Blog Profiles: Computer Security Blogs

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A great IT department is not just for helping to retrieve an unsaved document or resetting a forgotten password, but to be knowledgeable about all security risks to the company. The best way to stay in the know is by following bloggers who know more. These are a few of the blogs that I often go to when looking for information to share on PR Newswire’s tech Twitter feed – @PRNTech.

Zero Day from ZDNet is written by a team of writers, “on top of the latest in software/hardware security research, vulnerabilities, threats and computer attacks.”

I find Zero Day fascinating and the information is never stale. As I was writing this, I learned Amazon forced resets on some of their users’ passwords (but not mine) and a 22-year-old couple from the UK were arrested and detained under suspicion of running a website for malware developers to evade antivirus software.

I also learned that I may not be able to use my Yahoo email unless I turn off my ad blocker. Is it time for Gmail? Maybe since Lucasfilm, Disney, and Google have joined forces to create new, limited run apps and my inbox can now have a Star Wars theme.

Follow ZDNet on Twitter.

Dark Reading is a community of bloggers dedicated to information security professionals. This is a comprehensive news and information hub focusing on IT security and bridging the divide between data protection and user access.

I found it interesting that point-of-sale threats are on the rise and Black Friday was just as much of a risk to consumers from cyber criminals as Cyber Monday. It is also interesting to note that “Chinese cybercriminals have built a business empire as robust as any enterprise in the legal world,” as outlined in A Comprehensive Look At China’s Cybercrime Culture.

Follow DarkReading on Twitter

Troy Hunt, the blog and the man, offers “observations, musings and conjecture about the world of software and technology.” Based in Australia, he is a Microsoft MVP for Developer Security, Pluralsight author, and international speaker.

Hunt also is part of Have I been pwned? (HIBP). The project, a free service for all to use, allows anyone to find out if they’ve been affected by malicious activity on the web. Breaches, traders, plain text passwords, ethical disclosure and 000webhost and No, I cannot share data breaches with you are two recent articles he has written that are directly related to HIBP.

I must admit, most of the musings are way above my head. Hunt’s blog is very technical, but he’s addressing IT professionals about improving security from within a company and breaks down security concepts.

Follow TroyHunt on Twitter.

The Stay Safe Online Blog is from the National Cyber Security Alliance. NCSA’s mission is to empower individuals with the knowledge to stay safe and secure while online at home, school, or at work.

From avoiding cyber security threats at work to covering your digital tracks from data mining, The Stay Safe Online Blog is written with the average computer user and less for the IT professional.

There are many articles that address that the internet is a shared resource and stress that it is a shared responsibility. They don’t just write about the need to be constantly on alert, they also coordinate Data Privacy Day which will be hosted on Jan. 28, 2016. This is an international event to cultivate the need to protect digital citizens’ personal information online.

Follow Stay Safe Online on Twitter.

Before you leave to shop this Cyber Monday, you may be interested to know that today is also Computer Security Day. According to a very outdated website, this day was created in 1988, “to help raise awareness of computer related security issues.”

So, after you read this, but before you shop online, update your passwords, review your security settings, and be careful while on the internet.

P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for news, let us know. We can customize a news feed for you on PR Newswire for Journalists.

Mary Johnson is the office manager in the PR Newswire Cleveland office. You can find her blogging at ineedaplaydate.com or as she overshares on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter at @mryjhnsn.