Windows

Updated: Fatal Flaw Slows WannaCry Ransomware Spread, but Threats Remain

In-brief: A fatal flaw in its design slowed the spread of WannaCry, a virulent ransomware program that has infected more than 100,000 organizations and individuals globally.

Android Malware Doubled in 2016, Adding to Mobile Malware Problem

In-brief: Smart phones infected with Android malware jumped 95 percent between 2015 and 2016, part of a steady increase in mobile phone infections in recent years, Nokia said on Monday.

Ransomware Used Against Muni Known As Harsh, Virulent

San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) was hit with a ransomware attack over the weekend, disrupting a number of agency computer systems including email, the MTA said in a statement on Sunday. And security experts say that the ransomware used has a reputation for virulence. Computer terminals observed at MTA (or “Muni”) stations displayed a message that read, in part, “You Hacked. All Data Encrypted” over the weekend, paralyzing toll collection operations and forcing the MTA to open its turnstiles and let the public ride for free. According to a report by The San Francisco Examiner claims that the ransomware thieves have infected more than 2,000 of the agency’s 8,000 computers, affecting not only fare collection, but also systems that assign routes to bus drivers. The thieves are demanding $73,000 in ransom, paid in bitcoin. In a statement on Sunday, San Francisco MTA said that the attack “disrupted some of our […]

Firm Puzzled by Body Cams Infected with Malware

In-brief: a California company that makes wearable cameras that are used by law enforcement and the military said a report that it shipped cameras infected with the Conficker virus were “distressing,” but that it was unable to locate the malware on its devices or within its environment. 

Apple Gatekeeper Bug Suggests Sleepy Approach To OS Security

In-brief: A security hole in Apple’s Gatekeeper security software could allow malicious programs to be run on OS X, including the latest release, El Capitan. The researcher who discovered it says that Apple has fallen well behind rival Microsoft in providing security for its operating system.