Lucian Constantin

Romania Correspondent

Lucian Constantin writes about information security, privacy, and data protection for the IDG News Service.

The Latest from Lucian

Shodan search engine starts unmasking malware command-and-control servers

Shodan search engine starts unmasking malware command-and-control servers

There's now a new tool that could allow researchers and companies to quickly block communications between some malware families and their constantly changing command-and-control servers.

Stealthy Mac malware spies on encrypted browser traffic

Stealthy Mac malware spies on encrypted browser traffic

A new malware program that targets macOS users is capable of spying on encrypted browser traffic and stealing sensitive information.

Network management vulnerability exposes cable modems to hacking

Network management vulnerability exposes cable modems to hacking

Hundreds of thousands of internet gateway devices from around the world, primarily cable modems, are vulnerable to hacking because of a serious weakness in their implementation of the Simple Network Management Protocol.

Cloudflare wants to secure IoT connections to the internet

Cloudflare wants to secure IoT connections to the internet

Web optimization and security firm Cloudflare launched a service that could allow IoT manufacturers to protect devices from attacks and deploy patches much quicker.

Companion mobile app exposed Hyundai cars to potential hijacking

Companion mobile app exposed Hyundai cars to potential hijacking

The mobile application that accompanies many Hyundai cars exposed sensitive information that could have allowed attackers to remotely locate, unlock and start vehicles.

Webroot deletes Windows files and causes serious problems for users

Webroot deletes Windows files and causes serious problems for users

Users of Webroot's endpoint security product, consumers and businesses alike, had a nasty surprise Monday when the program started detecting Windows files as malicious.

Russian man receives longest-ever prison sentence in the US for hacking

Russian man receives longest-ever prison sentence in the US for hacking

A 32-year-old Russian hacker was sentenced to 27 years in prison in the U.S. for stealing millions of payment card details from U.S. businesses by infecting their point-of-sale systems with malware.

Phishing attacks using internationalized domains are hard to block

Phishing attacks using internationalized domains are hard to block

The latest version of Google Chrome restricts how domain names that use non-Latin characters are displayed in the browser in response to a recently disclosed technique that could allow attackers to create highly credible phishing...

Drupal fixes critical access bypass vulnerability

Drupal fixes critical access bypass vulnerability

The Drupal project has released a patch to fix a critical access bypass vulnerability that could put websites at risk of hacking.

Flaws let attackers hijack multiple Linksys router models

Flaws let attackers hijack multiple Linksys router models

Two dozen Linksys router models are exposed to attacks that could extract sensitive information from their configurations, cause them to become unresponsive and even completely take them over.

Oracle fixes Struts and Shadow Brokers exploits in huge patch release

Oracle fixes Struts and Shadow Brokers exploits in huge patch release

Oracle released a record 299 security fixes for vulnerabilities in its products, including patches for a widely exploited vulnerability in the Apache Struts framework and a Solaris exploit supposedly used by the U.S. National Security...

Unpatched vulnerability exposes Magento online shops to hacking

Unpatched vulnerability exposes Magento online shops to hacking

An unpatched vulnerability in the Magento e-commerce platform could allow hackers to upload and execute malicious code on web servers that host online shops.

Microsoft fixes 45 flaws, including three actively exploited vulnerabilities

Microsoft fixes 45 flaws, including three actively exploited vulnerabilities

Microsoft released its monthly security updates Tuesday, fixing 45 unique vulnerabilities across its products, three of which are publicly known and two already targeted by hackers.

DNS record will help prevent unauthorized SSL certificates

DNS record will help prevent unauthorized SSL certificates

Starting in September, publicly trusted certificate authorities will have to honor a special Domain Name System (DNS) record that allows domain owners to specify who is allowed to issue SSL certificates for their domains.

Dridex gang uses unpatched Microsoft Word exploit to target millions

Dridex gang uses unpatched Microsoft Word exploit to target millions

The gang behind the Dridex computer trojan has adopted an unpatched Microsoft Word exploit used in attacks for months and used it to target millions of users.

Latest Shadow Brokers exploit dump poses little threat

Latest Shadow Brokers exploit dump poses little threat

None of the new alleged NSA exploits leaked by the Shadow Brokers hacking group poses an immediate threat to users.

Email-based attacks exploit unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Word

Email-based attacks exploit unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Word

Attackers have been exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Word for the past few months to compromise computers and infect them with malware.

IoT malware starts showing destructive behavior

IoT malware starts showing destructive behavior

Hackers have started adding data-wiping routines to malware that's designed to infect internet-of-things and other embedded devices.

Apache Struts 2 exploit used to install ransomware on servers

Apache Struts 2 exploit used to install ransomware on servers

Attackers are exploiting a vulnerability patched last month in the Apache Struts web development framework to install ransomware on servers.

F-Secure buys Little Flocker to combat macOS ransomware

F-Secure buys Little Flocker to combat macOS ransomware

Endpoint security vendor F-Secure has acquired a behavior-based security application for macOS called Little Flocker that was developed by an independent researcher.