Canonical finally comments on Ubuntu Linux Snap Store security failure

Over the weekend, we reported on an Ubuntu Snap Store app that had a hidden cryptocurrency miner. This was a disappointing discovery, as users' machines were being hijacked to earn money for the developer.

With that said, it wasn't necessarily malware, as it did not cause harm to the computer, nor did it steal data or install a backdoor. Nevertheless, Canonical pulled the offending app and the developer's other submissions. The apps will eventually be re-listed without the mining code. Today, the company breaks its silence, finally commenting officially on this fiasco.

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Microsoft announces Surface Hub 2 -- but you won't be able to buy it anytime soon

Microsoft’s original Surface Hub was plagued with manufacturing problems and delays. The giant wall-mounted Surface, aimed at businesses, was first announced in 2015, with an estimated shipping date of July 1.

That date came and went, and Microsoft announced that it would instead arrive January 2016, but then missed that deadline as well, and threw in a price hike for good measure. The product eventually started shipping to businesses in March 2016. Now, just over two years later, a new generation of Surface Hub is being announced. Want to get one for your business? Predictably it’s not going to be available anytime soon.

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UK Reported security incidents increase ahead of GDPR

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When GDPR comes into force next week, organizations will have 72 hours to report security breaches to a regulator once they become aware of them.

Ahead of the new legislation, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has released details of the latest data security trends. Reported incidents in the final quarter of 2017 showed a 17 percent increase over the previous quarter, perhaps indicating that companies are taking a more proactive approach to reporting as GDPR approaches.

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100 percent of organizations have active insider threats

insider threat

A new study from user behavior intelligence specialist Dtex Systems has uncovered active insider threats in all of the organizations it assessed.

Failure to gain visibility is allowing malicious and negligent employees to engage in undetected high-risk activities on every endpoint, on and off the network.

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Kaspersky to move data from Russia to Switzerland to improve transparency

Kaspersky Switzerland

Kaspersky Lab has announced that it plans to move data out of Russia and into a new data center in Switzerland. The move is part of the company's Global Transparency Initiative which came in response to concerns about ties to the Russian government.

Software produced by Kaspersky has already been banned from US government systems, and the company has been on a mission to prove that Russia is not spying on other countries via its antivirus tools.

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Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse is very affordable with long battery life

Wireless mice are more aesthetically pleasing than wired variants, but for the most part, I choose pointing devices with cables. Why? Well, nothing infuriates me more than having a mouse stop working because the battery died -- especially while in the middle of a game. At least with a wired mouse, I don't have to worry about that.

Today, Logitech unveils an affordable gaming mouse that offers an incredible 250 hours of battery life, meaning anxiety about depleted batteries should be minimal. An indicator light will alert you when power is getting low, so you won't be caught off guard. Best of all, the "G305 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse," as it is called, uses a single AA battery -- easy to find and replace. And yes, the battery is included! Logitech claims the G305 can outperform wired mice too, all at a shockingly low price.

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Push notification tool helps marketers engage with mobile users

mobile push notification

Mobile marketing and analytics specialist Flurry is launching a new push notification tool to help companies engage and retain users across Android and iOS platforms.

Flurry Push is a free offering within the new Flurry Marketing Suite that lets app developers send out targeted messages to grow business and build revenue.

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Facebook launches Youth Portal to tell teenagers how it uses their data

Facebook Youth Portal

Facebook has launched a new Youth Portal with the aim of educating its teenage users about using the social network safely.

The portal also reveals to teens how Facebook uses their data, and is packed with tips about using the service and translates the site's Data Policy into a more understandable form.

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Master & Dynamic reveals convertible MW50+ wireless on-ear/over-ear headphones

Master & Dynamic MW50+ wireless headphones

Master & Dynamic headphones have previously proved very popular here with the BetaNews team, and the latest addition -- the MW50+ -- looks set to continue the trend.

The same retro look is here, and these new headphones sit part way between the MW50 and MW60 models. While the MW50 features an on-ear design, and the MW60 an over-ear design, the MW50+ can convert between on-ear and over-ear modes thanks to detachable, magnetic earpads made of memory foam and lambskin.

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Dell, HP, and Lenovo choose Vega-powered AMD Ryzen PRO APUs for business computers

AMD has been doing tremendous things on the consumer front lately. Its new Ryzen 2 processors and X470 chipset have enthusiasts excited, thanks to big performance coupled with small prices. Seriously, folks, AMD is where it's at for value. Hardcore enthusiasts can even opt for the Ryzen Threadripper processors for a top multi-core experience.

While AMD CPUs are great, its APUs offer even more bang for your buck. If you aren't familiar, an APU is essentially a CPU and GPU on one chip. Today, AMD announces new Ryzen PRO APUs, which have Radeon Vega-level graphics. These "Pro" chips are designed for business-class machines, and three major manufacturers -- Dell, HP, and Lenovo -- are already embracing them.

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Google One is a family-focused cloud storage plan

Cloud storage is one of the most significant innovations in tech history. Let's be honest, many people fail to backup their important files. When something bad happens -- like a drive failing or a smartphone breaking -- people always wish that they had remembered to back things up. With the cloud nowadays, data backup is often done automatically to an off-site location, meaning your data is safe and secure no matter what. Long gone is the need to fiddle with external drives -- which can be lost to a disaster, by the way.

Google Drive is one of the best such options, as the search giant provides an easy and affordable way for you to back up your files, including precious family photos. Not to mention, you want to be sure that the cloud storage is being maintained by a company that is well-known and unlikely to go out of business -- Google certainly meets that. Today, the company announces an upgrade to its paid cloud storage. Called "Google One," the biggest goal is simplicity.

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Cryptomining malware targets unpatched servers

server vulnerability

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting unpatched server vulnerabilities to infect machines with cryptomining malware, according to a new report.

The study from Check Point Software Technologies sees cryptomining malware dominate Check Point’s Top Ten Most Wanted Malware Index, the Coinhive variant retains the top spot with a global reach of 16 percent. Cryptoloot -- another crypto-mining malware -- is close behind with a global reach of 14 percent, while the Roughted malvertising malware came in third (11 percent).

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Apps based on Electron framework are vulnerable to attack

Electron logo

The Electron framework -- the basis of popular apps including Skype, Slack, Signal and WordPress -- has been found to contain a security flaw that leaves it vulnerable to attack.

The GitHub-created tool has a vulnerability that allows hackers to execute arbitrary code on remote systems. CVE-2018-1000136 affects Electron 1.7.13 and older as well as Electron 1.8.4 and 2.0.0-beta.3, and the problem exists because of the interaction between Electron and Node.js.

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Shadow devices put enterprise networks at risk

Shadow IT

A new study finds that enterprise networks have thousands of shadow personal devices including laptops, tablets and mobile phones, as well as Internet of Things devices -- such as digital assistants and smart kitchen appliances -- connecting to them.

The report from network control company Infoblox shows 35 percent of companies in the US, UK and Germany reported more than 5,000 personal devices connecting to the network each day.

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Trump says he wants to get ZTE 'back into business, fast' despite putting a Denial Order in place

ZTE building logo

Donald Trump has caused confusion after using Twitter to indicate that he would like to get Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE "back into business, fast". This is despite the US Department of Commerce banning exports to the company for seven years, something ZTE says left it unable to continue running its main operations.

Trump now says that he's working with China's President Xi to help get the company back up and running. Unsurprisingly, the disparity between what Trump says in his weekend tweet and what the current US sanctions mean has led to a lot of questions.

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