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)
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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)
Infopackets Reader Julie F. writes: " Dear Dennis, My daughter is addicted to Roblox and plays it on her tablet for hours on end, every single day. Recently she received two gift Roblox gift cards for her birthday. These cards contain a PIN number ... and need to be activated online so she can use it within the game. I have successfully entered in the PIN number using a web browser (on a PC), and she now has $50 worth of Roblox credit. From my understanding, I am now supposed to convert the Roblox credit into Robux, which will allow her to purchase items within the game. Every video and written ... (view more)
Windows 10 has been hit by another bug affecting the search function. Fortunately it seems the problem looks much worse than it really is. The bug in question pops up for some users when they use Windows Search, which looks through both the names of ... files and the contents of documents. Users have reported a range of unusual effects, the most common being a message reading "This is taking too long to load" above a reload button. In most cases it seems hitting the reload button - or indeed restarting either the search tool or Windows itself - doesn't make any difference. What's particularly ... (view more)
A researcher has found a major bug with Thunderbolt port technology that could undermine major security measures on multiple computer systems. There's a big mitigating factor though: an attacker would need extended physical access to the computer in ... order to carry out the exploit. Thunderbolt is a technology that is similar in concept to USB, but adds fiber optic to the usual copper wires. Compared to USB, Thunderbolt has high speed and capacity. Common uses include super-fast device charging (including laptops), 4K video, and extremely quick data transfers. Originally Thunderbolt was only ... (view more)
Microsoft wants to stop one of the most annoying parts of email. It's going to try cutting the vicious cycle of the "reply all" message storm. The problem arises when somebody sends a group message to a large number of people and then one of the ... recipients mistakenly (or perhaps worse, deliberately) clicks on "Reply All" rather than simply using "Reply" to address the original sender. Not only does that mean the entire group seeing the reply, but it can quickly spark others to reply, extend a conversation, point out the error, or make a joke. In some cases, the configuration means that all of ... (view more)
Twitter is testing a program to warn users if they are about to post a potentially-offensive message. It's billed as a way to tackle hot-headedness, but could also tackle the limitations of automatic filtering. At the moment Twitter uses a ... combination of automated filters that block some content from getting posted, as well as user reports about posts already online. The test will run for several weeks and cover English language tweets only. It will mean users who are about to post something that involves "offensive or hurtful language" see a message giving them the option of revising it ... (view more)
Microsoft is rethinking its plans for a completely new version of Windows 10. It's no longer going to target "Windows 10X" at dual-screen devices for the simple reason that not many people are interested about such devices right now. Windows 10X was ... originally designed to be a separate system to the widely used Windows 10. The idea was to get ahead of the game with fold-out laptops that have a touchscreen on both halves of the fold, rather than a screen and physical keyboard. Such devices are designed to give users a large screen space and a more practical way to have multiple windows open in ... (view more)
Older computers might feel a little faster after the next major Windows 10 update. That's because Windows 10 is going to get a bit smarter in the way it powers its search tool. Windows 10's Start Menu (accessed by clicking the Windows logo at the ... bottom left of the screen) includes a search box that doesn't just search the names of files, but also their content. Since the system's release, an update means it will now searches all files on the C drive - not just those in specific libraries such as "Documents" or "Downloads." File Indexing Takes a Toll To ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader David C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running out of space on my C drive (SSD) and I would like to move my entire Steam folder to the D drive. Currently I have a 1 TB SSD on C and the D drive is a 4 TB regular hard drive. Every ... guide I've looked at on the Internet explains how to do move each Steam game one at a time, but I've got over 20 games installed on here and that would take forever. What I would like to do is move all Steam games to another drive in one go. I don't understand why this is so difficult. I'm afraid I may screw something up if I don't do this right - in ... (view more)
Google is stepping up a fact-checking feature on YouTube. It won't mean removing videos, but rather placing a warning in results for searches on topics associated with misleading information. The "fact check information panels" were first used in ... Brazil and India last year and will now be rolled out to the United States. They're designed as a way to focus human resources given the sheer quantity of videos uploaded every day. The idea is to deal with misinformation about recent news events where bogus claims can appear and spread quickly. Topics will be selected based on both the amount of ... (view more)
A security company says it found a simple way to turn antivirus software into a weapon for attackers. Most major manufacturers have now fixed the problem, but it's a reminder to keep such software updated. The discovery by Rack911 Labs effectively ... meant that a hacker could force the antivirus software to delete files on a computer. That would mean the hacker would need to have gained access to a computer first - whether internally on a network, or remotely using malware. The exploit is based on one of the most fundamental actions of any antivirus software: they scan files, check if they are a ... (view more)
Measures to stop misinformation spreading on messaging service WhatsApp appear to be making a difference. The Facebook-owned business says its seen fewer "highly forwarded messages". A couple of weeks back , WhatsApp took action after fears it was ... being used to spread bogus and potentially dangerous claims about COVID-19. One big worry was that people who saw a message in one group chat would forward it to multiple other group chats, quickly increasing the number of people who saw it. Extra Niggle May Spark Rethink The changes involved any message that had been forwarded at least five times. ... (view more)
Human tiredness could be the key to spotting automated fake posts online, according to researchers at the University of Southern California. They are developing systems to distinguish between posts by humans and those posted by automated programs, ... otherwise known as 'bots' - which is a short form for robots. Since most of the online world gets their news using smartphones these days, fake news is a serious problem. It's also an incredibly serious issue for social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where news is often talked about, debated, and forwarded to others. Bots Designed To ... (view more)
A third-party Android app store has been hit by a big data breach. Aptoide users who registered between 21 July 2016 and 28 January 2018 may be affected. Aptoide works in a same way as Google's own Play app store, but isn't subject to its content ... regulations or security vettings. As with all third-party stores, users must confirm they accept security risks when installing apps from it. A hacker has published data from 20 million users and claims to have details of another 19 million users altogether. That's a big chunk of the 150 million people Aptoide claims have used its service at some ... (view more)
The latest Windows 10 update blunder temporarily left some users without full use of the system's in-built antivirus / antimalware protection. Though enthusiasts quickly spotted a workaround, the problem has now been fixed with a Windows 10 update. ... The initial problem wasn't actually a system update to Windows 10 itself that caused the issue, but rather an antivirus definition update file for Windows Defender. Essentially, a "definition update" contains details of the latest known threats that the tool can immediately deal with. For some users, the problem only arose when running a full scan ... (view more)
Microsoft is delaying its end of support for machines running older versions of Windows 10. It's the latest alteration made because of people working from home. The change affects any computers that haven't been updated since the big twice-yearly ... update in October 2018, formally known as version 1709 for business users and 1809 for home users. It might seem odd that some people are running those versions given the option to automatically have Windows update regularly. However, it's also understandable that some people might have been put off updating at that point as the October 2018 update ... (view more)
An email scam that aims to exploit embarrassment appears to be back in full effect. The scam involves the recipient getting a message falsely claiming somebody has hacked their computer through an adult website, then accessed their webcam and filmed ... the person enjoying said website. It goes on to claim the hacker has gathered a list of contacts from the user's email and Facebook accounts and threatens to send a copy of the embarrassing video to the person's friends and family. To stop this, the victim must pay the equivalent of $1,900 in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Email Allegedly Tracked The ... (view more)
Security researchers have warned of 56 infected Android apps that could compromise performance. They've been deleted from the Google Play Store, but could still be on users' phones and tablets. According to Check Point, the apps contain malware ... designed to hijack phones and simulate user actions to click on ads. That could run down batteries and eat into mobile data allowances. (Source: checkpoint.com ) The 56 apps include 24 supposedly aimed at children, and 32 which offer simple utilities. They all work as designed: the problem is what's happening in the background. (Source: express.co.uk ... (view more)
A messaging service owned by Facebook is to change its policies to reduce the risk of people passing on bogus information. The WhatsApp changes follow a "significant increase" in forwarded messages since the COVID-19 pandemic began. WhatsApp lets ... users form and join multiple chat groups: for example, one for work colleagues, one for personal friends and one for neighbors. One key feature is that it's relatively simple to forward a message from one group to another, which means information can spread rapidly. That's particularly problematic when it comes to false and even dangerous information ... (view more)
Windows 10 users will soon get slightly clearer notifications when an update is ready. They will also get a reminder of the risks of updating a laptop running on battery power. The notifications will appear in the Windows 10 Action Center, located ... at the bottom right of the screen. Scheduling Updates Easier As well as telling users an update is ready, it will give the chance to click on one of three options. Two options are already familiar: to update immediately ("Restart Now") and to delay the update until later that night ("Restart Tonight"). The latter option simply reschedules for an ... (view more)
Google has temporarily reversed a change intended to increase security and privacy in the Chrome browser. It says it can't risk disrupting websites when so many people are more reliant on the Internet than normal. The change was to the way Chrome ... handles third-party cookies . These are small text files placed on a computer when it visits a website. Unlike standard cookies, they aren't accessed by the site in question, but rather a third-party and are often associated with unpopular behavior such tracking a user's activity across the web to build up a profile of their interests to target ... (view more)
Microsoft has unveiled a range of new features for its Edge browser. They include vertically arranged tabs, enhanced cut and paste, and warnings of potential password breaches. Edge has been somewhat light on new features recently as Microsoft has ... been concentrating on major behind-the-scenes changes. The browser used to run on Microsoft's own code but is now based on Chromium , the same open source code behind Google's Chrome. Microsoft hopes that will tempt over some Chrome users who should be able to use many of their existing browser extension tools in Edge. However, it's also adding some ... (view more)
Microsoft has fixed a Windows 10 bug that meant some users, particularly those running VPNs or proxy servers, couldn't get online. It's an optional update designed only for those who experienced the problem. The bug came to light last week, which ... was about as bad timing as it gets given the increase in the number of people now working from home. As is now a familiar issue, it seems to have been introduced by a previous update to Windows 10. The problem appears to have affected people running either proxy servers or virtual private networks. Though they use different techniques, both are ... (view more)
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