Stephen Cobb

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month in America and each year this program brings more and more attention to issues that should be of concern to anyone who uses a computer, plus a low of how-to information, security resources, and awareness-raising events.

Apple Mac OS X users concerned about the Bash vulnerability dubbed Shellshock got some relief late yesterday as Apple published fixes for various versions of OS X. But if you use Mavericks you will need to install 10.9.5 before the Bash fix will work.

The "Bash Bug" or "Shellshock" vulnerability means a wide range of devices, servers and computers, including Mac OS X, will need to be patched to prevent abuse by malicious persons. Here's advice about what to do and links to more in-depth resources.

Home Depot says it was hacked to the tune of 56 million payment cards. What is behind the current wave of cybercrime? This recorded presentation offers answers and some defensive strategies for organizations at risk.

Planning your 2015 budget? Forecasting 2015 sales? Don't forget a plan to survive "adverse events" from hurricanes to viruses, virtual and medical. This recorded webinar will help you get started with business continuity management or BCM.

Some five million people who used their Gmail address as a user name had their passwords published by someone who apparently thinks that's a cool thing to do. Changing you Gmail password now is a good idea.

The blame game rages on in the wake of Celebgate and massive payment card hacks like Home Depot and Target, as though criminals were not the only people responsible for nude photo leaks and data theft.

The privacy and security of medical records is a matter of concern to many Americans now that most are now stored electronically, but is there cause for concern? And who is most concerned?

The risks of using government use of malicious code in cyber conflict are examined in this paper by Andrew Lee and Stephen Cobb: Malware is called malicious for a reason: the risks of weaponizing code.