Booking.com users get phished
Some unfortunate travelers had their thirst for adventure rewarded with a steaming mug of scam. Users of the popular travel-booking site booking.com received bogus texts directing them to change their passwords “due to a security breach.” A malicious link in the text, if clicked, gave the phishers access to that user’s bookings. A second text then capitalized on the booking data by demanding bank info to “process payment” for the user’s specific trip. Booking.com is part of the hospitality magnate that includes priceline.com, kayak.com, and opentable.com. A spokesperson for the site states their system was not compromised, pointing to select hotel partners as the attack victims. The company claims all impacted guests have been notified and that any damages will be compensated.
Go ahead — make those online purchases, conduct your banking through your bank app, send funds to your friends, buy and sell cryptocurrencies, and pay bills on the web. With the new Avast Secure Browser, you can be confident that your privacy is protected and your data is secure. While every version of Avast antivirus software has had basic internet security built in, we have now taken that base and expanded upon it with extra layers of protection that combat today’s growing trend of phishing, tracking, and other cyberthreats. We added more cutting-edge tools, such as Bank Mode, and put all this next-gen web security and privacy functions into Avast Secure Browser.
The Company
Since 1995, The Guru has been serving the IT and security needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) throughout Southern California. Owner and Founder Richard Papasian brings over two decades of software, hardware, security, and net…
Introduction
As one of the leading companies in computer security, we work hard every day to bring the highest level of protection to all of our users. This requires us to constantly explore new ways of defeating malware, often experimenting with blee…
FBI advises Americans to reset their routers
Last week, we reported how the FBI had seized a key domain to the botnet VPNFilter. That story continued yesterday when the Bureau publicly asked all US residents to reboot their routers. The advice comes with the knowledge that while VPNFilter can take control of a router, part of the malware can be easily kicked off the system with a simple reboot — turning the device off for a moment. This renders the malicious program harmless, though the router can be reinfected. To prevent that, users are also advised to make sure the router’s security is fully up to date and the password has been changed from the default to a suitably complex one. The malware attacks many kinds of routers, most notably Linksys, MikroTik, Netgear, and TP-Link. Each of those companies have posted further detailed instructions to combat VPNFilter on their websites.
To showcase what it can actually do for you, we’ve tested the before and after situation on typical phones. Check out the results!
The FBI recently issued an immediate call-to-action for every small office and homeowner out there: power cycle (reboot) your router ASAP. The malware is coming. Chances are your router might be hiding in plain sight — you probably take it for granted since it just does its thing — but it needs your attention, and the sooner the better. If you are like many, you don’t always update your router firmware (only 14% of those recently surveyed have done so). Or, change the default administrator password (only 18% of those recently surveyed have done so) according to Broadband Genie. But, this time, you really need to.
If you’re in the area, come visit us at the Privacy & Security conference taking place this Wednesday and Thursday in The Hague. Avast is a proud sponsor of the GSMA Mobile 360 Series, showcasing relevant discussions for mobile network operators (MNOs), but actually important for any business in the wider digital ecosystem. The two-day gathering of industry leaders will focus on the latest evolving cyberthreats and their respective solutions. GSMA organizers deliberately scheduled the event to take place just as the new GDPR rules and regulations kick in and online privacy is a key concern for people around the world.
Do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched? Guess what — every time you pull out your smartphone or tablet and surf the internet, you are. The websites you visit, the items you browse and buy, the videos you stream, and where you were located when you did it. All of this paints a picture of who you are, what you do, and what interests you — all vital information to advertisers and marketers.
Online privacy is under the microscope, no doubt about it — first the US lost net neutrality, then the news breaks about Cambridge Analytica and 87 million Facebook users, and then we’ve got the GDPR which just took effect last week. Amidst all this opining, lobbying, arguing, and defending, it’s interesting to see who is riled up about the matter and who is not. How concerned are YOU about having your privacy protected online?