Today’s topics include a Cisco security team’s effort to disrupt the RIG exploit kit, the reasons why Google is shifting to Oracle’s OpenJDK Java implementation, Microsoft’s announcement that they will no longer offer patches for Internet explorer 8, 9, and 10, and Samsung’s introduction of two premium versions of their Gear s2 Smartwatch.
The RIG exploit kit is under attack, thanks to the efforts of Cisco’s security research group. Among the most popular exploit kits, the RIG kit provides packaged vulnerabilities that cyber-attackers use to infect computers with malware.
Cisco monitored the operations of the RIG exploit kit and discovered that two primary service providers within Russia were hosting much of the operational infrastructure.
Cisco contacted both service providers, and Webzilla immediately shut down the traffic. However, Eurobyte has failed to respond or take any action despite Cisco’s pleas.
Google is switching from the implementation of Java in Android, based on Apache Harmony, to a new one based on Oracle’s OpenJDK.
The reason for the replacement is a matter of debate among developers and industry observers, but most agree that there are technical benefits to the change.
Still, many folks point to the Oracle vs. Google copyright infringement lawsuit, and say Google is making concessions to settle the lawsuit and head off possible future claims.
Microsoft is pruning the Internet Explorer family tree. Next week, the software giant will stop issuing updates and patches for IE8, IE9 and IE10, effectively focusing its development efforts on IE11 and the new default Web browser for Windows 10, Microsoft Edge.
Businesses are being encouraged to upgrade their users to IE11 and avert some of the potential security and compatibility problems that can arise from running unsupported software.
Samsung unveiled two new, fancier editions of its Gear S2 Classic smartwatch, this time encasing the devices in 18-karat rose gold or platinum finishes aimed at fashion-conscious consumers.
The new smartwatches, announced Jan. 6 at CES 2016, are slated for release in February, but prices have not yet been announced. The basic Gear S2 Classic smartwatches retail for $299.99.