Why cryptojacking malware is a bigger threat to your PC than you realize

Cryptocurrency-mining malware might seem like a low risk, but it rarely arrives without more dangerous baggage.

Cryptocurrency mining malware has been one of the most prolific forms of malicious software distributed by cyber criminals throughout 2018, but given how some view it as relatively benign compared with other more damaging attacks like ransomware and trojans, it’s occasionally overlooked as a threat.

However, cryptojacking malware — which secretly hijacks the processing power of infected machines to mine for cryptocurrency on behalf of the attacker — is still ultimately a form of malware and users can’t afford to be complacent about it.

That’s because cryptocurrency miners give attackers a foothold into PCs which can be exploited to deliver more damaging malware in future, security firm Fortinet has warned in its latest threat landscape report, noting that underestimating cryptojacking places organizations under heightened risk.

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Hints of Windows 10’s 2019 future show up in early ’19H1′ builds

The improved Search Indexer is the early star of 19H1, although we’re still in the early days.

We’re already seeing hints of the next version of Windows 10, due in the spring of 2019 and known by the code name “19H1.” Some are cosmetic, like the new Acrylic look and feel to the Windows sign-in page. Others are more substantive, like the new Search Indexer.

But wait, you ask: Isn’t Windows 10’s October 2018 Update still in limbo? Yes: The October 2018 Update, delayed due to the potential for data loss, hasn’t been pushed to anyone but Windows Insiders. Currently there is no further news to share about its release, a spokesman said.

Microsoft’s Windows teams move on parallel tracks. What’s known as the “Fast Ring” usually helps test the next version of the OS. As that version moves into its final testing phases before release, a second “Skip Ahead” track acts as a passing lane of sorts to move ahead. Microsoft has merged the Skip Ahead and Fast Rings together, though they’ll split apart as we get closer to the formal 19H1 release.

Why this matters: While some features fall away in the course of development, the early builds are still a good way to gauge the direction of the OS. Given that the last few updates have been increasingly underwhelming, we’re all looking for hints of bigger things to come.

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Webroot Mobile Security & Antivirus Enhances App Security

Webroot is a product that acts as an antivirus, provides internet security and protects your identity. It will keep you safe when you browse, do internet banking or shop online.

Webroot is capable of scanning apps for viruses and malware automatically, keeping you protected at all times. Speaking of this, you can set it and literally forget about it since it provides continuous protection without draining your battery, slowing down your device or interrupting specific processes.

Also, Webroot can identify anti-phishing in real time, and it blocks any fake website that tries to trick you into giving up your personal information.

Before you risk entering an infected website, Webroot will promptly warn you about it.

We live in a day and age when your phone number can find its way into the wrong hands. Webroot can block any unwanted text messages or calls so that nobody will bother you. Facebook and Twitter are just a couple of the social networks which Webroot protects.

5 Tech Tips To Help You Prepare For Hurricane Florence

It’s been a year and here we are again. Except this time it’s not Florida in the crosshairs of a major storm, but the Carolinas and Virginia. Hurricane Florence is forecast to slam into the East Coast as with winds over 140 mph, bringing with it heavy rains, and unprecedented flooding.

At the moment, you might be focused on how to best secure your home. Lowe’s stores up and down the coast have shifted tarps, polycarbonate storm shutters, generators, and other hurricane preparedness gear to the front of their stores to try and help mitigate the rush.

Once you secure your home, what will you do about your tech? With high winds and flooding comes power outages. Depending on how much infrastructure damage Florence brings, you could be looking at days or even weeks without power.

Losing power means a lot more than suffering without A/C or losing a week’s groceries. Without our phones or computers, we lose the ability to communicate with our friends, family, and colleagues. For those that work online, being without power equals lost revenue. That’s why it’s vital, before the hurricane hits and you lose power, that you take a few steps to keep yourself and your tech safe.

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The Six Best Laptops for School

No matter how you prefer to crush that term paper or immerse yourself in research, these computers will help you excel. Below are some of our favorite machines we’ve reviewed this year.

Everything New in Notepad in Windows 10 Redstone 5

Believe it or not, Microsoft is hard at work on Notepad with the Windows 10’s Redstone 5 Update. Notepad is packed with new features in Redstone 5, which will be released sometime around October 2018.
Microsoft is finally adding support for UNIX-style end of line (EOL) characters to Notepad. Notepad now supports both UNIX/Linux style line feeds (LF) and Macintosh-style line endings (CR.)

This means that you can take a text file created on Linux or Mac, open it in Notepad—and it will look like it’s supposed to! Previously, the file would look like a mess because Notepad wouldn’t notice any line breaks. Every line would flow into the next one with no line breaks.

Notepad still supports Windows-style line endings (CRLF) and uses them by default. But, when you open a file with other line endings, Notepad will automatically detect that and display it properly. You can edit and save the file, too—Notepad will automatically save the file with the correct type of line break. Notepad displays the end of line characters it’s using for the current file on the status bar at the bottom of the window.

This makes Notepad more useful if you’re working with Linux software in the Linux subsystem for Windows, previously known as Bash for Windows. It’s a godsend for developers, too.

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Why Counterfeit Lightning Cables Kill iPhones

Are cheap iPhone chargers safe to use with the iPhone? Here’s how counterfeit cables can destroy your phone and cause it to stop charging.

Picture this: The sun is shining. The birds are serenading you from the tree you just parked under (They’re going to carpet bomb your car with crap later, but you don’t know that yet.) You’re almost through a long list of errands. And way to go, you. You’re being very productive. You whip out your iPhone for a celebratory selfie, when you see it: a red bar on your battery indicator. Only 10% power remaining.

I’m here to tell you … please don’t.

I know those cheap power bricks are tempting. But if it seems too cheap to be true, it probably is. You may save money in the short-term, and it might temporarily save you if you’re desperate, but you’ll eat the cost on those cut-rate cables eventually—because cheap chargers can kill your iPhone.

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Disaster Recovery: Ditch Your Secondary Data Center for Cloud

As-a-service and hybrid models can help organizations save significant time, money and resources on DR, while at the same time improving their overall disaster preparedness.

When the concept of disaster recovery (DR) first came about, there was really only one way to accomplish it: Build it yourself. When the corporate data center was the only place a company’s critical data could live — and the only place its most important applications could run — keeping that data center up and running with five-nines reliability was worth any effort and almost any price. Doing it right often included building a completely separate second data center for data protection to house all the redundant copies of data, all offsite backup, and complete DR systems.

Building a secondary data center just for DR is no longer a sustainable option, nor is it a necessary one. Thanks to the growing cloud adoption rate and cloud-forward co-lo providers, the data center world is transforming, which means more efficient and cost-effective options, such as hybrid DR.

That’s not to say that moving from an on-premises secondary data center to the cloud or a hybrid model happens with a snap of the fingers. It can be a complex process that has many moving parts, and the consequences of mistakes are severe. So, how do you make migrating your DR to the cloud as uneventful as possible? Having a plan is the surest way to ensure migration success.

Before you make a single change to your DR structure, break down and evaluate every aspect of your IT strategy, starting with immediate needs and continuing on to resource requirements and long-term goals. Here are some things to consider in your plan, before, during and after you move to the cloud.

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