An acoustic attack can blue screen your Windows computer

Security researchers have demonstrated how attackers could cause physical damage to hard drives, and cause PCs to crash, just by playing sounds through a computer’s speaker. A denial-of-service (DoS) attack against your organisation’s website is bad enough, preventing customers from reaching your online presence and perhaps preventing you from processing new orders – but imagine the chaos … More An acoustic attack can blue screen your Windows computer

Memes: the explanation of nearly everything – including computer viruses

I was a young mathematics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) when I read Richard Dawkins’ description of memes. I recall thinking: “Oh, that’s how it all works”. Memes are a generalization of genes, and, among other things, they include your beliefs.  After studying memes for many decades, I have come to think that they are … More Memes: the explanation of nearly everything – including computer viruses

Cybersecurity for journalists and the news media

Cybercrime and other forms of “cyber-badness” affect different professions in different ways. Recently I participated in a panel about the cybersecurity concerns of journalists and the news media, hosted by the Inter America Press Association (IAPA). An account of the panel was published on WeLiveSecuritylast month but in this article I want to pass along some of the … More Cybersecurity for journalists and the news media

Having “the talk” with parents — the tech talk, that is

Reviewing a lease, preparing a favorite recipe, applying for a loan … these are all things a typical college student might ask parents how to do. But these days, students are more likely to turn to a quick internet search for answers to just about everything. Parents, however, still tend to depend on their children … More Having “the talk” with parents — the tech talk, that is