Microsoft releases PowerToys Experimental v0.48.1 with fixes and new features
It was entirely planned, but it does feel like a good while since there was an exciting PowerToys release with new things to play with. But now, with the release of PowerToys Experimental v0.48.1, this changes.
There are, of course, fixes and -- as this is an experimental release -- some known issues, but there is also the return of Video Conference Mute tool which has quickly turned into a fan-favorite.
SoftMaker FreeOffice 2021 released -- free Word, Excel and PowerPoint alternatives for Windows, Mac and Linux
German developer SoftMaker Software GmbH has unveiled the latest version of its free office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. SoftMaker FreeOffice 2021 is the first major release in over three years, and provides free alternatives to the key components of Microsoft Office, namely Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
New features are thin on the ground, and form just a subset of those that accompanied the commercial release of SoftMaker Office 2021 last year.
New cryptography solution aims for 'cyber herd immunity'
Increased reliance on digital systems and remote workforces has drastically increased the attack surface threatening to compromise organizations.
Encrypting information is part of the solution but is still vulnerable if keys fall into the wrong hands. Now though Australian deep tech cybersecurity start-up Tide Foundation has come up with a decentralized solution that offers the promise of 'cyber herd immunity'.
Microsoft releases KB5006744 update preview to address numerous issues with Windows 10
Microsoft has released the latest preview update for Windows 10 ahead of a proper release next Patch Tuesday -- the KB5006744 update preview.
While this is a non-security update, it does address a number of problems that have been plaguing Windows 10 users. Among the problems fixed by the KB5006744 update preview are issues with virtual machine load balancing, and a memory leak issue in lsass.exe.
How to get your business ransomware ready [Q&A]
Taking proactive measures like updating and patching systems promptly and undertaking penetration testing improves the ability to withstand a targeted attack.
But when security teams are flooded with non-critical alerts 'vulnerability fatigue' can set in. We spoke to Amitai Ratzon, CEO of penetration testing specialist Pentera, to find out how enterprises can avoid this and improve their ransomware readiness.
Is Facebook about to change its name... and does it matter?
Over the years, Mark Zuckerberg has shared various visions for the future including getting the entire world online. His latest idea is that of the metaverse, a far more immersive, connected experience that blends the realms of virtual reality and the internet.
While details of quite what Facebook's plans for the metaverse might be currently remain vague and ethereal, it seems that Zuckerberg could be on the verge of announcing a rebranding and a new name for Facebook.
Maintaining visibility through the growth of IoT
Data traffic rates over network backbones have increased significantly over the past several years. Fueled by the increasing demand of Internet of things (IoT) devices which continue to be more readily integrated with our daily lives, both domestically and commercially, the average annual volume of data/ information created has almost doubled over the past two years, from 41 zettabytes in 2019 to 79 zettabytes in 2021, with a forecast of growth to 181 zettabytes by 2025 (Statista, 2021).
Over the previous 18 months, this data rate has been driven further by the move to working from home (WFH) where people are using more digital technology, as well as purchasing new IoT devices to help make their WFH life more comfortable.
The continuation of remote work and the best digital tools for it
The onset of the coronavirus outbreak prompted the majority of businesses worldwide to shut down. As people get vaccinated and states lift masking and social distancing restrictions, more offices are reopening.
Some large corporations and even small to medium-sized businesses believe remote work was a positive change in the workforce and have decided to keep some employees home. A recent Gallup poll shows that 91 percent of people working remotely for some part of the week want that trend to persist after the pandemic.
Finance tasks top the list of processes companies want to automate
Pretty much any business workflow can be automated, but which ones do enterprise executives say are the most important and deliver the greatest value?
A new report from automation specialist Kofax shows that tasks relating to financial transactions top most lists, with accounts payable automation top on 85 percent.
Unification of tech is key to improving enterprise defense
A news report shows that 71 percent of security leaders say their teams need access to threat intelligence, security operations data, incident response data, and vulnerability data.
Yet 65 percent of respondents find it very challenging to provide security teams with cohesive data access according to the study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Cyware.
80 percent of CISOs will consider paying a ransom to recover data
A new survey of more than 250 CISO reveals that more than half have been hit by ransomware in the past year, with 69 percent saying it is likely they'll be successfully attacked at least once in the next year.
Those who were successfully hit by ransomware are more inclined to pay up, with 65 percent actually doing so. However, full recovery of data occurred only 55 percent of the time. When asked about willingness to pay, 13 percent say they definitely would, but only 20 percent say they definitely wouldn’t.
Dark web data is spreading faster than ever
Stolen data on the dark web is spreading 11 times faster today than it was six years ago, according to the latest study from Bitglass.
Breach data received over 13,200 views in 2021 compared to 1,100 views in 2015 -- a 1,100 percent increase. In 2015, it took 12 days to reach 1,100 link views -- in 2021, it takes less than 24 hours to pass that milestone.
Microsoft tells sysadmins to update PowerShell 7 to fix flaw that could expose credentials in Linux
Microsoft has issued a stark warning to system administrators, advising them of the importance of updating PowerShell 7 as soon as possible.
Versions prior to PowerShell 7.0.8 and PowerShell 7.1.5 are vulnerable to a .NET Core Information Disclosure flaw that is being tracked as CVE-2021-41355. There is a degree of urgency to upgrading to a non-vulnerable version of PowerShell, as the flaw could expose credentials in plain text in Linux.
Apple's superb AirPods just got even better
I got my first pair of Apple AirPods earlier this year -- yes, I know I’m very late to the party -- and they are exceptional. Today at its latest hardware event, Apple introduced the next generation of its popular wireless headphones with an all-new design.
The third generation AirPods are resistant to sweat and water and feature spatial audio and a new contoured shape and a shorter stem. The extended battery life promises up to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.
Apple introduces new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max -- its most powerful chips yet
At its latest hardware event hosted today, Apple unveiled a new MacBook Pro powered by M1 Pro and M1 Max processors -- its first pro chips designed exclusively for the Mac.
Available in 14- and 16-inch models, the updated MacBook Pro promises improved performance and battery life and a Liquid Retina XDR screen which Apple describes in its usual modest way as the "world’s best notebook display".
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