SUNNYVALE, CA - FortiGuard Labs reports that they have discovered many .ZIP domains are responsible for phishing attacks on users by automatically downloading a malicious executable titled “file.exe” to their computers. Phishing attacks have been a thorn in the side of computer users for years due to the fact that they often are able to camouflage themselves as innocuous programs or prompts that seemingly pose no threat, but in reality can cause a great deal of … [Read more...]
Expert: Blindly Authorizing Doman Listings Can Cause You to Lose Your Domains
TEMPE, AZ - Recently DomainInvesting.com’s Elliot Silver related a tale of an automated e-mail he received from internet domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy, listing several domain names that he owned that are listed for sale on a website called Squadhelp, a website where you can buy and sell domains. Silver had previously listed them on Afternic, but had deleted them in favor of Squadhelp. Side note: I had never heard of Squadhelp before, I'll have to check … [Read more...]
Managed Care Confirms Serious Breach of Nearly 9 Million Patients’ Critical Info
ATLANTA, GA - Managed Care of North America, Inc. (MCNA), a major insurance company, suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 9 million patients. The Atlanta-based company claims to be the largest dental insurer in the nation. According to reports, Hackers had access to MCNA systems from February 26 to March 7, 2023, compromising confidential patient information such as full names, addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, phone … [Read more...]
Data Breach: Unauthorized Party Accessed DoorDash Customer Information
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - According to recent reports, a new data security incident has surfaced. DoorDash, a popular food delivery app, detected suspicious activity from the computer network of a third-party vendor, and determined the vendor was compromised by a sophisticated phishing attack. According to the report, certain personal information maintained by DoorDash like names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and even partial payment card info have been affected. If … [Read more...]
Reported Twitter Data Breach Potentially Affects 5.4 Million Accounts
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Stolen personal information from 5.4 million Twitter users has been discovered for sale on a hacker forum. With this information, including emails and phone numbers, cybercriminals can create profiles to target victims with spam or phishing attempts which could lead to identity theft. Twitter is currently investigating claims that a near-seven-month-old vulnerability in its software has been exploited and the hacker is asking for $30,000 for the … [Read more...]
Massive Data Breach of Neopets Website Affects 69 Million Users
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Neopets, a virtual pet and gaming community, has reported a data breach exposing personal information like usernames, passwords, IP addresses, and more of 69 million user accounts. By combining this information, cybercriminals could target users with spam or phishing attempts to access additional personal information which could lead to identity theft. Neopets representatives have published a statement on Twitter addressing the breach. If … [Read more...]
Hundreds of Domains Being Reported in Scam for Free Federal COVID-19 Test Kits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The federal government launched a new website in January to help distribute free at-home COVID-19 test kits to U.S. citizens; no sooner did this website go live, so did numerous copycat websites, none of which were legitimate, but many sporting very similar URLs in an attempt to run a scam on unsuspecting visitors. In mid-January, the Biden Administration announced a free COVID-19 test kit program, with the kits being distributed via the U.S. Postal … [Read more...]
Data Security Breach At Robinhood Exposes Personal Info Of Customers
PALM BEACH, FL - The Robinhood financial service company has confirmed a data security incident that has exposed full names or email addresses for approximately seven million customers, with a smaller subset having additional personal information revealed. These customers could be targeted with spam, phishing attempts, identity theft and more. No Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or debit card numbers were exposed according to the company. Robinhood … [Read more...]
Amazingly Convincing Facebook Phishing Scam Takes Place on Facebook.com Itself
PALM BEACH, FL – I have been reviewing and writing about email phishing scams for years and I have seen a ton of them, from outright laughable in their easy discoverability to incredibly convincing, but this latest one I must write about because its one of the most convincing I have ever seen, and it has been happening for over a year now. I know it well as I once fell for it. The reason this is one of the most convincing I’ve ever seen is because unlike most phishing … [Read more...]
It’s Only A Matter of Time Until You Need to Be Licensed to Operate A Web Server
PALM BEACH, FL – I have been thinking about this off and on for a few years now, but I have never really posted or written about it. That is because it is an awful prediction that I hate the idea of, but I think it is going to eventually happen. Here it goes…. I predict that to operate a web server sometime in the near future, you will be required to have a license, or have passed a basic course in IT security or Cybersecurity intrusion mitigation. Not at the single site … [Read more...]
10 Simple Yet Effective Security Tips To Keep You Cyber Safe and Worry Less in 2020
PALM BEACH, FL - There is no shortage of security breaches and data leaks reported in the news this past year. As we all move into 2020, here are some simple tips to help keep you stay cyber safe, so you can worry less and have more to look forward to this year. Don't Shorten 2020 in Dates You shouldn’t shorten the year 2020 when signing things. Scammers can easily change the abbreviated date, for example from “3/30/20” to “3/30/2018”. Make sure to write out the full … [Read more...]
Data of 267 Million Facebook Users Exposed in Online Database; Found on Hacker Forum
PALM BEACH, FL - Data security researchers discovered an online database containing the names, phone numbers, and Facebook IDs of 267 million Facebook users available for download on a hacker forum. The database was not password protected and had been posted on December 12th. On December 14th, the researchers contacted the internet service provider that was hosting the database and the database was removed on December 19th. According to the Associated Press, a … [Read more...]
This AMEX Email Phishing Scam Wants You Homeless & Poor, With A Zero FICO Score
PALM BEACH, FL - Nothing could better destroy your holiday spirit than a compromise of your most secure personal information in the form of a phishing expedition. Here is one of the latest email scams circulating what is probably hundreds of thousands of inboxes, just in time for Christmas. Here is how it all plays out: You receive an email which appears to be from American Express, but it isn't, it's from some scrupulous hacker hiding somewhere behind a computer who is … [Read more...]
Wild West Domains Must Still Be on List of Registrars Which Facilitate Email Spam
PALM BEACH, FL – Way, way, way back in 2009, Brian Krebs from Krebs on Security, a popular security website came up with a list of the top ten domain registrars (highlighted in a Washington Post article) which facilitate the majority of spam via email, and Wild West Domains, owned by GoDaddy held a spot on that list. Out of roughly 900 accredited domain name registrars at the time, spammers registered Web sites advertised in junk e-mail mostly through the following top … [Read more...]
FTC Warns Consumers of Fake Equifax Data Breach Websites for Settlement Claims
PALM BEACH, FL – The Federal Trade Commission is warning Internet users, all 147 million people who were affected by the Equifax Data Breach in 2017, to beware of fake Equifax settlement websites which have been setup by thieves trying to steal consumers information when they attempt to file a claim online. Typically, users are sent an email that a class action lawsuit has resulted in a settlement making them eligible for credit monitoring services and/or a cash claim … [Read more...]