Archive for May, 2017

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Canadian Web Hosting Introduces Virtual Private Server Plans With Built-in Disaster Recovery Services

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

Canadian Web Hosting, the leading provider of Canadian web hosting, cloud hosting and infrastructure services in Canada, announced today the release of their new Virtual Private Server Plans with built-in disaster recovery called VPS SAFE. These new plans offer customers true business continuity across Canada at a fraction of the cost of traditional disaster recovery systems and help prevent local outages and interruptions to business applications and websites. Moreover, these new disaster recovery plans can be added in just a few clicks and make it easier than ever to have true disaster recovery.

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Canadian Web Hosting’s new VPS SAFE plans work by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to learn customers data patterns and maximize data protection by seamlessly moving data between data center locations and helping to prevent data loss. The new plans utilize enterprise-ready virtualization from VMware and Veeam’s replication technology that run on top of Canadian Web Hosting’s highly available, SSAE 16 compliant infrastructure. These new VPS SAFE plans deliver high-performance and scalable servers with recovery and data-loss avoidance to ensure guaranteed recovery of files, applications, and VMs. Anytime you upgrade, or modify your plan, your disaster recovery plan changes with it automatically.

Upon signup, Canadian Web Hosting will automatically enable disaster recovery on the designated VPS SAFE plan and enable disaster recovery to a secondary location of the customers choosing. Once Disaster Recovery is turned on that server begins replicating to the customer’s remote site, and will remain in continuous sync indefinitely, turned off only when it is disabled by the user. Canadian Web Hosting’s flexible data center locations options including locations that meet Canada’s privacy requirements including Toronto and Vancouver, as well as secondary sites like Dallas that can give customers further geographic flexibility.

By default, Canadian Web Hosting’s implements a standard Recovery Point Objective of 15 minutes for all new plans but offers additional flexibility by giving customers options for replication including real-time continuous replication for the most stringent RPO and RTO requirements helping to minimize any potential data loss with no need for slow or expensive hardware systems.

Customers can signup for Canadian Web Hosting’s new VPS SAFE plans today start at $15.00 per month.  Learn more by visiting www.canadianwebhosting.com or by phone at 888-821.7888.

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Citrix Unveils Innovations at Synergy Conference

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

Organizations that harness the full potential of their people will drive business success that will power the future of work. According to a recent Oxford Economic Research study, executives who supported virtual work and mobile business strategies outperformed their peers across a wide range of business metrics, including higher revenue growth and profits, reduced expenses, increased employee retention and better customer satisfaction.

To help businesses drive transformational performance and greater employee engagement, Citrix is announcing new secure digital workspace offerings at Citrix Synergy that will power the future of work, enabling customers to reimagine where and how work happens – and what connected ‘things’ are involved.

New Citrix innovations include enhanced user experience capabilities in a unified, secure digital workspace; new mobile, software-defined networking and analytics services in the Citrix Cloud and advanced document workflows. In addition, Citrix is introducing a new intelligent security framework geared to secure and simplify access and control of the apps and data people need to work.

Simplifying the User Experience to Fuel Productivity

Gartner says organizations currently using cloud services indicate they are allocating 40 percent of their IT budget to cloud-related spending (including cloud-related services). Seventy-eight percent of these organizations plan to increase their spending on cloud through 2017. This proliferation of cloud technologies is frustrating end users that must navigate multiple cloud services, apps, and data sources as well as disparate access methods and credentials. Meanwhile, shadow IT increases these challenges by adding even more unsanctioned apps and tools. This, in turn, increases service complexity and the risk of security breaches as users circumvent IT standards.

To fuel productivity, Citrix is introducing an enhanced secure digital workspace user experience, which unifies access and management of mobile, SaaS, web and Windows apps and documents, and consolidates access, control and workflows in one, easy-to-use solution. With a single sign-on using any federated identity, employees gain simple, secure access to a seamless, consistent experience on any device. Unlike other solutions, the Citrix secure digital workspace is designed to be contextual, ensuring employees have the optimal balance of security, productivity and performance based on location, device, identity and other analytics.

The new workspace experience is also the only solution to include advanced content collaboration, information rights management and business workflow capabilities. From directly within the secure digital workspace, users can create, edit and collaborate on Office 365 online documents. They can then initiate a custom workflow and approval process with colleagues – all without leaving the workspace, and without having to re-authenticate as they switch between SaaS applications.

Providing Enhanced Security and Analytics

As organizations plan for their future, security continues to be a top priority. A recent global survey focused on security and IT professional found that 73 percent say data management, 76 percent say configuration management and 72 percent say app management are the keys to reducing the security risk over the next two years in building a new IT infrastructure.

The expanding and changing enterprise security perimeter – with new endpoints, locations, data sources, networks and clouds – is creating the need for more intelligence in orchestrating security policies across this new security perimeter. In addition, IT organizations need the ability to enforce those policies. Citrix addresses these evolving security needs with a new and unique approach that’s built around the reality of how people work. This approach provides expanded controls to form the basis for a new software-defined perimeter of the digital workspace, and complements other layers of defense in a multi-layer approach to security. In addition, to provide security-focused offerings to help Citrix customers better protect their Citrix environments, Citrix Consulting Services is formalizing a Security Practice.

Citrix is unveiling Citrix Analytics, a new, holistic security and behavior analytics offering that extends the capabilities of the proven Citrix NetScaler Management and Analytics System (MAS) with new behavior detection, insights, and proactive risk resolution capabilities. This new offering leverages machine learning. The new security solution analyzes data sets across the Citrix product portfolio – XenApp/XenDesktop, XenMobile, ShareFile, NetScaler and leverages machine learning algorithms and application behavior anomaly detection technology to enable IT organizations to find and quickly troubleshoot application infrastructure performance issues.

Meeting Customers Wherever They Are on Their Cloud Adoption Journey

Citrix Cloud continues to provide the cloud-based management plane across all Citrix technologies, integrating them with a simple, consistent administrative experience. This empowers customers to easily combine the applications, data and tools needed to work from the cloud and deliver them to people anywhere in secure, personalized and contextually relevant ways. Because Citrix Cloud is designed to manage multi-cloud environments, customers who use it for virtual apps, desktops and data can place their workloads on any public or hybrid cloud, or on any on-premises virtualized environment.

Citrix has accelerated innovation in the cloud, with the introduction of new services, features and capabilities to build out this powerful workspace delivery model. These services include XenApp Essentials and XenDesktop Essentials that are native to Microsoft Azure, but managed from Citrix Cloud. Additional Citrix Cloud services include XenMobile device management and app management and NetScaler Gateway Service, allowing customers to create a gateway-in-the-cloud, speeding and simplifying implementation. In addition, Citrix Cloud offers integration with Azure Active Directory for administrators, internet of things (IoT) capabilities, and other new services in our labs area.

Customers, like ÅF, are creating secure digital workspaces through Citrix Cloud. ÅF was founded in 1895 as The Southern Swedish Steam Generator Association and has been at the forefront of engineering, energy, and industrial design ever since. The firm has recently revealed how it uses gaming engine and virtual reality software to create 3-D, walk-through visualizations for clients on building and infrastructure projects.

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Samsung Galaxy S8 Iris Scanner Security Pwned By Hackers

Posted in Commentary with tags , on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S8 for the security that the iris scanner provided you, then you may have to rethink that decision. Motherboard is reporting that hackers have used a fake iris to bypass the phone’s security:

Despite Samsung stating that a user’s irises are pretty much impossible to copy, a team of hackers has done just that. Using a bare-bones selection of equipment, researchers from the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) show in a video how they managed to bypass the scanner’s protections and unlock the device. “We’ve had iris scanners that could be bypassed using a simple print-out,” Linus Neumann, one of the hackers who appears in the video. The process itself was apparently pretty simple. The hackers took a medium range photo of their subject with a digital camera’s night mode, and printed the infrared image. Then, presumably to give the image some depth, the hackers placed a contact lens on top of the printed picture.And, that’s it. They’re in.

So, why does this work? Here’s my guess. I am guessing that the S8 is only checking for the pattern of the iris and it has no ability to tell if it is a real eye or not. Thus it is easily pwnable.  If any of this sounds familiar, it should. The facial recognition in the S8 can be fooled in the same manner.  And according to Motherboard, the fingerprint scanner has been pwned too. Samsung hasn’t commented on this, but it will be interesting to see what they do to fix this as this was a key selling feature for the phone.

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Hackers Can Pwn Your Computer Via Flaws In Media Players Exploited Via Subtitles

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

This is something that I never figured was possible. Security company Check Point has come out with a blog post that has details about a new type of exploit that leverages flaws in various media players to pwn computers. The vehicle for the pwnage is subtitles in videos:

Check Point researchers revealed a new attack vector which threatens millions of users worldwide – attack by subtitles. By crafting malicious subtitle files, which are then downloaded by a victim’s media player, attackers can take complete control over any type of device via vulnerabilities found in many popular streaming platforms, including VLC, Kodi (XBMC), Popcorn-Time and strem.io. We estimate there are approximately 200 million video players and streamers that currently run the vulnerable software, making this one of the most widespread, easily accessed and zero-resistance vulnerability reported in recent years.

There’s also a proof of concept video that you can see here:

Now the four media player apps that are mentioned have mitigations against this threat. But there are likely plenty that are not mentioned that are easily pwnable. Or at least will be pwnable now that this is out in the open and hackers start to figure out how to exploit this. Thus, I have two pieces of advice. First if you use any of the media players mentioned above, then I would say that you should update to the latest version of these players. Second, if you’re running something else, maybe you should switch to one of these four to protect yourself from the threats that are sure to come.

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“EternalRocks” Is The Next NSA Inspired Malware That May Make Life Miserable For You

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

Having just got over the ransomware known as “WannaCry” which caused global havoc just over a couple of weeks ago, we now have something new to worry about. Meet “EternalRocks” which like “WannaCry” utilizes exploits found by and acquired from the NSA, but is far more dangerous according to this as it uses seven NSA sourced exploits to the two that “WannaCry” used. Antivirus and security company Symantec already has a write up about this new threat, which means that their products likely have countermeasures for it. Other companies are likely to follow suit as this is a clear and present danger. But at least it’s one that people see coming.

 

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#FAIL: New Netgear Router Firmware Collects Analytic Data BY DEFAULT

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 23, 2017 by itnerd

I am not sure what Netgear was thinking when they came up with this idea, but if you own a NightHawk R7000 router from the company and you have updated the firmware to said router in the last little while, it’s now collecting the following info by default and sending it back to Netgear:

  • Total number of devices connected to the router
  • IP address
  • MAC addresses
  • Serial number
  • Router’s running status
  • Types of connections
  • LAN/WAN status
  • Wi-Fi bands and channels
  • Technical details about the use and functioning of the router and the WiFi network

Netgear had this on its website as to why it is doing this:

Technical data about the functioning and use of our routers and their WiFi network can help us to more quickly isolate and debug general technical issues, improve router features and functionality, and improve the performance and usability of our routers

Here’s the problem with that. If you want to collect data, allow one to opt into this. Forcing one to opt out should never be how this sort of thing should work as it just leaves a very bad taste in ones mouth as a result. Now if you don’t want Netgear collecting info on you, here’s how you disable this “feature”:

  • Launch a web browser from your PC or smartphone that is connected to the network.
  • Open the router login window by entering http://www.routerlogin.net.
  • Type the router username and password. If you haven’t changed the default settings, your username is admin, and password is password.
  • Select Advanced → Administration → Router Update on the Home page.
  • Scroll down to the Router Analytics Data Collection section and select the Disable button to disable router analytics data collections.
  • Click the Apply button to save your settings.

Now this “feature” is likely to come to other Netgear routers. So if you own one, you should be on the lookout for this “feature” and take action if required to protect your privacy.

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Ford Announces Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Updates For 2016 Vehicle Owners

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 19, 2017 by itnerd

If you own a 2016 model year Ford, you can now get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via software update.

You can download the update from Ford’s owner support website, but it will also be the first over the air update for Sync, meaning users with Wi-Fi enabled vehicles will be able to download it directly. If none of that appeals to you, you can always have your dealer do it for you. Though that’s likely to cost you.

More details can be found in this press release from Ford. This is positive news as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are key features that both new owners of cars as well as existing owners of cars expect. Thus companies who take care of both parties will get significant amounts of loyalty from both groups of owners.

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Bell Ignored Ransom Demand Prior To Data Breach

Posted in Commentary with tags , on May 19, 2017 by itnerd

Earlier this week I told you about Bell having customer data leak and the possibility that more leaks would be coming. It now seems that the reason for the leak was the fact that Bell ignored a ransom demand from the hacker behind this. Here’s what The Financial Post had to say:

“A demand for payment was made by the hacker, but it was not paid,” Bell spokesman Marc Choma said via email on Tuesday. “We did not reply to their demand.”

You can completely understand why Bell didn’t pay. It would have opened the floodgates for extortion. But you still have to wonder how this happened in the first place? Bell isn’t exactly offering up those details. But the Canadian Privacy Commissioner is investigating and if they discover that Bell dropped the ball, we’ll be told pretty darn quick.

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Zomato Pwned….. Data Of 17 Million Users’ Data Briefly Appears On Dark Web

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 19, 2017 by itnerd

Another day, another data breach. This time it’s Zomato and the hack is big. Here’s the details via HackRead:

Recently, HackRead found out a vendor going by the online handle of “nclay” is claiming to have hacked Zomato and selling the data of its 17 million registered users on a popular Dark Web marketplace.

The database includes emails and password hashes of registered Zomato users while the price set for the whole package is USD 1,001.43 (BTC 0.5587). The vendor also shared a trove of sample data to prove that the data is legit. Here’s a screenshot of the sample data publicly shared by “nclay.”

The company via a blog post has acknowledged that they’ve been pwned. Passwords have apparently been reset and Zomato are looking for any breaches in their system. But they also say that any credit card info that is stored on the system is secure. Thus there’s nothing to worry about. I am not so sure. If there’s a breach, anything could have been taken. And chances are it will only be discovered and/or admitted to much later. Thus, I’ll provide my standard advice. Assume the worst and take whatever precautions that you need to so that you’re protected.

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#Fail: Trump Properties Are Easily Pwnable Via Poorly Secured WiFi

Posted in Commentary with tags , on May 18, 2017 by itnerd

Gizmodo is running a story where they test the security at a few properties owned by US President Donald Trump including The Mar-a-Lago Club where he has brought foreign leaders and found that any “half decent hacker” can break into their networks via poorly secured WiFi:

We parked a 17-foot motor boat in a lagoon about 800 feet from the back lawn of the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, and pointed a two-foot wireless antenna that resembled a potato gun toward the club. Within a minute, we spotted three weakly encrypted Wi-Fi networks. We could have hacked them in less than five minutes, but we refrained.

A few days later, we drove through the grounds of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., with the same antenna and aimed it at the clubhouse. We identified two open Wi-Fi networks that anyone could join without a password. We resisted the temptation.

We also visited two of President Donald Trump’s other family-run retreats, the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., and a golf club in Sterling, Va. Our inspections found weak and open Wi-Fi networks, wireless printers without passwords, servers with outdated and vulnerable software, and unencrypted login pages to back-end databases containing sensitive information.

That doesn’t sound good. But you’re likely asking “is this really a big deal?” Well, yes it is. Here’s why:

The risks posed by the lax security, experts say, go well beyond simple digital snooping. Sophisticated attackers could take advantage of vulnerabilities in the Wi-Fi networks to take over devices like computers or smart phones and use them to record conversations involving anyone on the premises.

“Those networks all have to be crawling with foreign intruders, not just [Gizmodo and] ProPublica,” said Dave Aitel, chief executive officer of Immunity, Inc., a digital security company, when we told him what we found.

Seeing as Trump is President, likes to go to these places frequently, take foreign leaders to these places, and likely conduct business that affects the security of the United States, this is a problem. Now, if you also consider that he signed an executive order to force the government to step up its game on the cybersecurity front, maybe he should get his own house in order first as the optics from this are pretty craptastic.

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