Current Cybersecurity Trends Articles

Top 5 Security Threats in HTML5

December 9, 2010

Somehow technology seems to evolve at a rapid pace, even when the standards bodies that help define it do not. Consider that most of today’s websites are built on HTML4, a standard that was introduced in 1997. In the thirteen years since, the way we use the Web has changed dramatically, even if the underlying… Read more
Navigating Smartphone Liability: Corporate Liable v. Individual Liable

December 8, 2010

It’s a familiar scene played out in waiting lines, airport gates, and restaurants every day. Someone scrolls through their handheld device, scans some text, shakes their head worriedly or angrily then rushes to make a call to the office or a business colleague. While the finer points of whether or not checking messages in… Read more
IBM AppScan Takes Aim at Input Validation

December 4, 2010

Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection flaws are among the most common and lethal types of security vulnerabilities. Both sets of flaws often stem from the same root cause, which is typically some form of an input validation issue. Ensuring that input validation is done correctly is no easy task, which is where the new… Read more
How To Encrypt a Windows Drive with DiskCryptor

November 16, 2010

Encrypting your documents protects them from prying eyes if your computer becomes lost or stolen. However, you shouldn’t stop at just encrypting your sensitive documents. A thief can recover passwords and other sensitive information stored by Windows. Even if you password-protect your Windows account, your system files can still be easily accessed, for example, from… Read more
10 Ways to Protect Yourself from Firesheep Attacks

November 5, 2010

Learn how to surf websites vulnerable to Firesheep without getting fleeced. Years after BlackHat sidejacking demos, far too many websites remain vulnerable to this session cookie hijack attack. Frustrated by apathy and inaction, web developer Eric Butler and colleague Ian Gallagher decided to raise awareness with Firesheep – a Firefox plug-in that makes sidejacking as… Read more
Simple Steps to Securing Email with S/MIME

October 27, 2010

Email has long been described as the “killer app” that attracted masses to the Internet starting in the mid-90’s. By one estimate, as of May 2009 some 247 billion emails are sent per day. Despite its massive and widespread use, the vast majority of these emails are relatively insecure. A conventional email message is vulnerable… Read more
9 Best Defenses Against Social Engineering Attacks

October 19, 2010

No matter how much expertise and money you put into your network security and preventing data theft — firewalls, security appliances, encryption, etc. — the human element remains vulnerable to hackers who apply social engineering techniques. Social-Engineer.org, a non-profit organization of security experts seeking to raise awareness of the data theft threat posed by… Read more
Top Ten Ways to Avoid an Evil Twin Attack

October 18, 2010

Wireless security concerns don’t seem to be slowing hotspot growth. In 3Q09, AT&T hotspots serviced over 25 million Wi-Fi sessions – 66 percent more than in 2Q09. Aircell now offers in-flight Wi-Fi service on over 4,000 flights per day. In my hometown (Philadelphia), Comcast just launched over 2000 new Xfinity hotspots. Yet, few public hotspots… Read more
15 Reasons to Use Enterprise WLAN Security

October 11, 2010

The Enterprise mode of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2) encryption uses 802.1X authentication to provide better security for wireless networks. This mode should be used by all businesses and organizations (no matter how small) rather than the Personal or Pre-Shared Key (PSK) mode. There are myriad reasons why your business’s Wi-Fi network should be… Read more
Review: EncryptStick Digital Privacy Manager

August 31, 2010

If your employees carry sensitive company data on unencrypted laptops, portable hard drives or USB flash drives, your job and theirs may be in jeopardy. We report cases almost weekly in these pages of lost or stolen computers and drives with unencrypted data, and the havoc that ensues. Sometimes you shake your head in wonder… Read more