Category Archives: Blog

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Microsoft Issues Patches For PrintNightmare Bug

If you’re one of the legions of Windows users, you may be aware that the OS currently has some printer issues. In fact, they’re so severe that the bug has been dubbed “PrintNightmare,” and note that this flaw affects all versions of Windows.

The good news is that Microsoft got to work just after the issue was initially reported, and began issuing patches to fix it. The bad news is that it turned out to be a bit more complicated than anybody realized at the time. In fact, despite already having issued a few new patches, the problem persists for some users.

Microsoft is still at it, and has recently released additional patches for more versions of Windows impacted by the bug. These are Out of Band patches, so you may miss them if all you’re doing is updating via the “Patch Tuesday” series of security updates.

The two issues at the root of the problem are being tracked as CVE-2021-1675 and CVE-2021-34527. If you’ve got one or more users who are still impacted by the bug, the Redmond giant has advised admins to disable the print spooler until a patch that takes care of the issue can be applied.

In the company’s latest update regarding the matter, they write:

“Microsoft identified a security issue that affects all versions of Windows and have expedited a resolution for supported versions of Windows that will automatically be applied to most devices.”

As of now, the company has released patches that should solve the issue for Windows 10 1607 (Enterprise), Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2012.

When these patches are applied, non admin users will be restricted to installing signed print drivers to a print server, but admins will be able to install both signed and unsigned drivers. Admins also have the options to configure the “RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators” such that non admins cannot even install signed drivers if they wish.

Unfortunately, a security researcher named Will Dormann reported via Twitter that he had found a way to bypass the new restrictions the new patches put in place. So this may not be the end of the issue. It is, nonetheless, a big step forward, and a clear sign that the PrintNightmare will soon be ending.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Ransomware Attackers May Target Industrial Machines Soon

Government officials and some internet security researchers have been saying for quite some time now that the nation’s (and the world’s) core infrastructure is at risk. Some examples include the flow of water into cities, the flow of electricity, and the traffic lights that keep city streets relatively organized. All of these depend on the reliable function of Industrial Control Systems, and these, as it turns out, are incredibly easy to hack.

A couple of years ago, hackers brought traffic to a standstill in a city in Texas by hacking the control system for signal lights. Other hackers have attacked water systems, with the effect of denying large numbers of citizens access to clean water for days at a time. We’ve also seen hackers overload transformers and cut power in limited areas of municipalities, and this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

So far, these attacks have been little more than experiments. Small forays into a new frontier designed to test the defenses of the perimeter and see what’s possible.

The results of those initial attacks have revealed glaring weaknesses that, if exploited in a serious and large scale way, could paralyze entire cities, perhaps for weeks at a time. Those hacks, if and when they occur, will absolutely cost lives.

As Bharat Mistry, the technical director of Trend Micro puts it:

“The underground cyber crime economy is big business for ransomware operators and affiliates alike. Industrial Control Systems found in critical national infrastructure, manufacturing and other facilities are seen as soft targets, with many systems still running legacy operating systems and unpatched applications. Any infection on these systems will most likely cause days if not weeks of outage.”

This is a dangerous time, and worse, at present, there is no serious effort being made anywhere to better secure industrial control systems. It’s a ticking bomb that could go off at any time. Sooner or later, a state sponsored group of hackers is going to pull the trigger. Probably sooner than later.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Google Calendar Adds Virtual Meeting For Hybrid Office Workers

The pandemic is slowly fading from the headlines and releasing its grip on the world as the dominant factor in daily life. Now, businesses of all shapes and sizes are beginning to transition away from the pure “work from home” models that most have been employing over the past year.

Based on the early, emerging trends, it doesn’t seem like work life will go back to the way it was before.

Most companies seem to be gravitating toward a hybrid model, where significant percentages of their workforce will work both from home, and from their home offices, dividing their time between the two.

Google certainly seems to think this is the shape of things to come, which is why they’ve recently announced some small but important changes to the RSVP options in Calendar that will be rolling out in the weeks to come. Using these new options, users will be able to accept meeting invitations and indicate whether they’ll be attending in person, or virtually.

Here’s how it will work:

If you plan to attend a meeting virtually, you’ll be able to specify that via a new addition to the drop down menu that’s viewable by the host and other invited guests. It’s not only convenient for invitees, but it’s also a handy bit of information for meeting and event organizers, giving them a better idea of what they can expect from the meeting and allowing them to plan accordingly.

Google’s short-term plans involve making this functionality available in Google Calendar only, but longer term, it will be added to Gmail as well.

The roll out of the new feature has already begun, and by the time you read these words, it may already be available to you. If it isn’t, you won’t have to wait long, because the roll out should be completed over the next couple of weeks.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Fake Apps Stealing Info With Current Cryptocurrency Boom

In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Cryptocurrency markets have been booming in recent months. All of the major currencies have now pulled back from their all time highs, but BitCoin shattered several of its own records recently, as did Ethereum, which crested at a price of more than $3,300. Needless to say, this is causing a surge of interest in the ecosystem, and hundreds of thousands of new players are entering the market.

Unfortunately, this has created an irresistible opportunity for scammers. According to stats collected by Lookout, there are now nearly 200 different apps that bill themselves as cryptocurrency mining platforms, and note that most of these aren’t free apps; customers have to pay to install them.

The researchers at Lookout have identified two different families of apps, which they’ve dubbed “BitScam” and “CloudScam.” The BitScam family of apps claim to turn your mobile device itself into a mining platform, while apps in the CloudScam family claim to connect you to Cloud Mining services.

Of the two, BitScam is the larger, with more than 83k installs, but the smaller CloudScam is growing quickly, and currently has nearly 10k installations. None of the apps in either of the families actually have any cryptomining capabilities. In this case, the scammers are simply leveraging the surge in popularity of cryptocurrency in general and lining their pockets by charging for fake apps that don’t actually do anything.

That’s not completely true, though. The one thing they do is collect personal information from the people who install these apps, sending it back to the apps’ controllers, allowing them to profit in multiple ways.

An effort is underway to remove these apps from major app platforms like the Google Play Store, but as of now, there are still more than two dozen of them available there.

If you’re interested in Cryptocurrency, be very careful about what you install. At the moment, there are as many scammy apps out there as there are legitimate ones.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Chromebooks Get First Optimized Browser Alternative

In the world of internet browsers, most people only think of the Big Three: Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Occasionally, Firefox gets an honorable mention, but there are a whole raft of smaller browsers out there if you’re looking for an alternative to the majors.

Recently, the little Opera browser made a significant change, becoming the first smaller browser to optimize its performance for Chromebooks. If you’re a Chromebook user and looking for some other browser besides Chrome to surf the web with, Opera is an excellent alternative choice!

Chromebooks really took off during the pandemic, with more than 30 million units shipped in 2020. It’s a trend that seems to have caught on, because if projections are correct, then Google is on track to sell another 40 million units this year, which means they’re carving out an increasingly significant segment of the market.

To be clear, if you want to give Opera a try on your Chromebook, it’s not a perfect Chrome replacement as it cannot be set to the Chromebook’s default browser.

Opera does, however, offer a few unique features, including:

  • Five different color schemes to choose from, including both Light and Dark modes.
  • Night Mode, which reduces the contrast based on time of day to help preserve and protect your eyes, minimizing strain.
  • A Crypto Wallet – If you own one or more cryptocurrencies, you’ll love the convenience of having a built in cryptocurrency wallet, and the ability to manage your accounts via a convenient “Quick Launch” button.
  • An ad blocker, built in, which is a very nice touch
  • An integrated VPN for added browsing security
  • Messenger Mode – which gives you quick and easy access to WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Instagram and Twitter, all in a convenient “Messengers” tab on the left side of the browser.
  • And Flow – which allows you to essentially chat with yourself, taking notes, saving links and storing images on the fly

In summary, it’s a very good alternative, and well worth checking out!

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