What is Spectre? What is Meltdown? We are concerned about Ransomware and WannaCry, but now there is yet another threat at the forefront.
Spectre and Meltdown is another attack on businesses and individuals but through the computer itself. Data can now be stolen through the computer chips that have been manufactured for your processor. The chips were built in to make the computer run faster; however, it manifested vulnerabilities that are extremely hard to counteract. It will not only affect your computer, but your mobile devices (pictures, documents), the cloud, and any form of data of that you possess whether personal or professional.
Is there anything you can do? It is such a widespread issue that vendors are creating various patches to assist with the problem. Jacob Kleinman said, “Companies like Microsoft and Apple, along with chip-makers like Intel and AMD, have been racing to release patches, but it hasn’t been the smoothest process.” (LifeHacker.com) It is not a fix all, but it can help temporarily. However, be mindful that some of the patches can slow your computer. Sadly, the cybercriminals are using the updates to hack, so be mindful of who the updates are coming from. If it’s not the manufacturer, it is most likely a scam. (Stu Sjouwerman)
In life, it’s a constant feeling of, “if it’s not one thing, it’s another!” That statement deems true in the IT world. There are so many unrelenting changes to be better, faster in this still imperfect world and there will always be glitches or mistakes. Spectre, Meltdown, phishing, Ransomware… those are all imperfections that plague the IT world. The best thing we can do is stay aware, become knowledgeable, and if there are any precautions TAKE THEM!
Keep an eye out for any patches that may come out of the Spectre and Meltdown threat. Preview the reviews and read all the data or instructions before applying them or call Metro Networks to do if for you. 559-492-5985