Bluefog is a tool that can generate an essentially unlimited number of phantom Bluetooth devices. It can be used to test Bluetooth scanning and monitoring systems, make it more difficult for attackers to lock onto your devices, or otherwise complicate the normal operation of Bluetooth devices. Technically, Bluefog can work with just one Bluetooth adapter, but it works much better when you connect multiple adapters. Up to four radios are currently supported simultaneously.

Bluefog is a tool that can generate an essentially unlimited number of phantom Bluetooth devices. It can be used to test Bluetooth scanning and monitoring systems, make it more difficult for attackers to lock onto your devices, or otherwise complicate the normal operation of Bluetooth devices. Technically, Bluefog can work with just one Bluetooth adapter, but it works much better when you connect multiple adapters. Up to four radios are currently supported simultaneously.

Bluelog is a Bluetooth scanner/logger written with speed in mind. It is intended to be used as a site survey tool, concerned more about accurately detecting the number of discoverable Bluetooth devices than individual device specifics. Bluelog also includes the unique "Bluelog Live" mode, which puts discovered devices into a constantly updating live webpage which you can serve up with your HTTP daemon of choice.

Wi-fEye is designed to help with network penetration testing. It allows the user to perform a number of powerful attack automatically including WEP/WPA cracking, session hijacking and more.

Bluelog is a Bluetooth scanner/logger written with speed in mind. It is intended to be used as a site survey tool, concerned more about accurately detecting the number of discoverable Bluetooth devices than individual device specifics. Bluelog also includes the unique "Bluelog Live" mode, which puts discovered devices into a constantly updating live webpage which you can serve up with your HTTP daemon of choice.

aircrack-ng is a set of tools for auditing wireless networks. It's an enhanced/reborn version of aircrack. It consists of airodump (an 802.11 packet capture program), aireplay (an 802.11 packet injection program), aircrack (static WEP and WPA-PSK cracking), airdecap (decrypts WEP/WPA capture files), and some tools to handle capture files (merge, convert, etc.).

DA-WIN, a wireless IDS, provides an organization a continuous wireless scanning capability that is light touch and simple. It utilizes compact and discreet sensors that can easily be deployed reducing the total cost of protection and simplifying the effort required for absolute, categoric regulatory compliance. This archive includes a dd image to be used on a Raspberry Pi and a user manual.

DA-WIN, a wireless IDS, provides an organization a continuous wireless scanning capability that is light touch and simple. It utilizes compact and discreet sensors that can easily be deployed reducing the total cost of protection and simplifying the effort required for absolute, categoric regulatory compliance. This archive includes a dd image to be used on a Raspberry Pi and a user manual.

The FLIR Brickstream 3D+ sensor is vulnerable to unauthenticated config download and file disclosure vulnerability when calling the ExportConfig REST API (getConfigExportFile.cgi). This will enable the attacker to disclose sensitive information and help her in authentication bypass, privilege escalation and/or full system access.

Synaccess netBooter NP-02x and NP-08x version 6.8 suffer from an authentication bypass vulnerability due to a missing control check when calling the webNewAcct.cgi script while creating users. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to create an admin user account and bypass authentication giving her the power to turn off a power supply to a resource.

This Metasploit module exploits an arbitrary command execution vulnerability in Webmin versions 1.900 and below. Any user authorized to the "Java file manager" and "Upload and Download" fields, to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. In addition, "Running Processes" field must be authorized to discover the directory to be uploaded. A vulnerable file can be printed on the original files of the Webmin application. The vulnerable file we are uploading should be integrated with the application. Therefore, a ".cgi" file with the vulnerability belong to webmin application should be used. The module has been tested successfully with Webmin version 1.900 over Debian 4.9.18.

An exploitable Information Disclosure vulnerability exists in the ACEManager EmbeddedAceGet_Task.cgi functionality of Sierra Wireless AirLink ES450 FW 4.9.3. A specially crafted HTTP request can cause an information disclosure, resulting in the exposure of confidential information, including, but not limited to, plaintext passwords and SNMP community strings. An attacker can make an authenticated HTTP request, or run the binary, to trigger this vulnerability.

An exploitable Permission Assignment vulnerability exists in the ACEManager EmbeddedAceSet_Task.cgi functionality of Sierra Wireless AirLink ES450 FW 4.9.3. A specially crafted HTTP request can cause a arbitrary setting writes, resulting in the unverified changes to any system setting. An attacker can make an authenticated HTTP request, or run the binary as any user, to trigger this vulnerability.

Telus Actiontec WEB6000Q with firmware 1.1.02.22 suffers from a denial of service vulnerability. By querying CGI endpoints with empty (GET/POST/HEAD) requests causes a Segmentation Fault of the uhttpd webserver. Since there is no watchdog on this daemon, a device reboot is needed to restart the webserver to make any modification to the device.

The IDAL HTTP server CGI interface contains a URL, which allows an unauthenticated attacker to bypass authentication and gain access to privileged functions. In the IDAL CGI interface, there is a URL (/cgi/loginDefaultUser), which will create a session in an authenticated state and return the session ID along with the username and plaintext password of the user. An attacker can then login with the provided credentials or supply the string 'IDALToken=......' in a cookie which will allow them to perform privileged operations such as restarting the service with /cgi/restart.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4059-1 - It was discovered that Squid incorrectly handled certain SNMP packets. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to cause memory consumption, leading to a denial of service. This issue only affected Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. It was discovered that Squid incorrectly handled the cachemgr.cgi web module. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to conduct cross-site scripting attacks. Various other issues were also addressed.

Debian Linux Security Advisory 4507-1 - Several vulnerabilities were discovered in Squid, a fully featured web proxy cache. The flaws in the HTTP Digest Authentication processing, the HTTP Basic Authentication processing and in the cachemgr.cgi allowed remote attackers to perform denial of service and cross-site scripting attacks, and potentially the execution of arbitrary code.

This Metasploit module exploits an unauthenticated remote command injection vulnerability found in Barco WePresent and related OEM'ed products. The vulnerability is triggered via an HTTP POST request to the file_transfer.cgi endpoint.

This Metasploit module exploits an authenticated directory traversal vulnerability in Zen Load Balancer version 3.10.1. The flaw exists in index.cgi not properly handling the filelog= parameter which allows a malicious actor to load arbitrary file path.

Government minister Safia Boly outlines efforts to foster entrepreneurship

The CEO of the UN’s Global Compact initiative, Lise Kingo, talks about the sustainability shift in the C-suite, FDI’s role in achieving the SDGs and how CEOs can address common risks.

The UK is the Europe's leading destination for foreign investment in green energy, followed by Spain, finds fDi’s Top European Locations for Renewable Energy Investment.

The Inland Empire, which encompasses 27,000 square miles in Southern California, has one of the highest rates of poverty in the U.S.'s twenty-five largest metropolitan areas. One in five people there live at the poverty level. Smooth Transition, Inc., is a nonprofit educational and vocational training organization that has been working with local at-risk populations since 2009. It aims to provide a gateway towards empowerment, educational, and employment opportunities to lead a fulfilling, prosperous, and purposeful life.

Breaking Harmful Cycles

Smooth Transition began working to reach at-risk teens early — before they dropped out of high school or left the foster care system. It later expanded its program to include all at-risk populations, including displaced adults, as a means to better help the community. Smooth Transition's life skills development and educational training increase levels of employability. Its mentorship helps prevent its clients from re-entering the foster and judicial system or repeating poverty and homelessness cycles.

The nonprofit provides flexible and relevant programs that are accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Its programs are directly tied to career pathways and provide students with vocational certifications at little or no cost to them. Graduates have a high completion rate as compared with other programs that serve at-risk populations. But students also come away with significant increases in their perceived self-value and a decrease in perceived barriers to success.

Keeping the Computer Labs Secure

In 2016, Smooth Transition served roughly 2,800 people with just four full-time staff members. Many of its programs are computer-based and require that its computer labs serve multiple uses and multiple users. One of the organization's board members manages its IT needs on a volunteer basis. He recommended Symantec's Norton Small Business, and the organization has been using it on its systems since it was founded.

Symantec's donation of antivirus protection — through TechSoup — has enabled the nonprofit to safely use its computer labs and has increased the number of programs and services it can offer to its students. According to Dr. Robin Goins, president and executive director of Smooth Transition, "The donations we receive are the foundation of our success, and we cannot express enough the generational and community impact the Symantec donations provide us. Smooth Transition is an appreciative recipient of the donations we received from Symantec and we look forward to providing even more impactful community programs as a result."

Goins goes on to describe how Smooth Transition's testing centers are networked, with students taking roughly 250,000 different kinds of exams. She worried that without security in the testing centers, the tests would be disrupted, causing a very serious problem. "If we have things disrupting our classes it costs us money. It also costs students the ability to complete their work. Having viruses attack us would be catastrophic for us."

Goins points out that Norton Small Business also helps protect confidential information. "As a school, we're required to protect the identity of our students and a lot of their demographic information," she said.

Smooth Transition will continue to work throughout the Inland Empire to provide flexible training and resources for those who don't fit the traditional education model. Though it faces many challenges in providing students with real, relevant work tools and skills, its staff is relieved, knowing that its systems and data are protected.

spanhidden

In this age of increasing hacks and cybercrime, the Norman Rockwell Museum has a lot of digital assets, museum operations data, and private patron data that need to be protected. Find out why Frank Kennedy, IT manager at the Rockwell museum, chose Veritas Backup Exec to be a key part of the museum's security strategy.

About the Museum

Norman Rockwell is one of the great iconic painters and illustrators of American life in the 20th century. His hundreds of covers for the Saturday Evening Post magazine alone are a national treasure. The Norman Rockwell Museum is located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Rockwell spent the last part of his celebrated life. The museum started two years before Rockwell's death in 1978 and houses over 100,000 of his works and also those of other illustrators.

The museum now has 140,000 annual visitors, and 220,000 people view its traveling exhibitions each year. It also has an active website with more than 600,000 worldwide unique visitors per year.

The Museum's IT System

IT Manager Frank Kennedy is an IT department of one (plus an occasional contractor). He supports 90 staff and volunteers and is responsible for critical information security and data protection for the museum.

The museum's IT network consists of several large physical servers and many single-purpose virtual machines. The single-purpose virtual machines allow for emergency service without disrupting other departments.

Frank says, "Most of our enterprise software is procured via TechSoup, which makes it affordable to license so many servers! We do not have to make do with weak, low-budget software."

Digital Assets: Preserving Art over the Long Term

Frank Kennedy explains that digital assets are of increasing importance in the work of museums. There are high-resolution images or copies of art works that must be carefully stored to preserve work in its best condition. He says that digital versions are often irreplaceable, as when the original object is disintegrating or would be damaged by further handling.

The digital versions keep a faithful record of the art in its best state. The most sensitive objects of this museum include a collection of Rockwell's cellulose nitrate film negatives, which deteriorate over time.

The museum also has analog audio and video tape and motion picture film that deteriorates, as well as works on paper that degrade with exposure to light. Other crucial data for the museum includes databases for collection management, point of sale records, donor management, and email.

Frank's backup system is designed to be redundant on purpose. He says, "Protecting this data means keeping many copies in many places. Doing so becomes a big challenge when the size of the data becomes several terabytes. I use many layers of redundancy."

The Backup Crisis

As the museum's data got bigger and bigger, and server patches piled on, the museum's previous backup solution eventually became unstable. Frank reports that his backups were failing constantly and causing him stress in his careful, risk-based management approach. When he first went to get a new backup solution from TechSoup, he discovered that what he needed was not available.

He says, "The cost for the options I use would have been over $4,000 per year, unbudgeted. TechSoup responded to users' desperate cry and worked with Veritas to bring Backup Exec back to TechSoup! I can't even describe my relief. Veritas Backup Exec is better than ever. It is so stable that I get suspicious and have to go look just to be sure it's really working!"

Why the Norman Rockwell Museum Chose Backup Exec over Other Options

Frank told me that the license he gets from TechSoup includes every option his museum needs. These options and features include

• Exchange Server backup
• Unlimited media server backups
• Unlimited agents for specific applications like VMware, Windows, Linux, and so on
• Simplified disaster recovery
• Protection against accidental deletion, damage, or overwriting
• Storing backups to disk, network share, tape (any type), or cloud — or all four at once
• Virtual machine snapshots that are viewable directly from the host's agent
• A deduplication engine so backed-up data is as clean as possible
• Backup retention periods that can be defined per job and per media server
• An excellent graphical user interface
• The status of every backed-up resource available at a glance
• Sending an email to the admin when anything goes wrong
• Running several jobs simultaneously (depending on server horsepower)

Advice for Museums and Other Organizations Considering Veritas Backup Exec

• Backup Exec is powerful software geared toward backing up an entire network. It requires some study to do the installation and learn the software.
• You don't get phone support with the charity licensing, so you need to be comfortable Googling for answers and working in the Veritas community support forum.
• Frank recommends dedicating a strong server for running the software. He likes eight cores and 32 GB of RAM; hot-swappable, hot-growable RAID-5; fast network connectivity; and a very large uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
• Avoid the temptation to install other services or applications on what seems to be a machine that is often idle.

In a Nutshell

Frank's experience is that "Veritas Backup Exec is the best, most reliable, most flexible, and versatile backup software you can get. Commit the needed resources to operate it, and you will be rewarded with peace of mind and business continuity. Your donors will be pleased that you are protecting their investment so carefully."

Image: Norman Rockwell Museum / All rights reserved / Used with permission

spanhidden

Eighty-one percent of Americans have social media accounts, and that number is expected to grow each year. Nearly all brands have a social presence, and libraries are no different. Libraries are using social platforms now more than ever before.

The New York Public Library has 2.2 million followers on Twitter, more followers than the celebrity Kathy Griffin. Social media is playing a significant role in helping libraries stay relevant in our ever-growing digital society.

TechSoup recently teamed up with WebJunction to find out the details on how libraries are using social media. We wanted to know how often libraries are using platforms and what some of their biggest challenges are. We surveyed 311 libraries throughout the country and found out some interesting things.

In our survey, we found that 55 percent of respondents serve fewer than 25,000 patrons, so nearly half of the respondents were smaller libraries, probably mostly in rural areas. We found that libraries are using social, and they are eager to grow their channels.

More than half (55.7 percent) of libraries spend less than 5 hours per week on social media, and 28 percent spend only 6 to 10 hours a week.

Libraries use Facebook more than any other social platform. Twitter is the next most popular platform, and then Instagram.

Forty-four percent of libraries post daily on Facebook, and 25 percent also post daily on Twitter.

Libraries are using social media to share events and pictures, educate people about services, highlight their collections, and support other libraries.

Growing followers and finding staff support are some of libraries' biggest social media challenges.

Learn How to Grow Your Library's Social Media Channels with Our WebJunction Webinars

Registration is now open for the Social Media and Libraries Webinar Series, hosted by WebJunction and TechSoup for Libraries in collaboration. We'll help you build a social media strategy, including how to select platforms that work with different types of library content to create brand awareness, increase traffic, and meet community goals. This series will highlight social media best practices to keep patrons and library staff engaged, develop measurable goals, and cultivate new readers and learners in your community.

On October 24, join us to learn how libraries can effectively use social media tools, even with limited staff and time. Learn how to identify the appropriate social media platforms to market library services and events, and how to integrate best social media practices in your library's marketing plan. We'll help you build a foundation for your social media strategy and provide practical ideas and tactics for immediate use in your library.

Register for October 24

On November 30, join us to learn all about social media analytics. Now that you are using social media to engage with your community, how do you know if it's working? If you don't know where to start when planning your social media metrics, join us to learn the best methods to measure your library's social media outcomes. During this event, you will learn how to establish measurable goals, identify key performance indicators (KPIs), and evaluate your social media results

Register for November 30

On December 19, join us to learn how to take the next steps toward amplifying your library's social media program. During this third webinar in our social media series, we'll discuss best practices in growing your library's social media program and managing user engagement. You'll learn tips on assessing the members of your library's audience based on their preferred platforms, and ideas for converting your in-person library community into an online community.

Register for December 19

How Is Your Library Using Social Media?

Our survey is still going on! Take our survey and tell us how your library is using social media.

spanhidden

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Older adults are at an increased risk of lacking company and being socially isolated. Recent studies prove that a lack of social relationships is as strong a risk factor for mortality as are smoking, obesity, or a lack of physical activity. Enter Little Brothers.

Little Brothers is an effort dedicated to spreading awareness and relieving isolation and loneliness in elders, a problem that often goes unseen. Little Brothers is in 7 U.S. cities and 10 countries worldwide. Its mission is carried out by more than one nonprofit organization.

Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly San Francisco facilitates more than 4,000 friendly visits a year. Volunteers are matched with elders in San Francisco, and they form and build a relationship through home visits, outings, or common interests.

We recently met with Andrew Butler, the program manager at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly San Francisco. He explained that many volunteers form a relationship with an elder, and their stereotypes about older people are quickly broken down.

"A lot of what we do is creating awareness. I think a lot of the information that we share through training or events really inspires people," said Butler. He also suggested that we speak with a member of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly San Francisco, Andy Morgan, to get a proper feel for the organization.

Andy Morgan is a highly spiritual 86-year-old who loves to read. Originally from Transylvania, Andy came to San Francisco in 1962 and has worked a variety of jobs throughout his life.

However, he stresses that he has never defined himself by what he did for a living. Aside from books and his spirituality, Andy values personal relationships and enjoys company.

Our conversation with Andy revealed why Little Brothers' impact matters so much.

I wanted to ask if you have any main visitors.

Andy Morgan: Yeah! I have one main visitor come every week. Rain or shine, he comes and sees me. He brings me food from Trader Joe's, and he does my laundry.

Wow, that's a sweet deal. Would you share a particular visit that has stuck with you over the years?

There's nothing that stands out; every visit is enjoyable. What we usually do is grab a spiritual book, you know, all those books over there are on spirituality, and we read from it and then we discuss it. I've been on the spiritual path since the 1960s, so if he has any questions, I can try and clarify.

I was wondering what makes you happy.

What makes me happy? Knowing that my within-ness, that which makes me breathe and which makes me exist, is pure joy and pure love. When you do a lot of meditation, something opens up within you, and I just feel, practically all the time, this feeling of love and joy and peace.

Of course no one can maintain that 24/7, but I can always come back. If something goes wrong, I can just remind myself of my true nature.

That's beautiful. Thank you so much for opening your home to us.

My pleasure; it's been a joy having you guys. Could I just read you one very short poem? It says …

Be as a Flower

Truth is very simple
A flower does not try to be beautiful.
Its True Nature is Beauty.
Just by its Very Being.

In the same way, when you Awaken
To your true nature,
You will naturally exude Love,
Compassion, Beauty.
It is all you.
For it is your True Self.

(poem by Robert Adams)

TechSoup is proud to support our member, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly San Francisco, in its mission to spread awareness about and help elders at risk of loneliness and isolation. There are incredible people like Andy all over the world who are at risk of being forgotten. But they should never be. TechSoup provides technology and services to Little Brothers staff members to help run their nonprofit so that they can focus on fighting the effects of elder isolation.

spanhidden

4

In Week 1 of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) we looked at spoofed emails, cybercriminals' preferred method of spreading malware. Today, in an effort to provide you with the best information out there to keep you safe online, we're hitting you with a double dose of cybersafety news.

Let's take look at the topics for Week 2 and 3 of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: malware and password security. They're separate but related issues in the world of Internet crime prevention, and a better understanding of each is key to protecting your property and personal information in today's digital world.

Malware

Malware is an umbrella term used to describe software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems. If you'd like, you can take a moment and watch this video on malware from Norton Security. But the best way to begin protecting yourself against this stuff is to learn about all the different types of malware that can affect your computer. There are tons, so we'll just go over the broader categories for now.

Viruses: Malicious bits of code that replicate by copying themselves to another program, computer boot sector, or document and change how a computer works. Viruses are typically attached to an executable file or program and spread once a user opens that file and executes it.

Worms: They're like viruses, but are different in terms of the way they're spread. Worms typically exploit a vulnerability or a weakness that allows an attacker to reduce a system's information assurance. Missed that last Windows update? You might be more vulnerable to worms.

Trojans: These look like legitimate pieces of software and are activated after a user executes them. Unlike a virus or a worm, a trojan does not replicate a copy of itself. Instead, it lurks silently in the background, compromising users' sensitive personal data.

Ransomware: This refers to a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their system, either by locking the system's screen or by locking or threatening to erase the users' files unless a ransom is paid. You may recall the WannaCry attack that affected users across the globe this summer, only to be thwarted by the accidental discovery of a "kill switch" that saved people from the malicious software.

Spyware: This malware collects your personal information (such as credit card numbers) and often passes this information along to third parties online without you knowing.

You can check out more descriptions and examples of the types of malware that exist today at MalwareFox, a malware detection and removal software program.

Tips for Protecting Yourself Against Malware

Staying malware-free doesn't require an engineering degree. You can greatly reduce, if not completely eliminate, your chances of falling victim to malware by following these easy tips.

• Keep your operating system current.
• Keep your software up to date, particularly the software you use to browse the Internet.
• Install antivirus and security software and schedule weekly scans. At TechSoup, we're protected by Symantec Endpoint Protection. At home, there are dozens of solutions you can use to protect yourself (PCMag lists many here).
• Mind where you click. Think twice before you download torrent videos or free Microsoft Office templates from some random website.
• Avoid public, nonpassword, nonencrypted Wi-Fi connections when you can. Use a VPN when you cannot.

Spread the Word

Let people know that TechSoup is helping you become more #CyberAware by sharing a message on your social media channels. If you tag @TechSoup on Twitter, we'll retweet the first two tweets. Remember, we're all in this together.

Password Security

Now that we've covered the nasty stuff that can make your life miserable if it ends up on your computer, let's go over some password security tips to help prevent malware from getting there in the first place. Using best practices when it comes to protecting your passwords is a proven way to protect your personal and financial information. Curious how knowledgeable you already are? Watch this video and take this quiz to enter a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card!

First, let's go over some facts.

• Passwords are the first line of defense to protect your personal and financial information.
• A weak password can allow viruses to gain access to your computer and spread through TechSoup's or your family's network.
• It's estimated that 73 percent of users have the same password for multiple sites and 33 percent use the same password every time. (Source: Digicert, May 2014)
• Despite a small sample size of 1,110 U.S. adults, a recent YouGov survey still found that 28 percent of adults use the same passwords for most of their online accounts. (Source: Business Insider, October 2017).

Best Practices for Effective Password Protection

One great way to better protect yourself is by opting for a passphrase, which is much more difficult to crack than a single-word password. Here are some guidelines to creating one.

• Pick a famous quote or saying and use the first letter of each word.
• Add a number that you can remember.
• Capitalize one letter.
• Make it unique by adding the first letter of your company's name to the beginning or end of the passphrase.
• Make it between 16 and 24 characters.

You should never write your password down, but if you must, never store user IDs and passwords together. Finally — even though it might seem unwieldy — you should always use a different password for each site that requires one. In today's world, everything is connected. A savvy hacker can easily breach your bank account, email, and medical records in one fell swoop if you're using the same password for all three.

Additional Cybersecurity Resources

In case you missed it, take a look at last week's post on recognizing suspicious emails.

Need a little inspiration? Find out how TechSoup and Symantec are making a difference in the lives of at-risk teens.

Get more security tips from the National Cyber Security Alliance. National Cyber Security Alliance Month — observed every October — was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. Find out how you can get involved.

spanhidden

(Please visit the site to view this video)

If you're a frequent visitor to our site, you might notice a few changes in the coming weeks. That's because we're making some big improvements and are proud to announce the upcoming launch of the newly redesigned TechSoup.org.

As a social enterprise, we never stop working to better serve nonprofits that share in our commitment to building a more equitable planet. In fact, TechSoup currently works with more than 965,000 NGOs in 236 countries and territories and has facilitated over $9 billion in U.S. market value of in-kind technology and funding.

To that end, we've created a refreshed, modern web presence to streamline access to all our traditional and beloved products and services. It will also serve as the place where TechSoup technologies and services are first announced.

The new TechSoup.org has been optimized for mobile devices, so you'll be able to experience all the new functionality wherever you go. We've also built the site with accessibility in mind on several fronts. And we're launching a new blog.

Our new website will officially go live in early November.

A Streamlined User Experience

Nonprofits who are regular visitors to TechSoup will find a streamlined catalog that makes finding product offers and solutions easier and more efficient. Additionally, the home page has been reconfigured, sending a clearer message of who we are and what we offer as an organization.

"We reduced clutter and developed a cleaner, simpler user experience with more breathing room in the interface to encourage users to do what they are intended to do on the site," says TechSoup head of user experience Tyler Benari. "It will now be easier to benefit from offerings available in and out of our catalog, interact with others in the nonprofit community, and gain access to other TechSoup services."

Maximized for Mobile

TechSoup's updated website will be maximized for mobile devices, allowing nonprofit staffers to take advantage of the many offers on TechSoup.org right from their phone or tablet.

"It's an exciting time," Benari says. "We will now be able to literally get TechSoup into more people's hands. Redesigning the site to be more mobile-friendly will allow us to grow our community much faster and better serve the existing nonprofits we love so much."

Improved Accessibility

The newly redesigned TechSoup.org also features greater accessibility and is informed by Web Content Accessibility 2.0 Guidelines (WCAG).

"TechSoup cares very much about accessibility and enabling access for all people," Benari says, describing two key factors that have been improved upon: contrast and code. "Our new color scheme makes it easier for people with impaired vision to access content on the site, and our code was updated to better communicate with screen readers."

A New Blog Platform

Finally, we're excited to introduce our new blog, more suited to integrate existing TechSoup.org content in a single, easy-to-access location. We've given the platform an upgrade, complete with a fresh look and improved functionality aimed to make blog posts more easily shareable and to promote a more robust multimedia experience.

You'll continue to see improvements in the coming months as we receive feedback from the communities we serve. Also, be on the lookout for more information surrounding the new site, including a webinar and short video.

spanhidden

Twenty-five countries attracted high-ticket investment deals at the Africa Investment Forum

The EU is considering a broader mandate for the EBRD, and its president, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, believes its model would work in sub-Saharan Africa.

Poor infrastructure and political instability deter tourism, but small and manageable steps to avoid chaos and promote hospitality can work wonders.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s fastest growing mobile phone market, but how can telecoms companies make the most of the huge opportunities the region provides?

Egypt is well on the way to establishing a diversified economy, claims Hala El Saeed, minister of planning and economic development 

Tanzania's economy is booming and its tourism sector is thriving. However, concerns about the president's strong-arm tactics and delays in the completion of key infrastructure projects are threatening this growth.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4335-1 - Multiple security issues were discovered in Thunderbird. If a user were tricked in to opening a specially crafted website in a browsing context, an attacker could potentially exploit these to cause a denial of service, obtain sensitive information, bypass security restrictions, bypass same-origin restrictions, conduct cross-site scripting attacks, or execute arbitrary code. Various other issues were also addressed.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4336-1 - It was discovered that GNU binutils contained a large number of security issues. If a user or automated system were tricked into processing a specially-crafted file, a remote attacker could cause GNU binutils to crash, resulting in a denial of service, or possibly execute arbitrary code.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4337-1 - It was discovered that OpenJDK incorrectly handled certain regular expressions. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service while processing a specially crafted regular expression. It was discovered that OpenJDK incorrectly handled class descriptors and catching exceptions during object stream deserialization. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service while processing a specially crafted serialized input. Various other issues were also addressed.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4338-1 - Agostino Sarubbo discovered that re2c incorrectly handled certain files. An attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary code.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4339-1 - Brandon Perry discovered that OpenEXR incorrectly handled certain malformed EXR image files. If a user were tricked into opening a crafted EXR image file, a remote attacker could cause a denial of service, or possibly execute arbitrary code. This issue only applied to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Tan Jie discovered that OpenEXR incorrectly handled certain malformed EXR image files. If a user were tricked into opening a crafted EXR image file, a remote attacker could cause a denial of service, or possibly execute arbitrary code. This issue only applied to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Various other issues were also addressed.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4332-2 - USN-4332-1 fixed vulnerabilities in File Roller. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. It was discovered that File Roller incorrectly handled symlinks. An attacker could possibly use this issue to expose sensitive information.

Ubuntu Security Notice 4340-1 - It was discovered that CUPS incorrectly handled certain language values. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to cause CUPS to crash, leading to a denial of service, or possibly obtain sensitive information. This issue only applied to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 19.10. Stephan Zeisberg discovered that CUPS incorrectly handled certain malformed ppd files. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary code. Various other issues were also addressed.