Search is down for Windows 10 users

If you’ve tried to search for something in Windows 10 this morning you’ll likely have been greeted by an empty search window. Type something in, and you’ll get no results. Microsoft has yet to acknowledge the issue, but the problem seems to be caused by Bing’s new integration. SEE ALSO: Microsoft's new Windows 10 search feature is just a way to force Bing and Edge on to users Reddit users have reported that the issue can be overcome by disabling Bing with this registry hack from How To Geek, but it seems likely this is only a temporary problem and… [Continue Reading]

New strain of ransomware spreads via SYSVOL shares

Researchers at Varonis have uncovered a new ransomware variant that spreads and tracks its progress via SYSVOL share on Active Directory Domain Controllers. The ransomware encrypts files and appends them with the extension, '.SaveTheQueen' and creates a file called 'hourly' on the SYSVOL share folder. SYSVOL is a crucial folder on each domain controller, used to deliver policy (GPO) and logon scripts to domain workstations. The content of the SYSVOL folder is replicated between the domain controllers to keep data synchronized between organization sites. Writing to SYSVOL requires high domain privileges, however, once compromised, it becomes a powerful asset for… [Continue Reading]

Popular attack methods decrease as hackers shift tactics for a new year

Researchers at managed security services provider Nuspire have released their latest quarterly threat report which looks at the top botnet, malware and exploit activity throughout 2019, focusing in on the fourth quarter. Among the findings are that malicious cyber-activity declined towards the end of the year, partly as a result of hectic holiday schedules and vacations with fewer employees around to interact with malicious activity. But the researchers also believe that the decrease in botnet (22 percent), malware (19 percent) and exploit activity (12 percent) also suggests that attackers are retooling their methodologies in order to change tactics and techniques… [Continue Reading]

How many lightbulbs does it take to put a network at risk?

If it's a Philips Hue bulb the answer to the question in the headline above is just one according to new research from Check Point which has uncovered vulnerabilities that could enable a hacker to deliver ransomware or other malware to business and home networks by taking over the smart lightbulbs and their controller. Researchers focused on the market-leading Philips Hue smart bulbs and bridge, and found vulnerabilities that enabled them to infiltrate networks using a remote exploit in the ZigBee low-power wireless protocol that is used to control a wide range of IoT devices. Researchers were able to take… [Continue Reading]

Watch President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address 2020 live tonight on YouTube for free

Last night was the Iowa Caucus, and good lord, it was a disaster. Never did I think that when I went to bed last night, I'd be waking up to utter chaos from the Democratic Party. In a huge blow to democracy overall, there have been no results released from the caucus. Is it due to hacking? A buggy app? Incompetence? Who knows. Sigh. The Democrats are apparently blaming a "coding issue." The world keeps spinning, however, and tonight, it is the Republicans' opportunity to make the news. You see, Donald Trump will be giving his annual State of the Union… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft products continue to be most targeted by cybercriminals

2019 was the third year in a row that Microsoft technology was most affected by vulnerabilities, with eight of the top 10 vulnerabilities identified targeting its products. This is a key finding of the Recorded Future annual vulnerability report which also shows that for the first time six of the vulnerabilities, all impacting Microsoft, were repeats from the prior year. CVE-2018-8174 dropped one spot from the top exploited vulnerability in 2018 to second in 2019; CVE-2017-11882 stayed in the third spot, while CVE-2012-0158 dropped from ninth to tenth. Only one new vulnerability from the 2019 calendar year was ranked in… [Continue Reading]

Get 'Excel 2019 For Dummies' ($29.99 value) FREE for a limited time

Excel 2019 For Dummies has been updated to reflect the major changes and features made to Excel and covers everything you need to know to perform any spreadsheet task at hand. It includes information on creating and editing worksheets, formatting cells, entering formulas, creating and editing charts, inserting graphs, designing database forms, adding database records, using seek-and-find options, printing, adding hyperlinks to worksheets, saving worksheets as web pages, adding existing worksheet data to an existing webpage, pivot tables, pivot charts, formulas and functions, Excel data analysis, sending worksheets via e-mail, and so much more. This ebook will help you: Get to know… [Continue Reading]