Blog
Look And Feel May Change In Future Windows 10 Update
Microsoft is experimenting with a new feature that may change the look and feel of Windows 10 in some future update. The new approach is referred to as “Sets,” which borrows from the playbook of modern web browsers and groups related applications into tabbed sets, with the groupings defined by project type. The applications you […]
Fake Symantec Blog Post Is Spreading Mac Malware
Sometimes hackers opt for a stealthy approach. Other times, their attempts are downright brazen. That’s definitely the case with a newly launched malware campaign that seeks to spread “Proton Mac,” a strain of malware designed to steal passwords from Mac users. The hackers registered a domain very similar to Symantec’s blog, mirrored its content and […]
Bug in macOS Could Allow Hackers Root Access
Do you own a Mac? Is it running Apple’s latest macOS, the “High Sierra?” If so, be extra careful with who you allow access to your machine. A security flaw recently discovered by a developer named Lemi Orhan Ergin can easily allow anyone unfettered access to everything on your machine, and by extension, give them […]
A Million Imgur Users Affected By Breach
Do you use the image hosting service, Imgur? If you do, there’s a slight chance that you’ll be prompted to change your password the next time you log on. That’s because the company’s servers were breached in 2014, and the hackers made off with 1.7 million usernames and passwords, which represents just a tiny fraction […]
Breach Of Health Data Gets California Company $2M Fine
Cottage Health System, a company that operates five hospitals in the Santa Barbara area of California, is the latest firm to have been hit with a hefty fine for losing control of PHI and PII for patients that it serves. In this case, more than 55,000 patients were impacted between 2013 and 2015. Cottage Health […]
Uber Paid To Hide Massive Data Breach From Public
It has recently come to light that the company was hacked in 2016 in a massive breach that exposed the personal information of more than 57 million Uber users and drivers. A wide range of data was stolen. Where users were concerned, names, email addresses and phone numbers were compromised. As bad as that is, […]
Ransomware Is Spreading Through Macros In Word
Security researcher Jaromir Jorejsi of Trend Micro has discovered a disturbing new strain of ransomware named qkG that spreads by way of macros inside MS Word. The ransomware strain targets only Office documents, encrypting them and infecting the Word default document in order to propagate to newly created documents opened via the Office suite on […]
Known WordPress Malware Is Back For Second Round
This past summer, an Italian security researcher named Manuel D’Orso discovered a nasty malware attack aimed at WordPress sites. Dubbed “Wp-Ved,” after the name of the .php file bearing the malicious payload, the attack was relatively small in its scope and scale, with a few scattered attacks starting in the summer and continuing in sporadic […]
Issue With Android Could Let Someone Record Screen And Audio
Do you have an Android phone? Is it running either Lolipop, Marshmallow or Nougat? Those three account for slightly more than 75 percent of the Android phones in service today, so odds are excellent that you do. If so, you should be aware of a nasty vulnerability that could allow a hacker to perform at-will […]
Google Can Still Track You With Location Services Disabled
Google recently found itself in a bit of hot water after an investigation by Quartz revealed that the company was intrusively collecting location data on literally every Android device in use today. That’s billions of devices all over the globe. There are many instances when there’s an expectation that location data can and will be […]
A Visionary Approach to Your Security
The purpose of an IT partner isn’t just to fix something when it is broken, it is to keep your people working and your data secure. Astral moves beyond traditional managed services by addressing all the key areas of cybersecurity in today’s complex landscape.


