VPN is good - No it could send you to Jail and a 545K fine

UAE (F)Law:
Whoever uses a fraudulent computer network protocol address (IP address) by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dhs 500,000 and not exceeding Dhs 2,000,000, or either of these two penalties.

For more info:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/28/vpn_users_in_uae_face_544k_fine/

Do you what "Bunker Buster" means? (Hint - it is software Bug)

Put into plain English, this means that the security checks used by the host to stop guests messing with each other’s memory didn’t always work. Full security checks were slowing things down, so a shortcut was programmed that turned out to be inadequate, introducing a loophole for attackers.

In this case, the bug wan’t just a guest-to-guest problem, but a guest-to-host bug. In other words, the guest could mess with the entire server, and thus implicitly with any other guest as well.

For more info:
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/07/28/the-xen-bunker-buster-bug-what-you-need-to-know/

"Think before you Click" - will save us from a lot of trouble but, can we?

Why Phishing still succeeds?

Check out below

Attackers generally take advantage of a combination of five factors when constructing and distributing phishing emails:

1.Timing

Seasonal attacks can be very effective as recipients are likely to be expecting to receive particular messages

2. Emotional status of the target

Attacker might not know which employee is currently under negative stress, there is a good chance that at least one will respond differently due to their level of stress when targeted.

3. Tone of the language used in the email

Specifically design emails to cause alarm but to not give away too much information, hoping instead to prompt the recipient to open the message and follow the instructions within

4. Social media exposure

Many people expose far too much of their personal and professional lives via social networking sites, to the extent that attackers can easily construct a highly convincing message

5. State of mind

Working conditions that lead to exhaustion and/or anxiety can make employees far more susceptible

For More info:

http://www.scmagazine.com/phishing-what-makes-people-click/article/509451/

Can you be arrested for sharing a password?

EFF said language around "authorization" or "ownership" in the ruling opens the possibility that even spouses who use their partner's credentials to access a bank account, or a child using a parent's password to login to Hulu or Amazon, could be swept up by an over-reaching prosecutor.

For more info:
http://www.scmagazine.com/ninth-circuit-ruling-upholds-password-sharing-risk/article/508859/

Python Cheat Sheet from SANS

For those who don't know Python 

SANS has a PDF

https://pen-testing.sans.org/blog/2016/07/05/python-2-7-cheat-sheet-pywars-sec573/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_content=SANSPenTest+BLOG+Python+Cheat+Sheet+SEC573&utm_campaign=SANS+Pen+Test

99 Tech Life Hacks You Should Know

Just a few from the article:

• If you save your Powerpoint presentation in .PPS instead of .PPT, your file goes into slideshow mode when you open it.
• 
  
• Want a quick way to unfreeze a frozen phone? Plug it into its charger.
• 
  
• When booking flights or hotels online, clear cookies before you start looking, or shop in Incognito mode, for lower prices.
• 
  
• Saving an Excel file as an .XLSB will shrink the size by half or 75%.
• 
  
• Someone’s incessant morning alarm is going off but the owner is refusing to get up and turn it off? Call the phone to turn it off for them
• 
  
• Find yourself in a hotel without your charger? Check the TV for a USB plugin.

Check this out
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/tech-life-hacks/

Three Things You Should Avoid on Public Wi-Fi

Sweet and Simple

1. Personal Banking
2. Credit Card Transactions
3. Anything Involving Personal Information

For More info:
http://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/blg/pst-20160630-en.aspx