Author Archives: techboss

The Complete 2018 CompTIA Certification Training Bundle: Lifetime Access

by

Launch your IT career with 140 hours of CompTIA certification training for just $59.

The Complete 2018 CompTIA Certification Training Bundle offers following 14 extremely comprehensive courses:

CompTIA A+ 220-901
CompTIA A+ 220-902
CompTIA Security+ SY0-401
CompTIA Security+ SY0-501
CompTIA CSA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst)
CompTIA Cloud+
CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-001
CompTIA IT Fundamentals FC0-U51
CompTIA Linux+ XKO-002
CompTIA Mobility+ MB0-001
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner
CompTIA Network+ N10-006

How to protect your WhatsApp account against hacking

by

Despite WhatsApp being end-to-end encrypted, it is possible for the popular chat app to be hacked.

Hackers can get access to the personal data associated with your WhatsApp account by various means.

Here is everything you need to know about how WhatsApp accounts can be hacked and how you can safeguard them against the same.

How to protect your WhatsApp account against hacking

Duping users
How can your WhatsApp account be hacked?
Even though the same WhatsApp number cannot be used on two different mobile devices at the same time, your personal chats can be spied upon via WhatsApp Web.

Hackers just need to acquire your WhatsApp Web QR code. Another way in which WhatsApp accounts are hacked is by registering your WhatsApp number on another device, activating your account, and recovering all your chats.

How to check if your WhatsApp account has been hacked?
Activated accounts
How to check if your WhatsApp account has been hacked?
You can check if your WhatsApp Web is active on an unknown device by clicking on the three dots at the top-right corner of your WhatsApp screen. Go to “WhatsApp Web” and check the list of all open sessions.

Next, if your WhatsApp is displaying the message, “This phone could not be verified,” the account has been registered with your number on another device.

Regain access
What to do if your WhatsApp account has been hacked?
Log out of all active WhatsApp Web sessions and the hacker will instantly lose access to your account.

Deactivate your account by e-mailing the issue to support@whatsapp.com. If you don’t reactivate it in 30 days, it will get deleted.

Delete and reinstall the app so that your account is re-registered with a fresh verification code and automatically logs out from any unauthorized sessions.

Precautions
How to protect your WhatsApp account against hacking?
Enable two-step authentication on your account by going to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account > Enable 2 Step-verification.

This way, if someone tries to activate your account on another device, he will be asked for a security code he won’t know.

Lock WhatsApp with App Lock, so that even if someone catches hold of your phone, he is unable to access WhatsApp.

Guidelines for blocking specific firewall ports to prevent SMB traffic from leaving the corporate environment

by

Summary

Malicious users can use the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol for malicious purposes.
Firewall best practices and firewall configurations can enhance network security by helping to prevent potentially malicious traffic from crossing the enterprise perimeter.
Enterprise perimeter firewalls should block unsolicited communication (from the Internet) and outgoing traffic (to the Internet) to the following SMB-associated ports:
137
138
139
445
More Information
These ports can be used to initiate a connection with a potentially malicious Internet-based SMB server. SMB traffic should be restricted to private networks or virtual private networks (VPNs).
Suggestion
Blocking these ports at the enterprise edge or perimeter firewall helps protect systems that are behind that firewall from attempts to leverage SMB for malicious purposes. Organizations can allow port 445 access to specific Datacenter IP ranges to enable hybrid scenarios where on-premises clients (behind an enterprise firewall) use the SMB port.
Approaches
Perimeter firewalls typically use “Block listing” or “Approved listing” rule methodologies, or both.
Block listing
Allow traffic unless a deny (block listed) rule prevents it.
Example 1
Allow all
Deny 137 name services
Deny 138 datagram services
Deny 139 session service
Deny 445 session service
Source: Guidelines for blocking specific firewall ports to prevent SMB traffic from leaving the corporate environment

Guidelines for blocking specific firewall ports to prevent SMB traffic from leaving the corporate environment

by

Summary

Malicious users can use the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol for malicious purposes.

Firewall best practices and firewall configurations can enhance network security by helping to prevent potentially malicious traffic from crossing the enterprise perimeter.

Enterprise perimeter firewalls should block unsolicited communication (from the Internet) and outgoing traffic (to the Internet) to the following SMB-associated ports:

137
138
139
445

More Information

These ports can be used to initiate a connection with a potentially malicious Internet-based SMB server. SMB traffic should be restricted to private networks or virtual private networks (VPNs).

Suggestion

Blocking these ports at the enterprise edge or perimeter firewall helps protect systems that are behind that firewall from attempts to leverage SMB for malicious purposes. Organizations can allow port 445 access to specific Datacenter IP ranges to enable hybrid scenarios where on-premises clients (behind an enterprise firewall) use the SMB port.

Approaches

Perimeter firewalls typically use “Block listing” or “Approved listing” rule methodologies, or both.

Block listing
Allow traffic unless a deny (block listed) rule prevents it.

Example 1
Allow all
Deny 137 name services
Deny 138 datagram services
Deny 139 session service
Deny 445 session service