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Last year, the interconnectedness of cybercrime was demonstrated by a variety of supply chain hacks and other well-known cybersecurity issues that coalesced to create massive botnets powered by compromised Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. The events from the first half of 2017 highlight another long-developing issue, which has been made worse by a variety of data dumps from actors such as WikiLeaks, TheShadowBrokers, and others: the leakage of state-sponsored and cybercriminal hacking tools and exploits.

Much like leaked personal data, once those vulnerabilities, exploits, and tools are exposed, they forever remain in the cybercriminal public domain. The May outbreak of WannaCry ransomware and the June outbreak of the data-destroying malware NotPetya both leveraged leaked NSA exploits to disrupt numerous organizations across the globe.

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If you work in the cybersecurity industry or are interested in getting into the field, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends, developments and advancements. One of the best ways to stay updated with the most recent industry changes is to follow the top giants in the security industry.

The cybersecurity industry is a quickly expanding market, growing in response to the increasing number of cyber crimes. According to the most recent report of Cybersecurity Ventures, its spending is expected to reach $1 trillion over the next 5 years.

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There is a lot of nasty talk about cloud security solutions on the web. From calling them "inherently insecure" to branding them a as a source of imminent risk, the "folding arms gang," or CISOs/CSOs in favor of maintaining legacy solutions and the on-premise model, have surely gone to town to cast a cloud over cloud security solutions.

As a result, a number of myths about cloud security are spreading though the information security industry. Now’s the time to set the story straight and debunk the top cloud security myths once and for all.

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Apple recently removed some VPN clients from the App Store in China at the request of the Chinese Government. Why? That country is largely anti-privacy, and it does not want its citizens bypassing its censorship of the web. If you live in China, the government can decide what you can and can't view online. If you get caught circumventing these controls, the government can harshly punish you. Sad, right? This is why it is imperative that Linux-based privacy-centric open source operating systems such as Tails continue their development -- you never know when it might be needed (including in the USA).

If you aren't familiar with Tails, please know that it is a "Live" Linux distro that focuses on security and privacy. In other words, it can potentially cover your tracks from heavy-handed governments and other entities. Today, Tails achieve a minor point update, making the newest stable version 3.1. While it is hardly monumental from a feature perspective, it is urgent that all users upgrade as some serious vulnerabilities have been patched.

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My love for Fractal Design cases is well documented. Most recently, I -- and other members of the PC building community -- went gaga over the "Define C TG" chassis series from the company, as it featured good looks, solid design, and a beautiful tempered glass window. You really can't go wrong with a Fractal Design case, as it should last you many years without breaking the bank. The designs are evergreen, as the company does not follow the fleeting style du jour.

Today, Fractal Design launches yet another case, and once again, it looks like a winner. The "Meshify C," as it is called, is true to its name, as it features, well, a lot of mesh. The company has designed this chassis to be the pinnacle of cooling, with plenty of mesh, fan mounting options, and the potential for excellent cable management. Of course, it looks sexy too, particularly thanks to a beautiful tinted tempered glass window

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Facebook has introduced a ban on address cloaking, a technique used to bypass review procedures and display content that violates the social network's policies.

Cloaking is used to disguise the true nature of posts and ads from reviewers, so they will see different contents to real-world users when they click through. Facebook says that it will be working with other companies to find ways to fight cloaking and implement punishments. AI will be called upon to do some of the legwork.

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In my series, I’ve looked at the different ways in which data can be deployed to help people make decisions. Over time, more of the decision-making process has shifted from people manually collating data from different sources in their heads to using data sets that can be automatically joined together. This networked approach to data makes it easier for people of all skill levels to work with data.

This has evolved to make more use of automation over time. By making it easier for individuals to link up data sets and form connections between these assets, businesses have been able to spread analytics to more users within their organizations. This is now being taken further with machine learning.

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Yesterday, Microsoft announced it was rolling out a new beta version for its Outlook.com webmail service. This offers a number of improvements for users, including better performance, a smarter inbox, and greater personalization.

The problem, as with all Microsoft rollouts, is only some users will be able to access the beta. The majority have to wait to be invited, and that could take weeks. Fortunately, there’s a simply trick you can use to access the beta right now.

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Traditional methods of securing endpoints rely on installed agents and are affected by network dependencies.

Endpoint security specialist Absolute is launching a new version of its solution that's always connected to every endpoint. Absolute 7 uses Persistence technology that’s embedded in the firmware of many popular endpoint devices, to deliver always-connected visibility and control with a tether to every device both on and off the corporate network.

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Although other forms of authentication are gaining traction, the password is still the most common method of identifying yourself to websites. Levels of password security should therefore be an important consideration for online businesses, especially in eCommerce.

But a Password Power Rankings survey out today from password manager Dashlane shows that 46 percent of consumer sites, including Dropbox, Netflix, and Pandora, and 36 percent of enterprise sites, including DocuSign and Amazon Web Services, are failing to implement the most basic password security requirements.

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Opera Software has unveiled Opera 47.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s a fast turnaround from Opera 46, taking less than the usual six-week development cycle to go from alpha to final release.

As a result, the new release is light on major features, but does boast a number of improvements, including smoother video and exportable bookmarks. It also updates the underlying Chromium engine to version 60.

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I absolutely love Chromebooks. Well, not for me exactly, but I love suggesting them to other people when appropriate. While they aren't for everybody, they are brilliant when they can meet a user's needs. The underlying Chrome OS operating system is based on Linux and is extremely secure. In fact, it can be argued that Google's laptop operating system is the most secure OS for web browsing. If you are tired of fixing either a friend or family member's Windows 10 PC, and they live in a web browser, get them on a Chromebook and get some of your time -- and sanity -- back.

Today, Acer unveils a new laptop running Chrome OS. The "Chromebook 11 C771," as it is called, is designed primarily for education (where they really shine), plus as thin clients for businesses too. The notebook features an 11.6-inch display with optional touch, and up to 13 hours battery life. Since it is designed primarily for students, and they can be rough on computers, the C771 has military grade (MIL-STD 810G) durability and a spill-resistant keyboard. It can even survive a 4 foot drop.

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The value of the cryptocurrency market plummeted in July, and Ethereum was among the most affected players. From a peak of $400 in mid-June, it went all the way down to the $130s a couple of weeks ago. The second most-valuable cryptocurrency has been slowly regaining lost ground since, however.

Ethereum is nowhere near its peak price yet, unlike Bitcoin, which has managed to go over $3,500 for the first time yesterday, but its recovery is encouraging -- Ethereum traded again above the $300 mark today.

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Marketers are keen to take advantage of the latest social channels to boost their profiles, but it can be a bit of a lottery for brands to know which have the most influence on customers.

A new study by marketing platform Snaplytics has analyzed over 800 influencers in depth over the last quarter, to identify how many updates contain brand mentions, which brands are being mentioned and who mentions them on what platform.

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All of the messaging services worth their salt feature a live video option, and Instagram is no different. But the company is keen to get more people using it and is worried that going live alone is too intimidating for some people.

To overcome this problem, Instagram is testing a new split-screen option that gives users the chance to go live with a friend. While this is billed as a way to make live video more accessible, there's far greater potential for this form of shared live video than Instagram is currently hinting at.

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