Microsoft is testing a new Windows 10 security measure that could neutralize a malware technique. It's called Kernel Data Protection and will protect part of a computer's memory from tampering. The idea is to protect two key software parts of a ... computer: the operating system kernel and drivers. The kernel is the most central part of a system and acts a little like a central command point, deciding what the computer does at any precise moment. Meanwhile, drivers control the way the operating system communicates and interacts with hardware devices. Within the computer's memory, the kernel is ... (view more)
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An email with a "winky face" for a subject line has helped a malware campaign become one of the most widespread in the world. It's a scam to expand the reach of the Phorpiex botnet which distributes spam and malware from infected machines to others ... online the Internet. According to researchers at security company Check Point, Phorpiex jumped from the 13th most detected malware campaign in May to the number two slot last month. It reports that one in 50 organizations suffered at least one attempted breach from Phorpiex last month. (Source: zdnet.com ) Ransomware, Botnets and Blackmail The ... (view more)
Windows 7 computers running the Zoom videoconferencing tool are at risk from a "zero day" vulnerability. It's a reminder of the dangers of an outdated operating system. The problem will be fixed in a patch by Zoom itself rather than from Microsoft. ... Microsoft dropped support for Windows 7 on January 14 this year, meaning it doesn't offer security updates or fix any bugs. A zero day vulnerability is one that is known by somebody other than the developer or manufacturer before a fix is ready. In effect, the developers have "zero days" of head start distributing the fix before people can start ... (view more)
Two years ago Facebook commissioned an audit on its effect on civil rights. The results are in, and they don't make for pretty reading. The report makes a series of suggestions for Facebook to change its policies, but the company says it won't ... implement all of them. Arguably the most damaging conclusion in the report is that Facebook isn't just hosting extremist views and hatred, but that its very setup may actually be encouraging and boosting such material. The biggest criticism is that Facebook's own algorithms may have pushed users towards "self-reinforcing echo chambers of extremism." The ... (view more)
Microsoft has unveiled the latest batch of changes coming to Windows 10. Most are usability improvements, though fans of the Control Panel might be concerned. The changes come in the latest release in the Windows Insider Dev Channel. That's ... recommend only for the most technically confident users and is the first place that new features and changes are tested by people outside of Microsoft itself. One change had already leaked, namely the appearance of the tiles in the Start menu. They will now be partially transparent and will reflect the user's choice of a light or dark theme, the idea being ... (view more)
Microsoft has delayed the latest major Windows 10 Update for some users. The various workarounds aren't ideal, so affected users will probably need to be patient. The problem affects the May 2020 Update, taking Windows 10 to version 2004. It's the ... first of this year's scheduled two major updates that includes new features. Microsoft has previously blocked updates for some specific computers where it knows there will be a significant compatibility problem with hardware. This particular block appears more generic, with the affected users seeing an error message reading: This PC can ... (view more)
Google has removed 25 malicious Android apps which tried to steal user Facebook logins. As always, it's worth checking devices to see if these apps are installed, because they won't automatically uninstall from phones even being ousted from the Play ... Store. This particular batch of apps didn't have a common subject, but each promised to carry out a basic function, including: a flashlight, file cleaner, or card game. Hidden deep inside each app was malicious software that ran behind the scenes. The malware came alive each time an app was opened on the phone, specifically checking to see if the ... (view more)
Current news floating around the Internet suggests that Windows 10 has developed a couple of bugs likely linked to recent updates, namely: slowed performance and confusing security scan messages. The good news is both problems can be solved to some ... extent. One problem is with update KB4559309 , which replaces the original version of Microsoft's Edge browser with a new version based on the same code behind Google Chrome. Details are still hazy, but some users have reported general slowdowns after the update regardless of whether they use Edge. This can affect apps, games and web pages. The ... (view more)
Microsoft has released a tool for recovering deleted or corrupted files. However, it may be too technical for many casual users. Windows File Recovery only works with Windows 10 version 2004, which is the latest branch of Windows 10 released on May, ... 2020. The Windows File Recovery is only available through the dedicated Microsoft Store, rather than users being able to download and install it from a website. (Source: microsoft.com ) It might therefore seem natural that the tool would be in an easy-to-use format aimed at a mass audience. Instead, it runs on the command line, meaning users can ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Sam G. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your incredible service in helping me to set up a secure remote desktop using OpenVPN - now we can connect remotely to our office PC without worries of ransomware. Currently we have 10 ... people in the office and some of those users have unrestricted administrator access on the system. I would like to know if it's possible to hide user accounts in Windows 10 from the login screen? This is a security concern in case an employee's laptop was stolen - I don't want someone having access to our network remotely and trying to guess login ... (view more)
Microsoft has unveiled Windows 10's new look Start menu. The changes are largely cosmetic but could make it a little easier to use. There's no official word yet on when the changes will take effect. Normally such a revamp would be noticed through ... the Microsoft Inside testing program, but in this case Microsoft has currently only shared images of the new look on its Facebook page. (Source: betanews.com ) Color Clashes Under Control The main changes are to make the Start menu fit in better with the rest of the desktop. For example, the list of recently used apps (which appear on the very left ... (view more)
If you use an Android phone, there's a good chance you use the mobile edition of Chrome to access web pages. If so, that experience is about to get a little safer and easier. Google has unveiled a range of changes to Chrome for Android including ... enhances security checks, a display tweak that could extend battery life, and an easier "autofill" tool for online forms. Safety Check Tools Added The first change is the addition of Safety Check, a feature that's currently only available on desktop versions of Chrome. It makes it easy to carry out three basic checks: Making sure ... (view more)
An Android app with 40 million downloads has been linked to large-scale fraud against phone and tablet users. The "SnapTube" app reportedly tricks users with a free trial that leads to an expensive and unwanted subscription. The operators of the app ... say they were previously victims of illegal activity by an advertising partner but have now fixed the problem. SnapTube is a tool that was downloaded from the Google Play Store 40 million times before being removed. It was billed as a way to download videos from Facebook and YouTube, something that's not possible with those services own ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Steve T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I run a small business, and with the COVID-19 pandemic we have been forced to work remotely from home. The problem we are currently facing is that there are important files on our office PC (server) ... that I need to share with other employees. Right now I'm having to send these files by email and it's a nightmare. I've looked into using TeamViewer to connect remotely to another computer , but the fees they charge are quite high. Also, I am worried that if TeamViewer got hacked, someone might be able to gain access to my network. The reason I'm ... (view more)
Facebook chief says the site will let users opt-out of seeing political advertising for this year's US presidential elections. But the site won't seek to block controversial content posted by politicians themselves unless it breaks the law. Writing ... in USA Today, company chief Mark Zuckerberg announced a voter registration drive. Facebook will have a dedicated section with information about how to register, cast a vote, or arrange mail-in or early votes. The section will include verified content from election officials. This section will be promoted at the top of user's news feeds and on ... (view more)
Android users should check for 31 rogue beauty-related apps that Google has deleted from the Play Store, but could still be installed onto phones. They can unleash unwanted advertising and open web pages without permission. The apps all have ... different names, but largely offer filters to supposedly enhance self-portrait photographs. Suspicious Typos According to White Ops, which identified the apps, the full list is as follows. Note that many of the app names include apparent spelling and typographical errors: Beauty & Filters Camera Beauty Camera & Photo Editor Pro Beauty Camera ... (view more)
A new form of ransomware named after a Marvel super villain has some particularly evil features. The Thanos malware uses an approach more reminiscent of "physical world" blackmail. Despite the name, the malware thankfully doesn't imitate the ... character Thanos by - spoiler alert - deleting half the files in the entire universe. That said, it's still quite scary thanks to a couple of features beyond the usual tactic of encrypting files and demanding a ransom. Instead, the ransomware also seeks to spread across an entire local network and encrypt all the computers it can reach. This is especially ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Steve G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded my PC to Windows 10 and I noticed that Windows Media Player no longer plays DVDs in Windows 10 . In Windows 7 it worked without a problem. I researched this issue and it appears that ... this 'feature' was removed on purpose because newer PCs and laptops do not have DVD players. As such, Microsoft has dropped all support for Windows 10 DVD playback in Windows Media Player. I plan on purchasing a thin ultrabook laptop (with no DVD player) soon. As such, I'd like to convert my DVDs into AVI or MP4 (for example) so I ... (view more)
A security company has warned that a free tool claiming to remove ransomware is in fact ransomware itself. Sophos has also reported that businesses that pay ransoms end up with double the financial costs of those who don't. The company's Paul ... Ducklin examined a tool called "Decrypter DJVU". It's promoted as a way to undo the damage of a strain of ransomware that encrypts files, adds the extension ".djvu" to the name, and demands a payment to decrypt and restore access. (Source: sophos.com ) The tool asks users to type in a personal ID and a file extension, though it appears it doesn't take ... (view more)
Lenovo has confirmed a batch of problems with its devices running Windows 10 after the latest major update. Solutions range from uninstalling the update to simply being patient. The problems are with the Windows May 2020 Update. That's one of two ... major updates this year and takes the version number from 1909 to 2004. It's mainly ThinkPad tablets and laptops affected. (Source: lenovo.com ) Here's a list of issues: Problem: Devices coming out of sleep or hibernate mode sometimes crash into the "Blue Screen of Death." Solution: The problem is still under investigation. In the meantime, the best ... (view more)
Google faces a class action lawsuit over claims it "misled users of Chrome's private browsing mode." But suggestions users are in for a $5,000 windfall are premature, to say the least. That's the minimum amount the lawsuit seeks per affected user, ... though for starters that assumes not only that the plaintiffs win the case, but that the court agrees to that amount. It also assumes the amount isn't reduced by lawyer fees and that anyone eligible is able to sign up to the case and provide any necessary proof. The crux of the case, brought in the United States District Court for the ... (view more)
Google has removed an app designed to highlight any Chinese-made apps on an Android device. The straightforwardly-named "Remove China Apps" was particularly popular in India, where it was developed. Exactly why the app was removed isn't clear other ... than Google saying it violated unspecified app-store policies. Based on what the developers claim, it doesn't appear to pose any serious security or privacy risks. It didn't actually remove any apps but instead produced a list that the user could manually install. Border Dispute Sparks Boycott While security concerns about Chinese tech have become ... (view more)
Apple has paid $100,000 reward to a security researcher who discovered a simple but potentially damaging bug. Until it was fixed, the bug could have let hackers take over a user's account. The problem was with "Sign in with Apple" - a system that ... lets users sign up to websites via their Apple account rather than having to create specific login details for each site, or go through an email confirmation process it. As with similar systems from Facebook and Google, it only works on websites that support the "Sign in with Apple" feature. When the user visits the third-party site, it ... (view more)
Background "wallpaper" can cause Android phones to crash thanks to a bug with the system. At the moment it appears to be an unfortunate glitch but it could be open to abuse. The image in question is viewable at twitter.com , and features a scene ... with a forest in the foreground, a lake in the midground, and mountains in the background beneath a cloudy sky at sunset. The problem is that once set as the default wallpaper, the image causes the phone to crash. The phone then goes into a loop of restarting and crashing, with the only solution being a factory reset. That's not only time consuming ... (view more)
Microsoft has unveiled full details of the next big Windows 10 update, dubbed the May 2020 Update. Users can manually download it right now, though that might seem unwise option for the average home user in due to any unreported bugs in the ... software. The May 2020 Update is one of the two major updates this year that introduce new features, rather than making minor tweaks or fixing security bugs. Five years into the initial release of Windows 10, and it appears that the threshold for "major" changes appears to be getting lower. The May 2020 Update really only has two completely new features to ... (view more)
Continuing what's almost become a tradition, the latest Windows 10 update has brought a string of reported problems. Microsoft says it is unclear how widespread many of them are, but has confirmed some users can no longer get online. The ... confirmation comes on Microsoft's support page for the update, which has the reference number KB4556799. The Internet connectivity problem is with users who have a wireless wide area network (WWAN) LTE modem. Specifically: anyone that uses mobile broadband for Internet might be affected. To make things worse, Microsoft says the notification area on the ... (view more)
Microsoft and Sophos have warned users to watch out for emails which claim to offer statistics about the COVID-19 pandemic. They actually harbor a combination of malware and legitimate tools that could easily be abused by a hacker. The emails in ... question have subject lines such as "Covid-19: [May 22] horrible Charts", claim to come from legitimate sources such as John Hopkins University, and have an attachment that's billed as a spreadsheet file with statistics about deaths and infections. (Source: twitter.com ) Malicious Macro The attachment does indeed have an Excel file, but the problem is ... (view more)
Google is increasing privacy on Chrome with a change to the way it connects users to websites. But businesses will be able to disable the move so they can keep tabs on staff. The change is to the way Chrome connects with Domain Name Servers (DNS), ... which act a little like a telephone directory for the Internet. A DNS takes a website address that a user types into their browser and finds the matching IP address, which identifies the specific connection to the device such as a server (or service) that physically stores the website's files. In the past, the connection between Chrome and a DNS was ... (view more)
Chrome is to start automatically blocking online ads that make particularly high use of computer resources. It will be a small change that Google hopes will have a big effect. This will be the second set of changes Chrome has made to the way it ... handles ads following alterations over the past couple of years to block "abusive" and "deceptive" ads. These include ads which have misleading buttons such as a "play" button that actually downloads a file or a "close window" button that actually opens new pop-up windows. The new change will involve Chrome having an limit on how much resources such as ... (view more)
Google has banned a hugely popular podcast app from the Play Store, claiming it breaches a ban on COVID-19 content. It appears to be a spectacular screw-up by Google's filtering system. Podcast Addict is a leading app in its field with more than ... five million downloads, so it came as a surprise to developers to receive a message from Google saying it had been banned from the Play Store. While it's still possible to install Podcast Addict manually, it's a big blow to its distribution and makes the app inaccessible to potential Android users who follow common security advice to stick to the ... (view more)
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