SecurityThere are some items of technology in our lives that are so standard and ubiquitous because of how fundamental they are to the way things work that it’s very easy to take them for granted. Because we don’t pay a second thought to these things, we also quickly get stuck in security pitfalls and fall for traps that play on the fact that we don’t know or think very much about them. For example, have you ever really thought much about your router? With so many connected devices in …
May 17, 2018 •
15 min read
SecurityOnly a few weeks after the recent release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, Apple has amended the update by publishing an additional fix under this version number. Addressing a new flaw described as “serious” by the security community, the supplemental version of 10.13.4 addresses a problem in Intel CPUs discovered near the end of April that affects a broad number of devices, including Windows and Linux machines. However, unlike the Spectre and Meltdown flaws that caused much concern due to their so-called “unpatchable” nature, there is a way to …
May 16, 2018 •
2 min read
SecurityHow do you unlock your iPhone when you need to use it? Apple gives us a ton of options when it comes to keeping our information safe from prying eyes and unwanted intruders, from PINs to our fingerprints and our faces. Apple’s commitment to empowering users to take control of their privacy and security, though, has sometimes been the source of very public friction between the tech giant and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. When Apple won’t help by providing a backdoor into user data, what option …
May 10, 2018 •
12 min read
SecurityWelcome to Episode 87. Last week, we took an in-depth look at data breaches: from how they happen to a few of the biggest ones, and of course, what you can do to protect yourself when a big company loses your data, we covered a lot of ground in that show. We’ve got further to go still, though! This week we’re continuing with our look into data breaches by turning our attention to the business side of things. These breaches don’t happen randomly, and how a company responds to …
May 7, 2018 •
14 min read
SecurityDuring the course of your day, buy things, like gas, food, & lodging. Do you pay cash for all those things — or do you try to go back in time and operate on the barter system? Even if you do most of your business in day to day life with cash, chances are there are still at least some occasions when you pull out a card. For many more of us, debit and credit cards are an essential and irreplaceable part of daily life. Some restaurants, for example, …
April 26, 2018 •
13 min read
SecurityWhen you log on to Facebook, do you still feel like you’re having fun? The social network used to be an awesome place to reconnect with old friends and keep in touch with family. Today, more people than ever are choosing #DeleteFacebook.
While Facebook is a free service in theory, since no one pays to sign up for an account, it turns out the real costs are much higher than any subscription fee. From the Cambridge Analytica story we reported on recently to even more unwelcome news about privacy …
April 19, 2018 •
17 min read
SecurityMachine learning. Deep learning. Neural networks. Artificial intelligence… it’s starting to feel like we’re in an Isaac Asimov novel! For this week’s episode of The Checklist, we’re diving in to the latest ways computers and technology are being trained to complete complex tasks, make inferences, and do more overall. From Google training computers to identify specific objects in images to the way anti-malware software figures out how to detect and stop new variants, there are plenty of cool applications for this innovative technology. However, there are some pretty creepy things …
April 12, 2018 •
15 min read
SecurityAfter more than a month since the last big “patch day” for Apple products, the Cupertino company has now released to the public a new slew of updates that bring with them both new features and enhanced security. Covering everything from a new and essential update to iOS to important bug fixes in macOS, watchOS, and even Apple’s Xcode, these patches slam shut several open doors hackers might use to wreak havoc. Overall, these patches contain more than 90 fixes. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect when …
April 9, 2018 •
2 min read
SecurityIt’s that time again — time for us to pull back for a “big picture” look at some of the big missteps in computer security over the recent weeks and months. Some of today’s stories relate to Apple, some don’t, but all of them fall into the category of a classic “security fail.”
April 5, 2018 •
17 min read
SecurityMalware and vulnerabilities have roared in early in 2018. On this week’s Checklist by SecureMac, three hazards and two helpers about which you should know.
March 29, 2018 •
18 min read
SecurityLas Vegas, Nevada — Concern for personal privacy in the digital world is at an all-time high, and with prominent stories about data breaches and leaks on the rise, users are right to want to take better control of their data. However, Mac users today must often engage in a battle with their own web browsers to maintain their privacy.
To help win that fight, SecureMac has released the latest update to PrivacyScan, version 1.9.4. This refresh brings important bug fixes to the software for improved usability and navigation. …
March 23, 2018 •
3 min read
SecurityFor several years now, a fierce debate has raged over how much access law enforcement organizations (LEOs) should be able to have to the mobile devices of those suspected of a crime. The issue made nationwide headlines after the San Bernardino attacks in 2015, when the FBI grappled with how to break into an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators. While the FBI did eventually retrieve device data by utilizing an unknown group to gain access to the phone’s encrypted contents, law enforcement agencies, in general, have maintained that they must have a “backdoor” to access info secured by your iPhone passcode. Apple has steadfastly refused to give in to such demands, but it appears that for now, those refusals don’t matter: LEOs can now use a pricey piece of hardware called GrayKey.
March 22, 2018 •
3 min read
SecurityIf you’ve been listening to the news recently, you’ve probably heard the name “Cambridge Analytica” come up — and all kinds of stories about the data firm’s former executives claiming they could manipulate and intimidate large numbers of people with crafted, targeted social media content.
March 22, 2018 •
18 min read
SecurityThe wave of cryptocurrency miners taking the place of common malware continues in 2018 unabated, and it appears every week we encounter another story about a website running surreptitious miners or a company looking for ways to use your CPU resources. As Mac users, we should be safe from those when we’re downloading validly signed apps from the Mac App Store, right? As it turns out, no — not all the time, unfortunately. In fact, it appears that Apple let an app with a Monero miner slip right through …
March 19, 2018 •
3 min read
SecurityFor all our listeners of The Checklist, it is no secret that we are strong advocates for security. Usually, we come on this show to talk about how to secure your digital life and keep unauthorized individuals from snooping through your information. Security is important, and in just about every situation, it’s not just desirable — it’s necessary. There is one unfortunate scenario, though, when it quickly causes problems: when you’re not around anymore to enter your password or walk through the reset process.
On today’s show, we’re thinking about the …
March 15, 2018 •
16 min read
SecurityLast year, we visited the subject of Bitcoin and the technology behind it, the blockchain, in Episode 59 of The Checklist. In just a few short months since that episode, the price of one Bitcoin exploded, hundreds of new cryptocurrencies appeared, and company after company seems to be jumping on the bandwagon. By the way—you’re now listening to The Blockchain Checklist by SecureMac!
We’re only kidding — but blockchain and cryptocurrency are a bigger deal than ever before, and while it may excite investors, these technologies are also beginning …
March 8, 2018 •
18 min read
Security
-
-
- Last updated:
- 04/30/21 8:46 pm
-
Description
Shlayer is adware.
Shlayer Threat Removal
MacScan can detect and remove Shlayer Adware from your system, as well as provide protection against other security and privacy threats. A 30-day trial is available to scan your system for this threat.
Download MacScan
March 2, 2018 •
1 min read
SecurityType:
Malware
Platform:
Mac OS X
Last updated:
03/03/18 5:23 am
Threat Level:
High
Description
Coldroot is a Trojan horse. The malware is cross-platform, meaning that it can affect Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems. It was first discovered in 2018, though subsequent investigation found that it had been available for sale on underground sites since 2017. In addition, earlier, less feature-rich versions of the malware had been distributed on GitHub since 2016.
Coldroot for macOS comes disguised as an audio device driver, in a file named “com.apple.audio.driver.app”. If launched, the malware displays a prompt asking the user to enter …
March 2, 2018 •
2 min read
SecurityIn the time since we started The Checklist, we’ve reported on and discussed a variety of stories that, time and time again, come back to the same foundation: hackers breaking into the computers in our homes and businesses by exploiting weaknesses in old hardware or software. While not everyone can always afford to keep their computers upgraded to the latest, greatest hardware, there are many reasons users may want to or need to run old programs on old machines.
On today’s episode of The Checklist, we’re looking at the risks inherent …
March 1, 2018 •
13 min read
SecurityWe’ve recently seen a series of bugs on iOS and macOS devices that all follow a similar pattern: maliciously-formed links or simple emojis and text strings that cause the device to lock up and crash, sometimes repeatedly. A number of these issues have been fixed over the lifespan of the iPhone, but the past few months has seen a spike in the number of issues in this class requiring patches from Apple to fix. One of the most notable bugs from last year was a bug in the Messages app …
February 26, 2018 •
2 min read