Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has been accused of tracking users even when they are using VPNs or incognito mode. They have now stopped using a technique that may have breached Google's rules for Android apps, raising serious questions about how ... far companies are willing to go to bypass privacy controls. The controversial activity was discovered by computer scientists from Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. Their findings revealed that both Meta and Russian search engine Yandex used a similar method to monitor users without consent, even when standard privacy measures were in place. ... (view more)
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Android 16 has been released much earlier than expected. Although it has some notable new features, it's biggest design overhaul won't be arriving till September. Normally a new Android release is expected in August or September. Google hasn't ... officially said why version 16 is earlier, other than that it "ensures you get the latest updates as soon as possible on your devices." One theory is that Google wants to give a boost to sales of Android phones by letting manufacturers start preloading the system onto new handsets for sale in the fall. As usual with Android, the new version is debuting ... (view more)
Users of Microsoft Authenticator have just a few weeks to move passwords away from the tool. From August, 2025, passwords will be inaccessible and in some cases deleted. Microsoft Authenticator is an app with a range of security features. A key one ... is as a two-factor authentication tool for websites. In simple terms, the website asks Microsoft to verify somebody's identity, the users does so in the app (for example with a fingerprint scan), and then Microsoft confirms the user is who they say there are. This means the website doesn't have to store login details for the user. Authenticator ... (view more)
The governor of Texas has signed a law that means app stores must verify user ages. Governor Greg Abbott had reportedly been privately urged by Apple chief Tim Cook to veto the bill. Google, the other major company directly affected by the law, also ... publicly opposed the measures. It follows a similar law passing in Utah. The new law is known as the Texas App Store Accountability Act. It means app stores will need to verify the age of users and then tell app developers which of four age groups they fall into: child, young teenager, older teenagers or adult. The idea is that app developers ... (view more)
Are you being sextorted? Need real answers - fast? Contact me now for 1-on-1 assistance. I've worked on over 1,000+ sextortion cases since 2019 and know this scam inside and out, including the tried-and-tested strategies for preventing your ... exposure. Our business has been online for 24 years, and is BBB A+ Accredited with ZERO complaints - ever. That track record speaks for itself. If you're ready to take action, reach out to me now . Otherwise, keep reading - this guide will show you exactly what's happening and what to do (and what not to do) next. Infopackets Reader Adam G. writes: "Dear ... (view more)
Breaking encryption using quantum computing could be 20 times easier than previously thought. It's not happening any time soon, but the point where computer security needs an overhaul may be earlier than expected. Most computer encryption today is ... based on creating an encryption key by multiplying two large prime numbers together. The beauty and simplicity is that doing this is very simple, but reversing the process to work out what the two numbers originally were is incredibly complex. While a computer can eventually figure it out, the idea is that it would take so long (potentially years or ... (view more)
Verizon has asked to be let out of legal commitments to unlock phones within 60 days, allowing anyone with a new Verizon phone to take it to another carrier. The rules currently say that if somebody buys a phone that's locked to a particular network ... provider, they have the right to get it unlocked after six months, However, Verizon has made two legal commitments to follow a 60-day limit instead. One commitment was made as part of the deal when it bought the rights to broadcast mobile data at a particular frequency (the 700 MHz spectrum). The other was as a condition of getting regulatory ... (view more)
Microsoft has issued an emergency fix and guidelines after a Windows 10 update caused major problems for some users. It meant some machines went into an inescapable reboot loop. The issue came with May's monthly security update, which has the ... reference code KB5058379. It affected users who have an Intel vPro processor with a feature called Intel Trusted Execution Technology enabled. An Intel vPro processor is mainly aimed at small business users as it includes key security and network management capabilities. The Trusted Execution Technology feature is designed to secure computer hardware to ... (view more)
Around 5.7 million files including resumes were unintentionally exposed by a recruitment company according to security researchers. The breach could put jobseekers at risk for a range of scams. Cybernews says it spotted the files accessible and ... unprotected online. They came from HireClick, a recruitment company that describes itself as "The Most Affordable and Effective Hiring System on the Planet." The files included resumes with full contact details for jobseekers along with details of their current and past employment. Although details such as full names, addresses, phone numbers and email ... (view more)
If you're caught up in a Venmo sextortion trap and are desperate for a way out - you're not alone, and this in-depth, Q&A article is for you. If you are in full-on panic and need help now, you can contact me here for assistance . Otherwise, keep ... reading! Infopackets Reader Sanjay B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I paid someone on Venmo and now they're blackmailing me . Here's my story: a few days ago I met a woman on Adult Friend Finder claiming to be local to me. We chatted casually for a couple of days, but then moved to WhatsApp for privacy. As soon as I did, the tone changed; she was ... (view more)
The makers of the controversial Pegasus spyware have been ordered to pay $167.25 million for exploiting a bug in WhatsApp. The company that makes Pegasus markets it as a crime fighting tool for government agencies. Israeli based NSO developed ... Pegasus to take advantage of a range of bugs through "zero-click" attacks that makes it possible to monitor somebody's phone without requiring any action from victim (such as clicking on a link or opening a phone). The software has proven controversial despite NSO's claims that it only makes it available for legitimate government surveillance. Critics ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Bob V. writes: " Dear Dennis, Recently, I received an email from Mozilla indicating the discontinuing of Mozilla Pocket. I have used Mozilla Pocket for several years and find it quite useful. Can you suggest an useful alternative ... to Pocket? Thanks, in advance, Bob. " My response: Sure - I'm happy to assist. For those unaware, Mozilla Pocket is (or was) a "read-it-later" app developed by Mozilla (makes of Firefox and Thunderbird) that allowed users to save online content such as articles, videos, and web pages to be viewed later in a clean, distraction-free format. In this ... (view more)
Microsoft has made a small concession in plans to effectively kill off Windows 10 later this year. However, continuing to use the system still looks likely to be a risky proposition . Related: What Happens When Windows 10 Reaches End of Life? No ... Service Packs For Windows 10; Support ends 2025 Win10 End-of-Life has Major Security Implications Company Promises to Patch Win10 After End of Life Windows 10 End of Life: October, 2025 On October 25 this year, Windows 10 reaches its official end of support date, meaning Microsoft will no longer issue any security patches to most users. That's not a ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Sam G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I came across your website and read two of your most recent articles: Spanish Sexting Scam Turns into WhatsApp Blackmail and Sextorted on ThaiFriendly? Read This Before You Pay - thanks - these ... articles were very insightful. Now for my issue. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but until last week I had never even heard of ' sextortion .' I thought I was just chatting with someone new online - it started harmlessly enough. We flirted a little, exchanged some pictures , and then she casually asked me to send some money her way to help pay for ... (view more)
Microsoft has confirmed several changes to the Windows 11 Start menu. They include more space and better support for connected phones. The changes had been in testing for several weeks but have now been officially announced. They will be available ... to members of the Windows Insider program first and then roll out to all users. That means Microsoft has definitely decided to make the changes and its now just a case of picking up any late bugs before the full release. (Source: windows.com ) The most notable change is to the size of the Start menu, which will now be both taller (taking up most of ... (view more)
Windows 11 will soon have an AI tool that automatically switches user settings to improve usability. There will also be an update to the existing "Click to Do" tools. The features will initially be available on Copilot+ PCs. To clarify, Copilot is ... Microsoft's name for a series of AI powered tools, available on most Windows computers. Meanwhile Copilot+ is the name of a specific hardware specification that manufacturers can use in branding. It requires an extremely fast processor dedicated to AI operations. Microsoft has already added several Windows features that only work on Copilot+ ... (view more)
Microsoft has finally shut down its once-revolutionary voice and video chat service, Skype, marking the end of a 22-year era in digital communication. Launched in 2003, Skype played a pioneering role in bringing voice over IP (VOIP) technology into ... the mainstream, allowing people across the globe to connect for free or at extremely low cost. But in recent years, usage had fallen dramatically, and now the platform has officially been retired. Skype History Skype's journey began as an independent project created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, the same duo behind the file-sharing platform ...<a href="/news/11554/microsoft-shuts-down-skype" class="more-link">view more
The number of apps in the Google Play store has almost halved in just over a year. Google says it's good news and a result of a crackdown on low quality apps. The news won't necessarily be welcomed by developers as it shows the effect of a big ... change in policy and more subjectivity by Google. According to Appfigures, the number of apps in Google Play fell from 3.4 million at the start of 2024 to around 1.8 million now. Over the same period, the number Apple's app store remained virtually unchanged at 1.6 million. (Source: techcrunch.com ) The average user probably won't notice that difference ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Alejandro M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I stumbled across your website and read your articles on Sextorted on ThaiFriendly and Being Harassed on Instagram . I have a similar situation. A week ago I joined a Spanish sexting group that ... was recommended in a forum online. It looked active and legit, so I figured I'd give it a go. Not long after, I matched up with an attractive woman that supposedly lives near me. She seemed completely normal - polite, and even a little reserved. The texts were sporadic but eventually picked up steam, at which point she asked me to move over to ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Jean Paul R. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being blackmailed on Instagram ! I'm a 40-year-old guy from France, and unfortunately, I am the latest victim of a sextortion scam . I read some of your articles and posts - ... including the one about Sextorted After Trip to Thailand and Being Harassed on Instagram . To be honest, it's scary how similar my story is to the ones you've shared. Last Wednesday, I matched with a curvy Thai girl on the ThaiFriendly app. At first she wanted to chat over Instagram , so I gave her my contact info and we chatted on there for a bit. ... (view more)
An employee monitoring app mistakenly exposed 21 million screenshots of workers monitors. The images were viewable in real time, potentially uncovering all manner of sensitive information. WorkComposer is an app reportedly installed on 200,000 ... employee computers. The idea is that managers can track employees, whether they are in an office or working remotely. As well as logging keystrokes and time spent on individual apps, the software takes a screenshot regularly, with conflicting reports putting this as every few minutes or every 20 seconds. This means it should be easy for managers to ... (view more)
Google is to make it easier for Gmail users to unsubscribe from mailing lists. Users will now be able to see and unsubscribe from multiple senders in one location. Gmail already has a dedicated unsubscribe button that appears at the top of messages ... that Google believes are newsletters, marketing emails or other bulk messages. This is separate to Gmail's spam feature which will report a message as unsolicited and could affect whether Google filters the sender for all users. Instead, this is for messages that were "legitimately" sent but the user no longer wants to receive. When a user clicks ... (view more)
Google Messages can now warn users before they open an inappropriate photo. Privacy experts say the technology behind the tool appears to be safe. Officially the feature is for "Sensitive Content Warnings" though it appears to actually be all about ... photos of undressed bodies or body parts. The main focus is dealing with unsolicited images, though it could also prevent unintentionally opening of an provocative image in public when a phone screen could be seen by others. When enabled, the feature will initially blur the image. It will then give the user options including viewing the image and ... (view more)
Microsoft's controversial Windows 11 feature that takes repeated screenshots of user activity is back in testing. The Windows Recall feature had been put on pause after intense criticism about privacy implications. The idea of Windows Recall is to ... improve the computer's ability to search for past information. At the moment searching for something you did in the past has some significant limitations: not all activity is stored in the same way, and searching across multiple applications and media formats isn't always smooth. AI Database Microsoft believed the answer is to combine artificial ... (view more)
Deleting empty folders is often a good idea to keep a computer clutter-free and make it easier to see what you're actually looking for. But Microsoft has warned users not to delete an empty folder called "inetpub" in Windows. Although the folder is ... empty for most users, it's actually part of a security fix. The problem is Microsoft forgot to tell anyone about it. The folder shows up in the system drive. That's the hard drive which houses Windows itself. For many, and likely most, users this would be the C drive. Normally "inetpub" would only appear if you use a tool called Internet ... (view more)
Infopackets Readers Jay S. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on How to Fix: Brave Browser Slow (High CPU, RAM) Script . I have a similar question, but this time it's with Chrome. As with the other user mentioned in your article, every ... so often Chrome starts to lag and become unresponsive / slow. When I check Task Manager, I often see some of the chrome.exe processes eating up 2GB+ of memory. I'm not using any extensions, so I'm not sure why this happens, other than perhaps Chrome is caching too much information or there is a memory leak of some kind. Anyhow, I would like to have ... (view more)
Google is doubling the minimum storage on Android smartphones to 32GB. It could affect both existing and new phones, though mainly at the ultra-budget end of the market. The minimum storage has been 16GB since 2022, when it doubled from the previous ... limits of 8GB. The change only affect Android 15, which was released last fall. Note that this is for storage space (like a computer hard drive) not memory (RAM). That means all newly made phones running the system must have 16GB storage, as will any existing handsets for which manufacturers want to roll out the upgrade. While many will have ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Ted S. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on How to Fix: pbeagent.exe 100% CPU Usage (Kill, Respawn Script) and How to Fix: Block YouTube Ads (uBlock Origin Dead) . I have a related question to both of those articles. ... Since I switched to Brave Browser a few months ago, I've noticed that after a while, Brave gets really slow and laggy - especially when I'm playing videos on YouTube . For example: when I'm browsing Youtube and if I see a video I like, I will press CTRL + Left Click on the mouse to open the video I want to watch in a new tab. That way I can ... (view more)
WhatsApp Windows users have been warned to check they are running the latest edition. A new update fixes a bug which could make it much easier to distribute malware. The issue is not with the more familiar mobile app, nor with the website version ... that's available by visiting https://web.whatsapp.com/ in a browser. Instead it's with the downloadable WhatsApp for Desktop Windows app that lets users make video calls and share their screen among other benefits. The security flaw involves the way users can send attachments. As The Register explains, such files come with accompanying data called ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Jill H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I purchased several uninterrupted power supply units dirt cheap for my home office (model APC 1500 SMX1500RM2U ). They work great - 1500VA @ 48 volts and a nice digital display. I downloaded ... PowerChute Business Edition which uses ' pbeagent.exe ' executable which is responsible for communicating between the UPS and my PC so that the PC can shut down safely during a power outage. The issue I'm having is that every so often the pbeagent.exe crashes and causes high cpu usage . When this happens, my computer's CPU fan is noticeably louder, and ... (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 30 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 30 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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