Yet another ransomware WARNING!!

 Recent reports of yet another ransomware that is spreading rapidly.
 If you get a pop-up similar to:

Please   DO NOT install. As with any case of pop-ups wishing permission to install updates, use the vendor's site to check.

Apple ID WARNING!!!

 As an iOS, MacOS. iCloud user you are familiar with this pop-up. It looks exactly like the real one from Apple. This is trivial to do. Similar methods that are used to mimic your bank, shopping sites,etc. You may be more tempted to supply your passphrase in this instance since a lot of apps use your iTunes and/or AppleID.
 So, how to be safer? A method I have offered in the past is to lie. Provide an incorrect passphrase. If the popup is from Apple, the lie will fail. If the popup is not, it will accept the incorrect response.
Note: Lying is not against one of the Ten Commandments.
 Another method that sometimes works. Use the Home button. If the popup is from Apple the popup should persist. If not, it was an attempt to obtain your passphrase.
 Be careful out ther.

Wireless WPA-2 Vulnerability

 The Unites States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has announced a vulnerability in the
WPA-2 protocol. Not a vulnerability in client or server implementations of the protocol, but in the protocol itself. Vendors are working on patches, but this will take some time to implement on all the devices using the protocol.
 More information can be found at the US-CERT's website as VU #228519.
 To exploit the vulnerability in the protocol, the attacker will need to be within range OR have captured any traffic using the WPA-2 encryption scheme.

Cyber Security SIG Presentation 10/05/2017

Apple High Sierra macOS patching

Apple released High Sierra, the macOS upgrade/update recently.

 Within a day a patch/update was released to address a vulnerability in keychain. Yesterday another update to address a flaw in the crypto keys to an Apple Filesystem (APFS) in plain text in the passphrase hint box.

 It is important to keep up with updates and patches. Even more so for these.

 Apple has started to use APFS on macOS now. I have done several upgrades without problem. The new filesystem conversion currently occurs on solid state disks.