Hackers are taking over LinkedIn profiles – what can you do?

A recent investigation by the security firm Symnatec has uncovered that hackers are creating fake profiles on the social networking site LinkedIn in an effort to scam users.

LinkedIn was established in 2003 and is a social networking site used by over 400 million professionals worldwide as an online form of business networking.

As well as allowing businesses to connect with each other, it is also provides a reliable way for recruiters to headhunt potential employees by sending them ‘connection requests’ which allow them to be able to send each other messages – a feature which hackers are now believed to be exploiting.

Dell computers admit to security flaw

Computer giant Dell has acknowledged a “profound security flaw” in computers sold to customers that could leave them open to attacks from hackers, allowing them to harvest important personal data such as bank details.

Dell has released a statement which explains that a security certificate ‘eDellRoot’ pre-installed on some Dell laptops has “unintentionally introduced a security vulnerability”.

What can we learn from the TalkTalk hack?

TalkTalk is the latest major company to fall victim to a significant cyber attack during which some of their customers banking details may have been accessed.

While TalkTalk has gone on to say that the details accessed may have only been partly exposed, users are being warned that they could be targeted by opportunistic cyber criminals.

It is relatively common that in the aftermath of a high profile attack hackers and other cyber criminals seize on the confusion and concern of customers by attempting to trick them into handing over sensitive information.

Beware of Facebook dislike button scam

Facebook users are being targeted by scammers’ just weeks after Facebook announced they are close to developing a long awaited ‘dislike’ button.

On the 15th September, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced that the social networking giant was “very close” to developing a ‘dislike’ button which will allow users to show empathy toward fellow users at times when a ‘like’ would not be suitable, such as when a loved one passes away.

Windows 10 receives positive reaction

Back in 2012, Microsoft launched its first attempt at an operating system that coped with the inevitable collision of tablets and desktops. Regarded by most users as a flop, Windows 8 was typified as an awkward mismatch between touch friendly technology and more traditional desktop operating systems; in short, it didn’t work for either desktop or tablets users. Whilst the Windows 8.1 update helped, its lifespan was still most notably marked by headlines such as ‘’Windows 8, it really is that bad’’.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing sounds complicated, but it simply means storing and accessing data and programs on the internet instead of on your computer’s hard drive.

Whereas in the past people were limited only to the data and programs present on their local hard drives, cloud computing has now opened up new and exciting opportunities for individuals to access endless streams of data through internet connectivity.

The importance of mobile & remote working

Is your business utilising all the benefits that mobile and remote working technology has to offer?

By the end of this year, nearly half of the global population will be using the internet. It is predicted that by 2016, 32% of the global workforce will be working outside the office as a result of mobile technology, with two thirds of these owning a smart phone.

Rombertik: Malware that destroys your computer when detected

It has been announced in the last few days that a new computer virus has been discovered which has been named Rombertik. The malware is designed to capture any plain text entered into a browser. Nicknamed by Cisco Systems, Rombertik’s primary purpose is a big worry but this new type of malware has an additional destructive threat.

Once setup on a Windows computer, Rombertik will check to see if it has been detected. The malware performs several regular internal checks to establish when it is under analysis. If undetected the malware will continuously steal data entered into any website browser.

Which internet browser is best for you?

For most people, opening an internet browser is a case of double clicking on the icon we are most familiar with. Internet browsers are applications that translate website code, allowing users to easily navigate and gather information throughout this vast global resource. Today, the internet plays a massive role in modern life and the right browser could help you make the most of your time and increase productivity.

Is this the end of Internet Explorer?

Microsoft has announced that its iconic browser - Internet Explorer - will not be the main web browser when they launch the eagerly anticipated Windows 10, in a move that would appear to signal the end for the now 20 year old “IE”.

Microsoft has instead announced that a completely new browser, currently code-named “Project Spartan” will replace Internet Explorer as the main browser with the new operating system. Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s Head of Marketing, told a conference this week that they are now researching “what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be”. However, Microsoft has also said that the browser will not disappear immediately and will still be available with some versions of Windows 10, so maybe it is not goodbye completely just yet.

Millions of computer users at risk from “Freak”

At the end of last week, Microsoft issued a major security warning about a computer bug that has been named “Freak” and announced that it was working on a security update to tackle it.

Initially it was thought that only some users of Android and Blackberry phones were at risk, along with users of Apple’s Safari web browser, but it was later discovered that in fact millions of computer users are at risk.

Most security threats are “well-known” says HP

An annual cyber-security report by technology firm HP has found that despite advancements in cyber attacks, the majority of cyber-security incidents in 2014 took advantage of well-known vulnerabilities that have existed for years.

The report, which looked at a range of business that had their security compromised in the least year, found that many of the issues which led to their security breaches are not new developments and that they exploited code written years or even decades earlier.