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Seit Langem hält sich der Glaube, dass das macOS-Betriebssystem weniger anfällig für Schadsoftware ist als Windows. Das mag an der geringeren Marktdominanz liegen und verschiedenen eigenen Sicherheitsfeatures, die von den Malware-Entwicklern andere Ansätze verlangen. Man ging davon aus, dass hier nur unkonventionelle Attacken und Schadsoftware eine Chance hätten. Diese Annahme ist nun endlich passé. Mainstream-Schadsoftware […]

According to Microsoft researchers, North Korean hackers have been using a Chrome zero-day exploit to steal cryptocurrency.

Tom Hanks, one of the most recognizable faces in the world, warns that scammers have swiped his likeness in malicious AI deepfakes.

As reported by NBC News, Actor Tom Hanks issued an announcement to his followers saying his name, likeness, and voice have shown up in deepfaked ads that promote “miracle cures” without his consent. The actor posted on Instagram:

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising, a new challenge has emerged that blurs the lines between reality and artificial fabrication: AI-generated content using celebrity likenesses.

Tom Hanks isn’t the only victim. Earlier in 2024, we saw a malicious AI deepfake of Taylor Swift front a phishing scam with a free cookware offer. In 2023, the deepfaked likeness of Kelly Clarkson pushed weight loss gummies. And, just a few weeks ago, malicious deepfakes of Prince William endorsed a bogus investment platform. We’ve also seen deepfakes of noteworthy researchers hawking miracle cures as well, which we’ll soon cover in another blog post.

Without question, we live in a time where scammers can turn practically anyone into a deepfake. The AI tools used to create them have only gotten better, more accessible, and easier to use. Compounding that concern is just how convincing these bogus endorsements look and sound.

The cost of celebrity deepfakes

Malicious deepfakes affect more than the celebrities they mimic. They affect everyone who goes online. As we’ve seen with Tom Hanks, while deepfakes can potentially tarnish his reputation, they can also harm the general public. By pushing disinformation and frauds, deepfakes open the door to health risks, identity theft, and in an election year, voter suppression — as we saw with the Joe Biden AI voice clone robocalls in Vermont.

Celebrities like Scarlett Johansson have begun to fight back legally against the unauthorized use of their likenesses. However, the legal framework in the U.S. remains largely unprepared for the challenges posed by AI-generated content. Yet we’re seeing some progress, at least on a state level in the U.S.

Tennessee recently issued a piece of legislation that says state residents have a property right to their own likeness and voice. In effect, Tennesseans can take legal action if another person or group creates deepfakes in their likeness. Illinois and South Carolina have similar legislation under consideration.

Those represent just a handful of 151 state-level bills that have been introduced or passed through July of this year — all covering AI deepfakes and deceptive media online.[i] Likewise, we’ll take a closer look at how legislation is catching up with AI in an upcoming blog.

Using AI to fight AI deepfakes

As we’re quick to point out in our blogs, not all AI deepfakes are bad. AI deepfake tools have plenty of positive uses, such as dubbing and subtitling movies, creating training and “how-to” videos, and even creating harmless and humorous parody videos — all well within the scope of the law.

The problem is with malicious deepfakes, like the ones Tom Hanks warned us about. Yet how can you spot them?

Technology has kept pace, as it has with our newly released Deepfake Detector. It alerts you in seconds if it spots AI-manipulated content. Right in your browser. It works like this:

Deepfake Detector monitors audio being played through your browser while you browse. If it determines what you’re watching or listening to contains AI-generated audio, it alerts you right away.

McAfee doesn’t store any of this audio or browsing history. What you watch is yours, and you get to keep that private.

It works in the background while you browse. So, if a deepfake Tom Hanks or Taylor Swift video crops up in your feed, you’ll know with a high degree of confidence that it’s a fake. You can easily snooze notifications or turn off scanning right from your dashboard.

Deepfake Detector shows how much is real and how much is fake. With a browser extension, Deepfake Detector shows what portion of audio was deepfaked, and at what point in the video that content cropped up. Think of it working like a lie detector in the movies. As the video plays, peaks of red lines and troughs of gray lines show you what’s likely a fake and what’s likely real.

Our new role in the face of AI and malicious deepfakes

As AI-detection technology continues to advance, the responsibility also falls on us, collectively, to keep an eye out for fakes. Especially the glut of malicious deepfakes we now face.

The key to navigating this new era of AI is awareness. Indeed, tools will help us spot deepfakes. Yet we can count on ourselves to spot them too.

First off, we need to realize just how easy it is to create a deepfake. Keeping that in mind keeps us on guard. Next, when we see that celebrity gushing about a miracle cure or another promoting a screaming great deal, we know to stop and think before we act.

From there, we have plenty of excellent and reputable fact-checking resources that can help us get to the truth. Snopes, Reuters, Politifact, the Associated Press, and FactCheck.org all offer great ways to find out if what we’re seeing and hearing is true, false, or somewhere in between.

And with this kind of awareness in mind, we’ve launched the McAfee Smart AI Hub. We see the rise of malicious deepfakes as a major concern. It’s a security concern. An identity theft concern. A health concern. An election concern. And a family concern as well. We created the hub with these in mind and established it as a place where you can learn about the latest AI threats. Additionally, it’s a place where you can join the fight against malicious deepfakes by turning in the ones you find online.

While the advent of AI brings remarkable benefits, it also introduces complex challenges. As we move forward, balancing innovation with ethical considerations and consumer protection will be paramount. Without a doubt, we’ll continue to follow it all closely here in our blogs.

As for the Tom Hanks deepfakes, if something seems too good to be true, like miracle advice, it probably is. Stay curious, stay cautious.

[i] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/states-take-lead-regulating-ai-elections-within-limits

The post Tom Hanks Warns Fans: The Dark Side of AI Scams  appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Let’s be honest, talking to your kids about identity theft isn’t probably top of your list. There’s a long list of topics to cover off when you are a parent. But if you take a minute to picture someone stealing your child’s identity or using their personal information to take out a loan for a shiny new car then you’ll probably want to move it closer to the top of your parenting to-do list!

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when a person’s personal identifying information is used without their permission, usually to commit fraud by making unauthorised purchases or transactions. Identity theft can happen in many ways, but its victims are usually left with significant damage to their finances, credit score, and even their mental health.

Most people associate identity theft with data breaches – think Optus, Latitude Financial, and Medibank – however, there are many more ways that scammers can get their hands on your personal identifying details. They can use ‘phishing’ emails to get information from you, do a deep dive on your social media accounts to find identifying information in posts or photos, hack public Wi-Fi to access any information you share, or simply, steal your wallet or go through your trash!!

How Big An Issue Is It Really?

In short, it’s a big problem – for both individuals and organisations. And here are the statistics:

• 94,000 cybercrime reports were made in the 2022/23 financial year, an increase of nearly 13% from the previous year, according to The Annual Cyber Threat Report by The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).
• A recent study by The Australian Cybercrime Survey showed that 31% of respondents had experienced identity crime in their lifetime and 20% within the previous 12 months. Just under half of the victims reported that they had noticed suspicious transactions on their bank statements. Although 25% of respondents couldn’t identify how their information was stolen, 16% attributed it to the hacking of a computer or device.
• 10 million Australians had their personal details stolen in the Optus data breach in September 2022.
• 7 million Australians also had personal data stolen in the Medibank data breach in October 2022.
• 14 million Australians had their personal information stolen in the Latitude Financial data breach in March 2023.

How Do You Know If You’re a Victim?

One of the biggest issues with identity theft is that you often don’t immediately know that you’re a victim. In some cases, it might take weeks before you realise that something is awry which unfortunately, gives the thief a lot of time to wreak havoc! Some of the signs that something might be wrong include:

• Unfamiliar charges to your bank account
• Calls and texts about products or services that you’ve never used
• You’re denied credit
• Strange emails in your inbox
• Not receiving expected mail
• Unexpected calls or letters from debt collectors

What To Do If You Think You’re a Victim

The key here is to act as soon as you believe you are affected. Don’t stress that there has been a delay in taking action – just take action now! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Call Your Bank

Your first call should be to your bank so they can block the affected account. The aim here is to prevent the scammer from taking any more money. Also remember to block any cards that are linked to this account, either credit or debit.

2. Change Your Passwords

If your identity has been stolen then it’s highly likely that the scammer knows your passwords so change the passwords for the affected accounts straight away!! And if you have used this same password on any other accounts then change these also. If you can’t remember, you can always reset the passwords on key accounts just to be safe.

3. Report It

It may feel like a waste of time reporting your identity theft, but it is an important step, particularly as your report becomes a formal record – evidence you may need down the track. It may also prevent others from becoming victims by helping authorities identify patterns and hopefully, perpetrators.  If you think your personal identifying information has been used, report it to the Australian authorities at ReportCyber.

4. Make a Plan

It’s likely you’re feeling pretty overwhelmed at what to do next to limit the damage from your identity theft – and understandably so! Why not make a contract with IDCARE? It’s a free service dedicated to assisting victims of identity theft – both individuals and organisations – in Australia and New Zealand.

How Do We Talk To Our Kids About It?

If there is one thing I have learned in my 20+ years of parenting, it is this. If you want to get your kids ‘onboard’ with an idea or a plan, you need to take the time to explain the ‘why’. There is absolutely no point in asking or telling them to do something without such an explanation. It is also imperative that you don’t lecture them. And the final ingredient? Some compelling statistics or research – ideally with a diagram – my boys always respond well to a visual!

So, if you haven’t yet had the identity theft chat with your kids then I recommend not delaying it any further. And here’s how I’d approach it.

Firstly, ensure you are familiar with the issue. If you understand everything I’ve detailed above then you’re in good shape.

Secondly, arm yourself with relevant statistics. Check out the ones I have included above. Why not supplement this with a few relevant news stories that may resonate with them? This is your ‘why’.

Thirdly, focus on prevention. This needs to be the key focus. But don’t badger or lecture them. Perhaps tell them what you will be doing to minimise the risk – see below for your key ‘hot tips’ – you’re welcome!

What You Can Do To Manage Identity Theft?

There are a few key things that you can do today that will both minimise your risk of becoming a victim and the consequences if you happen to be caught up in a large data breach.

1. Passwords

Managing passwords for your online accounts is one of the best risk management strategies for identity theft. I know it’s tedious, but I recommend creating a unique and complex 10+ digit password for each of your online accounts. Tricky passwords make it harder for someone to get access to your account. And, if you use the same login details for each of your online accounts – and your details are either leaked in a data breach or stolen – then you could be in a world of pain. So, take the time to get your passwords sorted out.

2. Think Before You Post

Sharing private information about your life on social media makes it much easier for a scammer to steal your identity. Pet names, holiday destinations, and even special dates can provide clues for passwords. So, lock your social media profiles down and ensure your privacy settings are on.

3. Be Proactive – Monitor Your Identity Online

Imagine how good it would be if you could be alerted when your personal identifying information was found on the Dark Web. Well, this is now a reality! McAfee’s latest security offering McAfee+ will not only protect you against threats but provide 24/7 monitoring of your personal details so it can alert you if your information is found on the Dark Web. And if your details are found, then advice and help may also be provided to remedy the situation. How good!!

4. Using Public Computers and Wi-Fi With Caution

Ensuring you always log out of a shared computer is an essential way of keeping prying eyes away from your personal identifying information. And always be super careful with public Wi-Fi. I only use it if I am desperate and I never conduct any financial transactions, ever! Cybercriminals can ‘snoop’ on public Wi-Fi to see what’s being shared, they can stage ‘Man in The Middle Attacks’ where they eavesdrop on your activity, or they can lure you to use their trustworthy sounding Wi-Fi network – designed purely to extract your private information!

5. Monitor Your Bank Accounts

Why not make a habit of regularly checking your bank accounts? And if you find anything that doesn’t look right contact your bank immediately to clarify. It’s always best to know if there is a problem so you can address it right away.

With so many Aussies affected by data breaches and identity theft, it’s essential that our kids are armed with good information so they can protect themselves as best as possible. Why not use your next family dinner to workshop this issue with them?

Till Next Time

Stay Safe Online

Alex

The post How to Talk To Your Kids About Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Microsoft Corp. today released updates to fix at least 79 security vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and related software, including multiple flaws that are already showing up in active attacks. Microsoft also corrected a critical bug that has caused some Windows 10 PCs to remain dangerously unpatched against actively exploited vulnerabilities for several months this year.

By far the most curious security weakness Microsoft disclosed today has the snappy name of CVE-2024-43491, which Microsoft says is a vulnerability that led to the rolling back of fixes for some vulnerabilities affecting “optional components” on certain Windows 10 systems produced in 2015. Those include Windows 10 systems that installed the monthly security update for Windows released in March 2024, or other updates released until August 2024.

Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at Tenable, said that while the phrase “exploitation detected” in a Microsoft advisory normally implies the flaw is being exploited by cybercriminals, it appears labeled this way with CVE-2024-43491 because the rollback of fixes reintroduced vulnerabilities that were previously know to be exploited.

“To correct this issue, users need to apply both the September 2024 Servicing Stack Update and the September 2024 Windows Security Updates,” Narang said.

Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive Labs, said the root cause of CVE-2024-43491 is that on specific versions of Windows 10, the build version numbers that are checked by the update service were not properly handled in the code.

“The notes from Microsoft say that the ‘build version numbers crossed into a range that triggered a code defect’,” Breen said. “The short version is that some versions of Windows 10 with optional components enabled was left in a vulnerable state.”

Zero Day #1 this month is CVE-2024-38226, and it concerns a weakness in Microsoft Publisher, a standalone application included in some versions of Microsoft Office. This flaw lets attackers bypass Microsoft’s “Mark of the Web,” a Windows security feature that marks files downloaded from the Internet as potentially unsafe.

Zero Day #2 is CVE-2024-38217, also a Mark of the Web bypass affecting Office. Both zero-day flaws rely on the target opening a booby-trapped Office file.

Security firm Rapid7 notes that CVE-2024-38217 has been publicly disclosed via an extensive write-up, with exploit code also available on GitHub.

According to Microsoft, CVE-2024-38014, an “elevation of privilege” bug in the Windows Installer, is also being actively exploited.

June’s coverage of Microsoft Patch Tuesday was titled “Recall Edition,” because the big news then was that Microsoft was facing a torrent of criticism from privacy and security experts over “Recall,” a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature of Redmond’s flagship Copilot+ PCs that constantly takes screenshots of whatever users are doing on their computers.

At the time, Microsoft responded by suggesting Recall would no longer be enabled by default. But last week, the software giant clarified that what it really meant was that the ability to disable Recall was a bug/feature in the preview version of Copilot+ that will not be available to Windows customers going forward. Translation: New versions of Windows are shipping with Recall deeply embedded in the operating system.

It’s pretty rich that Microsoft, which already collects an insane amount of information from its customers on a near constant basis, is calling the Recall removal feature a bug, while treating Recall as a desirable feature. Because from where I sit, Recall is a feature nobody asked for that turns Windows into a bug (of the surveillance variety).

When Redmond first responded to critics about Recall, they noted that Recall snapshots never leave the user’s system, and that even if attackers managed to hack a Copilot+ PC they would not be able to exfiltrate on-device Recall data.

But that claim rang hollow after former Microsoft threat analyst Kevin Beaumont detailed on his blog how any user on the system (even a non-administrator) can export Recall data, which is just stored in an SQLite database locally.

As it is apt to do on Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Adobe has released updates to fix security vulnerabilities in a range of products, including Reader and Acrobat, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, ColdFusion, Adobe Audition, and Photoshop. Adobe says it is not aware of any exploits in the wild for any of the issues addressed in its updates.

Seeking a more detailed breakdown of the patches released by Microsoft today? Check out the SANS Internet Storm Center’s thorough list. People responsible for administering many systems in an enterprise environment would do well to keep an eye on AskWoody.com, which often has the skinny on any wonky Windows patches that may be causing problems for some users.

As always, if you experience any issues applying this month’s patch batch, consider dropping a note in the comments here about it.

 

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A North Carolina resident made over $10m in unlawful royalty payments by producing hundreds of thousands of fake songs listened to by bots using AI

Rental hire company Avis has notified 300,000 customers of a data breach