Apple Releases Firmware Update for AirPort

Users of Apple’s AirPort base station should make a point to install the recently released firmware update. The update, Firmware Version 7.6.7 and 7.7.7, corrects a vulnerability with DNS data parsing that resulted in memory corruption. The vulnerability could also have allowed for arbitrary code execution. So far, there have been no reports about anyone exploiting this particular vulnerability. However, just to be safe, AirPort users should install the firmware update as soon as possible.

DNS data parsing is a key feature of wireless routers. DNS stands for domain …

Beware of Technical Support Scams

If you’ve been using computers for long enough, the chances are pretty good that you, a friend, or a family member has been a victim (or almost-victim) of a technical support scam. There are many variations of these scams. Sometimes, your computer screen might get inundated with pop-up ads telling you that you’ve been infected with a virus and that you should call the phone number provided for “technical support.” In other situations, you might just get a phone call from a “tech support” specialist, telling you that your …

Apple Releases Series of Patches for All Operating Systems

If you haven’t updated your Apple devices in the past month, now would be a good time. On May 16th, Apple unveiled security patches for not just one of its operating systems, but for all of them. Last Monday, Apple unveiled security patches for not just one of its operating systems, but for all of them. The patches represented the first across-the-board updates that Apple has released for its operating systems since March 21st.

These patches apply to OS X El Capitan and iOS, as well as to the …

ARM-Powered Macs Are on the Way to Apple’s Product Stable

For years, Apple has been using Intel processor chipsets to power its Mac computers. According to a recent article from Computerworld, those days could soon come to an end. The author cited the words of technology analyst Ben Bajarin, who suggested that Apple’s dedication to “security and encryption” would push the company away from using Intel chips in Mac machines.

Bajarin may have a point. Apple may count on Intel for its Mac processors, but the company produces its own chipsets for the iPhone and the iPad. The current …

What Do Our Web Browsers Really Know about Us? Pt 2/2

With the rapid pace of technological development, we’re becoming increasingly concerned for our privacy in all areas of life, particularly when browsing the web. In part one of this article, we took a look at the specific information and data stored by our web browsers.

In part two, we’re going to look at the privacy and security implications of having all of this data stored on our computers.

How Does This Affect You?

Much of our stored data seems pretty innocuous, with the obvious exception of web browsers with …

How Does the FBI Hack People?

Do you think the government respects your privacy? For a lot of people, the illusion of such a belief was shattered three years ago, when Edward Snowden leaked thousands of pages of documents about the NSA’s spying programs. But the NSA isn’t the only government agency that may be breaching the constitutional rights of citizens. On the contrary, the FBI is right there in the mix too, and a fascinating article recently published by Wired provides a glimpse into precisely how the bureau does it.

Specifically, the article covers …

What Do Our Web Browsers Really Know About Us? Pt 1/2

As we step tentatively closer to a world with cameras in just about everything (Google Glass, anyone?), privacy concerns continue to rise. While the advent of red-light cameras and GPS-enabled cellphones have ushered in an age where our movements in public can be easily tracked, those aren’t the only things to worry about; we also need to consider the trail of digital breadcrumbs created every time we surf the web, whether at home or at the office.

But what do our browsers really know about us? What does it …

Why the Internet of Things May Be More Trouble Than It’s Worth

The Internet of Things is a concept that seeks to connect just about everything in our lives into one cohesive network. We already know that our smartphones, tablets, and computers are connected to the internet and the cloud. Increasingly, though, other “smart” devices—from televisions to refrigerators to thermostats—are connected as well.

This increased trend toward connectivity has seen a growth in the concept of “smart homes,” where you can control many different appliances and technologies in your house remotely. From turning on the lights before you get home to …

SecureMac interview: Dan Kusnetzky

SecureMac recently caught up with Dan Kusnetzky of Virtualization Review to discuss the growing threat of ransomware, you can read all about it here.

Apple Blocking Outdated Versions of Adobe Flash

Have you tried to use Adobe Flash Player on your Mac recently, only to get a message about your Flash Player plug-in being blocked or out-of-date? As of April 28th, Apple has begun blocking older versions of the Flash plug-in. You will need to update Adobe Flash Player before you can access audio or video content, view animations, or carry out any other tasks that require Adobe Flash.

The sudden blockage of Adobe Flash is not a glitch or an error on Apple’s part. On the contrary, according to an email …

Outdated Git Version in OS X Puts Developers at Risk

Update: May 4, 2016 –  Apple has released an updated version of Xcode to patch this vulnerability. Users can download Xcode 7.3.1 directly from Apple’s developer site at: https://developer.apple.com/xcode/download/

An outdated Git client in Apple’s Command Line Tools Package is putting OS X developers at risk by opening them up to remote code execution. According to a report from MacWorld, developers will typically use Xcode when developing apps for OS X or iOS, which means they are working on Macs that use Apple’s Command Line Tools package. The issue is that the …

New iOS Threat Capable of “Bricking” iPhones and iPads

If you haven’t updated your iPhone or iPad to the most current version of iOS—iOS 9.3.1—you should make it a priority to do so. That was the advice of security expert Brian Krebs in an April 12 blog post about a potentially devastating new iOS threat. Interestingly, this new threat is as simple as it is dangerous—to the point where any given iPhone or iPad user could manually trip the vulnerability on their own.

To understand what Krebs is talking about, we need to look back a few months …

Johns Hopkins University Team Finds Weakness in Apple Encryption

The FBI was recently pushing for Apple to advertently weaken their encryption technology so that they could crack a terrorist’s iPhone. But based on a recent report from Johns Hopkins University, Apple’s mobile encryption technology is already flawed—or at least, it was.

According to the Washington Post, Johns Hopkins computer science professor Matthew Green recently convened the research team that found this particular zero-day flaw. At first, Green and his research team were mum about exactly how they attacked Apple’s encryption. Their silence gave Apple time to address the …

Malware Scam Uses Phone GPS Data to Pose as Traffic Cops

Email-based scams often trick users into clicking a link by purporting to be from law enforcement agencies or police authorities. A new malware scam out of the small town of Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania takes the concept to the next level by using GPS data to create a greater sense of legitimacy.

According to a report from The Verge, the new scam works by tricking victims into thinking they owe fines for speeding citations. Unlike many email scams, though, this one doesn’t sell the charade by making the email look …

Default Security Settings You Should Change on Your Mac

Whether you just pulled your brand new Mac computer out of the box or are looking for ways to make your system more secure in light of recent OS X threats and vulnerabilities, there are several default Mac security settings that are not in your best interest to keep. Here are just a few settings you should change if you want to make sure that your Mac is as secure as possible.

Customize Your Password Settings: Entering your password every time you boot up your Mac or open your …