SEATTLE, WA - Online shopping retail giant Amazon this week seized multiple internet domains that have been utilized by Russian hackers to launch phishing attacks that targeted users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Chief Information Security Officer at Amazon, CJ Moses, announced in a blog post that Midnight Blizzard, otherwise known as APT29 – a threat actor directly sponsored by the Russian government – had been targeting government agencies, empires, … [Read more...]
Senator Demands Domain Registrars Address Russian Influence Operations During 2024 Election
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has issued a demand to several of the top American internet domain registrars to clamp down on the abuse of their services by Russian disinformation actors who he alleged are attempting to interfere with and influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Warner sent a letter earlier in October to several well-known companies in the web domain registering and hosting … [Read more...]
Experts: Hackers Registered Over 500,000 Domains for Massive Cyber-Attack
SANTA CLARA, CA - Hackers have been around since the debut of the Internet, and over the years they’ve learned a number of underhanded tricks to use on unsuspecting victims; one of the most prolific is registering new domains to use to disseminate malware and conduct fishing attacks – while posing as innocent and trustworthy websites – in order to get the unwary to share sensitive information or download malicious software. That being said, according to cybersecurity … [Read more...]
Google to Phase Out Call & Chat Reporting on Google My Business Profiles
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - In a recent announcement Google revealed that it will discontinue the call and chat history features in Google Business Profiles by July 31, 2024. This move appears to be part of a broader effort to streamline Google's services and shift its focus elsewhere. While these changes will affect how businesses interact with their leads, it also presents an opportunity to enhance marketing efforts with proper planning and the right tools. What’s Changing in … [Read more...]
Unstoppable Domains Introduces AI to Create Secure Digital IDs for Crypto Users
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Unstoppable Domains, a company that offers blockchain-based domain names – such as .zil or .crypto – announced this week they have adopted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to help “enhance the user experience” by allowing customers to utilize the growing technology to help craft “digital identities” for their “personal brand.” Unstoppable Domains COO Sandy Carter noted that all users have to do is provide some very basic material, either … [Read more...]
Ticketmaster Faces Massive Data Breach, Affecting Millions of Users
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - Ticketmaster, the ticketing giant, is reeling from a major data breach that may have exposed the personal information of over half a billion users. The notorious hacking group ShinyHunters is claiming responsibility for the attack and is demanding a ransom of $500,000 to prevent the data from being sold. While Ticketmaster has yet to confirm the breach officially, security experts are taking the claims seriously. According to reports, the stolen data … [Read more...]
Omni Hotels & Resorts Suffers Breach, Potentially Impacting Millions
DALLAS, TX - Last month, Omni Hotels & Resorts, a prominent hotel chain, experienced a cybersecurity breach that resulted in the theft of customer information. In an update on their website, Omni confirmed that the stolen data includes customer names, email addresses, postal addresses, and guest loyalty program information. However, financial information and Social Security numbers were not compromised. The breach was detected on March 29, prompting Omni to shut down … [Read more...]
How Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sees Keywords In Your Photos and Videos
PALM BEACH, FL - Imagine if your images could speak to Google, revealing their hidden keywords and boosting your search engine rankings. Well, it's not just a fantasy anymore. Google's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to see and interpret the content of your images, opening up new SEO opportunities. While it's common knowledge that having keywords in the text sections of your website is important, many overlook the power of incorporating relevant … [Read more...]
Popular Question: “If I Build My Website on Shopify Who Owns My Website?”
FLORIDA: I get this question quite often and it's pretty important to know the difference. I've discussed a bunch of similar issues with domain and site ownership in my book Mastering Your Website. If I build my website on Shopify who owns my website? Technically, you will own the website you build on Shopify, even though Shopify provides the platform and tools to create and run it. The keyword here is platform. Here's a breakdown: It's important to distinguish … [Read more...]
What Is Geofencing And How Does It Work?
FLORIDA - Geofencing is a location-based technology that creates virtual boundaries around a specific geographic area. These boundaries are defined by GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or cellular data. When a device, typically a smartphone or GPS-enabled device, enters or exits the predefined geographic area, it triggers a response or action. Here's how geofencing typically works: Imagine a virtual fence you can draw around any area, like your competitor's dealership or even … [Read more...]
10 Billion Connections to Malicious Domains Blocked by NSA in 2023 via “PDNS”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Security Agency (NSA) noted that 10 billion user connections to known malicious or suspicious domains were blocked over the course of the past year as part of the agency’s efforts, according to its 2023 Cybersecurity Year in Review report released on Tuesday. The NSA‘s annual report is a public account of the agency’s work with government partners, defense industrial base (DIB) entities, and foreign partners to help keep the nation secure, … [Read more...]
Experts: 23andMe Hack Is DNA Catastrophe; Leaked Millions of Genetic Profiles
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Earlier this week, in a startling revelation, 23andMe conceded that a hack in October was significantly worse than initially reported. Affecting nearly 6.9 million people, the scale of this data breach was shockingly larger than the initially stated figure of 14,000 users. Regrettably, the stolen data contained not only sensitive information such as full names, but genetic profiles. Yet, the severity of the situation was met with indifference by some … [Read more...]