Articles by John P. Mello Jr

Russia has been a prime suspect in recent cyberattacks launched against U.S. government targets. However, Russia has been poked with the other end of the hacker stick For more than two months, hacker attacks originating in China have bedeviled Russia's military and telecom sectors, researchers at Proofpoint revealed last week....

Developers who unknowingly used a malicious tool to code their programs uploaded hundreds of malware-infected apps to the iTunes App Store, according to multiple reports China-based iOS developers reportedly discovered the malware infection last week, and security researchers around the world have analyzed it....

Apple on Thursday released iOS 9, the latest version of its mobile operating system. Although more evolutionary than revolutionary, it has some useful additions.The good news is that iOS 9 works on much of Apple's existing hardware. If your device can run iOS 8, it should be able to run iOS 9. However, some of the software's features are available...

The FBI on Monday warned businesses and consumers to be careful when deploying devices that connect to the Internet of Things As more companies and consumers use IoT devices to improve efficiency and convenience, their connection to the Internet creates opportunities for cybercriminals, the FBI said in a public service announcement....

A New York healthcare provider, California's higher education system and the U.S. Department of Energy have become the latest targets of data bandits The latest massive data breach at a healthcare provider took place at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, which last week revealed that the personal data of more than 10 million people was at risk due to a...

Apple on Monday trumpeted the figures for its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus preorders, saying it's on track to beat last year's first-weekend iPhone sales record of 10 million units, according to multiple press reports Last year's models included Apple's first large screen smartphone, the iPhone 6 Plus....

Netflix reportedly is in the process of dumping its antivirus software and placing all its faith in an alternative solution to protect its more than 60 million subscribers from online nastiness, a move that prompted one pundit to pronounce the death of antivirus software yet again By dropping its service, Netflix was hammering the last nail in anti...

Will size matter? That was the question in many minds on Wednesday, when Apple introduced its new 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet "This is the iPad Pro," announced Apple CEO Tim Cook before an cheering throng at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. "It's the most capable and powerful iPad that we've ever created."

Verizon on Tuesday announced that it was accelerating its efforts to boost wireless connections to 50 times faster than current offerings The company has begun putting the components in place to enable it to begin field testing a new, speedier wireless technology, known as "5G," next year....

Samsung last week plunged into the Internet of Things for the home market, unveiling a new hub to control connected gadgets, home and sleep monitors, and a smart washing machine. The company made the announcements at IFA 2015, a large European trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances ...

When the giant data breach at infidelity website Ashley Madison made headlines last month, the CEO of the site's owner was quick to claim the caper was an inside job He had the attacker's profile and work credentials, Avid Life Media's CEO Noel Biderman told ace cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs. Though not an employee, the individual had accessed ...

Data-robbing malicious software dubbed "KeyRaider" has stolen more than 225,000 valid Apple accounts and thousands of certificates, private keys and purchasing receipts, Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 reported last week. The firm identified the malware in cooperation with WeipTech, which found the accounts on a server while it was analyzing suspiciou...

Qualcomm on Monday announced Snapdragon Smart Protect, a hardware-software product that could make the world a safer place for Android smartphone users Snapdragon Smart Protect, which will become available with Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 820 processor, will provide real-time, on-device machine learning designed to support accurate and effective...

Despite disparaging sales reports, the Apple Watch is closing in on market leader Fitbit, according to an IDC report released Thursday During the second quarter, Apple shipped 3.6 million watches -- 800,000 units behind Fitbit's shipments for the period....

Shadow IT -- the use of unauthorized online services by company employees -- is a concern of cyberwarriors charged with defending business systems against network attacks. There's new evidence that those concerns are justified A new attack vector on business systems leverages the synchronization features of services like Dropbox and Google Drive to...

Online advertising that pushes malicious software to consumers has increased 325 percent over the past year, Cyphort Labs reported Tuesday. Malvertising is adding to what is already a significant problem for online advertisers.

The Ashley Madison hacker gang will be tough to apprehend, based on our informal survey of security experts. The hackers this week dumped nearly 10 gigabytes of stolen personal data onto the Web -- details gleaned from accounts established on the site, which is dedicated to matching up people who want to engage in extramarital affairs "In this case...

Google on Tuesday unveiled OnHub -- a router that is not only good looking but also fast, secure and easy-to-use. It developed the router in partnership with TP-Link "Many of us keep our router on the floor and out of sight, where it doesn't work as well," said Google Group Product Manager Trond Wuellner. "We replaced unruly cords and blinking ligh...

CEO Jeff Bezos on Sunday refuted contentions that Amazon has a draconian workplace culture, which were leveled in a lengthy article published in Saturday's New York Times "The NYT article prominently features anecdotes describing shockingly callous management practices, including people being treated without empathy while enduring family tragedies ...

A clandestine group of sophisticated Chinese hackers have infected scores of sites on the Web and stolen documents from industrial and government organizations with surgical precision, according to a Dell SecureWorks study released last week Dubbed "Threat Group 3390," the cybergang has used infected websites of some 100 organizations across the gl...