Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 4: Got 22H2?

  Posted on July 25, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.30.1 • 2023-07-25

  

  By Susan Bradley

  If you haven’t updated to Windows 10/11 22H2, now is a good time because I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4.

  This month’s updates have now settled down to the point that I don’t anticipate any issues for the vast majority of readers, nor have I seen any surprises in my testing on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

  22H2 is now my recommended version of Windows for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 for all editions and all types of users — with the single exception of gamers.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.30.1, 2023-07-25).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Gaming, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, Windows, Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 22H2, Yahoo Mail

• Yahoo’s 2013 hack, again in the news

  Posted on October 4, 2017 at 00:21 CDT by Kirsty • Comment in the Forums

  Reports have showed up all over the place in the last several hours, stating that ALL 3 BILLION (yes, with a B) Yahoo accounts were hacked in the 2013 data breach.

  Here’s the Reuters report.

  A reminder from ZDNet’s Zack Whittaker, not to trash an old Yahoo account, or it could be re-used:

  Secure your Yahoo account with 2FA, but do not delete it. Deleting it will recycle your account after 30 days — and anyone can hijack it.

  — Zack Whittaker (@zackwhittaker) 4 October 2017

  
  

  Other data breach, Yahoo Mail

• Beware phishers

  Posted on October 7, 2009 at 05:06 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I”m always admonishing people to be careful about phishers, but it looks like Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Gmail are getting a particularly nasty dose at the moment. Neowin reports that 20,000 Hotmail users have already given up their userids and passwords. BBC says that they have “seen two lists that detail more than 30,000 names and passwords from e-mail providers, including Yahoo and AOL, which were posted online.”

  It’s always been a problem, but the phishers are getting much more clever these days.

  Of course, you’re savvy enough to pass by those emails that say you underreported your income to the IRS, the ones that say your package couldn’t be delivered because it had the wrong address, and the ones that say you better pay for that new Mac or else…

  I’ve tried clicking through on several of those phish mails as soon as I get them (hey, who can resist running down somebody who says I’m due a tax refund?), and have been pleasantly surprised to discover that Firefox is blocking the sites, just like it should.

  SANS Internet Storm Center recommends that you immediately change your passwords on Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL accounts.

  Other AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, phishing, Yahoo Mail