Newsletter Archives

• Hackers are using two-factor authentication to infect you

  Posted on April 14, 2025 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  We’ve all seen those are-you-human tests that websites use to screen out data-scraping bots — e.g., click all the cars, enter the code we texted you, etc. — but, unfortunately, malicious hackers are now exploiting our trust in these common dialog boxes to trick us into installing malware on our PCs.

  It’s natural for us to simply click through whatever process a particular website may use for two-factor authentication (2FA). But hackers are taking advantage of that sense of familiarity to bypass our usual security measures and infect our machines.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.15.0, 2025-04-14).

  Public Defender Are You Human, ClickFix, Multifactor Authentication, Newsletters, Passkeys, Social Engineering, Two-factor authentication

• You clicked on that phish?

  Posted on November 11, 2024 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It happens. You fell for it. You clicked on something you shouldn’t have. You followed a link. You entered your password on a site that wasn’t legitimate.

  In these instances, you didn’t suffer an intrusion to your computer. Instead, your login credentials were impacted. What should you do?

  First, don’t panic. In the case of many attacks these days, your operating system is still intact — not impacted in any way. The once standard reaction “I got hacked, so I’ll restore my computer from a clean backup or reinstall from scratch” probably isn’t necessary. In fact, it may be irrelevant to your response.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.46.0, 2024-11-11).

  On Security Adversary-in-the-middle, CISA, Credentials, Exchange, Microsoft Compliance Portal, Microsoft Purview portal, Multifactor Authentication, Newsletters, Passwords, Patch Lady Posts, phishing, Security, Trusted Devices, Two-factor authentication

• Dealing with regulated security

  Posted on August 26, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Being in charge of the technology and security at my office means providing the best security that does not interfere with our people’s ability to do their jobs effectively.

  Sometimes that can be difficult because of the regulations that control my line of work, most of which come from taxing authorities. I’ll be US-centric in my comments here, knowing little about regulations in other countries. But I’ll bet most are similar. So hopefully, my suggestions will help you choose better security while accommodating the realities of your business, the systems you use, and the online resources you require.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.35.0, 2024-08-26).

  On Security Authenticator Apps, Cisco Duo, ID.me, IRS, Login.gov, Multifactor Authentication, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, SSA, Two-factor authentication

• Setting up MFA properly

  Posted on May 20, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.21 • 2024-05-20

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Is that multifactor authentication setup complete and truly ready to handle any situation?

  Two-factor (2FA) or multifactor (MFA) authentication is just the start of securing your important accounts.

  All too often, I hear from people who’ve set up extra login verification and can’t get it working. It might have been configured in such a way that access is allowed when your phone is lost or stolen, SMS (text messaging) isn’t working correctly, or the authentication app is broken.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.21.0, 2024-05-20).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Microsoft 365 Authentication Apps, Authy, Legacy Contact, Multifactor Authentication, Newsletters, Recovery Codes, Recovery Passwords, Two-factor authentication

• Can you identify the scam?

  Posted on January 29, 2024 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  This is scam season at my office.

  Every day, there is an unwanted email that comes though our email-filtering system and into our inboxes. And every day, the scams get a little bit better. But often, being aware of scams isn’t just about watching out for email lures but also text messages, posts on social media, or even phone calls.

  How can you avoid getting trapped by these scams?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.05.0, 2024-01-29).

  On Security Browser Scams, Database Breaches, Hybrid Analysis, Microsoft 365 authentication, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Tech Support Scams, Two-factor authentication, VirusTotal

• Easiest way to make it easy for attackers

  Posted on November 18, 2020 at 21:37 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-worst-passwords-of-2020-show-we-are-as-lazy-about-security-as-ever/

  We are really bad at picking passwords.  Truly we are.  I’ve also seen that many folks use the same passwords in many web sites.  So attackers only have to get a data dump from one hacked database and then they can try to reuse these passwords in other places.

  Do yourself a big favor:  Over the holiday season see if you can 1. pick better passwords (passphrases) and 2. see if the site allows you to add two factor authentication.

  Windows Security 2FA, Passphrases, Passwords, Patch Lady Posts, Two-factor authentication

• Living in a time of digital obsolescence

  Posted on August 9, 2020 at 23:00 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  By Susan Bradley

  Recently the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation released a document warning about unpatched Windows 7 machines.

  That alert reinforced what we already know: using an unpatched copy of Win7 is risky. According to the FBI, cybercriminals are targeting network infrastructures containing Win7 systems. And the document pointed out past problems with obsolete operating systems. For example, after Windows XP’s end of life, the healthcare industry was slow to upgrade to a supported version, leading to increased exposure of “records.”

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.31.0 (2020-08-10).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, FBI alert, IoT threats, Jailbreaking, Two-factor authentication, Win7 vulnerabilities

• Conference showcases a tsunami of security products

  Posted on March 16, 2020 at 01:10 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  SECURITY

  By Michael Lasky

  If you needed proof that Web security has become a major industry, you need only to have walked the acres of booths at the RSA Conference 2020.

  More than 36,000 attendees, 704 speakers, and 658 exhibitors gathered at San Francisco’s Moscone Center this past February to explore the “Human Element” in cyber security. The conference included hundreds of keynotes, track sessions, tutorials, seminars, and special events. Protecting the Internet has become a veritable military-industrial complex.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.11.0 (2020-03-16).

  Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, RSA security conference, Two-factor authentication
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