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
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- Last updated:
- 04/30/21 8:46 pm
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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
SecurityAs 2018 continues, so does the flood of new stories, threats, and developments in the security world. Just recently, we reached into the grab bag to take a quick look at a variety of different stories; this week, we’re going back again to pull out a mixture of the most prominent topics making a splash in the headlines over the past couple of weeks. From the consequences of tracking your exercise with an app to the pitfalls of perfectly proper grammar, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover in today’s show
February 22, 2018 •
17 min read
SecurityA key piece of Apple’s iPhone source code may be out in the wild.
On February 7, someone posted something called “iBoot” on GitHub. GitHub is a popular site for sharing computer code. This time, though, it appears the code in question was not the user’s to share. Instead, “iBoot” is said to be the source code for a crucial iPhone boot process. The leak has the potential to jeopardize the security of the iPhone going forward.
According to a report on the leak from Motherboard, iBoot is the …
February 20, 2018 •
3 min read
SecurityWay back in 2007, Apple released the iPhone and changed the world overnight by putting the power of an iPod, a phone, and the Internet right in our pockets. The iPhone quickly relegated the iPod to the annals of history, and for better or worse, it all but killed the wristwatch too. Then Apple decided it was time to bring the watch back to life — and thus, the Apple Watch was born.
February 15, 2018 •
13 min read
SecurityKeeping the software on your Mac up to date is essential, particularly because it can help to keep you safe from new threats and vulnerabilities. We’ve seen the emergence of a new type of malware that’s hitting Mac users through a service used to streamline the updating process, MacUpdate. A popular site for many years, MacUpdate acts like a “one stop shop” for software updates, allowing users to grab updated copies of their favorite software quickly. Unfortunately, it looks like several apps on the site were compromised and pushed malware …
February 12, 2018 •
3 min read
SecuritySpectres, Meltdowns, and an endless parade of patches — 2018’s already off to quite a start, and it can all be just a little overwhelming. This week, we’re pulling back to the bigger picture and reaching into the grab bag for a Mix & Match episode as we cover a slew of stories from this past month!
February 8, 2018 •
20 min read
Securityalso known as BitCoinMiner, CoinMiner, Miner
Type:
Trojan Horse
Platform:
Mac OS X
Last updated:
02/02/18 9:51 pm
Threat Level:
High
Description
CreativeUpdate is a Trojan horse that mines cryptocurrency. It was discovered in 2018 on the popular Mac app distribution platform MacUpdate, masquerading as the macOS utilities Deeper and OnyX, as well as an illegitimate version of Firefox. It should be noted that the developers of Deeper, OnyX, and, of course, Firefox, have nothing to do with the malware: CreativeUpdate’s authors designed their Trojan to impersonate these apps, and then circumvented the security checks at MacUpdate in order to …
February 2, 2018 •
2 min read