year-old exploit

Boeing hit by virus, fears it could cripple some jet production

OK. I do understand that it may take awhile and that production systems have to be carefully studied and even replaced before being updated. @Boeing is hit with WannaCry via a year-old vulnerability! Boeing hit by virus, fears it could cripple some jet production https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2017/05/12/wannacrypt-ransomware-worm-targets-out-of-date-systems/

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Why you should use a VPN; Vendors that you might want to avoid

Public WiFi, crooks in compromised networks and Internet Service Provider snoops – All of them want your information. And I am not even getting started. You need to protect yourself.

And here are the PC Magazine 2018 VPN reviews!

However…

According to recent research, 26 VPNs out of 115 collect 3 or more important log files which are deeply hidden in their privacy policy.

These include the following “paid” VPNs:

logging policy
Many VPNs still keep logs, one way or another…
  1. PureVPN
  2. HideMyAss
  3. HotSpot Shield
  4. VPN Unlimited
  5. VyprVPN
  6. Astrill
  7. ZoogVPN
  8. Buffered
  9. TigerVPN
  10. Boleh VPN
  11. Anonymizer
  12. IPinator
  13. Seed4.me
  14. AnonVPN
  15. FlyVPN
  16. SunVPN
  17. iPredator
  18. HideIP VPN
  19. VPN Gate
  20. HolaVPN
  21. Faceless.me
  22. Betternet
  23. Ace VPN
  24. Flow VPN
  25. Freedom-IP
  26. IronSocket

VPN logs

Read more here:  https://thebestvpn.com/118-vpns-logging-policy/