A former cyber security chief says governments should ban organizations from paying money to ransomware gangs. Ciaran Martin likened such payment to bans on paying terrorist kidnappers. The call has had a mixed response, with critics calling it an ... unfair constraint on business freedoms. Martin was the first head of the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre. That's an organization overseen by the country's intelligence services that advises businesses and the public on cyber security threats. Ransomware has become a business worth an estimated $20 billion a year to criminals who gain ... (view more)
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Google says its next search algorithm update will dramatically reduce the number of low quality results people see. It's particularly targeting sites that prioritize getting high search rankings over providing useful content for readers. The company ... says tests of the new algorithm showed that, when combined with a similar update in 2022, it reduced "low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%." Of course, that measurement involves a subjective measure of what content qualifies as low-quality. (Source: gizmodo.com )) Quality Over Quantity According to Google, the algorithm update ... (view more)
A Windows bug patched last month had been exploited for six months by hackers linked to North Korea. Microsoft reportedly knew about it and the delay in fixing it may have been down to internal bureaucracy. Security company Avast found the bug last ... August and reported it to Microsoft. At the time it was already a zero-day bug , meaning there was evidence hackers not only knew about the bug but where taking advantage of it. That meant Microsoft had "zero days" head start in coming up with a fix and rolling it out before hackers exploited it. Microsoft released a fix in the February "Patch ... (view more)
Two state laws governing the way social media companies moderate content could be under threat. Questioning by Justices in a Supreme Court cases suggested they may not be convinced the laws are constitutional. The case, examining laws in Florida and ... Texas, covers one of the most longstanding dilemmas of the Internet age: whether website owners are publishers or a platform. This affects questions such as whether the site owner is responsible for defamation or other breaches of the law involving content, plus the extent to which the First Amendment applies. In this case, both states brought in ... (view more)
A new approach to computer processing could double speeds while halving power consumption, according to researchers. The approach could work on existing hardware without needing physical modifications. The research builds on the existing technique ... of multithreading. That's an attempt to overcome the major limitation of computer processors (CPUs). They are broken down into cores (often 2, 4 or 8 cores) but each core can only carry out one task at any specific split-second. Workload Optimized Threading means breaking bigger tasks down into a list of individual steps known as a thread. The ... (view more)
Lenovo has designed a laptop with a see-through display. But it's pretty transparently a gimmick. The company demonstrated the screen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, an annual trade show where tech companies often unveil their latest ... ideas for portable gadgets. The technology behind a transparent display isn't particularly new. Generally they work by blocking or reflecting light to create an image, rather than emitting light as happens with traditional displays that are black when not in use or showing a "blank" image. The main use of the Lenovo "Project Crystal" display is for ... (view more)
Apple has warned users not to dry an iPhone in a bag of rice. It says the popular "tip" won't repair water damage and could cause even more problems. Numerous online guides have suggested the fix in cases where a phone is dropped into water and ... stops working. They usually suggest putting the phone in a zip-lock bag with uncooked rice, the logic being that the rice will absorb moisture, eventually drying out even the inside of a phone. Apple has now updated its official advice to include examples of what not to do: Don't dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air. Don't ... (view more)
The latest malware targeting banking users may have infected up to 200,000 Android devices. The criminals behind Anatsa have deliberately exploited what's meant to be a useful feature that makes users' lives easier. The attacks have some familiar ... features such as distributing the malware through free tools that perform some basic functions and finding ways around the Android permission system. What makes it a particularly nasty campaign is that it takes advantage of the Android Accessibility system. Security researchers at ThreatFabric spotted the malware in five apps with similar names: ... (view more)
TikTok is under formal investigation for allegedly deliberately making its service addictive. It's the first test of how laws banning such behavior will operate. The Chinese-owned video company is controversial on both sides of the Atlantic. In the ... US, many federal and state agencies ban employees from using TikTok over security concerns, with Montana even attempting to ban it from the state altogether. (Source: guardian.com ) Now the European Commission says it has enough evidence from a preliminary investigation to move to formal proceedings against the company. It involves several alleged ... (view more)
Microsoft has fixed two bugs which bypassed Windows security measures. Both were actively exploited before the fix, making it vital to install the updates. The fixes come in this month's "Patch Tuesday" update, the main monthly security update that ... Microsoft officially calls the "B update". It should download and install without further action for anyone with automatic updates switched on, but may need a reboot to complete. Both bugs affect most supported versions of Windows, including 10, 11 and Windows Server. Microsoft rates the two bugs as "important" and "moderate" respectively, though ... (view more)
Phone screens that fold in half may soon be yesterday's news. Two smartphone giants are both reportedly working on triple foldable phones. Huawei and Samsung have both previously filed patents for relevant technology. Now reports suggest Samsung ... will release a model later this year while Huawei may beat it to the punch with a release somewhere between April and June. The reports have been fuelled partly by orders placed with component manufacturers in Taiwan. (Source: pandaily.com ) While Huawei may be first to market, Samsung would have a major advantage in the US market. That's because the ... (view more)
A fake app pretending to be from password manager LastPass not only made it into the Apple App Store but had a five star rating. It's arguably among the worst possible types of bogus app to bypass Apple's usually strict vetting process. LastPass is ... one of the best known password manager tools. It lets users store their passwords in an encrypted vault, accessible only with a master password. The service can also generate secure passwords. The company's name is based on the idea that the master password is the last password the user will ever need to create or remember. The big catch, of course ... (view more)
Reports that 3 million "smart" toothbrushes were hacked and weaponized turn out to be misleading at best. It appears to have been a mistranslation or misunderstanding. The reports first surfaced last week in Switzerland and involved toothbrushes ... supposedly running the Java computer language. They were said to have been hacked and used for a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that caused huge disruption and financial costs to a targeted business. Not every element of the story is as completely ridiculous as it might seem. "Smart" toothbrushes do exist, with connections to smartphone ... (view more)
Google has shown bogus ads for a scam website at the top of its results page according to a consumer group. The ads had somehow bypassed checks designed to make sure only legitimate businesses appear in the "sponsored" section of the results. These ... results, labeled as sponsored, appear at the top of the rankings. They come above the "organic" results which are based on Google's algorithm that takes into account factors such as the relevance of a page to the search term, the authority and expertise of the creator, and whether people who click on the result quickly return to the search results ... (view more)
Researchers in China have found a way to make flexible computer memory using liquid metal. It could one day revolutionize the physical design of computer devices. Anyone who has handled either internal computer RAM or a flash memory device will know ... that bending them even slightly would not end well. That's partly because the electronics is housed on often-brittle plastics, but partly because those electronics need to be flat and inflexible themselves. In very simple terms, RAM uses flat, two-dimensional electronic grids. Each point where a horizontal and vertical line crosses is a cell that ... (view more)
Users have reported Microsoft Edge opening up and displaying tabs they'd just had open in Chrome. The most generous reading is that a "helpful" feature is triggering by mistake. Users have been extremely confused to start up their computer and not ... only find Edge open unexpectedly, but that it had replicated the sites they'd been using on Chrome. The Verge's Tom Warren noted he didn't even realize it was Edge running at first until he investigated why he was logged out on several of the open sites. The mystery isn't how this is happening but rather why it is happening. Edge has several ... (view more)
If you still have the skills for Windows 3.11, you may have been a candidate for a recent job ad in Germany. It appears the role, using the 30-year-old system, has been filled. The vacancy was advertised by national railway company Deutsche Bahn. ... The successful candidate would be assigned to Siemens, which is responsible for the rail tech division for the train control system. The role would involve keeping old systems operational so that train drivers could get real time information about equipment. The Register notes that although Windows 3.11's release in November 1993 is almost ... (view more)
Windows 10 devices are set to become insecure next year unless users pay an extra fee. But with warnings of 240 million devices "going to landfill", it remains possible Microsoft will blink at the last moment. That Windows 10 reaches the end of its ... support period on October 14, 2025 is no secret: it's long been on Microsoft's support calendar and is in line with the company's policy of 10 years support. From that date, Microsoft will no longer issue free security updates. As happened with Windows 7, Microsoft will offer a paid update service for people in "circumstances that could prevent you ... (view more)
Apple appears to be exploring loopholes in its recent agreement to allow iPhone users to install apps from sources other than its official store. It wants to continue reviewing apps and taking commission from developers, which could significantly ... undermine the effect of the changes. The company has until March 7 to comply with new rules in Europe. Rather than fight the rules or pull out of the market altogether, it decided to allow sideloading for users in European Union countries . Unlike with some physical device changes made to meet European rules, Apple won't be extending the policy to ... (view more)
A physical limitation in traditional computers could be harnessed to power artificial intelligence according to a start-up business. They've demonstrated what they call a "thermodynamic computer." The research is all about the way that computers use ... a physical process to carry out a digital, mathematical operation. All traditional computing boils down to a circuit board using electronic switches to represent and process data as either a 1 (for "true") or a 0 (for "false"). The physical aspect can lead to problems, however. New Scientist gives the example of a component ... (view more)
A leak of around 26 billion user records has been labeled "the mother of all breaches." It's a major reminder of the downsides of reusing the same passwords on multiple sites. The collection of records is not a single stolen database. Instead, it ... appears to be a massive compilation of databases that have either been leaked before or sold on the black market. The database was spotted online by security researchers, likely a sign that whoever compiled it screwed up somewhere by mistakenly making it accessible. The researchers noted the database was extremely well indexed and organized. The ... (view more)
Google has come up with a new twist when it comes to searching on mobile devices. Users of some Android handsets can draw a circle round text or images on their screen to search. The "Circle to Search" feature will also let users ask specific ... questions relating to what they have selected. Unlike many search tools, this will work directly in any app, not just the Chrome browser or other Google applications. Google gives the example of searching for information relating to a video or social media posts. (Source: blog.google ) The search results will then appear in a pop-up window. Users can tap ... (view more)
Claims that YouTube deliberately slowed down computers running ad blockers turned out to be bogus. The problem was actually with the ad blockers themselves. The claims were made by users of online forums who reported significant slowdowns when ... watching YouTube while running an ad blocker. Reports varied from those saying video playback was slow to start and repeatedly stuttering to those saying the entire Chrome browser was slow to respond, even on other tabs. Deterrence Measures At first glance the claims appeared plausible. That's because last year YouTube carried out multiple experiments ... (view more)
Apple is reportedly planning to allow iPhone owners to use third-party app stores and "sideloaded" apps. But the move appears to be limited to Europe, complying with local regulations. Throughout the existence of the iPhone and iPad, Apple has been ... adamant about only allowing users to install software downloaded from the official Apple store. It argues that's necessary to maintain security and ensure compatibility and performance to make sure users get the best experience. Cynics counter it's actually about maintaining a monopoly on supplying apps, giving Apple more power to charge ... (view more)
The latest Lenovo laptop takes the idea of a 2-in-1 device to new levels. It remains to be seen if anyone actually wants its offering of a combination Windows laptop and Android tablet. At first glance the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid device ... looks like an ordinary laptop, albeit with the ability to fold the screen to any angle, including completely back so the device is folded flat but with the keyboard and screen on the outside (similar to the Lenovo Yoga). That's a familiar setup to many existing devices designed for use in different scenarios such as working with the keyboard, ... (view more)
DNA and ancestry site 23andMe has told victims of a major hack that it's their fault for not using unique passwords. The claim came in a letter aimed deterring victims from proceeding with a class action case. The site admitted last month that ... almost 7 million customers have been affected by a data breach. Hackers directly accessed personal data including DNA information of about 14,000 people. However, they were able to get some personal data of another 6.9 million people that enabled a feature to share information with potential relatives. Unsurprisingly, this led to legal action from ... (view more)
Google has begun blocking third-party cookies in the Chrome browser. However, it's letting some websites take longer than originally planned to make the change. When in force, the block means Chrome will disable cookies placed by third parties ... rather than the site itself. That means sites can continue using cookies that can be useful, for example making a note of a customer's preferred movie theater so that they automatically see relevant listings and times. Third-party cookies are more commonly associated with advertising. For example, visiting a fishing equipment website might lead to a ... (view more)
WhatsApp users on Android could hit storage limits thanks to a change in Google policy. However, claims it could mean a "shock new fee" are misleading at best. Users of the popular messaging app can have their messages, including videos and images, ... automatically backed up from an Android device. However, WhatsApp itself does not handle the backup or store the data. Instead the backup is on Google Drive. Because WhatsApp doesn't hold backups itself, the Google Drive backup may be the only way to restore data when moving to a new phone, particularly when the old handset is broken or unavailable ... (view more)
A national government is offering $219 to help people get computers and mobile phones repaired. The program in Austria is designed to help individuals and the environment. The "Repair Bonus" program is available for all electrical appliances, though ... it's most effective for people with expensive devices such as technology products. Smartphones are the most popular item being repaired. Under the program, the government will pay 50 percent of the repair, with its contribution capped at €200 (US$219). This limit applies to individual devices and there's no limit on how many devices a person ... href="/news/11344/govt-tackles-e-waste-discounts-smartphone-repairs" class="more-link">view more)
Two new models of the Apple smartwatch were briefly banned from sale in the US. The ban related to intellectual property, rather than any safety or security concerns. The ban affected the Series 9 and Ultra 2, which are the latest versions of the ... two more expensive models in the range. It didn't affect the "standard" SE model. Both sales and imports of the devices were barred by the US International Trade Commission (US ITC). Among other powers, it can ban sales where there's a dispute over intellectual property which have an international element. That's what happened in this case with a ... (view more)
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My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 20 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 20 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
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