'Islamic State' hacks US Centcom Twitter feed, YouTube channel
US Central Command's Twitter account appears to have been hacked by CyberCaliphate, a hacker group claiming association with ISIS.
The Twitter feed has since been taken down, but posted messages included "AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS. #CyberCaliphate", "Pentagon Networks Hacked! China Scenarios", and "Pentagon Networks Hacked. Korean Scenarios". These last two posts came with military maps and information relating to the countries in question.
And so it begins -- Anonymous launches attacks on Jihadist websites
The other day I wrote about hacker collective Anonymous, covering its war on Lizard Squad and its vow to now go after terrorists. This isn't the slippery slope that some may think it is. The group isn't attacking Islam, it is targeting the extremists responsible for the murders of people. That clarification makes it hard to not be behind them. After all, entire governments have been doing this in a less technological way.
Those promised threats are now no longer just promises. Anonymous has taken down its first target -- ansar-alhaqq.net (we aren't linking to them), rendering the site, which was deemed a terrorist hive back in 2013, completely inaccessible. Reaching the site is now impossible as the DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) targeting of it is well underway.
Is Microsoft about to unleash a Windows Phone 10 preview on an unsuspecting world?
There's something of an air of excitement surrounding the release of the next version of Windows. The various builds of Windows 10 Technical Preview have delighted, frustrated, aroused, and annoyed in just about equal measure. Whichever side of the fence you fall on, one thing is certain about Windows 10 -- even months before its launch it has got people talking.
There's not long to wait until we get our hands on the next build, but now attention is shifting away from the desktop to mobile devices. There has long been talk of Windows 10 merging mobile and desktop platforms, and the launch of a new Windows Phone app shows that the time could be coming when Windows Insiders see their first glimpse of Windows 10 for phones.
Tick tock, tick tock -- Obama says customers need to be told faster about security breaches
President Obama is calling for more honesty from tech companies when it comes to telling customers about security breaches. Specifically, he wants people to be informed in a more timely fashion whenever a security issue puts their data at risk.
The proposed Personal Data Notification and Protection Act would require companies to contact customers within 30 days of a security breach if personal data has been stolen. The call comes in the wake of several high profile cases in which customers' data was exposed for some time before those affected were informed.
Microsoft helps Hardee's sell burgers with Windows 8.1-powered Dell kiosks
One of my favorite things in the world is playing with computers. Whether building them or using them, I am as happy as can be. We computer nerds get hungry, however, and we need to fuel our bodies. Sure, some of us nerds eat healthy (Mark Wilson is a vegetarian), but fast food and caffeinated beverages are still staples in many of our nerdy diets.
Hamburgers and cheeseburgers are still wildly popular and there are many places to choose from. While I usually eat Burger King's Whopper, Hardee's is actually my favorite. Sadly, we do not have that restaurant on Long Island, so I can only get its delicious burgers when traveling south. Today, Microsoft announces that it has partnered with the burger-chain to offer Windows-powered kiosks. What does this mean? Computer nerds have a new nerdy way of ordering fast food!
Samsung's new A7 smartphone is big, fast and thin
Samsung has long been criticized for making smartphones that look and feel cheap. This has not only been the case with its low-cost offerings, but also with its mid-rangers and flagships -- you don't need to look further than the Galaxy S line -- which is supposed to be Samsung's cream of the crop in regards to design -- to understand the problem.
Fortunately, Samsung has paid attention lately, proof being the introduction of the A lineup as well as the design changes made for the Galaxy Note 4 flagship, which will trickle down to future premium offerings. And, today, Samsung is expanding the A lineup by adding the A7 phablet into the mix. It is the biggest, most powerful and thinnest of the bunch.
Gotcha! Google angers Microsoft by exposing Windows vulnerability
At the end of last week, Google took the somewhat unusual step of releasing details of a Windows vulnerability before a patch had been produced. Microsoft is unhappy. Very unhappy. The bug, which affects the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 8.1 Update, was publicized as part of Google's Project Zero, but Microsoft is calling it a "gotcha".
So angered was Microsoft that Chris Betz, Senior Director of Microsoft Security Response Center hit out at Google in a strongly worded blog post. Citing the war against cyberattacks, Betz expresses anger that Google made public a security issue about the elevation of privileges in Windows user accounts, saying that companies should "come together and not stand divided".
Cloud security becomes a boardroom concern
Moving systems and data to the cloud is increasingly common, but it inevitably leads to concerns about security and those worries are now reaching the boardroom.
This is according to new research by the non-profit Cloud Security Alliance which looks at how companies are currently approaching the cloud, including their views on shadow IT, obstacles preventing cloud adoption, and security priorities.
NirSoft releases PC forensics tool ExecutedProgramsList
Utilities developer NirSoft has announced the release of ExecutedProgramsList, a portable PC forensics tool which lists programs and batch files previously launched on a PC.
For every program, ExecutedProgramsList displays the .exe file name, product name, version, description, and -- sometimes -- when it was last executed.
Why CES 2015 was the best yet
Technology’s yearly trip to Sin City has been and gone in a heartbeat with gadgets and gizmos packing the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Centre as far as the eye can see. As soon as delegates landed they were inundated with power outlets that reminded everyone, yes, you’re in the center of the technology universe for the next few days and you can bet we won’t let you forget that!
That wasn’t the only thing that made CES 2015 the best one yet, and here are five of the top takeaways:
BlueLife Hosts Editor: a one-stop HOSTS file manager
The HOSTS file is an important element in most networks, a simple structure which maps host names to custom IP addresses.
HOSTS can be used to block ads, or prevent access to certain sites. It’s occasionally used by viruses to redirect web access from legitimate sites to somewhere more malicious. Windows doesn’t make it easy to view or control any of this, but fortunately the free BlueLife Hosts Editor provides just about everything you’ll need.
Panasonic shows off a ToughPad for POS, runs Windows 8.1
Panasonic is known for its rugged notebook computers and, more recently, tablets. The devices have become essential for folks in certain fields of work. While folks in the construction industry can benefit from this technology, what about those who have a need to process payments while on the go? Panasonic now has that covered as well, unveiling the Toughpad FZ-R1 mobile point-of-sale tablet.
This is a seven inch tablet that runs Windows 8.1 and is powered by an Intel Celeron processor. It also comes with a PIN pad to make accepting payments simpler.
Linux Mint 17.1 'Rebecca' Xfce finally available -- download now for old computers
Linux Mint is on a roll lately; last year saw the official release of 17.1 'Rebecca', with the Mate and Cinnamon desktop environments (DEs). Both of the aforementioned environments are wonderful, but not everyone likes them. With Linux, there are many DEs to choose from, and each has its own fans.
A few days ago, the Mint Team released a KDE flavored version of 17.1, which made many people -- mostly with modern PCs -- happy. You see, as great as KDE is, it is not designed for older machines. Sure, Mate is arguably appropriate for a less-powerful machine, but there is yet another desktop environment that can better breathe new life into older computers -- Xfce. It is now available for Mint 17.1, featuring "Xfce 4.10, MDM 1.8, a Linux kernel 3.13 and an Ubuntu 14.04 package base".
Apple now a more popular camera brand than Nikon -- on Flickr anyway
If asked to name the top camera brands, the chances are you’ll start with Canon and Nikon, followed by names like Samsung, Sony, Olympus, and Fujifilm. Apple probably wouldn’t make most people’s top five, but it’s long been incredibly popular on Flickr.
The photography website has released its yearly list of the most popular camera brands (based on the number of photos uploaded) and reveals that in 2014 Apple claimed the second spot, behind Canon, nudging photography giant Nikon into third place.
Can an 'anonymous' social network using Facebook login ever be trusted?
Despite its unwavering popularity, Facebook continually finds itself under fire for one thing or another. We've had debate about the social network's real names policy, a raft of people thinking they can rewrite the rules, advertising woes, and constant complaints when changes are made to how timelines operate. But one thing crops up time and time again -- people's desire for privacy.
This may seem rather at odds with use of a social network (there's a clue in the name there), but a new contender thinks it has the answer. Social X describes itself as a social platform where users can set up numerous identities, including an anonymous one. There's one problem -- Facebook credentials are used to sign into Social X, and this is undeniably going to be a massive stumbling block.
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