Why We Strongly Advocate Ad Blocking: The Steg Affair

January 25, 2019 by Marc Handelman in Ad Infinitum, Advertising, Information Security, Security Hygiene, Ad Blocking

via Dan Goodin - Security Editor at the beloved Ars Technica, comes further proof of why we proselytize Ad Blocking on enterprise desktop browser deployments, as well as network devices in (and on) all systems.

Furthermore, we strongly advise the implementation of individual element blocking - by user - and, train them on use (within reason) of that toolkit (most ad blocking browser extensions possess user-implemented element blocking).

Advertisement Blocking is absolutely essential (at this time, and is as crucial as anti-malware - becuase, after all, advertising vectored through both browser and application display, as well as email should always be considered pernicious) in the effort to implement, deploy and maintain information security hygiene in the enterprise - and on personal computational devices, as well. Of course, we also advise the utility of centralized ad-filtering, whether by device or software packages, in the datacenter and at home.

Now get back to work.

Les Bloqueurs d'Annonces →

June 07, 2017 by Marc Handelman in Advertising, Malicious Advertising, Malvertising, Information Security

via Catalin Cimpanu's well crafted reportage at Bleeping Computer comes further proof of why you must (if you value your safety whilst traversing the engrossing intarwebs) block advertising and it's concommitant data-gathering code objects (cookies, LSOs, beacons, pixels and what-not) and redirections thereto. Is it any wonder Alphabet Inc.'s Google (NasdaqGS: GOOGL) is now developing adblock code for it's own browser platform - Chrome? And, now Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS: AAPL) will be releasing a new version of Safari with Anti-Tracking Cookie bits we well, Get on with it then.

Google Complicit In Fake Google Maps Site Listings? →

April 19, 2017 by Marc Handelman in Advertising, All is Information, Alternate Attack Vectors, Crime, Web Security, Information Security

Is Google Inc. aka Alphabet Inc (NasdaqGS: GOOG) complicit in the enormous numbers of fake links (of which, redirect users to false and/or fraudulent sites) in Google Maps? Of course they are, as, by definition, they own it. What's worse, the company possesses the in-built capability to police those links to protect it's users, but does not - in reality - do so.

Ad Blocker Data Leakage →

April 18, 2017 by Marc Handelman in All is Information, Data Leakage, Adware, Advertising

Reportedly, there is a method to identify users through the utilization of ad blocking browser plugins and applications. Not particularly surprising, given the already intrusive nature of advertising in general...