Microsoft gives Windows 11 a new security feature to prevent you storing your passwords insecurely
While software-based password managers are incredibly popular these days, it is still terrifyingly common to find that people store passwords on sticky notes attached to their monitor. A slightly more up to date means of recording passwords is to type them into a text document, and this is something Microsoft is seeking to discourage with the latest update to Windows 11.
With Window 11 2022 Update, the company added a new enhanced phishing protection feature of Microsoft Defender Smartscreen. This security feature can, among other things, issue a warning if it detects that you are entering one of your passwords into a document or, for that matter, a potentially insecure website. The feature is not enabled by default, so here's how to bolster your security.
NVDIA releases fix for poor gaming performance in Windows 11 2022 Update
There have not been too many reports of issues following the release of Windows 11 2022 Update, but this does not mean that Microsoft's first major update to Windows 11 is free from problems. Gamers, for instance, have reported poor game performance with NVIDIA GPUs after installing the update.
NVIDIA was quick to start investigating the problems, and has already come up with a solution. The fix involves the installation of a beta app.
Whoopsie daisy! Microsoft accidentally released the Windows 11 KB5017383 update to WSUS
When we write about updates for Windows, it tends to be for one of two reasons -- sharing news that a new update is available, or giving details of problems that have been found with the latest release. Now we have something a little different.
Microsoft has admitted that it made a mistake with the KB5017383 update for Windows 11, windows 10 and Windows Server a few days ago. It is, however, not necessary something that everyone would notice.
Microsoft releases KB5017389 update for Windows 11 2022 Update
Taking Windows 11 up to build 22621.607, Microsoft has just released the KB5017389 update fixing a huge number of issues that have been uncovered.
For now, the update is only available to Windows Insiders signed up for the Release Preview Channel and running Windows 11 version 22H2. Microsoft has used the update to introduce a range of fixes including addressing Microsoft Store problems, issues with static IP addresses, and solving a problem affecting color modes in Task Manager.
There are already problems with Windows 11 2022 Update for NVIDIA users
It is mere days since Microsoft started the rollout of Windows 11 2022 Update, but there are already reports of issues from people who have updated. Some owners of systems with NVIDIA GPUs are reporting a serious reduction in gaming performance after installing the update.
Reddit and Microsoft community forums are littered with complaints from gamers who have installed Windows 11 2022 Update and found that framerates in games have been slashed by over 87 percent in some cases. Major drops in CPU usage are also leading to stuttering game performance.
Microsoft and Canonical bring systemd support to Windows Subsystem for Linux
Microsoft continues to show a surprising level of love for Linux, and nowhere is this clearer than in the Windows Subsystem for Linux. With the latest version of the software, the company has worked with Canonical to bring systemd support to WSL for Windows 11.
What does this mean in practice? It means that as of Windows Subsystem for Linux 0.67.6 there is support for Ubuntu's snap installation method. But there is much more to the arrival of system support than this.
Microsoft may have released Windows 11 2022 Update, but the best updates are coming in October
Yesterday, to great excitement, Microsoft started the rollout of the eagerly anticipated Windows 11 2022 Update. While there are a lot of worthy changes and additions with this update, there are several features -- perhaps most notably tabs in File Explorer -- that were conspicuous by their absence.
But the missing features have been neither forgotten nor dropped; Microsoft has simply decided to include them in a future update. Before you start gnashing your teeth, there's some good news. The release of Windows 11 2022 Update may not have heralded the arrival of tabbed Explorer, but it will be landing for everyone next month.
Microsoft releases KB5017383 update for Windows 11 with huge widget changes and fixes for lots of issues
The focus for most Windows 11 users has been, understandably, the release of Windows 11 2022 Update and all of the new features and options it brings. But Microsoft has also released a preview of the KB5017383 update for Windows 11 ahead of its proper release next Patch Tuesday.
Although this is a non-security update, it is an important one for a number of reasons. Firstly, it addresses several issues with Windows 11 including a blue screen problem and another issue with the Microsoft Store. Secondly, the update adds new features to the operating system such as new options for widgets and adding WebAuthn redirection.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 2022 Update -- here's what new and how to get it
The first major update for Windows 11 is finally here. Starting today, Microsoft is rolling out the Windows 11 2022 Update, ending speculation and rumors about the precise name and release date.
It is hard to downplay the significance of this update; for many people it will transform Windows 11 into the operating system it should have been from the very beginning. There's a lot to explore in this major update including the addition of Focus sessions and Do Not Disturb, new customization options for the Start menu, updates to Snap Layouts and much more. Some things (notably Explorer tabs), unfortunately, are missing for now, and will be added in the coming weeks.
Revolut customer data exposed in cyberattack
Fintech firm Revolut has been hit by a cyberattack that resulted in personal data of tens of thousands of users being exposed.
Described as a "highly targeted" attack -- although it is not clear who was targeted or why -- the security incident took place on the night of September 11. The attack gave an unauthorized third-party access to a range of data including postal and email addresses, account information, and phone numbers.
Massive GTA VI video leak reveals the secrets of Rockstar Games' upcoming release
Over the weekend, a user from the GTAForums leaked 90 videos showing gameplay footage from the yet-to-be-release Grand Theft Auto VI. Someone by the name of teapotuberhacker -- who also claims to be responsible for the recent Uber hack -- shared 3GB of data and said that more could be leaked soon.
GTA developer Rockstar Games has confirmed that the leak is genuine, and the videos are surprisingly revealing. The footage is from a test build of GTA VI comprising "GTA 5 and 6 source code and assets" and shows that there will be multiple playable characters, including a female player.
Chrome and Microsoft Edge's enhanced spellcheckers can leak your passwords and personal data
Privacy and security are something that all browser manufacturers like to brag about in relation to their products, with Google and Microsoft being no different to others in this regard. But if you are making use of the Enhanced Spellcheck in Chrome or Microsoft Editor in Edge, some highly sensitive information can be sent to the two software giants.
In addition to passwords, we are talking about personal information entered into online forms such as your social security number, date of birth, username and so on. The worrying discovery was made by security researchers from JavaScript security firm otto-js who warn that this is something that will be of particular concern to enterprise users.
LastPass reveals details of August hack that gave threat actor access to its development environment for four days
Last month, LastPass suffered a cyberattack and the company shared some details about what had happened shortly afterwards. Now, having conducted further investigations, more information has been revealed including the fact that the attacker had access to the LastPass development environment for four days.
The company concedes that it is not clear how the attacker was able to gain access but says: "the threat actor utilized their persistent access to impersonate the developer once the developer had successfully authenticated using multi-factor authentication". LastPass has also revealed the impact of the four-day security incident in the name of providing "transparency and peace-of-mind to [its] consumer and business communities".
Microsoft Teams gains language interpretation for multi-lingual environments
Recognizing the fact that many groups, organizations and work forces are made up of multi-lingual members from many countries, Microsoft has made language interpretation Generally Available for users of Microsoft Teams.
Rather than offering automatic translation of speech, language interpretation allows professional interpreters to convert what a speaker says into another language in real-time.
Microsoft Teams for Windows, macOS and Linux insecurely stores authentication tokens in unprotected cleartext -- and a fix is NOT in the pipeline
Researchers from cybersecurity firm Vectra have issued a warning that Microsoft Teams stores authentication tokens in an unprotected form that could easily be abused by hackers.
The desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux all store authentication tokens in cleartext, and this can be used by an attacker to steal an identity and log into accounts. This is clearly worrying, but what is more concerning is Microsoft's reaction; the company says that the issue does not require "immediate servicing".
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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