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Exorcists wearing tinfoil hats and burning sage staged a faux purification ritual in Manhattans TriBeCa neighborhood Saturday outside a building that they said was an outpost used by the U.S. government to surveil everyday Americans phone calls, texts and internet usage.

About 50 chanters and passers-by who joined in wailed mock prayers in the direction of the 550-foot-tall windowless monolith at 33 Thomas St., an AT&T-owned building that reportedly has space for surveillance operations by the National Security Agency.

The Intercept, one of the main online news sites publishing leaks by government whistleblower Edward Snowden, has reported that the granite and concrete building appears to have long served as a surveillance site for the agency. The NSA has not confirmed the claims.

This building has eyes, and it is watching you! performer and activist Joe Therrien, 35, of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, shouted from inside a pen that the NYPD set up on Church Street for protesters.

The harvested data is then made accessible, added his girlfriend, Sam Wilson, 37, a puppeteer and bartender, in a Google-like mass-surveillance system that the NSA employees use to search through huge quantities of data!

The couple took turns listing the kinds: internet browsing history, chats, passwords, and phone calls.

The NSA could not be reached for comment Saturday, but agency officials have defended bulk surveillance as the only way to thwart terrorist attacks like 9/11.

An AT&T building security guard, speaking through an intercom, told a reporter seeking comment, today being Saturday, we dont have anyone.

An AT&T spokesman didnt immediately return a message seeking comment Saturday, but told The Intercept in November: NSA representatives do not have access to any secure room or space within our owned portion of the 33 Thomas St. building.

Protest organizer Noah Harley, 33, of Ridgewood, Queens, a translator and musician, said the exorcism was designed to be presented in a playful way, in contrast with other protests.

Kill em with kindness, he said.

The spectacle drew tourists, some of TriBeCas midday brunch crowd and other passers-by, including Virginia Mott of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and her sister, Tiffiney Biorn, who was visiting from Minneapolis.

When asked about the exorcism event, the sisters began a discussing the surveillance program.

You dont care if the NSA listens to your phone calls? Mott, 29, asked Biorn, 25.

Biorn answered: If they want but I dont do anything.

Mott said she could see both sides of the debate there could be good, there could be bad.

Regardless, she said, the government should be as transparent as possible about its surveillance practices. I mean, if theyre listening to everybody, they can say that, and then we dont know who theyre listening to.

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NSA surveillance protested with mock prayers, chants | Newsday - Newsday

PARIS Up-to-date Microsoft customers are safe from the purported National Security Agency spying tools dumped online, the software company said Saturday, tamping down fears that the digital arsenal was poised to wreak havoc across the internet.

In a blog post , Microsoft security manager Phillip Misner said that the software giant had already built defenses against nine of the 12 tools disclosed by TheShadowBrokers, a mysterious group that has repeatedly published NSA code . The three others affected old, unsupported products.

Most of the exploits are already patched, Misner said.

The post tamped down fears expressed by some researchers that the digital espionage toolkit made public by TheShadowBrokers took advantage of undisclosed vulnerabilities in Microsofts code. That would have been a potentially damaging development because such tools could swiftly be repurposed to strike across the companys massive customer base.

Those fears appear to have been prompted by experts using even slightly out-of-date versions of Windows in their labs. One of Microsofts fixes, also called a patch, was only released last month.

I missed the patch, said British security architect Kevin Beaumont, jokingly adding, Im thinking about going to live in the woods now.

Beaumont wasnt alone. Matthew Hickey, of cybersecurity firm Hacker House, also ran the code against earlier versions of Windows on Friday. But he noted that many organizations put patches off, meaning many servers will still be affected by these flaws.

Everyone involved recommended keeping up with software updates.

We encourage customers to ensure their computers are up-to-date, Misner said.

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Microsoft says users are protected from alleged NSA malware - The Mercury News

This morning, a new set of hacking tools was released by TheShadowBrokers group, revealing new techniques for hacking both Windows and certain financial networks.

Likely originating with the NSA, the tools give new clues as to the groups targets in recent years, which seem to include both international anti-money-laundering groups and oil companies in the Persian Gulf region. Some of the hacking tools were flagged by antivirus services as early as 2012, but experts believe the dump contains at least some undisclosed vulnerabilities for older versions of Windows. The leak also contains new attacks against the SWIFT banking network, used to transfer money internationally.

The files are mirrored on Github here, and researchers are already poring through the findings in a dedicated #shadowbrokers room on the Freenode IRC channel. A full list of the implants is available here.

TheShadowBrokers rather being getting drunk with McAfee on desert island with hot babes.

First emerging in August, the ShadowBrokers are believed to have stolen hacking tools from the NSA, with many analysts tracing the exploits to a compromised listening post used by the service to launch attacks remotely. Less is known about the ShadowBrokers themselves, although some have speculated the group may have ties to Russia.

Like previous drops, the data was accompanied by an enigmatic message in purposefully broken English. Is being too bad nobody deciding to be paying theshadowbrokers, one portion reads. TheShadowBrokers rather being getting drunk with McAfee on desert island with hot babes, an apparent reference to eccentric anti-virus mogul John McAfee.

The drop comes just days after an earlier drop of Unix-focused exploits on April 8th. Those files were accompanied by a short blog post taking President Trump to task for launching military strikes in Syria, among other recent actions. TheShadowBrokers voted for you, the post read. TheShadowBrokers supports you. TheShadowBrokers is losing faith in you.

Read the rest here:
New leak shows how a major hacking group cracked Windows and international banks - The Verge

By Daniel Eran Dilger Friday, April 14, 2017, 04:19 pm PT (07:19 pm ET)

As noted in a report by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai for Motherboard, the NSA tools were leaked by hacker group known as the "Shadow Brokers."

The package of exploits includes "Fuzzbunch," and easy-to-use hacking tool with basic instructions that even non-technical users could follow to gain control of PCs running multiple versions of Microsoft's Windows prior to the latest Windows 10, specifically Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 as well as server versions including NT, 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012.

The report cited a former employee of the U.S. Department of Defense as saying "it's not safe to run an internet facing Windows box right now," and that the payload of exploits is "the worst thing since Snowden."

Motherboard previously cited comments from security architect Kevin Beaumont, who noted that "all of the Windows implants are new to VirusTotal [an online file scanning tool], which suggests they've not been seen before."

According to web browser stats from NetMarketshare, only 25 percent of web users are using Microsoft's latest Windows 10 (which was released in the summer of 2015), while over 66 percent of active web users are using older versions of Windows that are vulnerable to the attacks launched by the released tools.

There are many Windows PCs that are connected to the Internet but do not generate web traffic--particularly back end servers and other utilitarian machines. A worm or virus could easily launch broad exploits at Windows users and find plenty of vulnerable machines to steal data from or recruit into global botnets of exploited PCs.

Microsoft has worked aggressively to upgrade users to Windows 10, but the vast majority of PCs worldwide remain stuck on older versions with known problems. The new cache of hacker tools makes it that much easier to exploit those users.

A spokesperson for Microsoft said that it is "reviewing the report and will take the necessary actions to protect our customers."

Apple's installed base of Macs and iPad users are not affected by exploits found in Windows (apart from Macs intentionally booted up into an old version of Windows by the owner). That's a feature Apple has long advertised for Macs, and has recently noted in its ads for iPad Pro.

In part, Apple's limited exposure to malware and exploits comes from its divergence from the monoculture of Windows (or Android) software, a sort of "security by obscurity," where the easiest to use hacking tools simply don't work because the platform isn't as easy to target as Windows PCs and Android devices are.

Apple's installed base of computer users has grown rapidly however. Horace Dediu of Asymco recently noted that there are about 100-150 million Macs in active use and an installed base of over 300 million iPads. That's about the same as the 400 million PCs in the installed base of Windows 10 that Microsoft cited at its Ignite conference last fall.

The difference is that there is at least another 400-600 million PCs that are running vulnerable versions of Windows. Apple also has an even larger installed base of iPhones, but most of those are updated.

So the larger reason why Macs and iOS devices are protected from the routine efforts to hack into Android and Windows is due to Apple's far faster ability to distribute new OS updates, which it does without cost. Apple's system update efforts have resulted in the majority of iOS users rapidly adopting the latest version and regular new patches between major updates.Macs and iOS devices are protected from the routine efforts to hack into Android and Windows due to Apple's far faster ability to distribute new OS updates

As of February 20th, Apple reports that 79 percent of iOS users are on the latest iOS 10, while another 16 percent are on iOS 9, both of which are at least as recent as Microsoft's Windows 10.

Apple does not appear to report macOS version adoption figures, but Go Squared reports that 44 percent of Macs are using the latest macOS Sierra while another 21 percent are on macOS El Capitan, both of which (65 percent total) are as new as Windows 10. The same site reports adoption of Windows 10 at 49 percent, with a nearly equal number still on Windows 7.

The same site reports that 89 percent of iOS users are on the newest iOS 10, as of April.

Google notes that as of April, only 4.9 percent of devices actively accessing Google Play are using the latest Android 7 Nougat, and only another 31 percent are on 2015's Android 5 Marshmallow, released alongside iOS 9. The majority of its active users are on versions of Android older than that, most of which will never be updated. Users in other regions, particularly China, are much less likely to use Google Play and even less likely to be updated to recent versions of the OS.

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Apple's Mac, iPad dodge an ugly new NSA hacker bomb targeting ... - AppleInsider (press release) (blog)

The tax filing deadline is April 18 -- three days after the customary deadline and two days after Easter Sunday.(Photo: Susan Tompor)

Maybe you're waking up Sunday morning and enjoying some eggs or even munching on a chocolate bunny ear. Now we ask: Did you file your income taxes yet?

It's April 16 a day after the traditional April 15 tax filing deadline. But this year, tax filers have until Tuesday April 18 to submit that return.The IRS has a long-windedexplanation for why the deadline is extended, but if you like to drag your feet, you likely don't care.

The official reason: The April 15 deadline fell on Saturday, which would normally give taxpayers until Monday. However, Emancipation Day, a Washington, D.C., holiday, is observed on Monday. So the tax deadline moves to Tuesday. Taxpayers requesting an automatic extension of time to file viaForm 4868 there are no extensions of time to pay will have until Monday, Oct. 16, to file.

Roughly 30% of tax filers werestill no-shows when it comes to filing federal returns this year through early April. The latest data indicatedthat the Internal Revenue Service received 103.6 million tax returns from individuals, as of April 7. More than 153 million returns are expected to be filed this year.

So far, the IRS has received 3.6% fewer returns than last year for the same time frame.

Don't panic! A step-by-step guide to everything you need to know as Tax Day approaches

But Luis D. Garcia,an IRS spokesperson in Detroit, noted that it's important to keep in mind that last year's numbers technically included four additional processing days earlier in the season.The filing season officially began on Jan. 23 this year, compared with Jan. 19 last year.

The average refund issued so far this year: $2,851 up 1.9% from the same time a year ago. About 73% of tax filers received a refund last year.

If you waited this long to file your 2016 tax return, it's doubtful that you're expecting a mega-refund. But if you're just procrastinating, any size refund might offer motivation to knock off that 1040 and be done with it. And if you've got to pay, well, you've got to pay.

Here are a few more last-minute tax do's and don'ts to get through the next few days:

It's simple advice. But errors can cause you to miss an important tax break. Checking the right box if you or your spouse were born before Jan. 2, 1952, matters because you can be entitled to a higher standard deduction if you and/or your spouse are65 and older.Another additional standard deduction is available forthose who are blindat any age. (Line 39a on the federal 1040.)

Be careful and don't type in the wrong Social Security numbers. Triple check your bank account information if you want a direct deposit for a refund to correctly show up in your account and not someone else's.

The bad news is that many free offers involving tax preparation softwarehave ended. Andindustry experts note that some prices are higher now for online tax preparation services maybe by as much as 25% or 30% higher compared to earlier this year. It's called "surge pricing." So,if you wait until the last minute, you often do pay a higher price for online tax preparation services.

If you have a simple return, though, many free offers remain. H&R Block has a free online software program atwww.hrblock.comnow that can be used only by new filers or those with very simple returns. You'll need to pay for online tax services if you're a homeowner and taking deductions. If you're an investor or self-employed, the price goes up even higher for online tax services.

Taxpayers with simple tax returns a 1040A or 1040EZ can also prepare and file their federal tax return at no cost atwww.turbotax.com.

Some good news: Credit Karma which is popular with Millennials introduced a zero-cost tax prep program this year that applies to any income level, even if you itemize. Seewww.creditkarma.com/tax.You do have to sign up for free to be a Credit Karma member first.

Bethy Hardeman, chief consumer advocate for Credit Karma, said tax filers are given the option of agreeing toshare their tax filing data with Credit Karma or not. The tax data is not sold or shared with third parties.

Credit Karma offers many free services, such as free credit scores. But it gets paid by financial service companies to recommend credit cards, auto loansand other financial products to customers. By having income data, Credit Karma can better tailor offerings to consumers.

For tax filers, the free online tax preparation services could save filers $70 to $100 compared with some other online services. Credit Karma offers both free online filing for state and federal returns. But the system doesn't offer the ability to file returns for more than one state right now. So if you need to file in two states for 2016, you could still do the federal return for free at Credit Karma but use another service for state returns.

Remember, IRSFree Fileis available for anyone who earned $64,000 or less last year. Free File involves services from 12 leadingtax software companies.Filers can use the tax software to prepare and e-file their tax return at no cost. See http://www.irs.gov.

There's a weird last-minute twist involving a phishing email that appears to be from a legitimate taxpayer and urges a tax professional to change where the refund will be directly deposited. Maybe instead of depositing the money into a checking account, the tax filer suddenly wants the cash on a prepaid debit card.

Roughly one-third of tax filers had not filed a return through April 7, based on IRS data.(Photo: Susan Tompor)

Big Flashing Red Flags should go off there. Prepaid debit cards including iTunes cards are a tool of choice for scammers who can use the cards to get cashand avoid getting caught.

The IRSis warning tax preparers to take time to phone taxpayers who supposedly send such emails. More than 85% of tax refunds are issued these days via direct deposit.

The con artists who pretend to be from the IRS are increasingly targeting individuals who speak limited English. The scammer tries to rip off the consumer by speaking in the victim's native language.The calls includethreatsthat if you don't pay up soon, you could be deported, arrested by the police or see your driver's license revoked.

The public needs to know that regardless of the language being used, the IRS will never threaten them," said Garcia at the IRS office in Detroit.

MORE TOMPOR:

Tompor: Student loan defaults may get pricier

Buying a car? Your ZIP code can be key to rebates

5 last-minute tax tips before April 18

The fraudsters tell potential victims that they owe the IRS money and must pay it promptly through a prepaiddebit card, gift card or wire transfer. Part of the scamincludes "urgent" callback requests left on answering machines.

Con artists sound convincing by rattling off IRS identification numbers. They may even havethe victims real name, address and other personal information.

But here's the deal. It's possible to hang up and check if you really do owe the IRS money from earlier tax years. Now, taxpayers can check atwww.irs.gov/balancedue.

If the account balance says zero, that means nothing is due.

Beginning in 2017 and going forward, taxpayers using a tax filing software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity.

Do-It-Yourself tax filers often must sign and validate e-filed tax returns by entering the prior-year amount.Generally, tax software automatically enters the information for returning customers. If you are using a software product for the first time, you may have to enter the information yourself.

Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns atValidating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return. See http://www.irs.gov.

Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com or 313-222-8876. Follow Susan on Twitter @Tompor.

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With tax deadline approaching, the number one question to consider: Should you hire a tax professional or use tax software? We explain. USA TODAY

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Taxes have been around for centuries. While mistakes could mean fines today, in some eras, they could lead to death. USA TODAY

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While your kids may give you gray hair, raise your blood pressure and often cost a fortune, take a deep breath. Even the most devilish kids still look adorable in footie pajamas and at tax time, they actually can save you money. Video provided by TheStreet Newslook

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Follow 20-somethings file their taxes using online tools, even just a smartphone, to take the sting out of one of the worst tasks of 'adulting' -- taxes. Jennifer Jolly for USA TODAY

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The IRS says the money belongs to an estimated 1 million taxpayers who didn't file 2013 returns. USA TODAY NETWORK

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It's tax season, and that means we all are gathering receipts, counting deductions and doing all we can to get that tax bill down. And we've talked before about the weird, out-there deductions that surprise most folks, but there are tons of less unusual deductions that taxpayers often forget to include. Video provided by TheStreet Newslook

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California, Oregon, Minnesota, Iowa, New Jersey, Vermont, District of Columbia, New York, Hawaii and Wisconsin are the top 10 states with the highest tax rates. Newslook

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Keep track of your Roth IRA contributions, said Ed Slott, founder of Ed Slott & Company. And remember there is no age limit to add to your account, but there is an income limit. Video provided by TheStreet Newslook

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By contributing to your traditional 401(K) plan, you can save on taxes today and invest in your retirement at the same time. Wochit

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Here's the unofficial tax refund schedule for 2017. USA TODAY

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Spot crooked Facebook posts, emails and texts this tax season. Jennifer Jolly reports. Jennifer Jolly for USA TODAY

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Receiving a large refund means you've overpaid relative to the total tax obligation that you will tote up at tax time. Getting a small tax return means you're doing the right thing. Time

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So Uncle Sam has given you something back. Our experts suggest you try to make that money grow, by investing it, rather than just putting it in savings. Simply Money for The Enquirer

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Taxes 101: Breaking down the most important tax forms

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Tax 101: A brief history of taxation

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Here are five of the most bizarre tax deductions

Don't panic if you're a first time tax filer

$1 billion in tax refunds still unclaimed

10 most commonly missed tax deductions

10 states with the highest tax rates

Don't ignore these Roth IRA tips ahead of tax day

Tax tips: Contribute to your 401(K) and save thousands

When to expect your tax refund

Avoid IRS Internet tax scams with these tips

Getting a big tax refund? That might not be a good thing

What to do with that tax refund

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Where do you find last-minute free tax software? - USA TODAY