A fitness app has been compromise… should you be concerned? Maybe. Here’s why.

Posted on by proceedtech

Recently fitness app, MyFitness Pal, which is jointly run by UnderArmour (www.underarmour.com.au) has had a data breach.

Under the new Notfiable Data Breach Scheme (NDBS), MyFitness Pal and Underarmour have had to notify clients of this breach and make sure that they are aware and to change their passwords.

But what harm can a username and password a fitness app do?

MyFitnessPal like many other fitness apps e.g. Fitbit (fitbit.com.au), hold information about the users details including, and not limited to, health related information, but more importantly – GPS data and coordinates.

This GPS data is normally kept to help users track their health related activities i.e. how far they have run, jog or cycle, where they have done these activities etc.

This means that, in certain situations, unwanted individuals can also track where you are likely to go or where you have been.

Earlier this year the Australian Defence Force banned a similar fitness app, Strava, because, the GPS information held by the app can be used to show where the forces were running their training camps, which in turn can help foreign forces track down important defence facilities etc.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australian-analyst-discovers-exercise-app-reveals-details-of-us-military-sites

Be mindful of this breach and if you do have a fitness app – think of locking it down securely.

Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Ethereum,etc. Advertising banned by Google and Facebook.

Posted on by proceedtech

Google has followed in the footsteps of Facebook who imposed advert bans on cryptocurrency, ICO (Initial Coin Offering) and trading exchanges involving cryptocurrency and CFDs (contact for difference).
These be bans will begin in June 2018 and is to help curb the issue of bad investor experience and scams, involving cryptocurrency.

For more information, please read…

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/03/13/google-bans-crypto-ads.html

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/14/google-bans-bitcoin-adverts-cryptocurrency-crackdown

Spectre and Meltdown – new hacking vulnerability revealed in CPU’s made in last ten years.

Posted on by proceedtech

News has come out that that computer processors and CPU’s made within the last 10 years, have 2 major flaws in them that allow hackers to exploit computers. These exploitable flaws have been named Spectre and Meltdown. 

Software security updates are being implemented, however, this is a hardware flaw, and though impractical, can really only be fully remedied by replacing the hardware.

Forbes – available fixes for Spectre and Meltdown.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2018/01/04/google-microsoft-apple-updates-for-meltdown-spectre-intel-processor-vulnerabilities/#75e77b855c31

For further information and news about Spectre and Meltdown, please follow the news link below.

ABC News: Apple says all Mac and iOS devices affected by Meltdown and Spectre bugs.

http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwkrbyqzc

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Posted on by proceedtech

Wishing all our valued patrons and friends a very

Merry Christmas and

a Safe and Prosperous New Year.

From the Team at Proceed Tech.

We will be closed during from the 20th Dec 2017 till the 4th of Jan 2018, but will be available for emergency callouts on 0433 424 737. Thank you and keep safe.

A reaction to the reaction to the Samsung ”Growing Up” ad.

Posted on by proceedtech

Recently Samsung released an ad in typical fashion roasting Apple

https://youtu.be/R59TevgzN3k

I showed it to my nephew who then responded with the video below…

https://youtu.be/_Lt21JTO6U0

I thought that’s a good one, and it’s a great reaction video, and as it’s maker implies, done to appease the Apple Sheep in the name of fun.

Here’s my two cents worth on why Apple is starting to lose fans, of whom I am (or was) one as well…

I’m NOT an Apple hater.

I have a nephew, a brother in law, a sister in law, a wife, a mother, a father, and yes, even I, have iPhone.

Apple make excellent products and I know the Samsung ad is just a marketing strategy.

What I am disappointed about with Apple is this –

Apple know they can do all the things that Samsung or any of their competitors can do, but Apple purposely withhold doing it, so that they can make more money by ‘forcing’ their loyal fans (including myself) to buy more hardware and upgrade when Apple decide it’s time to make more profits.

Buying anything should be a “choice” made by the consumer and not forced due to an avoidable redundancy or marketing strategy.

For example: look whats happening with the iPhone 8. It is virtually redundant in less than 2 months because of iPhone X, forcing loyal customers to upgrade almost immediately.

Apple knew they had the iPhone X but went ahead and released the iPhone 8, to try to discourage people from buying the Samsung Note 8 at that time.

Then the fans who lined up and waited for the iPhone 8, just to feel they didn’t waste their time, bought the iPhone 8. And now probably will end up buying the iPhone X about two months later.

Anyway, don’t get me wrong.
I love Apple products, and will probably get iPhone X at some point.

I just don’t like the fact that Apple are “milking” their loyal fans for profit, instead of bringing out something better or more innovative to encourage users from other platforms to migrate to Apple.

This is something that Samsung is doing. They push the boundaries to build a better product with more features (SD card, stylus, waterproofing, better camera, latest technologies, etc) to encourage Apple users to migrate to Samsung.

They took big risks in the Note 7 with latest battery technology, which very unfortunately failed, filling the internet with exploding Samsung Note 7 memes.

So yes, I know Samsung’s ad, though titled “Growing Up”, is actually quite a childish way of poking fun at the competition, but I still commend Samsung on working hard and pushing the boundaries to bring out something better and being innovative.

** Ransomware warning – “Bad Rabbit” masquerades as Adobe Flash update

Posted on by proceedtech

Early reports of a new RansomWare that is spreading across the globe at the moment codenamed “Bad Rabbit”

The RansomWare masquerades as an “Adobe Flash” update/upgrade.

If you are asked to update your Adobe on any websites, please refrain from doing so, or, if an icon appears next to your time on bottom right, please refrain from updating.

The “Bad Rabbit” ransomware encrypts your files and requests half a Bitcoin (approximately US$400) to decrypt.

This is on a per PC basis and can be very damaging to organisations with large numbers of PC’S/laptops.

If you have been affected already, shutdown your PC and remove it from the network then contact PROCEED Tech immediately on 6424 8385.

KRACK Security vulnerability found in WPA2 – a protocol that secures “ALL” modern protected Wi-Fi networks.

Posted on by proceedtech

This is an advisory to notify you that in the last 24 hours a security vulnerability has been found in the WPA2 Protocol – a protocol that secures ALL modern day protected WiFi networks.

Please refer to the articles below for more information.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-17/wi-fi-vulnerable-to-hacks-after-flaw-discovered/9056334

https://www.wired.com/story/krack-wi-fi-wpa2-vulnerability/

It is advised that if you are working on sensitive information, please revert to using your ‘blue network cable’ to be physically connected to the internet.

Please note that this affects all WiFi devices or all devices that have WiFi capabilities – smartphones, laptops, routers, smart TV’s and fridges, iPads and WiFi Tablets, Xbox, PlayStation etc etc. It is a vulnerability within the protocol and no ‘single vendor’ is responsible for it.

If you have any concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information but in the meantime, limit your use on WiFi wherever possible, revert to cabled networking, or use your phone data 4G, 3G GPRS network to access the internet. Note that using 4G/3G/GPRS will increase your data usage on your mobile phone, so be aware.

NB: connecting your laptop to your phone via ‘WiFi’ is using the WiFi and is susceptible to the same vulnerability, this includes using your mobile phone as a ‘HOTSPOT’ .

Using your mobile data ‘Dongle’ or Telstra Dongle should be OK, as long as it is physically plugged in (via USB or USB Cable) and not connected using the WiFi protocol.