TechNews - New self-protecting USB trojan - tech
(hx) 03:03 PM CEST - Apr,02 2016
- Post a comment / read (1)
- New self-protecting USB trojan able to avoid detection -
A
unique data-stealing trojan has been spotted on USB devices in the
wild – and it is different from typical data-stealing malware. Each
instance of this trojan relies on the particular USB device on which it
is installed and it leaves no evidence on the compromised system.
Moreover, it uses a very special mechanism to protect itself from being
reproduced or copied, which makes it even harder to detect. Where other
malware uses ‘good old-fashioned approaches' like Autorun files or
crafted shortcuts in order to get users to run it, USB Thief uses also
another technique. This method depends on the increasingly common
practice of storing portable versions of popular applications such as
Firefox, NotePad++ and TrueCrypt on USB drives. The malware takes
advantage of this trend by inserting itself into the command chain of
such applications, in the form of a plugin or a dynamically linked
library (DLL). And therefore, whenever such an application is executed,
the malware will also be run in the background. What really sets this
malware apart, however, is its self-protection mechanism.
- Petya ransomware reportedly encrypts hard drives -
Now a new type of ransomware,
dubbed Petya, has been discovered that encrypts a user's hard drive
- instead of individual files - during an operating system's boot
process. Petya is distributed via an email message that claims to be
from someone seeking to be hired by a company; however, the message
itself does not include any email attachments for a potential victim to
download. Instead, it includes a hyperlink to a Trojan Horse
masquerading as a resume hosted by the legitimate cloud storage service
Dropbox
- Xamarin now comes free with Visual Studio - The Xamarin
software is now included for
free in all versions of Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE! Xamarin also
has a few open-source efforts to announce. The company will be
open-sourcing the Xamarin SDKs for Android, iOS and Mac in "the coming
months."
- Amazon to Ban Sale of Non-Compliant USB-C Cables - In
order to protect consumers, Amazon
said it will no longer sell USB Type-C cables that don't conform to
the published spec. Specifically, Amazon stated that its retailer
partners are not allowed to list "any USB-C cable or adapter product
that is not compliant with standard specifications issued by 'USB
Implementers Forum'." The USB-IF is the standards body that created and
manages the USB-C spec. USB-C is slowly replacing micro USB as the
common port on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Unlike micro USB
ports, USB-C is reversible and easy to use. It can also send power in
both directions. Cables not manufactured properly can damage or ruin
electronic devices. Amazon didn't say how swiftly it will make its
partners comply with the ban.
- Google Data Center 360deg Tour - Learn about
the massive scale, the incredible attention to security and
privacy, and the amazing efforts to make the data center extremely
efficient and green.
- Google Cardboard Plastic - The future
is clear. Experience actual reality with Google Cardboard Plastic.
- The Linux command line and Bash shell is coming to Windows 10
- Microsoft is committed to making the Windows developer
experience better than ever, which is why they're bringing
the popular Bash shell, alongside the entire Linux command
environment, to Windows 10 in the upcoming Anniversary Update.
Developers have been able to use Linux command shells like Bash for
years through third-party tools, but this is the first time that
Microsoft has actually implemented the functionality directly into
Windows. The company partnered with Canonical, known for the Linux
distribution Ubuntu, to ensure the Bash experience is just as good in
Windows as it is in variants of Linux. During Microsoft's Build 2016
keynote, it was revealed that developers will be able to download the
Linux command line from the Windows Store when the Anniversary Update
becomes available. Microsoft's Kevin Gallo stated during the event that
"this is not a VM" or "cross-compiled tools" but a fully-fledged Linux
shell running in Windows.
- Instagram Extending Video Length to 60 Seconds - Instagram
today said users will be able to
share videos up to 60 seconds in length, which is up significantly
from the previous limit of 12 seconds. Instagram is making the change
in response to the rapid rise in time people spend watching Instagram
videos. The extended video clip length is being rolled out slowly to
users over the next few months. The iOS version of Instagram is being
updated today with the ability to assemble videos from multiple clips
found in the camera roll. Instagram is free to download from the iTunes
App Store. Instagram didn't say when the same features will be added to
the Android app.
- Sony will charge $30 per 4k movie - Sony first revealed
its 4K streaming service, Ultra, back at the Consumer Electronics Show
in January. Now, the company's home video arm (Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment) has announced that it will launch on April 4. The
service, accessed via an Android app, will be available exclusively on
Sony's new 4K TV sets. There won't be a rental option at launch;
instead, users will pay $30 to purchase a movie. This was apparently a
"commercial decision,†but Sony said if there turns out to be a demand
for rentals, the company could introduce the feature “pretty quickly."
Initially, you'll only be able to rent movies from Sony Pictures, but
the company said it wants to add content from other studios. “Over
time, we want to expand the breath and depth of the content,†said Sony
Pictures Entertainment VP Jake Winett. Once bought, titles will be
stored in Sony's Ultraviolet cloud service, probably due to the TVs not
possessing enough onboard storage to hold 4K movies. There will be
around 40 to 50 titles available on Ultra when it launches, including
newer movies such as Concussion and The Walk, as well as older ones
like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The company plans to add TV
programs at a later date, but it hasn't revealed which ones or how much
they'll cost. The service will also offer people the opportunity to
upgrade SD and HD movies from their Ultraviolet library to 4K for $12
to $15.
- Microsoft's Anniversary Update Coming This Summer - Microsoft
announced today that it will be releasing a free update on
the one year anniversary of Windows 10. The update will include stuff
like Windows Hello, Windows Ink, Cortana updates and developer mode for
the Xbox One. The company also took advantage of today's announcement
to let the world know that the HoloLens is available as of today.
- Verizon Confirms Pending $20 Upgrade Fee - Verizon
Wireless today confirmed that it plans to charge customers $20 to
upgrade to new devices beginning April 4. The fee will apply to
customers who buy handsets with installment plans, or buy phones at
full price. Verizon will assess the fee at third-party retailers, too,
such as purchases made at the Apple Store or Best Buy. "The upgrade fee
helps cover our increased support costs associated with customers
switching devices," explained a Verizon spokesperson to Phonescoop via
email. "Customers can pay the charge when they upgrade, bill it to
their account, or trade in an old device to offset the cost. The fee
for upgrading on device payment is still half of the two-year contract
upgrade fee." Verizon charges contract customers $40 when upgrading
devices. AT&T instituted its own device upgrade fee of $15 last
year. Sprint recently lowered its upgrade fee from $36 to $30. T-Mobile
charges $20 for a SIM card starter pack, which is widely seen as an
upgrade fee.
- LG G5 Officially Goes On Sale March 31 - LG
said its G5 smartphone will be available for sale in Korea starting
March 31, with the U.S. to follow April 1. The G5 will reach other
regions, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, over time. LG
says more than 200 carriers plan to sell the phone. In the U.S., that
includes AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, all of which
will offer the phone on April 1. Along with the G5 itself, LG plans to
sell the accompanying modules and accessories, called LG Friends. The
two most notable Friends as the CAM Plus and Hi-Fi Plus, which are
modules that plug directly into the bottom of the G5. The CAM Plus will
be available in the U.S., but LG hasn't said if the Hi-Fi Plus will
also be available. Other Friends include the 360 VR headset, 360 CAM,
Rolling Bot, Tone Platinum, and H3 by B&O. Pricing for the LG G5
varies by carrier. The phone has a 5.3-inch quad HD display, Snapdragon
820 processor, 16-megapixel camera, and USB Type-C.
- Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman Blue-Ray Announced - Warner
Bros. has announced that the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman
(trailer)
is heading to home video on July 16th, right ahead of the August 5th
release of the Suicide Squad movie. The Ultimate Edition will be an
R-Rated cut of the film featuring an additional 30 minutes of footage.
- The Walking Dead: Michonne - Episode 2 Trailer - In this
tense second chapter, a daring escape from the floating colony of
Monroe sees Michonne, Pete, and Sam running for their lives. An all too
brief reprieve is soon shattered; the leaders of Monroe don't forgive
and don't forget. With memories of her daughters bleeding ever further
into Michonne's blurred reality, her world is becoming increasingly
fractured... just at the point when she'll need all of her skills to
survive.
- International Warcraft Trailer Released - Check it out
- Game of Thrones Season 6: March Madness Promo - Game of
Thrones Season 6 premieres in April, 2016.
- Netflix Releases Sneak Peek At New Voltron Series - June 10th
will see the release of the first 13 episodes in the new series,
each 22 minutes long, making for a perfect binge-watching session. The
show features a few plot updates from the 1984 original, but still
keeps the core basics: five young people on Earth get involved in an
intergalactic battle and are tasked with fighting monsters as they each
pilot a robotic lion. Once joined together, they form Voltron's arms,
legs, head, and torso, and wield a giant, blazing sword.
- GUARDIANS Fight Trailer 2 (2017) - During the Cold War, a
secret organization "Patriot" has created a squad of superheroes,
which included participants from various Soviet republics. For years,
the heroes had to hide their identity, but in hard times, they again
take the case.
- KILLERDRONE! Flying chainsaw - Crazy
Finnish farmers built an epic drone with a remote controlled
chainsaw.
- Guy Martin's Wall of Death: World Record Attempt - Guy Martin
takes on an extreme world record attempt on the largest Wall of
Death ever made.
- Home Made Thermite Launcher - Woo Hoo furze does not
simply place thermite, he launches it with his super steampunk style launcher,
what a device!
- Drifting a Ferrari F40 in Snow Up To Base Camp -
Who says you can't drive your supercar in rugged winter
conditions? A specially modified Ferrari F40 charges up the snowy
slopes, sliding sideways all the way to base camp in this short
film, ''A Day In The Life".
- Hayden Panettiere's Carl's Jr. Commercial - It's an
ultimate fail!
- The best pics on the Internet #187 -
All
pictures are carefully handpicked
|
Updated:04:21 PM CET Oct,26
(new)
