Tomáš Foltýn

Tomáš Foltýn

Editor-in-chief


Education: M.A. in translation and interpreting

Highlights of your career: Wearing two career hats for the better part of the past ten years while retaining a semblance of normality.

Position and history of ESET I joined ESET as a security writer in late 2017 after being bitten by the cybersecurity bug.

What malware do you hate the most Ransomware (for adding insult to injury, literally).

Favorite activities: Reading, cycling, travelling.

Golden rule for cyberspace? 'Distrust and caution are the parents of security.' Benjamin Franklin’s thoughtful advice from 300 years ago nicely applies to cyberspace.

When did you get your first computer and what kind was it? A gifted 386 PC in the mid-1990s. It worked a little erratically, though (or maybe it was a classic example of 'problem exists between keyboard and chair'?)

Favorite computer game / activity: I'm a bit of a power user of RSS feeds, which I use to indulge my news consumption habit while keeping empty ‘news calories’ at bay.


420 articles by Tomáš Foltýn

City of Atlanta computers held hostage in ransomware attack

City of Atlanta computers held hostage in ransomware attack

City of Atlanta computers held hostage in ransomware attack

City officials confirm that Atlanta is dealing with a cyberattack that has locked down some internal systems and is holding them hostage using ransomware.

Tomáš Foltýn23 Mar 20182 min. read


Pirate websites expose users to more malware, study finds

Pirate websites expose users to more malware, study finds

Pirate websites expose users to more malware, study finds

The study found that the more time users spent on pirate sites the higher the likelihood that some type of malware would compromise their computers.

Tomáš Foltýn21 Mar 20182 min. read


UK’s National Lottery urges millions of players to change their passwords

UK’s National Lottery urges millions of players to change their passwords

UK’s National Lottery urges millions of players to change their passwords

The lottery's operator has found that attackers probably used an automated method known as 'credential stuffing' to access up to 150 customer accounts.

Tomáš Foltýn20 Mar 20182 min. read


Employers’ best bet for appealing to security pros? Value their opinions

Employers’ best bet for appealing to security pros? Value their opinions

Employers’ best bet for appealing to security pros? Value their opinions

The report also sheds light on how not to go about attracting new hires. Vague and inaccurate job descriptions along with job postings that include insufficient qualifications were found to top the list of turnoffs for many jobseekers

Tomáš Foltýn15 Mar 20182 min. read


Cryptocurrency exchange announces bounty on hackers

Cryptocurrency exchange announces bounty on hackers

Cryptocurrency exchange announces bounty on hackers

The attack itself unfolded within the span of two minutes on March 7. Hackers made a flurry of automated transactions that involved the digital currencies Viacoin (VIA) and Bitcoin (BTC).

Tomáš Foltýn13 Mar 20183 min. read


OceanLotus ships new backdoor using old tricks

OceanLotus ships new backdoor using old tricks

OceanLotus ships new backdoor using old tricks

To smuggle the backdoor onto a targeted machine, the group uses a two-stage attack whereby a dropper package first gains a foothold on the system and sets the stage for the backdoor itself. This process involves some trickery commonly associated with targeted operations of this kind.

Tomáš Foltýn13 Mar 20184 min. read


One in five healthcare employees willing to sell patient data, study finds

One in five healthcare employees willing to sell patient data, study finds

One in five healthcare employees willing to sell patient data, study finds

The problem was particularly acute among provider organizations, as opposed to payer organizations (21% vs. 12%). Also, and perhaps counterintuitively, staff with more frequent cybersecurity training were more inclined to such practices.

Tomáš Foltýn09 Mar 20182 min. read


New DDoS attack method breaks record again, adds extortion

New DDoS attack method breaks record again, adds extortion

New DDoS attack method breaks record again, adds extortion

DDoS mitigation service Arbor Networks has announced that an undisclosed US company has suffered an attack fueled by internet-facing Memcached servers that clocked in at 1.7 terabits per second (Tbps), beating the previous record of 1.35 Tbps.

Tomáš Foltýn08 Mar 20183 min. read


Global police test their cyber-chops in simulated IoT attack

Global police test their cyber-chops in simulated IoT attack

Global police test their cyber-chops in simulated IoT attack

More than three dozen cybercrime and digital forensics experts from 23 countries have investigated a simulated attack on a bank that had been carried out through an IoT device.

Tomáš Foltýn05 Mar 20182 min. read