Security Risk to Ransomware Victims, Email Phishing Tips, and More.

by | Jan 19, 2024 | This Week in Tech

This Week In Tech, we talk about Fake 'Security Researchers', Staying Alert to Phishing Scams, and AI Fingerprint Testing.

Beware of fake ‘security researchers’: Targeting victimized firms

These so called security experts claim that they can break into the computer system of the ransomware group to get back or erase data that was stolen. This is a trick aiming to make the targeted company pay in bitcoin for fake help. Keep in mind that legitimate security researchers prioritize ethical behavior and transparency. If something feels suspicious, it’s crucial to verify information before taking any action. If you come across someone posing as a fake security researcher, here are some steps you can consider: do not provide any personal information or details about the ransomware attack, verify their identity by contacting the organization directly, reach out to trusted security professionals for validation, report it to the relevant authorities, focus on securing your systems and data with backups of your important files, review and update security measures, and stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices.

Read More: IT World Canada

Stay alert to phishing scams: Cybercriminals don’t take breaks

“Phishing” is a trick used to fool people into giving away confidential information like credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, and sometimes, identification numbers. Maintaining a vigilant stance against phishing scams is crucial to protecting yourself and your sensitive information. Here are some key tips to help you avoid falling victim to phishing scams: verify the sender’s identity before responding to emails, messages, or calls from unknown or unexpected sources, examine the sender’s email address carefully for slight variations or misspellings, hover over links in emails or messages to see the actual URL before clicking it, pay attention to spelling and grammar mistakes in emails, do not open attachments or download files from unknown sources as malicious software can be hidden, enable MFA whenever possible, update your operating system, antivirus software, and other security features regularly, and trust your instincts if something feels off or too good to be true.

Read More: WITS

Our fingerprints may not be one-of-a-kind

An AI tool has managed to match fingerprints from various fingers to the same person. There’s a common thought that every fingerprint on a person’s hand is entirely unique, but this concept is now being questioned by a study from Columbia University. A group at the American university taught an AI tool to study 60,000 fingerprints to determine if it could figure out which ones came from the same person. According to the researchers, the technology could tell with 75-90% certainty if prints from different fingers were from the same individual. AI tools usually need to be trained on a large amount of data, and developing this technology further would require even more fingerprints. Continue reading to reveal additional findings from the recent study.

Read More: BBC

Here are some more blogs from this category.

Reevaluating Cyber Strategies, Exploiting Security Tools to Target Organizations, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about reevaluating strategies following the global IT outage, hackers misusing security tools to target organizations, and prioritizing...
New ‘Help Me Write’ Feature for Gmail, IHRN Feature Now Available on Samsung Health App, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about Gemini’s ‘Help Me Write’ feature for Gmail, Samsung’s new health app feature for irregular heart rhythm...
Microsoft Azure Outage Caused by Cyberattack, What To Do After a Data Breach, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about the Microsoft Azure outage caused by cyberattack, steps to take after a data breach, and how ChatGPT is becoming more...
New Smart Ring by Samsung, Common Home Buying Scams, and More.

This Week In Tech, we talk the new smart ring by Samsung, phishing attacks on Apple users via text messages, and 8 scams to avoid when selling your home.

New Security Vulnerability, Cybersecurity Not Ready for AI, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about a new security vulnerability called ‘SnailLoad’, if cybersecurity agencies are ready for generative AI, and how Meta has...
Second Cyberattack on CDK Global, Spotting AI Hallucinations, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about a second cyberattack on CDK Global, how to spot AI hallucinations, and a groundbreaking test to detect Parkinson’s disease seven...
New Concrete Turning Homes into Giant Batteries, What is Masked Email, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about a new concrete capable of transforming homes into energy storage units, what ‘masked email’ is referring to, and X hiding...
Medical AI Solution That Patients Can Talk To, Instagram To Force Ad Breaks, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about a medical AI solution that patients can talk to, Instagram testing out a new feature called Ad breaks, and ten useful tips to prevent...
AI a Gamechanger for Neurodiversity, Deepfake Risk to Biometrics, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about AI becoming a transformational tool for neurodiversity, deepfake risks to biometrics, and the seven new features added to...
Critical Apple Photo Update, Microsoft’s AI “Windows Recall”, and More.
This Week In Tech, we talk about a critical Apple update to fix photo bug, Microsoft’s AI that monitors all computer activity, and disabling cellphone...