Poor USB security leaves enterprises at risk
Security polices for USB devices are frequently outdated and inadequate, and enterprises are often failing to monitor their use, according to a new survey.
The study by encrypted drive specialist Apricorn reveals that while nine out of 10 employees rely on USB devices today, only 20 percent of them are using encryption on those devices. Eight out of 10 employees use non-encrypted USBs, such as those received for free at conferences, trade events or business meetings.
You can now pre-order apps for your Apple devices
In an effort to build up hype, and also gauge demand, developers can now make their future apps available for pre-order on the Apple App Store.
If you’re excitedly awaiting the arrival of a new app from your favorite developer, you can now buy it up to 90 days in advance, and it will be downloaded automatically once released.
Malicious mobile apps fool consumers by imitating leading brands
By impersonating brands and fooling consumers, malicious mobile apps are on the increase, according to digital threat management leader RiskIQ in its latest Q3 mobile threat landscape report.
Apps available outside of official stores are most likely to be malicious. Google’s percentage of malicious apps decreased to a low of four percent in Q3 after reaching a high of eight percent in Q2. However, one of the most prolific creators of malicious apps worked exclusively in the Play store.
70 percent of UK consumers have not heard of GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is set to extensively change data privacy rules in the EU in May, yet a new survey from compliance solution PORT.im shows 70 percent of consumers are completely unaware of their new rights and haven't even heard of the legislation.
The study also finds that 78 percent of consumers have recently had unsolicited contact from UK-based businesses.
Intel launches budget-friendly Pentium Silver and Celeron 'Gemini Lake' processors
Not everyone needs top-of-the-line hardware. Quite frankly, outside of bragging rights, many enthusiasts don't even use their processors and RAM to their maximum potential. Laughably, people buy octa-core processors and 32GB of memory to surf the web. Yeah, Google Chrome is bloated, but even that web browser doesn't need that type of hardware!
Smarter system builders opt for value -- matching both their needs and wants to their budgets. Hell, sometimes it can be very rewarding to do more with less. After all, there is no skill in blindly throwing money at a build -- what's the fun in that? Today, Intel launches new "Gemini Lake" desktop and laptop processors aimed at computer users that want reasonable performance without breaking the bank. Despite eventually finding their way into budget builds and low-cost notebooks, these new Pentium Silver and Celeron chips should prove to be quite capable. In fact, Intel claims they are 58 percent faster than entry-level computers from four years ago.
Will your Android Wear smartwatch get Oreo?
Even though Google released Android Oreo a couple of months ago, this version of the popular operating system is not available on a significant number of devices yet. As always, it will take a while for manufacturers to support it. However, things are moving in the right direction, as the Android Wear roll-out goes to prove.
Google says that Android Oreo has already hit a number of smartwatches, with the LG Watch Sport being among the first five such devices to get the update. Question is, will your Android Wear devices get it as well?
Revolutionize your writing with the latest PhraseExpress 13
Sometimes we think email is taking over our lives. If you’re anything like ourselves, we find our day is spent answering support emails, often writing the same replies to different people.
Ideally, we’d deploy tools to write these replies for us. The next best option is a phrase automation tool, such as PhraseExpress 13, which has just received a huge update.
World's biggest botnet delivers new ransomware threat
The latest Global Threat Index from cyber security specialist Check Point reveals that the Necurs spam botnet -- reckoned to be the largest in the world -- is being used to distribute one of the latest ransomware threats.
During the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, Necurs sent over 12 million emails in just one morning, distributing the relatively new Scarab ransomware, first seen in June 2017.
New Linux Mint installation guide makes switching from Windows 10 even easier
There is a notion that installing a Linux-based operating system can be hard. In 2017, this is absolutely false (with the exception of Arch, that is). Many years ago, installing a distribution could be difficult, but nowadays, it can be downright easy. Quite frankly, installing Linux can sometimes be easier than Windows these days, since you don't have to go hunting for drivers and software all over the web. If you have been fearful of replacing Windows 10 with an operating system like Linux Mint -- don't be.
But OK, understandably, some people have anxiety about changing their computer's operating system. If that is you, I am happy to say Linux Mint has a brand new installation guide that should quell any fears. Not only does it help with technical aspects, but it can guide you to the best edition for your needs. Mint in particular is a great alternative to Windows 10.
Chrome 63 is more secure than ever -- and uses even more memory
Google's Chrome browser has something of a reputation for being memory-hungry. With the release of Chrome 63 this image is not going to be shed -- a new security feature increases memory usage even further.
The latest desktop version of the browser includes a new Site Isolation feature which launches individual sites -- all sites, or a specific list -- in sperate processes. While this is something that will be of particular interest to enterprise users because of the added security it brings, it's something that will appeal to any security-minded user who is willing to shoulder a 10-20 percent increase in Chrome's memory usage.
Huge Janus bug leaves Android apps open to unauthorized code modification
Researchers from security firm GuardSquare have discovered an Android vulnerability that allows for app code to be edited without affecting the apps' signature. Dubbed Janus, the vulnerability has massive potential for malicious use, and affects Android 5.0 onwards.
The security hole would allow an attacker to tweak an entirely legitimate app to behave maliciously without triggering any security alerts. Although vulnerability CVE-2017-13156 has been patched in December's Android update, very few people will have access to this security fix.
Kodi addon site TVAddons to stop proactively checking for piracy
Justified or not, Kodi has been somewhat synonymous with pirated content. At the heart of Kodi-related controversy are the addons that provide access to such material, and addon site TVAddons constantly finds itself embroiled in things.
Having recently announced that it managed to build up 12 million monthly users despite being closed down, TVAddons has now announced a change to the way it operates. While still perfectly happy to comply with the law when it comes to pirated content, the site will now rely on DMCA takedown notices rather than proactively checking for infringments.
Win an Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition gaming console from Microsoft!
The Xbox One X is the best gaming console on the market -- from a raw power perspective, that is. Despite having lesser specs, many people would argue that the Nintendo Switch is the superior machine. Why? Mario and Zelda. After all, when it comes to video games, content is king -- fun trumps frame rate. Not to mention, Microsoft's latest is wildly expensive at $500 while only working with a TV. The Switch costs less and doubles as a mobile console.
If you can't afford an Xbox One X, but really want one, I have good news. Microsoft is giving some of them away -- three to be exact. The company is running this contest as a way to promote Digital Gift Giving. To make this giveaway even sweeter, the prizes are the fairly rare "Project Scorpio Edition" variants. Best of all, entering is insanely easy.
OnePlus 5T receives OxygenOS 4.7.4 update to improve camera quality
OnePlus announced a few weeks ago that it was developing an update for the its latest flagship killer to improve image quality. Now, it is rolling it out for OnePlus 5T users across the globe.
The improved camera performance is part of OxygenOS 4.7.4, which turns out to be a bigger update than we were lead to believe initially, as it comes with a significant number of improvements in other areas as well.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-sixty in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.
Microsoft released Windows Template Studio 1.5 this week, which assists developers in creating UWP applications.
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