Malware doesnt easily exploit browser vulnerabilities

Google has moved quickly to fix another serious security flaw in its browser with the release of Chrome 89. The company was forced to act after the Google Chrome security flaw was reported by Alison Huffman of Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research last month. Known as CVE-2021-21166, the mysterious security issue, which affects Google Chrome version 89.0.4389.72, appears to have already been patched by Google, signifying that it could have allowed hackers or threat actors to do some serious damage in Chrome. We've built a list of the best malware removal solutions Check out our roundup of the best endpoint protection Also, see our list of the best identity  theft protection tools Chrome 89 Not much is known about the zero-day, which was described by Google as an "Object lifecycle issue in audio.", however the company rated the vulnerability as high severity, and has now issued a patch to fix the fault. There are reports that an exploit based on … [Read more...] about Google Chrome update fixes another worrying security flaw

The tools involved in the Sony Pictures attack may have been more sophisticated than we thought. Recode 's Arik Hessedahl is reporting that the attackers employed a previously undisclosed vulnerability to break into the Sony Pictures system, according to "sources familiar with the Sony investigation." Also known as a zero-day vulnerability, undisclosed weaknesses are particularly valuable in the security world, and typically employed by nation-state attackers. It's unclear how central the exploit was to the attack or which system was found to be vulnerable. Much of the previously reported software involved in the attack had been re-used from earlier attacks in South Korea in 2013. The report also cuts against earlier statements by the NSA , which had described the attack as originating with spear phishing emails sent to Sony Pictures employees. Spear phishing is a much simpler attack, in which an attacker simply sends a personalized email with a malware-laden link or … [Read more...] about New report claims zero-day attack on Sony Pictures

Everyone who browses the internet is familiar with advertising. Regardless of what browser , search engine or social media app we use to search the web, every day we are peppered with ads that prey on our aspirations and insecurities to sell us products. An entire generation has grown up believing that if you want to check in on your friends, learn new skills or just entertain yourself then the cost of doing business is companies will exploit your personal data to sell you things. So why is this the case? When the internet’s infrastructure was first being built, the major platforms understandably needed to make money early on, and decided that showing advertising on top of content was the quickest solution. This allowed them to satisfy their investors while getting on with the business of building new technology. Problems later emerged because what started out as a quick fix to a short-term problem turned into a central part of the internet’s architecture. Like anything else in … [Read more...] about Why we need to rebuild internet search, putting user privacy first