Towerwall's InfoSec Blog

The funkily-named bug of the week is GHOST. Its official moniker is the less catchy CVE-2015-0235, and it's a vulnerability caused by a buffer overflow in a system library that is used in many, if not most, Linux distributions. A buffer overflow is where you assume, for example, that when you handle a four-byte network number written out as decimal digits, you will never get anything longer than 255. 255. 255. 255. That takes up 15 characters, so you may decide that you'll never need more thanfalse

As we approach the end of the year, let’s have a look back at the top hacking incidents of 2014. This year, we might have witnessed the most damaging attack of the decade. It will not be easy beating the Sony attack.

Sophos Researcher James Wyke recently did an analysis of the malware Vawtrak. He found that Vawtrak has been targeting financial institutions, especially banks. Vawtrak injects a DLL code into the targeted bank’s website, which allows a bypass of the victim’s two-factor authentication and infects the victim with a mobile malware. The malware then automatically transfers money out of the victims account and hides any traces of the transfer. If you notice unusual activity in your bank account orfalse

Building a solid security program takes time. Every organization is different. It's very important to assess your technology, and consider both internal and external threats. An assessment will reveal vulnerabilities. The remediation process will help you take full advantage of your existing security assets and point you at any gaps that need filling. Even once your defenses are in place, vigilance is an ongoing requirement because new threats are emerging all the time. In the face of ourfalse

The information security profession, which evolved largely in reaction to threats, is now paying the price of an entire “missing generation.” Companies are challenged finding pros with the combination of business and technical savvy that is needed to combat growing threats. Compounding this problem, educational institutions are not graduating enough students with the necessary skills or experience for entry-level positions. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 1,000,000 currentfalse

by Mark Stockley This quick fix will show you how to clear out cookies and the cookie-like things that can be used to track you online. If you already know what cookies are all about then you can skip the next bit and go straight to the instructions.

Integrate security testing into your dev process now or else face cyber-attacks later

3 ways to make your Outlook.com account safer by John Hawes

Despite all the news about hackers infiltrating major corporations, most businesses continue to leave themselves woefully unprotected. Some surveys estimate more than 70% of businesses perform vulnerability tests on less than 10% of their cloud, mobile and web applications. A majority also confess they have been hacked at least once in the last two years. While most large businesses have begun application vulnerability testing, there is still a long way to go. After all, you are only asfalse

Four major challenges when protecting apps and how to solve them Despite all the news about hackers infiltrating major corporations, most businesses continue to leave themselves woefully unprotected. Some surveys estimate more than 70% of businesses perform vulnerability tests on less than 10% of their cloud, mobile and web applications. A majority also confess they have been hacked at least once in the last two years. While most large businesses have begun application vulnerability testing,false