Archive for March, 2022

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TELUS Uses 5G To Bring Rural Canadians In B.C. & Alberta Home Internet Speeds Up To 100 Mbps

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

TELUS is utilizing its Smart Hub technology and award-winning 5G network to bring Canada’s fastest fixed wireless Internet speeds to nearly 60 rural communities across B.C. and Alberta by the end of the year. Residents in these communities will be the first in the country to access home Internet speeds up to 100 Mbps through TELUS’ 5G network, which is up to four times faster than speeds currently available through a 4G network. With these faster 5G Internet speeds, customers can simultaneously stream their favourite shows, game, surf the web, make video calls, and work or learn remotely. TELUS Smart Hub uses a fixed wireless connection that is powered by our 5G network to deliver faster home Internet speeds, making this an innovative alternative for customers living in remote communities or areas that are more challenging to serve with a traditional broadband connection. Residents in Leduc, Alberta and Terrace, B.C., now have access to these ultrafast speeds, which we will expand to communities across both provinces in the months ahead.

TELUS has a long-standing track record of investing in critical infrastructure and world-leading network technology across Canada:

  • As part of their $54 billion investment in infrastructure and operations across Canada through 2024, TELUS’ 5G network now reaches 70 per cent of the Canadian population. TELUS has proudly connected customers in 744 urban and rural communities to their 5G network.
  • Since 2013, TELUS has invested more than $5 billion to connect 137 communities and 56 First Nations across B.C., Alberta, and parts of Quebec to our gigabit PureFibre network.

TELUS has also earned multiple accolades in respect to our global-leading networks. Most recently, TELUS was rated the fastest mobile network for the eighth consecutive time by UK-based Opensignal. Additionally, TELUS’ wireless network earned the title of North America’s Fastest Mobile Network and for the ninth consecutive time, we were named Canada’s Fastest Mobile Network from Seattle-based Ookla. In 2021 alone, TELUS was recognized by other independent industry-leading experts, including Victoria-based Tutela and New York-based J.D. Power, building on an outstanding record of achievement with respect to network excellence. Notably, these awards are based on TELUS’ national networks, inclusive of both urban and rural coverage.

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Guest Post: Go Phish! Scammers Target Taxpayers For Identity Theft

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

By Hank Schless, Senior Manager of Security Solutions at Lookout

Tax season is officially here and, similar to last year, there are so many unique situations to consider while filing. Receiving unemployment, the stimulus check, any donations you’ve made, and contract work should all be taken into consideration. Serving as your own accountant can be extremely taxing – especially for those who have never done so before. 

While making sure you have all the right forms is difficult enough, consumers now have to be wary of an array of phishing scams. In fact, Lookout, the leader in delivering integrated Security, Privacy, and Identity Theft Protection solutions, has discovered that on average, 50% of people will encounter a phishing link in a 3 month period – including scams associated with tax season . Luckily, Lookout has identified key scams consumers should be on guard against this year. 

Text Message Scams
Many of us receive text messages from scammers impersonating a variety of companies including the IRS. While this may seem legit, the IRS does not use text messages for personal tax issues nor do they send taxpayers messages on social media especially in regards to bills or refunds. 

Unemployment Fraud 
Be wary of unemployment or other benefit payments that were never applied for. There has been an increase in fraudulent unemployment claims using stolen identities to fraudulently collect benefits. If something inaccurate or fraudulent is received, immediately request a corrected form or report to state agencies.

Email Phishing Scams 
In the 2022 tax season, taxpayers may receive unsolicited emails that appear to be from the IRS or affiliated organizations. The IRS does not contact taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. Contact by the IRS is typically in the form of regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service. 

Phone Scams 
No matter how real they sound, the IRS does not leave pre-recorded, threatening or urgent messages. The messages may include threats of arrest, deportation, law enforcement intervention and more. Criminals can make caller ID numbers appear to be anywhere in the country including from an IRS office. 

Lookout helps protect your digital information at every level – from the device you hold, to the apps and online services you use and the networks you connect to. Lookout also continuously monitors the internet to ensure what matters to you the most – such as social security and credit card numbers – aren’t exposed. And if anything happens, Lookout’s team of experts and a $1 million identity theft insurance policy are here to back you up.

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Okta Speaks To LAPSUS$ Hack…. And Things Don’t Sound That Good

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

Okta in the wake of being pwned by the LAPSUS$ hacking gang have released a statement with their version of events. And to be frank, none of it sounds good. Here’s the rundown:

  • The hack actually took place in January.
  • The security breach stemmed from someone gaining access to the credentials of a support engineer employed by a sub-contractor, Sitel.
  • Those credentials were then used to access up to 366 client accounts.
  • The company managed to suspend the engineer’s account within 70 minutes of the hack being detected.
  • The subsequent forensic analysis took more than two months.
  • The company didn’t really grasp the implications of this hack until much, much later.

Clearly the response to this incident by Okta isn’t as good as it could have been. And the company pretty much says that. The problem is that LAPSUS$ now have leaked data and 366 clients are now sweating buckets because they are wondering if they are going to be the next to get pwned by LAPSUS$.

Thus the takeaways are as follows:

  • Your internal incident response has to be on point. In this case, it seems that this was true.
  • If you have contractors and sub-contractors working for you, their security has to be on point. In this case, it sounds like that was not the case with Sitel.
  • Your review of the incident has to go much quicker so that you have a full picture of what happened and what the implications are as quickly as possible.

Okta says that they will learn from this. And I would suggest that other companies look at this incident and plan accordingly based on how this one went.

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Guest Post: Dangerous Cyber Attack Kits Cost Less Than $50 On The Dark Web Says Atlas VPN

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

While cyber attacks can wreak havoc on victims’ devices and may end up costing a fortune to combat, the prices of the tools to carry out these attacks are shockingly low.

According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, different types of cyber attack packs, including phishing, ransomware, DDoS, and others, can be purchased for less than $50 on the dark web, with some starting as low as $5 — the price of McDonald’s Big Mac.

Remote Access Trojan/Tool (RAT), malicious software that allows one to gain full access and remote control of another device’s system, is the cheapest cyber attack tool on the dark web. RAT prices start at just $5 and can go up to $45.

Phishing attack packs are also on the lower end of the price scale. In particular, the avengers whaling phishing kit costs as little as $7.

Next comes the ultimate password cracking pack with instructions, demo, and help. These tools designed to discover device’s passwords can be had for only $10. For the same $10, dark web users can also get a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack kit. 

The ultra-dangerous malware suite costs $12. However, the dangerous malware pack 2021 edition costs almost twice as much — $21. Meanwhile, a hacker start-up kit can be bought for as little as $14.

Prices of basic ransomware, which employs encryption to hold victims’ data at ransom, start at $15 and can go up to $76. Ransomware with source code, on the other hand, costs $50. The source code can help malicious actors customize the ransomware to their own malware campaigns. 

Finally, VPN breach packs can too be obtained. Their prices vary between $15 and $100.

Cybersecurity writer and researcher at Atlas VPN Ruta Cizinauskaite shares her thoughts on the situation:

“The data leads to an unsettling revelation that cyber attacks are no longer limited to “professional” hackers. With cyber attack kits being so readily available on the dark web and the prices so low, anyone who dares step into the dark net can acquire the tools needed to launch a cyber attack. ”

To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/dangerous-cyber-attack-kits-cost-less-than-50-on-the-dark-web

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Vivid-Pix Sponsors International African American Museum Opening 2022 in Charleston, SC

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

Vivid-Pix, the leading provider of AI-powered image restoration software and educational services, announced today that it is sponsoring the International African American Museum (IAAM), slated to open late 2022 in Charleston, South Carolina. The museum will honor the untold stories of the African American journey at one of the country’s most sacred sites, Gadsden’s Wharf, one of the country’s most prolific slave trading ports where some historians estimate more than 45% of enslaved Africans entered the U.S. 

Bringing these stories to light has been no small task. From the first time the IAAM was presented as an idea to then-Mayor Joe Riley at the State of the City address in 2000; to Congressman Joe Clyburn becoming the first board chair in 2005; to construction beginning in 2019, the museum has had its own journey. The museum explores the cultures and knowledge systems of Africans in the Americas; and the diverse journeys, stories, and achievements of these individuals and their descendants in South Carolina, the United States, and throughout the African diaspora.

Vivid-Pix is supporting the museum by donating many Memory Stationscanning/software solutions to be used in studying the history of the African American journey through community outreach, museum operations, and for use by museum patrons. The Memory Station portable and stationary scanning and image improvement solution is already being used by IAAM curators at descendants’ homes to scan, restore, and analyze old photos and documents.

Vivid-Pix Holds Educational “How to Tell Your Story” Family History Programs throughout U.S.

The Vivid-Pix Memory Station and RESTORE software solution are currently being utilized in libraries across America, such as Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the largest genealogy center in a public library in the U.S. This library also houses the largest collection of Abraham Lincoln images in the world (https://acpl.lib.in.us/research/lincoln-collection). Vivid-Pix is touring the U.S. conducting educational “How to Tell Your Story” family history programs starting on March 29 at the Thrive Center in Louisville, Kentucky, March 31 at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and at genealogical society conferences throughout the U.S. The workshops are also available online. For more information and to register, go to: https://Vivid-Pix.com/events. 

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ServiceNow Announces New “San Diego” Platform Release

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

Today, ServiceNow launched its Now Platform San Diego release, focused on helping organizations realize the untapped potential of digital transformation across their entire business and move beyond pandemic-induced transformation – driving productivity, scaling automation through the enterprise, and creating better experiences for a new world of work. New solutions include:

Automation Engine: 

  • A complete automation and integration solution that combines Integration Hub with all-new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capabilities built on the Intellibot acquisition, delivering 3X faster time to value.
  • Together with ServiceNow’s native low-code app development product, App Engine, Automation Engine gives organizations a single platform for hyperautomation, allowing any employee to automate manual, repetitive actions and connect to any system, modern or legacy.
  • Automation Engine features the brand-new RPA Hub, which provides a centralized command and control center to monitor, manage, and deploy digital robots, with 1300+ out-of-the-box components.

Next Experience:

  • With the Now Platform San Diego release, ServiceNow is streamlining the experience for the 70M+ platform users who use ServiceNow every day to get their work done, with the release of the Next Experience.
  • Next Experience includes more than 25 purpose-built workspaces that feature a next-generation visual design, surface insights with dashboards, and use machine learning to assign tasks and recommend the next best action. 
  • These include new CSM Configurable Workspace, Dispatcher Workspace for Field Service Management so field service and customer service teams can more intelligently and efficiently respond to requests or issues.

New Customer Experience solutions:

  • ServiceNow is helping businesses harness the power of the whole company to serve the customer with new features designed to give customers and agents visibility into the complete order lifecycle and increase efficiencies.

Out-of-the-box industry solutions: 

  • ServiceNow San Diego release also includes vertical solutions that address the distinct digital, customer experience needs of banks, insurance companies, and technology providers. This includes the release of its first solutions created specifically for the demands of insurance carriers to help them simplify policy servicing for customers. More info is included within the press release.

For more information about the innovations in the Now Platform San Diego release visit here.

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New LinkedIn Features To Destigmatize Career Breaks

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

The pandemic has caused many to take a break in their career. Whether forced or by choice, it’s become increasingly common for people around the world to have taken time away from work. While 57% of Canadians believe there’s a stigma attached to taking a career break, 61% wish there was a way to positively represent career breaks to recruiters and hiring managers.

This month, LinkedIn launched a new Profile tool specifically aimed at normalizing career breaks. Career Breaks is a new, optional entry in the Experience section of a person’s LinkedIn profile, with a unique appearance that makes it clear that a career break was not just another job.

People are able to choose from a range of options to show what type of career break they had, including important life events such as, full-time parenting, caregiving, career transitions and others.

New research from LinkedIn’s recent global survey of 22,995 respondents (including 1,000+ Canadians), as well as platform data on career breaks and flexibility found:

  • Having a career break is becoming more common.
  • 42% of Canadians have taken a career break by choice.
  • Career breaks can be valuable in assessing priorities.
    • 65% of Canadians say taking a career break helped them to gain perspective and figure out what they really want from life, and 52% would encourage others to take a career break if they could.
  • Yet there’s still a stigma associated with career breaks.
    • 57% of Canadians believe there’s a stigma associated with having a career break, and 53% believe having a career break on your resume makes you a less attractive job candidate.
  • But there is good news – sentiment around career breaks is changing for the better, and sharing details can shine a light on invaluable skills learned during time away from work.
    • 50% of hiring managers globally believe career breaks are becoming more common and 46% believe candidates with career breaks are an untapped talent pool.
      • 44% of hirers globally want to know the reason a candidate took a career break and 51% say they’re more likely to contact an applicant that provided context. 

Methodology:

According to a January 2022 global survey of 22,995 workers and 4,017 hiring managers (including 1,009 respondents in Canada) conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn.

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Yesterday Apple Services Suffer ANOTHER Outage… WTF?

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

You have to wonder what is going on at Apple when it comes to their online services as after having an absolutely catastrophic outage on Monday, they have another less severe outage on Tuesday. YouTuber Aaron Zollo was one of the first to report it just before 6PM EST:

And he also was one of the first to give the all clear:

Given how widely used Apple’s services are, Apple needs to start explaining what is going on here. Especially if today we have another outage. And even if that doesn’t happen, Apple still needs to explain this. But I’m not holding my breath as Apple isn’t known for being a transparent company.

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You Should #DeleteFacebook Because It Continues To Get A Failing Grade When It Comes To Detecting And Stopping Hate Against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim Minority

Posted in Commentary on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim population has been forced out of the country and into refugee camps elsewhere. Assuming that they aren’t killed first. And Facebook over the years has been proven to have played a significant role in that happening. You’d think that they would do something about that. But clearly not as this report shows that Facebook appears not to be even trying to do anything about this:

The report shared exclusively with The Associated Press showed the rights group Global Witness submitted eight paid ads for approval to Facebook, each including different versions of hate speech against Rohingya. All eight ads were approved by Facebook to be published. The group pulled the ads before they were posted or paid for, but the results confirmed that despite its promises to do better, Facebook’s leaky controls still fail to detect hate speech and calls for violence on its platform. The army conducted what it called a clearance campaign in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2017 after an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh and security forces were accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of homes.

On Feb. 1 of last year, Myanmar’s military forcibly took control of the country, jailing democratically elected government officials. Rohingya refugees have condemned the military takeover and said it makes them more afraid to return to Myanmar. Experts say such ads have continued to appear and that despite its promises to do better and assurances that it has taken its role in the genocide seriously, Facebook still fails even the simplest of tests — ensuring that paid ads that run on its site do not contain hate speech calling for the killing of Rohingya Muslims.

This is pathetic. If it wasn’t clear before that Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta minions don’t care and don’t take this issue seriously, it should be clear now. Because for Facebook it’s all about the money that they can make and not the damage that they cause. This is another reason why Facebook has no place in a civilized society and everyone should simply #DeleteFacebook.

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Google Collects Data From Google Dial And Messages Without Your Consent Or Ability To Opt Out…. WTF?

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 23, 2022 by itnerd

People have said to me that I am such an Apple Fanboy because I tend to gravitate towards Apple products. The reality is that while I don’t trust any company completely, I trust Apple more than Google. And this story is a clear reason why I feel that way:

According to a research paper, “What Data Do The Google Dialer and Messages Apps On Android Send to Google?” [PDF], by Trinity College Dublin computer science professor Douglas Leith, Google Messages (for text messaging) and Google Dialer (for phone calls) have been sending data about user communications to the Google Play Services Clearcut logger service and to Google’s Firebase Analytics service.

“The data sent by Google Messages includes a hash of the message text, allowing linking of sender and receiver in a message exchange,” the paper says. “The data sent by Google Dialer includes the call time and duration, again allowing linking of the two handsets engaged in a phone call. Phone numbers are also sent to Google.” The timing and duration of other user interactions with these apps has also been transmitted to Google. And Google offers no way to opt-out of this data collection.

So in short, Google is unsurprisingly harvesting user data. Something that they don’t exactly confirm. But they don’t exactly deny either:

Google confirmed to The Register on Monday that the paper’s representations about its interactions with Leith are accurate. “We welcome partnerships – and feedback – from academics and researchers, including those at Trinity College,” a Google spokesperson said. “We’ve worked constructively with that team to address their comments, and will continue to do so.”

The paper raises questions about whether Google’s apps comply with GDPR but cautions that legal conclusions are out of scope for what is a technical analysis. We asked Google whether it believes its apps meet GDPR obligations but we received no reply.

Hopefully politicians in both the US and Europe are paying attention because this is something that merits an investigation. And perhaps some form of punishment.

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