Researchers hack a computer using malware injected into DNA
Security researchers have managed to infect a computer with malware embedded in a strand of human DNA.
The news sounds like a science-fiction writer's dream, but when biologists want to handle large amounts of DNA samples, they need to digitize them and process them on their computers. But the software that they use to process these samples is usually open-source and often doesn't follow security best practices.
Why mobile security is more critical today, but still just as challenging
Today our lives are inextricably tied to our mobile devices. We use them just like mini-computers, handling sensitive personal and work-related matters throughout the day. This trend is concerning because mobile devices were not designed with security in mind and are now arguably the biggest threat to both consumer and enterprise security.
Just like we have seen with the evolution of computer threats, cybercriminals are catching onto the new opportunities mobile presents. This past year, we have witnessed a dramatic spike in mobile-first cyberattacks like social media and SMS phishing, malicious apps and even robocalls. These attacks are also only going to increase with the bring your own device workplace.
Facebook News Feed undergoes a redesign to improve readability and navigation
Facebook is rolling out a fairly significant redesign, giving the News Feed a cleaner look, and borrowing ideas from Twitter. The social network says that the changes improve readability and navigation, and they affect various areas.
The redesign is far from insignificant, but perhaps the most instantly noticeable changes are the dropping of blue accents, and the switch to Twitter-style round images. There are, however, more changes to explore.
Hackers hit Scottish Parliament with 'brute force cyber-attack'
IT systems at the Scottish Parliament have been struck by a "brute force cyber-attack" from an unknown source. Staff have been advised to change passwords as a result of the attack.
Paul Grice, Chief Executive at Holyrood, says that the attack is similar to the one Westminster suffered back in June. The hackers have attempted to crack passwords as well as trying to access parliamentary emails.
Mobile and contactless payments growing in popularity in UK
The UK is continuing to embrace mobile and contactless payments as the impact of cash continues to decline, new figures have revealed.
British consumers and businesses are increasingly shunning physical money in favor of card and online payments, according to the UK Cash and Cash Machines 2017 report from watchdog UK Finance.
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Samsung launches 'Portable SSD T5' with USB-C and up to 2TB storage capacity
Portable solid state drives are better than mechanical hard drives for a few reasons. Obviously they are faster, but more importantly, they are more durable, as there are no moving parts. For those that travel a lot, for instance, a portable SSD is a safer product for throwing in a bag. Another big benefit is size -- modern portable SSDs are getting quite small, meaning they take up less room on a desk or in a backpack.
Today, Samsung launches its newest such drive, called the "Portable SSD T5." This beautiful drive features a USB-C connector and comes in two color options -- Deep Black and Alluring Blue. Since this is a Samsung product, it should last. If there are any issues, however, the company is including a three year warranty.
Facebook rolls out Trending News to its mobile apps
We'll forgive you if you've lost track of all of the changes Facebook has introduced to the News Feed over the years -- it's often something of an experimental playground. The social network's latest idea is a dedicated "Trending News."
The section is currently rolling out to mobile users, and is something of an extension of Facebook's Trending Topics. It is making its way out to Android and iOS users in the US.
Microsoft releases .NET Core 2.0 -- here's what's new
The .NET Framework transformed with the release of .NET Core last year. From a Windows-only affair, the framework has gone cross-platform. What's more, Microsoft also made it open-source, adding support for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
And now it's taking things a step further by rolling out .NET Core 2.0, which comes with some major improvements to make it "easier to use and much more capable as a platform." Let's take a look at what is new.
Microsoft is told there's nothing illegal about scraping public data from LinkedIn profiles
A federal judge has told Microsoft to stop preventing "talent management algorithm" hiQ Labs scraping data from public LinkedIn profiles. hiQ Labs has been using information gathered from LinkedIn to predict when people are going to leave their jobs -- information which is incredibly valuable to employers.
Microsoft was not happy at the data that hiQ Labs had been scraping from public profiles, and tried to stop it from happening. The company introduced "various blocking techniques" to prevent the startup from accessing the data and secure user privacy, but the ruling ultimately went in favor of hiQ Labs.
New LibreELEC Kodi Linux distro update arrives -- download it now!
Kodi is one of the best media centers available. Its cross-platform nature makes it usable on many different operating systems. Not only is it good for locally stored music and video, but with the use of add-ons, the sky is the limit. Fans of Premier League Football (soccer), for instance, can use Kodi to watch matches.
Where Kodi really shines, however, is with Linux. More specifically, the best experience is when the media center is the star of the show. Luckily, there are some Linux distros that exist solely to run Kodi. One such popular distro is LibreELEC -- a fork of OpenELEC. Today, an update to that operating system becomes available and you can download it immediately. There are images available for Raspberry Pi, WeTek, and of course, x86_64.
Kodi users now need to turn to VPNs to watch Premier League football
It has been difficult to avoid talk of Kodi for one reason or another recently, and it's something that's likely to be on the lips of fans of UK football now the 2017/18 Premier League season has started up.
Watching pirated streams of football matches through IPTV providers and other services has long been a popular use for Kodi, and the English Premier League (EPL) has had enough. The organization previously obtained a High Court order blocking illegal streams in real-time, and a more recently obtained injunction extended this ability. With the new season now under way, football fans are discovering that they now need a VPN like IPVanish to get their fix.
Peek enables you to locate local activities on your next vacation
Travel to any destination, whether for leisure or business or leisure, and the question we ask ourselves is what should we do when we’re there. Leave it late and you find yourself scrambling online and looking for tour guides to find what there is to do when you’ve arrived. Then there is the issue of finding the best value for the experience you desire.
Peek is an all in one app which enables you to discover and book incredible activities. Whether you want to go spearfishing in Cabo San Lucas, doing the Haunted Ghost walking tours in New Orleans, an electric bike tour around Paris, or a culinary walking tour around one of many cities, Peek has you covered and so much more.
Over a third of IoT medical device organizations suffer security incidents
As the internet of things spreads into more and more areas, increasing numbers of medical devices are now connected, making them vulnerable to cyber attacks that could shut down medical processes, expose critical hospital and patient data, and ultimately put patient safety at risk.
Many medical devices are not built with cybersecurity in mind, yet a survey by Deloitte Cyber Risk Services of over 370 professionals organizations operating in the medical device/IoT arena shows that 36.5 percent have suffered a cyber security incident in the past year.
HPE and NASA sending a supercomputer to space
The computers the human race currently work with aren't built for space, and can't last long in off-planet environments. Astronauts aboard the ISS need new machines every month, as the old ones get destroyed by various factors that don't exist on Earth, like solar flares, radiation, subatomic particles, and irregular cooling.
Considering that SpaceX is currently preparing for a mission to Mars, it is paramount that the astronauts that eventually head out there have durable, working machines. Now, HP has announced it is working with NASA to create such a computer.
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