Microsoft Exchange zero-day attacks: 30,000 servers hit already, says report

Some clients have reported an increase of junk/spam emails in the last week.  If your organization still uses an onsite Exchange server then you need to be aware that it needs to be patched now or taken offline.

the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an order to agencies to apply the patches for on-premise Exchange systems or to simply disconnect vulnerable servers after seeing "active exploitation" of the vulnerabilities. In other words, patch now or cut off a vital communications tool. 

So far 4 previously unknown vulnerabilities are being used in attacks against thousands of companies, perhaps tens of thousands organizations.

Microsoft released patches for a critical flaw last year and warned Exchange users to update their servers but said that months later tens of thousands of server remain unpatched despite attacks from nation-state hackers.

This latest attack is being carried out by a previously unknown group called Hafnium who the Department of Homeland Security's (CISA) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency thinks is based in China.

The Hafnium hackers have accelerated attacks on vulnerable Exchange servers since Microsoft released the patches.

CISA's former directory thinks government agencies and small businesses will be more affected by these attacks than large enterprise. 

To read the full article please click on the following link;

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-exchange-zero-day-attacks-30000-servers-hit-already-says-report/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=2219791&mid=13291744&cid=716603217

If you haven't already seen an increase in spam activity, expect to and be careful that you don't open up your systems to an attack.  The following article details the most common ploys used to distribute malware and attacks.

Phishing: These are the most common techniques used to attack your PC

Microsoft Office macros, PowerShell and more are still proving to be popular with cyber criminals distributing attacks via phishing emails, warn researchers after analysing billions of attacks.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/phishing-these-are-the-most-common-techniques-used-to-attack-your-pc/

and it's not just  PCs being attacked.

30,000 Macs infected with new Silver Sparrow malware

Silver Sparrow can even run on systems with Apple's new M1 chip.

"According to data provided by Malwarebytes, Silver Sparrow had infected 29,139 macOS endpoints across 153 countries as of February 17, including high volumes of detection in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany," 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/30000-macs-infected-with-new-silver-sparrow-malware/

Google Chrome: Tips and Tricks to get more done using your browser

Many of you use Google Chrome as your go-to browser for surfing the internet and searching the web for information.  Chrome works hard for you and gets little consideration that it needs tuning and help at times to stay efficient and at peak performance.

If you have a poor or slow internet connection, an extension is available for helping speed up browsing.  I know some of you struggle with DSL still.  The Data Saver extension is available for free to help with a poor internet connection.

No matter what browser you use, there is the need to check your system for spyware and PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs).  Be sure to see Rule;

#10: CHECK YOUR SYSTEM FOR SPYWARE AND OTHER JUNK

Windows users can make use of Google's Software Removal Tool. It might also be a good idea to scan the system using something such as Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware.

Mac users can check out Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware for Mac (don't believe the nonsense that Macs can't have viruses or malware -- that may have been true a decade ago, but it's not true today).

The following link gives you tips and tricks to make your Google Chrome install run faster, more secure and do more than you thought was capable with the browser.  These helpful hints work on both PCs and Macs.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-master-google-chrome/

PCs sales up, Macs are down, Apple first company with Trillion Dollar Market Cap even as Huawei passes for 2nd in Phone Sales

WHY ARE PCS SALES GROWING WHILE MAC SALES ARE CRASHING?

While PC sales are up for the first time in 6 years, Mac sales had the worst quarter in 7 years, a 13 percent unit decline year over year.  In fact, Mac sales are at a level not seen since Q3 2010.

The reasons behind these figures are simple.  PCs have exhibited new features and innovations in recent years driven by Microsoft and the Surface Line while Apple has allowed it Mac lineup to become stagnant.  Apple recently an update "Refresh" on its Macbook Pro, however, it is hard to justify spending thousands of dollars on technology that is more than a year old.  In addition, the reliability of Macs has received a lot of consumer complaints and negative press recently and that doesn't help when selling systems priced over a thousand if not thousands of dollars.

Windows 10 has been another factor in PC growth.  OEMs and manufacturers have bestowed credit on Microsoft's OS for helping revive the market.

PCs and Macs have different markets and some professionals rely on Macs to work, however,  businesses and enterprises overwhelmingly rely on PCs and the business market is buying PCs again.  

The recent release of Intel Gen 8 processors and less expensive SSDs have provided a significant performance increase that coupled with Windows 10 offer an upgrade experience worth the money.

Windows 10 version 1803 that was just released adds so many features that use to cost you money.  Version 1803 came with a new App that performs video and photo editing a popular application among today's users.

to read about this and more click on 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-are-pcs-sales-growing-while-mac-sales-are-crashing/

Apple hits a trillion dollar market cap — watch it move live here

Apple shares hit the historic $1 trillion market value milestone Thursday.

The stock briefly hit the $207.05 per share price that was needed to bring it to the $1 trillion mark before retreating.

The shares have soared since reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday after the bell. The stock jumped 5.9 percent on Wednesday and has continued higher Thursday.

China's Huawei overtakes Apple as world's 2nd largest smartphone seller

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/02/c_137364051.htm

Driving Force - Powerful New Intel Gen 8 workstations!

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FBI urges internet users to reboot their routers to stop Russia-linked malware

This news first broke a couple of weeks ago and has been reported by major publications and news networks but the threat is continuing and evolving.  I was contacted yesterday by an alert client who wanted to know if it was legit.  It is and upon further research, I thought I should contact my base and alert anyone who may not have heard about this.  Many of you have affected routers.

The Russians are at it again, the same group that hacked the Democratic National Committee ahead of the last Presidential election in 2016, "Sofacy Group" has released a malware that is capable of disabling an internet router.  The malware is called VPNFilter and it has already affected hundreds of thousands of routers in other countries.  In addition to causing your router to become inoperable, it can collect data and therefore has the capability of stealing logins and passwords.

According to the news release there is no easy way to know if your router has been compromised.  CNET reports that some models from LinkSys, Netgear, TPLink, QNAP, and Mikrotik are affected.

According to CNET;

"The U.S. government says it has seized a critical web domain, called toknowall.com, which the Russian hackers were using to disseminate the malware.

So, now, when you reboot your router, it throws a kink in their system, essentially destroying the part of the malware that allows hackers to spy on your activities. The install package, on the other hand, will be left intact. After a reboot, when that package attempts to download the other nasty parts of the malware, the FBI will be able to trace it."

The article states that the easiest way to restart is by pressing and holding the reset button on the back of the router, however, I would advise caution doing this since performing this on some models can cause a factory reset.  I would disconnect and then reconnect the power to the router myself to reset but it would be best to consult your router's manual.

However, then there is this from the article;

But some security experts advise that a factory-reset is the only sure-fire way to purge VPNFilter from a router. Once that's done, you'll have to reconfigure all your network settings. Check your model's instruction manual for help with both steps.


https://www.cnet.com/news/the-fbi-wants-you-to-reboot-your-router-now-to-help-destroy-a-botnet/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-urges-internet-users-to-reboot-home-routers/


more from BGR.com;

The attacks appear to be incredibly targeted, as the hackers are looking for specific things. “They’re looking for very specific things,” Williams said. “They’re not trying to gather as much traffic as they can. They’re after certain very small things like credentials and passwords. We don’t have a lot of intel on that other than it seems incredibly targeted and incredibly sophisticated. We’re still trying to figure out who they were using that on.”

But wait, there’s more. The malware can also download a self-destroy module that wipes the device clean and reboots the device.

Getting rid of VPNFilter isn’t an easy task. The malware is constructed in such a way that a Stage 1 attack acts as a backdoor on devices that can be infected, and is used to download additional payloads, Stages 2 and 3, which bring over the more sophisticated features, including man-in-the-middle-attacks and self-destruction.


All routers owners should assume from the start that their device has been infected, and perform a factory reset, Ars says, followed by a software update that could remove the device’s vulnerabilities to Stage 1 infection. Changing default passwords is also advised, as is disabling remote administration. Rebooting the device like the FBI asked might not be enough, however.

http://bgr.com/2018/06/07/vpnfilter-malware-security-threat-fix/


Apple is facing a Class Action lawsuit over Mac notebooks and more news as Macs continue to fade in performance, reliability and relevance.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-wwdc-2018-served-as-macs-death-sentence/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=2219791


INTEL Generation 8, a Giant Leap in desktop Power

Apple reports quarterly earnings today after the closing bell on Wall Street.  The call will be closely followed by investors concerned about reports of slow iPhone X sales and the resultant reports of drag on earnings at component suppliers of Apple products.

60% of Apples Revenue is from the iPhone as innovation in Macs lags PCs and Apple discontinues other product lines.  The company is hoping to boost revenue through services yet iCloud continues to disappoint.  Their HomePod product (Echo dot/Alexa rival) does not come close to competing yet with Amazon and Google rivals and it's $299 price tag is steep for a speaker.

Amazon Prime is going up 20% in price, from $99 to $119 annually.  Lots of news, please see links below.

Apple earnings report out today.

60% of Revenue from iPhone.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-results-preview/investors-look-to-apples-cash-services-as-iphone-sales-seen-stalling-idUSKBN1I11XP?il=0


For Apple's iPhone X, is it time for 'full panic mode'?
Apple suppliers are hinting at a rough quarter, with indications people aren’t spending big on the iPhone X.

https://www.cnet.com/news/for-apple-iphone-x-is-it-time-for-full-panic-mode-with-q2-financial-results/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287

Apple officially discontinues AirPort router product line, available while supplies last

https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/04/26/apple-discontinues-airport-base-station-product-line-available-while-supplies-last


iPhone X old news? What that means for new 2018 iPhones
This week was ripe with talk about the rumored iPhone SE 2 and new 2018 iPhones.

https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-x-old-news-what-that-means-for-2018-iphones/

Apple’s working on a powerful, wireless headset for both AR, VR

https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-is-working-on-an-ar-augmented-reality-vr-virtual-reality-headset-powered-by-a-wireless-wigig-hub/


Why Amazon Is Raising the Price of Prime ... Again
Offering the best deal in retail is getting more expensive every year.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/04/27/why-amazon-is-raising-the-price-of-prime-again.aspx

Is Amazon Prime worth its new $119 price tag?

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-amazon-prime-worth-its-new-119-price-tag-2018-04-27


New Intel Generation 8 computers

DDoS attack takes down East Coast Netflix, Spotify, Twitter, can new Macs revive Apple's reputation for innovation?

Cyber attack takes down East Coast Netflix, Spotify, Twitter

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/10/21/cyber-attack-takes-down-east-coast-netflix-spotify-twitter/92507806/

Has Apple given up on the Mac? 


Opinion: Apple is rumored to be preparing a long-overdue update to its Macbook line, but will this be too little, too late? In the PC business, Microsoft is wearing the innovation crown these days.
READ FULL STORY

http://www.zdnet.com/article/has-apple-given-up-on-the-mac/?loc=newsletter_missed_content&ftag=TRE17cfd61&bhid=2219791


Apple to debut new Macs at October 27 'Hello Again' event

The company will host the launch at its headquarters, where it's expected to announce long-awaited updates to its MacBook computers.

https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-new-macs-are-almost-here-invites-out-for-october-27/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287