sman

Don't pay off Ryuk ransomware, warn infoseccers: Its creators borked the decryptor "https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/12/10/ryuk_decryptor_broken_latest_strain/" Oracle DBs particularly vulnerable to fake decryptions, say researchers If you're an Oracle database user and are tempted to pay off a Ryuk ransomware infection to get your files back, for pity's sake, don't. The criminals behind it have broken their own decryptor, meaning nobody will be able to unlock files scrambled by the malicious software. This is according to infosec biz Emsisoft, which warned the latest evolution of Ryuk's decryptor truncates a file footer used by the ransomware to check whether or not a particular file has been fully or partially encrypted. Snatch ransomware reboots PCs in Windows Safe Mode to bypass antivirus apps "https://www.zdnet.com/article/snatch-ransomware-reboots-pcs-in-windows-safe-mode-to-bypass-antivirus-apps/" The authors of the Snatch ransomware are using a never-before-seen trick to bypass antivirus software and encrypt victims' files without being detected. The trick relies on rebooting an infected computer into Safe Mode, and running the ransomware's file encryption process from there. The reason for this step is that most antivirus software does not start in Windows Safe Mode, a Windows state meant for debugging and recovering a corrupt operating system. However, the Snatch crew discovered that they could use a Windows registry key to schedule a Windows service to start in Safe Mode. This service would run their ransomware in Safe Mode without the risk of being detected by antivirus software, and having its encryption process stopped. Surgeons withdraw support for heart disease advice "https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50715156" European clinical guidelines on how to treat a major form of heart disease are under review following a BBC Newsnight investigation. Europe's professional body for heart surgeons has withdrawn support for the guidelines, saying it was "a matter of serious concern" that some patients may have had the wrong advice. Guidelines recommended both stents and heart surgery for low-risk patients. But trial data leaked to Newsnight raises doubts about this conclusion. Newsnight has seen that unpublished data and it shows that under the universal definition, patients in the trial that had received stents had 80% more heart attacks than those who had open heart surgery. The lead researchers on the trial have told Newsnight that this is "fake information". But Newsnight has spoken to experts who say they believe the data is credible. Google Sued Under Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act "https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=51dd0122-9399-48e9-b6ef-fc357760d387" Another day, another suit against a brand name for allegations of violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Plaintiffs’ attorneys are having a field day filing class action lawsuits based on BIPA. Late last week, Google was sued in Cook County, Illinois in a proposed class action, alleging that it violated BIPA by “collecting, storing and using Plaintiffs’ and other similarly situated individuals’…biometrics without informed written consent, in direct violation of BIPA.” The suit alleges that Google is violating BIPA because it is “actively collecting, storing, and using—without providing notice, obtaining informed written consent or publishing data retention policies—the biometrics of millions of unwitting individuals whose faces appear in photographs uploaded to Google Photos in Illinois.”

Shocking news.. Roxette - Marie Fredricksson is no more.. Her 'Joyride' has come to en end.. I'm a great fan of her music and saddened and so will all her fans everywhere. RIP my dear.. You will always live in our hearts.. Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson dies, aged 61 "https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50730052"

Somoving..

Ya. it's blatant abuse of the police rights and snow ome restrictions are in place in 13 states for forfeiture only in criminal conviction.. Jeff Sessions to increase US police powers to seize cash and property from suspects "https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jeff-sessions-police-seizure-directive-cash-property-criminals-forfeitures-a7846441.html" In recent years states have begun to clamp down on the practice. “Thirteen states now allow forfeiture only in cases where there's been a criminal conviction,” said Robert Everett Johnson of the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that represents forfeiture defendants.

hahaha..

Russia banned for four years to include 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup "https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/50710598" Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). It means the Russia flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and football's 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag. Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said the ban was part of "chronic anti-Russian hysteria". "It is obvious that significant doping problems still exist in Russia, I mean our sporting community," he said. "This is impossible to deny. "But on the other hand the fact that all these decisions are repeated, often affecting athletes who have already been punished in one way or another, not to mention some other points - of course this makes one think that this is part of anti-Russian hysteria which has become chronic." Russian president Vladimir Putin said the country had grounds to appeal against the decision.

Even one drink a day may increase cancer risk "https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/even-one-drink-a-day-may-increase-cancer-risk-1.1575904876853" Tokyo: If you thought one-two drinks a day would not do any harm, think again. Researchers in Japan have found that even light alcohol consumption might increase the risk. In the study published in the journal Cancer, the overall cancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero alcohol consumption. The elevated risk appeared to be explained by alcohol-related cancer risk across relatively common sites, including the colorectum, stomach, breast, prostate and esophagus. One drink a day may increase cancer risk, but this expert says you don’t need to stop "https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/one-drink-a-day-may-increase-cancer-risk-but-this-expert-says-you-dont-need-to-stop-224815586.html" In terms of other physical benefits of alcohol, White says there are very few. But while the study may be alarming to those who enjoy a nightly glass of wine or beer, he doesn’t suggest that stopping drinking entirely is necessary. “I think the important thing we're learning here is that even at relatively low levels of consumption, alcohol is not benign,” White tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “But you just have to make the choice about drinking like you would other choices that affect your health — like how much we eat and when.” White adds that doing things that make you happy can also add to your wellbeing. “It could be that, for you, that glass of wine with dinner is just really relaxing and you really enjoy it. That's beneficial,” he says. “You really need to make careful choices about how much alcohol you consume. It doesn't mean that people should avoid drinking if you want to drink.”

Hmm.. I didn't notice that.. yes, unjust laws, which should not be allowed to continue in such arbitrary manner, with a flawed system..

Lazy - Deep purple - one of all time greatest solo

The One-Traffic-Light Town with Some of the Fastest Internet in the U.S. "https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-one-traffic-light-town-with-some-of-the-fastest-internet-in-the-us" Man Loses Home After Failing To Pay $8.41 In Property Taxes "https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2019/12/06/man-loses-home-after-failing-to-pay-841-in-property-taxes/#76a0a5722a20" Hempcrete — the eco-friendly material breathing new life into Australian homes "https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-12-08/carbon-neutral-hempcrete-homes-building-in-popularity/11769446"

Someone found a way to bypass Windows 7 Extended Security Updates checks "https://www.ghacks.net/2019/12/07/someone-found-a-way-to-bypass-windows-7-extended-security-updates-checks/" Someone discovered a way to enable Extended Security Updates on all machines running Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. Support for Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system ends after the January 2020 Patch Tuesday. Small businesses and Enterprises may extend support by up to three years for a price. Small businesses pay Microsoft up to $200 per device and year for extended support, Enterprises up to $200 per user and year. The support program is available already and there are prerequisites that need to be met. Microsoft won't offer the Extended Security Updates program to Home users even though some would pay Microsoft to extend support for Windows 7. Home users may get some security patches created by third-party company 0Patch, but support will be limited and not as extensive -- likely -- as what Microsoft pushes out via the Extended Security Updates program. Note: Microsoft released a test update that administrators may attempt to download and install to verify that the device is eligible for Extended Security Updates. This, and other parameters, may change before the program starts officially in January 2020. Creating backups is highly recommended. bypass security updates checks Devices or users that participate in the Extended Security Updates program need to install an update that verifies eligibility to receive updates after January 14, 2020. Extended Security Updates must be installed online on live systems; they cannot be integrated or installed offline, at least not right now. Users on the My Digital Life forum discovered a way to bypass the Extended Security Updates check. The bypass works with Microsoft's test update but it is unclear if it will also work with "real" updates that the company releases after the January 2020 Patch Day. All that needs to be done currently is to download a small archive from the My Digital Life forum and extract it. The package includes two batch files that enable or disable the bypass on the system, executable files, and the source. Basically, what happens behind the scene is that verification checks return true all the time through manipulation of these checks. One interesting aspect of the hack is that it enables support for all Windows 7 editions, even those that Microsoft does not want to support after January 14, 2020. In other words: Windows 7 Home, Starter or Ultimate editions would be able to receive updates provided by the Extended Security Updates program when the bypass is installed. The developers plan already to extend support to Windows Vista and to support the POSReady 7 SKU which will receive security updates until 2024. (via Deskmodder)

When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away "https://www.santafenewmexican.com/when-a-dna-test-says-you-re-a-younger-man/article_7188f780-196f-11ea-9918-0b9796b09649.html" Three months after his bone marrow transplant, Chris Long of Reno, Nev., learned that the DNA in his blood had changed. It had all been replaced by the DNA of his donor, a German man he had exchanged just a handful of messages with. He’d been encouraged to test his blood by a colleague at the Sheriff’s Office, where he worked. She had an inkling this might happen. It’s the goal of the procedure, after all: Weak blood is replaced by healthy blood, and with it, the DNA it contains. But four years after his lifesaving procedure, it was not only Long’s blood that was affected. Swabs of his lips and cheeks contained his DNA — but also that of his donor. Even more surprising to Long and other colleagues at the crime lab, all of the DNA in his semen belonged to his donor. “I thought that it was pretty incredible that I can disappear and someone else can appear,” he said. Long had become a chimera, the technical term for the rare person with two sets of DNA. The word takes its name from a fire-breathing creature in Greek mythology composed of lion, goat and serpent parts. Doctors and forensic scientists have long known that certain medical procedures turn people into chimeras, but where exactly a donor’s DNA shows up — beyond blood — has rarely been studied with criminal applications in mind. Tens of thousands of people get bone marrow transplants every year for blood cancers and other blood diseases including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia. Although it’s unlikely that any of them would end up as the perpetrator or victim of a crime, the idea that they could intrigued Long’s colleagues at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department, who have been using their (totally innocent) colleague in IT as a bit of a human guinea pig. The implications of Long’s case, which was presented at an international forensic science conference in September, have now captured the interest of DNA analysts far beyond Nevada.

tks., Ron. so, nothing is final and can be annulled by Higher Court..

Tailscale - Connect your devices and services, wherever they are. Tailscale creates a private, encrypted mesh network between your computers, without proxies or intermediaries. "https://tailscale.com/" Deploy new services without changing network settings Spin up a wiki or database without opening a new firewall port or fighting with NAT settings. New deployments are secure by default. Easy access from anywhere Every device on Tailscale gets its own domain name and fixed IP. Access any device as though it was on a local network. Works across firewalls and NATs Advanced NAT traversal and point-to-point connection mean you don’t waste time waiting for the security team to update firewall settings.

Court bans Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram in Germany "https://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&nv=1&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=de&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/urteil-facebook-whatsapp-instagram-verbot-1.4713341&xid=25657,15700021,15700043,15700186,15700190,15700256,15700259,15700262,15700265,15700271,15700283" The Munich district court ruled: Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Facebook Messenger in their current form violate patents that Blackberry holds. It involves several individual functions that are not critical to the operation of the apps. The verdict is not yet final, Blackberry can enforce the ban but already. Facebook declares that it will be more likely to rebuild its apps than to switch them off in Germany. Background is a series of international patent lawsuits filed by Blackberry that have accused the company of being a "patent troll". Millions of Germans use Instagram, Whats app and Facebook. Now, the district court Munich I has decided that the Facebook Group may no longer offer these apps in their current form. In nine cases, the court ruled Thursday that parts of the software violated patents owned by the Canadian company Blackberry. A spokeswoman for the court said: "By the judgments the offer and delivery of the aforementioned applications in the FRG for the use in the FRG is forbidden, as far as they use the patents patent." Facebook can comply with the ban by offering apps "no longer offers and delivers or previously modified so that the specifically attacked functionality is changed." The ruling is not yet final, and the Facebook spokesman said it may appeal. However, the group could still be forced to act because the judgment is "provisionally enforceable". If Blackberry deposits a sum of money with the judiciary or gives Facebook a guarantee as security, Facebook must implement the ban. The money would be a security in the event that the Higher Regional Court Facebook's appeal granted. Then Blackberry would have to compensate for the damage that Facebook could have already incurred. In each case, the court has set an amount between one million and 1.6 million euros as security. Blackberry was not available for comment on Friday. It is unlikely that the company will shut down Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Facebook Messenger in Germany if that security is provided. A spokesperson for the group said, "We will continue to be able to provide all of our apps in Germany." The lawsuits affect a few specific features of our apps, and we already have software updates in place to meet the cease and desist requirements BlackBerry decides to execute it. "

@exile360Good suggestion. maybe MBAM can write to the Senate/very senator as brave has done.

Briton Audrey Schoeman revived after six-hour cardiac arrest "https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50681489" Audrey Schoeman's heart was "dead" for more than six and a half hours A British woman whose heart stopped beating for six hours has been brought back to life in what doctors have described as an "exceptional case". Audrey Schoeman developed severe hypothermia when she was caught in a snowstorm while hiking in the Spanish Pyrenees with her husband in November. Doctors say it is the longest cardiac arrest ever recorded in Spain. Mrs Schoeman, who has made a near-full recovery after the ordeal, says she hopes to be hiking again by spring. The 34-year-old, who lives in Barcelona, began having trouble speaking and moving during severe weather in the Pyrenees, later falling unconscious. Her condition worsened while waiting for emergency services and her husband Rohan believed she was dead. At a press conference on Thursday, Mr Schoeman told Catalan channel TV3: "I was trying to feel a pulse... I couldn't feel a breath, I couldn't feel a heartbeat." When the rescue team arrived two hours later, Mrs Schoeman's body temperature had fallen to 18C. Upon arrival at Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital, she had no vital signs. But the low mountain temperatures which made Mrs Schoeman ill also helped to save her life, her doctor Eduard Argudo has said. "She looked as though she was dead," he said in a statement. "But we knew that, in the context of hypothermia, Audrey had a chance of surviving." Hypothermia had protected her body and brain from deteriorating while unconscious, Mr Argudo said, despite also bringing her to the brink of death. He added: "If she had been in cardiac arrest for this long at a normal body temperature, she would be dead."

Brave warns US Senate & Congress: foreign state actors can use targeted ads to run code on US government computers, exploiting conventional browsers "https://brave.com/malvertising-homeland-security/" Brave has written to the US Senate and Congress Homeland Security Committees about a serious national security vulnerability. In a letter sent to the US Senate and Congress Homeland Security Committees today, Brave warns that conventional web browsers allow foreign state actors to execute code on US government computers by using targeted online ads. US federal agency and employee computers and devices are vulnerable to cyberattack by foreign state actors and criminals using “malvertising”. As the US National Security Agency has reported, “advertising has been a known malware distribution vector for over a decade”. Brave provides the Committees with a comparative table of the security protections of web browsers, and urges them to ensure that every federal employee is provided with a web browser that blocks malvertising by default. Today, Brave launches the next-generation Brave 1.0 on all platforms.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8c and 7c processors will power cheaper ARM laptops "https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/12/5/20997402/qualcomm-arm-midrange-windows-laptop-processors-8c-7c-8cx-snapdragon" Qualcomm has had big ambitions for ARM-powered Windows laptops for years. At its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit, the chipmaker revealed its biggest play yet: the Snapdragon 8c and the Snapdragon 7c, two new processors that are designed to create a new lineup of ARM chips for Windows laptops. The 8c is positioned as a replacement for the Snapdragon 850 processor, Qualcomm’s second-generation Windows ARM chip. The 7c is an entirely new entry-level product that’s meant to compete with budget Windows laptops on the low end of the hardware spectrum. Last year’s 8cx isn’t going anywhere; it’ll remain a top-of-the-line flagship option for those who want the absolute best performance. On the spec side, Qualcomm says that the 8c will offer up to 30 percent improved performance compared to the Snapdragon 850. It’ll feature a Kryo 490 CPU, Adreno 675 GPU, and an integrated X24 LTE modem for connectivity. Manufacturers will also be able to pair it with an X55 5G modem.