Facebook says hackers accessed highly-detailed personal data of 15 million users
In a news release with the bizarrely vague title of "An Update on the Security Issue", Facebook has revealed that the "View As" security breach it opened up about recently gave hackers access to the personal details of 15 million users.
Having previously advised that the access tokens stolen by hackers had not been used to infiltrate other apps and services, the social networking giant now says 15 million people have had their names and contact details exposed. 14 million users had significantly more details revealed, including username, relationship status, religion, hometown, birthdate, places they have checked into, and recent searches.
Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (LTE) coming soon -- a great Microsoft Surface alternative
Windows 10 has been a dumpster fire lately, but thankfully, Microsoft's OS stranglehold on the consumer PC business is dramatically diminishing. These days, many consumers would be better served by purchasing a MacBook or Chromebook rather than a laptop running the less-secure Windows. True, Apple's computers are expensive, but luckily, laptops running Chrome OS can be quite affordable. Chromebooks are shockingly capable too -- especially since Android app support was added.
Just as Samsung manufactures excellent smartphones running Google's Android operating system, it also makes quality laptops running the search giant's Linux-based Chrome OS. The Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 is one of the nicer Chromebooks, and today, the company unveils a new variant. The hardware stays the same, except for one addition -- LTE compatibility. In other words, the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (LTE), as it is called, is fully functional without Wi-Fi -- just add a mobile data plan!
WinStep unveils Nexus and Extreme 18.10, raises prices for first time
WinStep Software Technologies has announced a $5-10 price rise across its entire range, the first since the company launched in 1999. This follows on from the company’s recent updates to its flagship products with the releases of WinStep Nexus 18.10 and WinStep Xtreme 18.10.
Despite the point release, version 18.10 unveils another raft of significant tweaks and updates, including the unveiling of a new Office theme for productivity-focused desktops.
Businesses risk penalties by not wiping data from old equipment
New research from IT procurement company Probrand shows that 68 percent of UK businesses have failed to wipe the data from IT equipment before disposal, leaving them open to fines under GDPR if data is exposed.
In addition 70 percent admit to not having an official process or protocol for disposing of obsolete IT equipment.
As trust in Google wanes, interest in privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo soars
Google has long been eyed with suspicion, and incidents such as covering up potential data leaks does nothing to help. Privacy and security have increased in importance for the average internet user, and this has seen people moving away from Google and investigating the alternatives.
One beneficiary of this shunning of Google is DuckDuckGo. The privacy-focused search engine has enjoyed a 50 percent surge in usage over the last year, and it can now boast a new record of 30 million daily searches.
Should businesses prepare for ransomware with a cryptocurrency stash? [Q&A]
An increasing number of enterprises are considering pre-purchasing cryptocurrency in anticipation of potential ransomware attacks. But is this a valid risk-reduction strategy for enterprises?
To get some views on this controversial issue, we spoke with Mike Doran, senior security consultant with the enterprise incident management team at cybersecurity specialist Optiv, and former computer forensics examiner with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Razer Phone 2 Android 8.1 gaming smartphone puts Google Pixel 3 to shame
A couple of days ago, Google unveiled its 3rd generation of Pixel phones. And you know what? Many consumers don't really seem to care. Let's be honest, the search giant's flagship devices are usually reserved for only the most hardcore Android lovers -- most consumers prefer Samsung. Sadly, even the Google faithful seem unimpressed by the terribly ugly Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. These devices are beyond uninspired, and the notch on the XL variant is shockingly large.
Thankfully, there is another phone that should wash the filthy Pixel 3 taste out of your mouth -- the Razer Phone 2. Yes, the popular gaming company is back with a second generation phone. The device is still focused on gaming, and this time it has a faster processor which delivers an impressive performance boost. It also gets a glass back which helps enable Qi wireless charging -- a must in 2018. And since this is a gaming device, it now has customizable RGB lighting -- for the rear Razer logo.
Plex for Linux now available as a Snap
Microsoft is having a terrible time lately. Sometimes it feels like the company wants to sabotage itself. The most recent debacle is its flagship product -- Windows 10 -- deleting user files. Even worse, the company ignored user feedback that it was happening! Quite frankly, after such a scary thing, I am not sure how people can trust Microsoft's operating system with important data.
Thankfully, you do not have to use Windows. These days, it is easier than ever to use Linux instead. There are plenty of great apps available for operating systems like Ubuntu, Fedora, and more. Canonical's containerized Snap packaging makes it even simpler to both install Linux apps and keep them updated. Today, a very popular app, Plex Media Server, gets the Snap treatment. In other words, you can install the media server program without any headaches -- right from the Snap store!
Two out of three worry about identity theft but half still engage in risky behavior
A new survey from identity management specialist SailPoint in conjunction with US National Cybersecurity Awareness Month finds two out of three professionals are extremely concerned about their personal identity being stolen.
Yet despite this half admit that they would participate in the types of risky behavior that increase the threat of leaked information and a potential breach.
94 percent of big-business leaders would consider moving off mainframes
A new survey of senior IT decision makers at some of the world's largest organizations that still rely on legacy mainframe systems reveals that most want to move away from the technology due to the high cost and inflexibility that it has brought to their business.
The study from Microsoft and LzLabs surveyed IT leaders in the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany, and finds concerns about the skills crisis limiting number of mainframe professionals left in the market, and the importance of being able to leverage cloud deployment, agile development, and open source initiatives.
All emojis are now considered equal on Twitter
How many characters is an emoji? It seems like a simple question, but on Twitter the answer has not always been clear. Some emojis count as a single character while others eat further into the character count.
But now this is changing -- Twitter has announced that all emojis will now be treated equally. Previously, emoji that could be modified in various ways -- such as changing the skin tone of people -- would use up large numbers of characters. No more!
Apple signs $600 million deal with European chipmaker Dialog
Apple is buying part of Dialog Semiconductor, a chipmaker based in Germany. The iPhone manufacturer is interested in Dialog's power-management technology and has put forward $300 million for it.
On top of this, Apple has committed an additional $300 million to make purchases from other parts of Dialog's business, making this the largest deal the company has undertaken. As part of the arrangement Apple will acquire patents from the chipmaker as well as 300 staff.
Samsung unveils the new Galaxy A9 with quad camera
Samsung has just taken the wraps off its latest mid-range smartphone -- the Galaxy A9 -- and it’s one that the South Korean tech giant says has been made with "Instagram generation" firmly in mind.
The key difference between this, and other similarly priced devices is it comes with the world's first quad camera. This might seem like a gimmick, and to a degree it probably is, but actually each of the four lenses servers a different, useful purpose.
Microsoft joins Open Invention Network and open sources its patent portfolio
Microsoft has joined the "largest patent non-aggression community in history", the Open Invention Network (OIN), effectively open-sourcing almost its entire patent portfolio.
The company has shown increasing warmth to the open source community in recent years, and this latest move means that other OIN members will have access to its patents -- with the exception of those relating to Windows and desktop applications. The OIN embraces -- as Microsoft has done of late -- Linux "as a key element of open source software".
Hackers, geeks and thieves -- analysis of dark web communities reveals varied motives
When we talk about the dark web it's easy to think of it as an amorphous malevolent blob. But new research from Recorded Future reveals some key differences between dark web communities in different parts of the world.
The company's Inskit Group of researchers has actively analyzed underground markets and forums tailored to Russian and Chinese audiences over the past year and has discovered a number of differences in content hosted on forums, as well as differences in forum organization and conduct.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
It's finally time to say goodbye to Windows 11 -- Nitrux Linux 3.7.0 is the OS you've been waiting for!
Windows 12.1 is everything Windows 11 should be -- and the Microsoft operating system we need!
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.