Stories by Jeremy Kirk

Large advertising-based cyberattack hit BBC, New York Times, MSN

Major websites including the BBC, Newsweek, the New York Times and MSN ran malicious online advertisements on Sunday that attacked users' computers, a campaign that one expert said was the largest seen in two years.

Top websites affected by Angler exploit kit malvertising, security vendors say

Tens of thousands of Web browsers may have been exposed to ransomware and other malware over the last few days after malicious advertisements appeared on high-profile websites.

Google has doubled its bounty for a Chromebook hack to $US100,000

Google doubled the bounty it will pay for a successful exploit of its Chromebook laptop to US$100,000, sweetening the pot in hopes of drawing more attention from security researchers.

Patch closes security hole in messaging encryption tool

A patch has been released for a component that enables chats in several instant messaging clients to be encrypted.

Locky ransomware activity ticks up

Locky, a new family of ransomware that emerged in the last few weeks, has quickly made a mark for itself.

Experts say 'chip off' procedure to access terrorist's iPhone is risky

The iPhone 5c at the center of the legal battle between Apple and the FBI might be accessible through a delicate hardware technique, but experts warn it would be difficult.

Encryption project issues 1 million free digital certificates in three months

Let's Encrypt, an organization set up to encourage broader use of encryption on the Web, has distributed 1 million free digital certificates in just three months.

Google patches remote execution flaws in Android

Google has released 16 patches for Android, including one for a critical remote execution vulnerability in the operating system's mediaserver.

Apple shuts down first-ever ransomware attack against Mac users

With the help of security researchers, Apple over the weekend quickly blocked a cyberattack aimed at infecting Mac users with file-encrypting malware known as ransomware.

Here's the password you should never use for an RDP system

A year-long experiment that baited hackers to try and break into systems netted an interesting result: a single letter, x, was one of the most common password guesses.

Malvertising campaigns are becoming harder to detect

Jerome Segura, a senior security researcher with Malwarebytes, was recently stumped by a cyberattack he was studying. It seemed to keep vanishing.

Surveillence outfit Hacking Team may have released a new piece of OS X malware

Security researchers say they've analyzed a new piece of OS X malware likely linked to Hacking Team, the controversial Italian company that sells surveillance software to governments.

With few options, companies pay hush money to data thieves

There's a disturbing new angle to cyberattacks that has become more common over the last year, and it is proving costly for organizations: extortion.

Tor users increasingly treated like second-class Web citizens

The Internet is becoming harder to browse for users of Tor, the anonymity network that provides greater privacy, according to a new study.

Baidu web browsers leaked sensitive information, researchers say

Two web browsers developed by Chinese search giant Baidu have been insecurely transmitting sensitive data across the Internet, putting users' privacy at risk, according to a new study.