Mozilla to simplify Firefox extension installs with new data privacy system
Oh, thank heaven. Mozilla is finally doing something about the horribly messy (and sometimes confusing) data consent experience in Firefox extensions. If you’ve ever installed a Firefox add-on and been hit with some clunky, homemade data collection prompt, you’re not alone. Now, Mozilla is stepping in to cure the insanity. You see, the organization will be adding a standardized data consent system into the installation process.
This new system, expected to arrive later this year, will thankfully eliminate the need for developers to write their own data consent screens. Instead, extension creators will just declare what data the add-on collects in the manifest file. And just like that, Firefox will handle the rest.
Visa turns to AI to help cut fraud
With fraud on the increase and more sophisticated attack methods being used, payments company Visa is turning to AI to help businesses and financial institutions fight back.
It's introducing ARIC Risk Hub, developed by Featurespace -- a company recently acquired by Visa -- which uses adaptive AI to build profiles around genuine customer activity making it easier to spot suspicious actions.
AI won't replace low-code/no-code tools
According to a new study, 76 percent of tech leaders say that AI will make their existing low-code/no-code tools more efficient instead of replacing them altogether.
The survey from App Builder, with third-party research firm Dynata, finds use of low-code and no-code tools have steadily increased over the past decade and become an integral piece of how 95 percent of teams now build scalable applications.
FreePDF 2025 provides basic PDF editing tools for no cost, adds tab support and multi-page viewing options
German software developer SoftMaker GmbH has released FreePDF 2025, a free PDF editor for Windows PCs. It’s a cut-down version of SoftMaker’s commercial FlexiPDF editing tool that contains a subset of the basic editing features found in the developer’s $100 product.
FreePDF 2025 unveils improvements first seen in FlexiPDF late last year, including support for multiple documents through tabs, an improved dark mode setting and a new multi-page overview.
Microsoft makes time-saving hotpatching update method available to Windows 11 Enterprise users
Updates to Windows can be important, but they can also be a huge inconvenience. We’re not just talking about the number of times things go wrong with updates, but the downtime associated with installing them and restarting systems.
With the arrival of hotpatching in Windows 11, however, some of this frustration is eliminated. Microsoft has enabled the (mostly) restart-free update method for organizations running Windows 11 Enterprise.
Cyberattacks on utilities pose risk to public safety
A new survey of 350 UK and US utility operators reveals that 62 percent of water, water treatment and electricity companies have been affected by cyberattacks in the last 12 months.
The study from Semperis finds that nearly 60 percent of attacks were carried out by nation-state groups
Lexar unveils 1TB PLAY PRO microSD Express card as Nintendo Switch 2 pricing and release date are revealed
Lexar has officially launched its PLAY PRO microSD Express card. This launch seems quite perfectly timed with today’s announcement of both the Nintendo Switch 2’s pricing and availability.
The PLAY PRO microSD Express card utilizes the SD 7.1 specification, which integrates both PCIe 3.0 and NVMe 1.3. The card can achieve read speeds up to 900MB/s and write speeds up to 600MB/s. These impressive speeds are particularly beneficial for gaming applications, as they can potentially reduce load times.
Windows 11 finally gets a proper Start menu with this Quantum upgrade -- install it now
If you’ve ever thought that Windows 11 is a little lacking in visual polish, you’re not alone. Microsoft’s decision to center the Start menu and taskbar was meant to modernize the look of the OS and reduce mouse travel -- especially for users with ultra-wide or high-resolution displays -- but it’s not exactly what you’d call inspiring.
If you think Windows 11 looks like it’s straight out of 2011, we have a free solution to that problem: Quantum Start Menu.
Nintendo Switch 2 launches June 5 with magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers and mouse support
Three months after officially announcing the long-rumored Switch 2, Nintendo has revealed when you'll be able to buy the follow-up to its hugely popular hybrid game system -- and the good news is you won't have long to wait.
Nintendo Switch 2 will hit store shelves in the United States on June 5, priced at $449.99, and it’s coming with a bunch of changes that might surprise longtime fans.
The rise of the 'gray bots' targeting websites for data
We all know about good bots like search engine crawler bots, SEO bots, and customer service bots. And we know about bad bots, designed for malicious or harmful online activities like breaching accounts to steal personal data or commit fraud.
New research from Barracuda identifies an additional breed of 'gray bots', and these include GenAI scraper bots, designed to extract or scrape large volumes of data from websites, often to train generative AI models. Other examples of gray bots are web scrapers and automated content aggregators that collect web content such as news, reviews, travel offers and more.
The core pillars of cyber resiliency
As we enter a new era of cybersecurity threats, which has prompted the evolution of new vulnerabilities, organizations are challenged on how to best respond to these evolving attacks. The threat landscape is more complex than ever causing organizations to grapple with new tactics to safeguard their critical data.
In 2024, ransomware surged rapidly in acceleration and sophistication, accounting for 23 percent of all intrusions in 2023 compared with 18 percent in 2022 according to Mandiant’s annual M-Trends report. Since the introduction of AI, the ability to automate its deployment can also be attributed to its exponential growth. Most notably, increasing its attack surface to target critical infrastructure, sensitive data, and operational capabilities.
AI contributes to a more complex privacy landscape
Despite many organizations reporting significant business gains from using GenAI, data privacy is still a major risk. Notably, 64 percent of respondents to a new survey worry about inadvertently sharing sensitive information publicly or with competitors, yet nearly half admit to inputting personal employee or non-public data into GenAI tools.
The latest Data Privacy Benchmark Study from Cisco, with input from from 2,600 privacy and security professionals across 12 countries, shows an increased focus on investing in AI governance processes, an overwhelming 99 percent of respondents anticipate reallocating resources from privacy budgets to AI initiatives in the future.
AI-driven video is ushering in a new era of collaboration
The shift to hybrid and remote jobs continues to redefine the modern workplace. For the past several years, video conferencing has made global collaboration possible, breaking down barriers that once made a fully remote workforce seem like a far reality. And while this technology will continue to be a core component of day-to-day business, it has only scratched the surface of how video can support increasingly dispersed teams.
In fact, it actually may no longer be enough to sustain remote environments. As workers and employers continue to clash around return to office (RTO) mandates and employee engagement reaches a record low, it’s clear that we need a new approach.
Politically motivated DDoS attacks target critical infrastructure
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have become a dominant means of waging cyberwarfare linked to socio-political events such as elections, civil protests and policy disputes, according to the latest DDoS Threat Intelligence Report from NetScout.
Throughout the year, DDoS attacks have been intricately tied to social and political events, including Israel experiencing a 2,844 percent surge linked to hostage rescues and political conflicts, Georgia enduring a 1,489 percent increase during the lead-up to the passage of the 'Russia Bill', and Mexico having a 218 percent increase during national elections.
Celebrate Donald Trump’s Liberation Day by finally ditching Windows 11 for Linux
Today (April 2, 2025) has been declared “Liberation Day” by President Donald Trump. This makeshift holiday will apparently mark a rebirth for the USA by celebrating new tariffs. Whether you think this a brilliant move or simply political foolishness, you must admit there’s something to be said about the idea of breaking free from bloated systems. And no, I’m not just talking about foreign trade deals -- I’m talking about your operating system too!
If you’re still using Windows 11 in 2025, you must ask yourself, why the heck is that? Why punish yourself by dealing with unpredictable updates, AI features nobody asked for, and Microsoft collecting your data? I am happy to say there’s a much better way -- you should celebrate Liberation Day by declaring your independence from Windows with Linux.
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