Category: Computers, Science & Technology

Hold the presses… I am hearing that YAC MAY be malware… I am researching now. In the meantime, do not install it! I JUST ran Malwarebytes Ant-Malware, and it turned up nothing on the PC I installed it on… but, I am still checking.

Pro and Con comments I have found on YAC:

Pros:

“I used it for a while and it is nice and safe program. I uninstalled it due to there being no apparent way to disable the HIPs module. The HIPs module is set to automatically deny suspicious actions when you haven’t chosen whether to allow or deny the action after I think 30 seconds. I’d prefer there to be no countdown and for the prompt to stay there until clicked.

But apart from that it is excellent.”

“It’s not malicious, but because it’s not well known as of yet there is little information to be found about it.”

“(I) tried Norton and McAfee but was not thrilled with the mediocre results so out of desperation downloaded YAC. I find it to be as effective as any of the programs that you pay for and will continue to use it as I like its’ simple format. It’s a good security program and is so easy to clean/optimize/scan for malware. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Maybe because it’s free some people think it must be a scam. I like it.”

“A school mate from Brazil told me that YAC is a useful utility developed by a company from his country. Certainly I know what it is, so we began to discuss on this program. He said every Brazilian is proud of YAC, because it is useful, helpful and free. In my opinion, this program had a space for improvement.”

Cons:

https://botcrawl.com/remove-yac-virus/

https://manual-removal.com/remove-yet-another-cleaner-yac-and-search-yac-mx-redirect/

MORE NEWS:

I uninstalled YAC easily, with no hassle, they said “Goodbye, what did we do?” and all that… but, there was no weird surprises. It seems harmless to me so far… but, I am still researching…

The security hits just keep on coming this week!

We ‘will be paying no ransom,’ vows town hit by Cryptowall ransom malware

Ars Technica – by Dan Goodin – The town manager of a hamlet in south eastern New Hampshire has defied demands that he pay a ransom to recover police department computer files taken hostage by Cryptowall, a newer piece of malware that encrypts hard drive contents of infected machines until victims pay for them to be decrypted.

‘Make no mistake, the Town of Durham will be paying no ransom,’ Town Manager Todd Selig was quoted as saying by CBS Boston news. Police department computers for the town of almost 15,000 residents were reportedly infected Thursday after an officer opened what appeared to be a legitimate file attachment to an e-mail. By Friday morning, widespread ‘issues’ were hitting the department computer network. It was shut down by noon that day to prevent the infection from spreading to other systems.

The game may be RIGged

YOU’RE INFECTED—IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR DATA AGAIN, PAY US $300 IN BITCOINS

Ransomware comes of age with unbreakable crypto, anonymous payments.

The department was reportedly hit by Cryptowall, a newer form of crypto malware that rivals the better known CryptoLocker. According to a blog post published Thursday by researchers from Cisco Systems, Cryptowall has been gaining ground since April, when it was folded into the RIG exploit kit, which is software sold in underground forums that automates computer scams and malware attacks for less technically knowledgeable criminals. Cisco’s Cloud Web Security service has been blocking requests tied to more than 90 infected Internet domains pushing Cryptowall scams to more than 17 percent of service customers.

Contrary to reports that the Durham Police Department infection was the result of a malicious e-mail attachment, the RIG-fueled attacks Cisco is blocking are the result of malicious advertisements served on scores of websites, including altervista.org, apps.facebook.com, www.theguardian.com, and ebay.in. The US is the country seeing the most infected ads, followed by the UK. So-called malvertising is a scourge that uses authentic-looking ads served over legitimate networks and sites to either trick end users into clicking on malicious links or to push attack code that exploits vulnerabilities to surreptitiously install malware.

‘Until May 22, RIG appears to have been making use of both newly registered domains and compromised legitimate sites to both host its landing pages and serve its exploits, all from paths ending in ‘proxy.php,” the Cisco blog post stated.

The rash of Cryptowall attacks came to light the same week that federal authorities seized a massive botnet used to spread CryptoLocker. The effects of Cryptowall on Durham were characterized as disruptive but not catastrophic.

‘The functions affected are the police e-mail system and word processing, as well as spreadsheets, Excel, and other administrative tasks,’ Selig said. ‘The crime records are not affected. We do back up all of our systems, so we will work to restore what may be lost.’

CryptoLocker underscored the importance not just of backups, but of so-called ‘cold’ backups that are done offline. Because CryptoLocker encrypted files on all accessible drives, it often overwrote backup files as well as original ones. In many cases, backups were intact only when they were stored in offline systems that were protected from the infected computers. The distinction could prove particularly important to Durham residents given the refusal to pay the ransom. According to Cisco, ransom demands sent to a test computer that was infected by Cryptowall were increased three times to $600, after which time the data would be irretrievable.

‘This threat should be taken seriously,’ Cisco researchers wrote. ‘Other ransomware has been known to make good on its warnings of data loss.’

Did you know that you can get a streaming video quality report from Google? It will test your ISP and bandwidth from your PC anytime, anywhere you are. Kinda cool! Click the link below:

Google Streaming Quality Test

Google is making it simpler to encrypt your email to protect your privacy.

Making end-to-end encryption easier to use

Google Online Security Blog – “Your security online has always been a top priority for us, and we’re constantly working to make sure your data is safe. For example, Gmail supported HTTPS when it first launched and now always uses an encrypted connection when you check or send email in your browser. We warn people in Gmail and Chrome when we have reason to believe they’re being targeted by bad actors. We also alert you to malware and phishing when we find it.

Today, we’re adding to that list the alpha version of a new tool. It’s called End-to-End and it’s a Chrome extension intended for users who need additional security beyond what we already provide.

‘End-to-end’ encryption means data leaving your browser will be encrypted until the message’s intended recipient decrypts it, and that similarly encrypted messages sent to you will remain that way until you decrypt them in your browser.

While end-to-end encryption tools like PGP and GnuPG have been around for a long time, they require a great deal of technical know-how and manual effort to use. To help make this kind of encryption a bit easier, we’re releasing code for a new Chrome extension that uses OpenPGP, an open standard supported by many existing encryption tools.

However, you won’t find the End-to-End extension in the Chrome Web Store quite yet; we’re just sharing the code today so that the community can test and evaluate it, helping us make sure that it’s as secure as it needs to be before people start relying on it. (And we mean it: our Vulnerability Reward Program offers financial awards for finding security bugs in Google code, including End-to-End.)

Once we feel that the extension is ready for primetime, we’ll make it available in the Chrome Web Store, and anyone will be able to use it to send and receive end-to-end encrypted emails through their existing web-based email provider.

We recognize that this sort of encryption will probably only be used for very sensitive messages or by those who need added protection. But we hope that the End-to-End extension will make it quicker and easier for people to get that extra layer of security should they need it.”

Sometimes Open Source developers call it quits. It can be an issue, however, if the software is security based, and requires updates!

TrueCrypt Open-Source Disk-Encryption Project Shuts Down

eWeek – By Sean Michael Kerner – “Sometimes, when difficulties arise in an open-source project, the effort is forked, but in other cases, projects just shut down. For the open-source TrueCrypt disk-encryption project, the latter is now true as the project is shutting down and users are being warned that the technology is no longer secure.

The TrueCrypt project is hosted on the SourceForge open-source code repository, which posted an ominous warning May 28:’Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues.’

The project is now recommending that users migrate away from TrueCrypt to other disk-encryption technologies.

Frankly, I’m not too surprised. TrueCrypt was recently audited in a report by iSec Partners, and although the report did not find any obvious large security issues, it wasn’t exactly favorable, either.

‘Overall, the source code for both the bootloader and the Windows kernel driver did not meet expected standards for secure code,’ the iSec Partners report on TrueCrypt states. ‘This includes issues such as lack of comments, use of insecure or deprecated functions, inconsistent variable types and so forth.’

The iSec report goes on to note that there was no evidence of backdoors or otherwise intentionally malicious code in the assessed areas. However, the audit did find some vulnerabilities that, according to iSec, ‘all appear to be unintentional, introduced as the result of bugs rather than malice.’

The other challenge facing TrueCrypt is the simple fact that there are many other disk-encryption technologies now available. On Microsoft’s Windows operating system in particular, which was a key target platform for TrueCrypt, versions of Windows after Windows XP include support for Bitlocker, which performs a similar function. In addition, there are multiple file-encryption technologies available, including, FileVault for Mac, DiskCryptor for Windows and Luks for Linux.

The decision to end an open-source project is not uncommon, but declaring a project to be insecure, as is the case with TrueCrypt, is a cause for concern. No doubt, many thousands of users were caught off-guard by the project shutting down and the security warning message.

Rather than attempting to plug holes, TrueCrypt’s developers have chosen to throw in the towel. Thankfully, there are alternative choices for full-disk encryption, and there is a path forward for TrueCrypt users to secure themselves.”

If you can download the templates, and print a robot on your new, fancy 3D printer, would you? Oh yeah! I would! (By the way, you can get a 3D printer from MonoPrice now!) Check it our HERE.

Intel Has A Crazy Plan To Let You Print Your Own Robot From Home

“Intel will have a open-source robot available for consumers by the end of the year, the company announced today during Re/Code’s tech conference.

It’ll be capable of a variety of things on its own. Intel futurist Brian David Johnson demoed his robot (named Jimmy), where it walked, talked, danced, and tweeted.

The robot is an open-source design, which means the plans will be freely available for people to build their own at home. (You’ll want a 3-D printer for this). You’ll be able to modify it as you see fit. The non-3D-printable parts — motors, processors, and the like — will be available for purchase as a kit from 21stCenturyRobot.com.

There will eventually be an app marketplace, something akin to Apple’s App Store, but for robots. ‘It’s like a smartphone with legs,’ said Johnson. ‘Your robot will be completely different from mine; you customize it and program the artificial intelligence, not by having a PhD in robotics, but by downloading apps.’

Jimmy can’t do much right now aside from the previously mentioned walking and dancing, but the important takeaway here is that this robot will represent a drastically reduced barrier for those wanting to enter robotics. The open source nature of the bot means people will continue to develop for it well after its release, and those developments can continue to be tweaked and modified by a community of hobbyists. Intel may very well be introducing the first humanoid robot you actually see in people’s homes.

Below is a quick video introduction to Jimmy, and below that is a presentation from 2013 (it starts around the seven minute mark) that shows Johnson speaking at length about robots in general and Jimmy in particular.”

All this candy! Man! Watch your blood sugar! I like a combo between Android and Chrome, though!

Google Android 4.5 Lollipop – A Combination Between Android and Chrome

The Fuse Joplin – After the release of the 4.4 KitKat version, it took a while until all the devices were upgraded to this operating system, then minor updates were made, although the 4.4.3 never appeared and the fans are still waiting for its release. But Android 4.5 Lollipop is supposed to be revealed at the Google I/O event.

After the release of every Android version, Google made a lot of improvements and released many updates in order to solve the problems that occurred in the previous versions/operating systems. While the Android 3.0 was created especially for tablets, the 4.0 edition introduced innovative features, to make the user interface more coherent. The 4.4 version, on the other hand, solved some fragmentation problems.

But, according to Android Police, Google intends to improve its services and wants the users to have a better experience, by uniting these platforms – Search, Chrome and Android, in order to build an operating system that can operate on Android gadgets, but which can execute tasks for third parties applications and Google.

The current version of Android allows users to access applications snapshots, but through Hera, the “tasks” and will be done under Chromium – found on HTML5. If Google will make some changes and Android will come with this update for 4.5 or 5.0 Lollipop, it will be a major step.

It is a probability that Android 4.5 Lollipop will be revealed at the Google I/O Conference. The new version will offer support for the graphics chipset and processors found on Android phones and tablets, allowing them to function with extra Ram and advanced software drivers.

According to some speculations, 4.5 will be released in June, this year.”

We may yet get ubiquitous WiFi! OK, it may NOT be free, but we can only hope! That would be great for us Internet Radio lovers!

Google to deploy 180 low-orbit satellites that provide Internet access

Ars Technica – “Google intends to ‘spend more than $1 billion on a fleet of satellites to extend Internet access to unwired regions of the globe,’ the Wall Street Journal reported last night, citing anonymous sources. Google ‘will start with 180 small, high-capacity satellites orbiting the earth at lower altitudes than traditional satellites, and then could expand.’

Google has been boosting its expertise in this area by hiring people from satellite companies. ‘Google’s satellite venture is led by Greg Wyler, founder of satellite-communications startup O3b Networks Ltd., who recently joined Google with O3b’s former chief technology officer,’ the Journal reported. ‘Google has also been hiring engineers from satellite company Space Systems/Loral LLC to work on the project.’

Google is an investor in O3b, which is putting satellites into orbit 5,000 miles above the Earth, and says it will be able to provide gigabit per second data rates. O3b claims to ‘deliver latencies faster than long haul fiber with a round trip latency of less than 150 milliseconds.’

By comparison, the satellites used by Internet provider HughesNet are 22,000 miles from the ground.

O3b’s satellites weigh about 1,500 pounds each, but Google intends to build ones that weigh less than 250 pounds, according to the Journal report. Google’s initial fleet of 180 satellites ‘could be launched for as little as about $600 million,’ but the project could end up costing up to $3 billion.

Separately, Google recently purchased drone maker Titan Aerospace, which it will reportedly integrate into ‘Project Loon,’ Google’s attempt to provide Internet access to hard-to-reach areas from balloons.

While Google declined comment on its satellite plans, the Journal quoted satellite consultant Tim Farrar, who said he ‘expects Project Loon’s balloons eventually to be replaced by Titan’s drones. Drones and satellites complement each other, he said, with drones offering better high-capacity service in smaller areas, and satellites offering broader coverage in areas with less demand.’

When contacted by Ars, Google said: ‘We don’t have anything to add beyond the following statement, attributable to a Google spokesperson: ‘Internet connectivity significantly improves people’s lives. Yet two-thirds of the world have no access at all. It’s why we’re so focused on new technologies—from Project Loon to Titan Aerospace—that have the potential to bring hundreds of millions more people online in the coming years.””

Apple has announced the latest version of OSX!

Apple Announces OS X Yosemite

SAN FRANCISCO – June 2, 2014 – “Apple® today announced OS X® Yosemite, a powerful new version of OS X redesigned and refined with a fresh, modern look, powerful new apps and amazing new continuity features that make working across your Mac® and iOS devices more fluid than ever. The new Today view in Notification Center gives you a quick look at everything you need to know, all in one place; iCloud Drive™ is located within the Finder and can store files of any type; and Safari® has a new streamlined design that puts the most important controls at your fingertips. Mail makes editing and sending attachments easier than ever; Handoff lets you start an activity on one device and pass it to the other; and Instant Hotspot makes using your iPhone’s hotspot as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Yosemite even gives you the ability to make iPhone® calls on your Mac.

‘Yosemite is the future of OS X with its incredible new design and amazing new apps, all engineered to work beautifully with iOS,’ said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. ‘We engineer our platforms, services and devices together, so we are able to create a seamless experience for our users across all our products that is unparalleled in the industry. It’s something only Apple can deliver.’

With Yosemite, OS X has been redesigned and refined with a fresh modern look where controls are clearer, smarter and easier to understand, and streamlined toolbars put the focus on your content without compromising functionality. Translucent elements reveal additional content in your app window, provide a hint at what’s hidden behind and take on the look of your desktop. App icons have a clean, consistent design and an updated system font improves readability.

The new Today view in Notification Center gives you a quick look at everything you need to know with widgets for Calendar, Weather, Stocks, Reminders, World Clock and social networks. You can even download additional widgets from the Mac App Store? to customize your Today view. Spotlight® now appears front and center on your desktop and adds new categories of results, so you can view rich suggestions from Wikipedia, Maps, Bing, App Store, iTunes Store®, iBooks Store™, top websites, news and movie showtimes.

Built right into the Finder, iCloud Drive stores files of any type in iCloud®. iCloud Drive works like any other folder on your Mac, so you can drag documents into it, organize them with folders and Tags and search for them using Spotlight. With iCloud Drive, you can access all your files in iCloud from your Mac, iPhone, iPad® or even a Windows PC.

Safari has a new streamlined design that puts the most important controls at your fingertips. A new Favorites view gives you quick access to your favorite websites, and a powerful new Tabs view displays thumbnails of all your open web pages in one window. Safari also gives you more control over your privacy, with separate Private Browsing windows and built-in support for DuckDuckGo, a search engine that doesn’t track users. When you search for popular or common terms, new Spotlight Suggestions appear along with the suggestions from your search provider. Safari supports the latest web standards, including WebGL and SPDY, and with support for HTML5 Premium Video Extensions, you can watch Netflix HD videos for up to two hours longer.¹ Powered by the Nitro JavaScript engine, Safari is over six times faster than Firefox and over five times faster than Chrome when executing JavaScript found in typical websites.²

Mail makes editing and sending attachments easier than ever. With Markup you can quickly fill out and sign forms and even annotate images and PDFs from within Mail. Mail Drop allows you to easily send large videos, images or files up to 5GB from the Mail app to any email address. Messages has a new look and delivers even more options for communicating with friends and family. Now you can add titles to ongoing message threads so they are easy to find, add new contacts to ongoing conversations, or leave those conversations you no longer want to follow. With Soundbites you can create, send and listen to audio clips right in Messages.

Continuity features in Yosemite make your Mac and iOS device perfect companions. When your iPhone or iPad is near your Mac, Handoff lets you start an activity on one device and pass it to the other. Instant Hotspot makes using your iPhone’s hotspot as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network.³ Now the SMS and MMS messages that previously only appeared on your iPhone appear in Messages on all your devices. You can even send SMS or MMS messages directly from your Mac and make or receive iPhone calls using your Mac as a speakerphone.?

Yosemite delivers platform technologies that make it easier for developers to create amazing new Mac apps. SpriteKit makes it easier to incorporate realistic motion, physics and lighting in games, and integrates with SceneKit to bring 3D casual gaming within reach of any developer. Storyboards for Yosemite and Xcode® 6 take advantage of the new View Controller APIs in AppKit to make it easier to build apps that navigate between multiple views of data. New APIs allow developers to integrate Handoff into their own apps and create Today view widgets for distribution through the Mac App Store. Share Menu extensions add new destinations to the Share Menu, and new APIs let developers create custom Share Sheets.

The developer preview of Yosemite is available to Mac Developer Program members starting today. To help make OS X even better, Apple is introducing the OS X Beta Program, which gives customers early access to Yosemite and invites them to try out the release and submit their feedback. Mac users can participate in the OS X Beta Program for Yosemite this summer and download the final version for free from the Mac App Store this fall. Customers interested in signing up can visit www.apple.com/osx/preview for more details.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.”

From the Linux Mint Blog: Linux Mint 17 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2019. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

New features at a glance:

• Update Manager
• Drivers Manager
• Login Screen
• Language Settings
• Software Sources
• Welcome Screen
• Cinnamon 2.2
• System Improvements
• Artwork Improvements
• Main Components
• LTS Strategy

New Features in detail: HERE