FAKE WHATSAPP APP IN GOOGLE PLAY STORE

A fake WhatsApp app bypassed Google's Play Store checks and was downloaded 1 million times.

Android users were tricked by a convincing fake WhatsApp app listing in the official Google Play Store, but one expert said this incident shouldn't take away from confidence in the safety of the Play Store.

The issue was first revealed on the r/Android subreddit and showed a fake WhatsApp app listing in the Google Play Storethat had the developer name appearing to be the real WhatsApp Inc. Redditor "E_x_Lnc" first posted about the fake listing, noting it used a Unicode character that mimicked a blank space after the name in order to bypass Google's malware scanner and was invisible unless someone looked at the code itself.

There were some minor red flags on the fake WhatsApp app listing that redditors pointed out though. First, while 1 million downloads may seem impressive, the real WhatsApp has been downloaded more than 1 billion times. The fake WhatsApp app listing also contained the tag claiming the app contained ads, which the real app does not. Finally, the real WhatsApp listing bears the "Verified by Play Protect" branding from Google.

Credit: Michael Heller

BASIC WINDOWS 10 SECURITY TIPS

UPDATE EVERYTHING

Microsoft does a good job keeping Windows 10 and its built-in tools updated, but Windows Update can fail sometimes so performing manual scans is a good idea to make sure the latest updates worked.

For organizations where the desktop OS(Operating System) is image-based, it's a good idea to rebuild the OS image once in a while to make sure every image is completely up to date. If admins just assume everything is set, an image could be missing an update which opens up security holes.

Third-party software such as Adobe Reader needs updates and patches. Because most organizations have a lot of third-party software and third-party vendors often release updates at unpredictable intervals, it can be a struggle for IT to keep up. As a result, admins should invest in patch management tools that scan users' devices for any software with missing patches.

ENCRYPT AND BACKUP DATA

Emphasizing encryption is one of the top Windows 10 security tips. If IT does not have a data encryption tool such as BitLocker in place, then users' personally identifiable data is exposed to the world. Everything needs to be encrypted.

Admins should also find any users who do not have backups for sensitive files such as customer records or financial forecasts. If they find unbacked up files, they have to perform labor-intensive workstation backups to close the security hole.

TRAIN USERS IN THE WAYS OF SECURITY

At the end of the day, teaching users about security is the most important item on the Windows 10 security tips list because nothing creates more security issues than users. They simply can't be trusted. Admins can put in as many lines of defense as they want, but a user could still click a malicious link and unleash major security problems. Email phishing in particular opens up a lot of security holes.

Admins can't completely prevent users from making mistakes but they can mitigate the risks by checking that users always have Windows Firewall turned on and that they do not have any unnecessary ports open. Admins must not rely solely on Microsoft Windows Defender to protect against malware. It can help, but it's a good idea to invest in a third-party antimalware tool as well.

User passwords are also a problem. Users can forget their passwords; write them down or reuse them over and over, all of which creates security risk. A simple step IT admins can take to close the gap is to set standards on how long and how complex users' passwords are. They can also force users to change their passwords every so often.

IT should also turn to two-factor authentication so users need more than just passwords to access their desktops. Windows Hello for Business allows admins to combine a login factor such as a password with a biometric feature, including fingerprints or facial recognition.

If users must work with cloud services, IT should determine which cloud services they can use and what information they can share on them. They can also keep an eye on users with Windows logging and system monitoring tools. In addition, they should use WIP to determine who can access what data and who users with access can share specific data with. Still, users are always a risk so the best thing IT can do is to educate them on good security best practices and constantly remind them what to look out for. (Eddie Lockhart)

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A COMPUTER LITERATE (Part 1)

To be called a computer literate is not only when you are awarded a computer skill certificate, or when you are acquainted with all the computer programmes and packages. No! If you can operate a smartphone, iphone, tablet, ipad, etc, then you are a computer literate. 

All you need do is develop yourself, expand your horizon and put your brain to effective work.

Your ability to do this depends on the effectiveness of the brain, and brain effectiveness depends on the level of concentration being given to perform a task.

Learning computer and its applications boils down to knowing and working by the rules. What are these rule? You may ask. One interesting things about computer is that there are no definite rules or pattern in operating it. For example, Mr. 'A' can choose to operate from one angle and Mr. 'B' from another angle, they all still accomplish a particular task. The pattern of operation for Mr. 'A' might be difficult for Mr. 'B' vis-visa. The point is, we all set our own rules in computer operation.

WATCH OUT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!

BRIEF HISTORY OF MOBILE PHONE

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MOBILE PHONE

Mobile phones have come a long way in the last seventy years, so be thankful yours fits in your pocket. Maybe one day it will even be able to bend like a piece of thin plastic. Maybe you won't even have to touch it, doing all of your multitasking from cellular implants. But seventy years ago, you'd be lugging a 25-pound 'portable' phone on your back, with very limited 5-mile range.

1938

Not quite what you would consider a mobile phone, the SCR-194 and 195 were the first portable AM radios, produced by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories in Fort Monmouth, NJ. Considered the first "walkie talkie," these devices weighed roughly 25 pounds and had a 5-mile range. They were widely used for infantry battalion and company intercommunication during World War II.

1940

Next came the SCR-300 radio transceiver, developed for the U.S. Military by Motorola. This time a portable FM radio, it weighed anywhere from 32 to 38 pounds with a 3-mile range. It replaced the SCR-194 and 195 with nearly 50,000 units used in World War II by Allied Forces.

1942

Motorola produced the first "handie talkie" for the U.S., labeled SCR-536. 130,000 units were manufactured and used during the war. Back to AM, this handheld version shed the fat off the previous two transceivers, weighing only 5 pounds. But its land range was only 1-mile (3 miles over water). Moving away from military-grade portable radios, we get to the mobile radio telephones

1946

Bell System introduced the first commercial mobile telephone service, called the Mobile Telephone System (MTS). The original equipment was large, weighing 80 pounds (not quite what you'd call mobile) with limited calling bands available from AT&T. The service wasn't cheap either—costing $30 a month (roughly $330 today) with additional per call charges. Not really intended for regular Joe Blows, these devices were used by utilities, truck fleet operators, and reporters.

1956

Ericsson's Mobile System A (MTA) was the first partly automatic mobile system for automobiles. First used by Sweden, the unit weighed a whopping 88 pounds. Again, "mobile" is kind of a misnomer, considering it is equivalent to almost 300 iPhones!

1964

With the adaption of Bell's newer pre-cellular Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS), auto owners saw lighter, more advanced mobile car phones with push buttons. This one by Motorola weighed 40 pounds, half as much of the original units from the '40s. Over the years, they managed to get down into the 20-pound range. But they never managed to get into the hands of Joe Blow, with a still-hefty price and rationed service throughout the nation.

1973

With a prototype of the DynaTAC (DYNamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) portable phone, former Motorola Vice President Martin Cooper made the first private, practical mobile phone call in a non-vehicle setting. Who would he call? His rival at Bell Labs, Joel S. Engel.

1982

With the impressive size of the DynaTAC prototype, it's disappointing to see Nokia's Mobira Senator weighing in at 22 pounds. It launched during the world's first fully automatic international cellular service—NMT—the first-generation (1G) of mobile communications.

1983

10 years later after the prototype, Motorola's DynaTAC cellular phone was made available to the public, weighing under 2 pounds, but costing nearly $4,000 (almost $9,000 today)—which is why it was strictly for the Gordon Gekkos of the world. It worked on AMPS, North America's first 1G analog service, launched first by Ameritech in Chicago.

1984

Back to larger mobile devices, the Mobira Talkman brought longer talk time at cheaper costs. The DynaTAC could only manage 60 minutes of talk time, but this miniature beast gave hours or voice-to-voice communication

1989

Next up was Motorola's MicroTAC, which introduced the first flip phone design. The hardware was place in a hinged section of the phone, reducing the phone's size when not in use. It was truly the world's first pocket phone.

1992

The Motorola International 3200 became the first hand-sized digital mobile phone that used 2G digitally encrypted technology (unveiled in 1991 as GSM).

1993

Perhaps the world's first smartphone, IBM Simon was a mobile phone, pager, fax machine and PDA, all rolled into one. It included a calendar, address book, clock, calculator, notepad, email, gamers and a touchscreen with QWERTY keyboard. It originally sold for $899, which would be just over $1,300 nowadays. You may remember Simon from Sandra Bullock's The Net.

1994

Car phones remained popular, despite their smaller pocket-sized versions, but Motorola's Bag Phone (2900) was the car phone to have due to its long talk time, great battery life and superior signal range. They first worked with 1G networks, but eventually crossed over into 2G territory.

1996

Still shrinking the line of TACs, Motorola unveiled the first clamshell mobile phone with StarTAC. It improved the folding feature by collapsing in half, which is why it's called "clamshell"—because it resembles a clam opening and closing shut. It ran on 1G networks, but eventually crossed over into the world of 2G. It's said to be inspired by the communicator from the original Star Trek series.

1997

The Simon was good, but the Nokia 9000 Communicator was what really brought on the smartphone era. It was the first cell phone that could also be called a mini-computer (though it had limited web access). When opened, the longways clamshell design revealed an LCD screen and full QWERTY keyboard—the first on a mobile phone.

1998

The Nokia 8810 was the first cell phone without an external antenna whip or stub-antenna, possibly paving the way for iPhones and DROIDs. It also made mobile phones more aesthetically pleasing, with its sliding keypad cover.

1999

One of the most popular mobile phones in history was the Nokia 3210, with over 160 million sold. It was one of the first to allow picture messages, but only preinstalled ones like "Happy Birthda,y" and was one of the first to be marketing toward young people.

1999

Nokia's 7110 was the first cell phone to incorporate Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which gave mobile users web access for simple devices—a stripped-down, mostly text version, but a revolutionary step for mobile internet.

1999

GeoSentric was responsible for the world's first mobile phone and a GPS navigator integrated in one product—the Benefon Esc! It was splashproof, greyscale, and allowed users to load maps to trace position and movement.

1999

In Japan, Kyocera's Visual Phone (VP-201) was the first to have a built-in camera, but it was designed primarily as a peer-to-peer video phone, as opposed to Sharp's the next year...

2000

Sharp was first to the camera phone market with their J-SH04 (J-Phone), released by J-Mobile in Japan. It offered a mere 0.1 megapixel resolution.

Some like to give credit to Olympus for being the first camera to transmit digital images over a cellular network with their Deltis VC-1100. Others prefer Philippe Kahn's story of rigging up a camera to a cell phone with wires to send images of his newborn baby. But the J-SH04 was the first commercially available cell phone to have an integrated CCD sensor, with the Sha-Mail (Picture-Mail) infrastructure. This was the start of what we know as MMS.

2002

Not too far from the J-Phone, the Sanyo 5300 from Sprint was the first camera phone sold in North America.

2002

RIM's BlackBerry 5810 wasn't the first BlackBerry device, but it was the first to incorporate a mobile phone into their popular brand of data-only devices.

Professionals who needed immediate access to their emails and schedules were the main target for RIM, but the built-in phone made it appealing to everyone. The downside? No speaker or microphone.

2002

One of the first phones to equip a fully functional web experience and integrate an instant messaging client (AIM) was the Danger Hiptop in 2002, later re-branded the T-Mobile Sidekick.

Its messaging features and keyboard made it one of the best selling phones in the deaf community. Also new was an LCD screen that rotated and flipped to reveal a large QWERTY keyboard.

2002

Perhaps surpassing the BlackBerry achievements, Microsoft's Pocket PC Phone Edition started spreading across PDAs like wildfire, including the HP Jornada 928 Wireless Digital Assistant, combining the best of the PDA with integrated wireless voice and data capabilities.

It was a nice addition to the older Windows Mobile Classic devices, which essential ran a mini-version of Windows XP.

2002

Another PDA adding phone support was Palm's Treo 180 by Handspring, running the Palm OS.

2004

The next highly popular device was a camera phone called the Motorola RAZR, which was first marketed as a "fashion" phone in 2004, selling 50 million units by mid-2006.

It helped give cell phones a new look, which were getting stale with the same ol' boring designs. Though nothing revolutionary, its looks did more than impress.

2005

The first Palm smartphone to operate outside of the Palm OS was the Treo 700w, powered by Windows Mobile. It was a great alternative for users who needed access to Microsoft software on the go.

2005

Believe it or not, the iPhone wasn't the first cell phone to have Apple's iTunes music player integrated. It was the Motorola ROKR E1, but it only could manage 100 songs at a time—not quite the same as an iPhone.

2007

In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone, a revolutionary touchscreen smartphone. It wasn't the first smartphone, but it was the first to get the user interface right, eventually adapting 3G technology (which was already available since 2001).

2008

The first smartphone to run Google's Android OS was the HTC Dream slider smartphone. It featured a QWERTY keyboard, full HTML web browser, Gmail, YouTube and more, and paved the way for phones like the Nexus One and Motorola DROID.

2010

The HTC EVO 4G from Sprint was the first cellular phone to meet 4G standards, running on the WiMAX network. It was sold powered by Android 2.1 and had one of the largest touchscreen displays, an 8MP camera, HD video capture, HDMI output, Mobile Hotspot capability and HTC Sense.

SELF IMPOSED COMPUTER HAZARDS WHILE WORKING AT HOME

MOBILE PHONES CAN CAUSE SEVER ILLNESS

Mobile phones, no doubt is the biggest and fast moving electronic gadget market in the world today. The International Telecommunication Union had reported in 2011 that about 6 billion mobile phones have been subscribed at the end of that year. This means that 86 out of every 100 people have mobile phones worldwide. It have become a clip of our society, with every Tom Dick and Harry right from school kids to grown-up adults owning at least a mobile phone. Although mobile phones have made life easier but its negative effects are detrimental to users. Medical and ICT experts have shown a lot of concerns about the negative effects associated with the use of mobile phone.

Bacteria on Mobile Phones

Along with important information stored in mobile phones are deadly bacteria which are easily spread ignorantly by the user or owner of the mobile phone. An average mobile phone user puts his or her phone(s) in contact with several places where it can come in contact with germs.

A research carried out in University of London in 2011, shows that one in six mobile phones is contaminated with some sort of fecal matter, probably because their owners did not wash their hands with soap after using the toilet. E. coli, a bacterium from fecal origin was found in some phones. Such bacteria causes diarrhea, vomiting and sever fever when injected into the body.

Another research carried out by health students at South University Columbia, found out that mobile phones were frequently contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Staph aureus according to Dr. Robert J. Wolff “is always dangerous and MRSA forms are worse because they cannot be stopped easily. Staph skin infections, including MRSA, can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses. The bacteria might remain confined to the skin, or burrow deeper into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs.”

If your hands are very dirty, there is every tendency that your mobile phone would be highly contaminated with the same type of bacteria found on your dirty hands at that moment. The public are advised to maintain proper hygiene, keep their hands clean by washing with soap and water. They can also use a hand sanitizer, and importantly, clean their mobile phones often using a fairly dry towel and wipes that are safe to use on devices.

Your Eyes maybe at Risk

Bright screens and tiny text character can strain the eyes of mobile phone users and causes sever damage. It is important for mobile users to constantly refocus and reposition the eyes so as to process the text or graphics on the screen. This is because smartphones, tablets, and other hand-held devices are designed for reading at close range. The higher the use of hand-held devices, the more potential problems associated with vision. Symptoms of digital eye strain include eye redness or irritation, dry eyes, blurred vision, back pain, neck pain, and headaches. 

The public are advised to follow the “20-20-20” Rule. Which means, Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes when using an electronic device and look at something 20 feet away. People should reduce focus on the screen. They should make sure the screen is always clean and clear, the surrounding light that is competing with the screen should be dimmed, and there should be adequate distance between the eyes and the screen and also increase the text character of the device.

Radio Wave Exposure

Radio waves emitted by mobile phones transmit in all directions to find the nearest base station. It means that some of the radio waves are directed at your body when you use a mobile phone. Radio waves are absorbed into your body tissue as energy, which adds to the energy being produced by your body's metabolism. There have been speculations that the radiation from mobile phones can cause cancer and infertility, however the only known effects of this wave in the body is a little increase in temperature (about 0.2^oC according to experts) which is similar to normal rise in body temperature during rigorous exercise.

MOST COMMON WAYS CYBER CRIMINALS ATTACK BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS CUM PREVENTIVE MEASURES

About 95% of business enterprise and large organizations today have a sizable presence on social media, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, among others. While social networks can enhance customer engagement and strengthen the company's brand in the marketplace, opportunistic attackers looking to embarrass an enterprise, tarnish its brand, tap from her resources or make a statement to the world have no better avenue than compromising corporate social media accounts.

Here are the most common ways in which attackers compromise social media accounts, and measures enterprises should take to ensure they don't fall prey.

Secure social media management

Using social engineering in phishing emails means an attacker doesn't have to circumvent network perimeter defenses, rather they only craft a credible and persuasive email that tricks the employee who manages the organization's social media accounts into clicking a malicious link or providing the password to the accounts.

Enterprises and organizations with a large social media following must ensure that those employees responsible for social media accounts receive security awareness training that covers how to recognize and deal with social engineering-based attacks prior to being given access credentials to corporate social media accounts.

This training should explain how social engineers operate and the tactics employees should be on the lookout for. With the proper training, these encounters should become second nature; the employee should know to trash offers that look too good to be true or links requiring login credentials, even if they appear to come from an internal address or partner organization. Simple safeguards such as checking that the sender actually sent an email with an attachment are invaluable. Be sure to keep employees informed of the latest techniques being used in brand hacking attacks such as phishing emails based on breaking news stories, both true and fictitious. Enterprises must also put procedures in place for employees to report unusual emails so that network surveillance can be stepped up and other employees forewarned.

Emerging attacks and security controls

It's important to note that it's not just social media account credentials that need safeguarding. A number of attackers have successfully compromised social media accounts by subverting domain name system (DNS) data. By capturing the login credentials of people authorized to modify DNS records, attackers can redirect tweets, blogs and other traffic to servers they control. Enterprise DNS administrators should take advantage of security features offered by Registrars to control modifications made to their domain.

Twitter itself has also put security controls in place to help prevent hacking across its platform. A recent SEA attack against Twitter was only partially successful as the company had implemented the "Domain Lock" feature which prohibits certain changes to a domain until it is unlocked -- a simple but valuable control.

In addition, two-factor authentication should be introduced for both social media accounts and for those that control important services like DNS. Out-of-band checks such as a security code sent to the user's mobile phone can greatly reduce the chances of a phishing email being enough to gain access to an account. Ideally, dedicated computers should be used to access and update social media content so that additional security checks and controls can be deployed on these systems to monitor for unusual network traffic and keyloggers, which have become another suspected method used by hackers to obtain social media account credentials.

It is critical to draw up an emergency response plan to reduce the impact of a social media account breach, should one occur. It is important that website administrators know which modules or components within a site provide social media content so that they can be quickly disabled should the need arise. This will also help prevent the need for an entire site to be taken offline.

While social media is a great way for enterprises to interact with their customers and strengthen their reputation, companies that want to maintain trust in their brand must put forth the extra effort required to stop them from falling prey to brand hacks and social attacks.