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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 […]
Epson Printer Having Issues? It Could Be A Microsoft Update
Do you have an older Epson printer that suddenly stopped working? If so, it may not be the printer at all, but a recent Windows update that lies at the heart of the issue. German engineer Gunter Born tracked the problem to the following Microsoft Patches: KB4048953 for Windows 10, Ver. 1607 KB4048954 for Windows […]
More Bad News For OnePlus Phone Users
OnePlus phones have been getting plenty of bad press lately, thanks to malicious apps found to be factory-installed on a percentage of the devices, along with some intrusive data collection features the manufacturer has installed. As it turns out, though, the story gets worse. Recently, a security researcher going by the alias “Elliot Alderson” discovered […]
Malware Infections Grow 4X In Just One Quarter
The world’s hackers have been busy according to the latest report by Comodo security, which tracks the total number of threats around the globe, quarter by quarter. The latest statistics are alarming, showing a massive jump in the total number of malware infections reported in the third quarter of 2017. Reports show nearly 400 million […]
Latest Store With Payment Breach Is Forever 21
Unfortunately, another high-profile data breach has surfaced. The latest company to fall victim is US-based fashion retailer Forever 21, operating more than 800 stores in 57 countries. The company became aware of the breach when they were notified of “unauthorized access to data from payment cards that were used at certain Forever 21 store locations.” […]
Firefox Doubles Its Speed With Latest Release
The new version of Firefox is out, and if you’ve moved away from the browser in recent years, it may be time to give it another look. Dubbed “Quantum,” Firefox’s latest offering has been completely redesigned, and has a lot to like, not the least of which is its raw speed. This latest version is […]
Be Careful Of Downloads – Google Play Store Sees Malware Increase
Google’s Play Store is under siege. In recent month, there has been a sharp spike in malware campaigns launched against the store, with a shocking number of poisoned apps slipping past Google’s robust system of checks designed to prevent, or at least minimize such occurrences. The spike in poisoned apps has been reported by three […]
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.


