Blog
Your DNA May Be Next Place Your Data Is Stored
The next big thing is going to be really small, at least if Microsoft has anything to say about it. They’ve been experimenting with storing data in what some might call the most unlikely of places…DNA. The process is mind-bendingly complex, but the potential is simply too great to be ignored. A single gram of […]
Recent Major Website Outage Was Caused By A Simple Mistake
Last week, Amazon’s AWS (Amazon Web Services) suffered an 11-hour outage that resulted in dramatic slowdowns and complete unavailability of more than 100 large internet retailers and a number of the web’s top sites, including Amazon itself, Netflix, Imgur, Reddit and a host of others. The situation has now been resolved, and Amazon has published […]
Popular Website Image Optimization Service Cloudfare May Have Exposed Data
While Cloudflare isn’t a household name, it is one of the titans of the internet, having a massive presence as a reverse proxy service. It provides security and serves optimized content to many Fortune 500 companies and a whole host of smaller ones. From September of last year to Feb. 20 of this year, thanks […]
Ransomware On Mobile Devices Is Climbing At An Alarming Rate
Remember in the ancient past, two years ago, when Ransomware first made its appearance, infecting hospitals and banks? That’s still happening, of course. But now, the hackers have a new target: mobile devices. Increasingly, hackers are shifting their attention to smartphones. The idea is that although there’s not as much money in them individually, with […]
Macs Continue To Get Targeted As New Ransomware Found
Not long ago, the first instance of ransomware was designed to effect Macs. This was greeted with an even mix of shock, surprise and dismay among the ranks of Mac users, and it did a lot to dispel the Mac Mystique. After all, it has been held as an article of faith that Macs are […]
Auto Company Apps Are Making It Easier For Car Thieves
Another week, another big problem for the Internet of Things. This time, it’s smart cars and the apps that surround them. There are an increasing number of apps available for a growing number of makes and models of vehicles that can do everything from unlocking your car to starting it remotely. Unfortunately, as researchers at […]
More Hacks And Attacks Being Reported By Yahoo
Are you still using Yahoo mail? If so, your account may have been one of the billion or more accounts hacked in recent years. Yahoo’s email servers have been on the receiving end of two of the largest breaches in the history of the internet as recently as 2013, and for many users, it destroyed […]
GMAIL Disables Ability To Send Javascript File Attachments
If you have a Gmail account, then you probably already know that you can’t attach .exe, .jar, or .pif files to any emails you send. Until recently, Javascript files were allowed, but Google has changed their policy. If you try to send a Javascript attachment, you’ll get a “this file type not allowed” message. The […]
Former Employees Hacking Into Previous Job Sites Getting Real Penalties
No matter how good your digital security system is, and no matter how much you’ve spent on it, your weakest link is and always will be your employees themselves. A careless or disgruntled employee can easily circumvent even the most elaborate system and cost you big money in the process. Fortunately, the courts are coming […]
Medical Offices Under Attack For Patient Records
The Darkweb has trends, just like the conventional web does. In years past, the hottest data for sale on the black market was credit card info, but that is now changing according to the latest Trend Micro survey. The new hot property? Medical records, and Trend’s survey indicates that North American hospitals are more exposed […]
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.
