Enterprises still struggle with password policies
Passwords and their effectiveness is a subject that continues to come under the spotlight, particularly with the publication of a recent United States National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) document recommending a move to passphrases.
Security awareness training specialist KnowBe4 has carried out a survey of 2,600 IT professionals to look at how organizations are managing passwords and determine how the proposed passphrase concept stacks up against methods currently in use.
Google adds pollen forecasts to searches
A lot of people like to know what the weather is going to be like, but if you suffer from hay fever it can be all the more important to know what to expect. To make life a little easier for people struck by "seasonal allergies," Google is rolling out pollen forecasting.
The new feature is integrated into Google search, and it comes as the search giant teams up with The Weather Channel to help give accurate allergy information.
HBO leaks Game of Thrones S07E06, Beyond the Wall
Season seven of Game of Thrones has been an absolute disaster for HBO. We have seen leaks and spoilers from both hackers and HBO's distributors, but now episode six of the season has leaked and HBO has no one to blame but itself.
HBO Spain accidentally made the episode available to subscribers for a full hour before pulling it. Of course, this hour gave people plenty of time to capture the show, and spoilers are now being shared online. On Reddit, talk of download links has been pushed to PMs as moderators are only too aware that HBO will be monitoring what's going on in light of the inadvertent leak.
Donald Trump loses legal battle over iTrump app
President Trump has lost a six-year legal battle against the creator of an iOS app.
Tom Scharfeld is the man behind iTrump -- an app designed to teach people how to play the trumpet. He successfully represented himself in court, and prevailed over the US president, earning the right to retain the iTrump trademark.
Microsoft Surface Pro gets official support for Windows 10 S
Microsoft officially supports Windows 10 S on Surface Laptop, the device on which the lighter version of Windows 10 launched on earlier this year, but it is now adding another device to the fold.
The Surface Pro, the newest device in the Surface range, has received a firmware update, its third since being released in mid-June, which officially introduces support for Windows 10 S.
Sling TV now available in Google Chrome on Windows and macOS
Making a streaming service available on as many platforms as possible is key to attracting more and more customers in the cord-cutting era, and, to that end, Sling TV is now opening its doors to Google Chrome users.
Sling TV says that its new player, which is available in beta at this stage, can be used by Chrome users on Windows devices and Macs and comes with support for both live and on-demand content.
GNOME desktop environment for Linux and BSD is 20 years old today
When many people think of Linux, they incorrectly assume it is an operating system. Actually, Linux is merely the kernel which many operating systems leverage. An actual operating system is compromised of many things, including a user interface -- after all, users need to interface with their computer!
Most computer users will obviously want a graphical UI nowadays, and for BSD and Linux-based operating systems there are many such desktop environments from which to choose. One of the most popular environments is GNOME. Not only is GNOME a DE, but it has evolved into much more, such as a collection of apps and design rules (Human Interface Guidelines). Today, GNOME is celebrating a very important milestone -- it is an impressive 20 years old!
Samsung browser will be available to most Android users soon
Samsung has announced that more Android users will soon be able to download and install its mobile browser on their smartphones.
The news was announced in a blog post by a developer advocate for Samsung Internet named Peter O'Shaughnessy, who revealed that users running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later will be able to sign up to test out the Samsung Internet V6 app, saying:
ADATA launches XPG SX9000 PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for PC gamers and enthusiasts
NVMe solid state drives are rewarding computer users with exceptional speed nowadays. Compared to SATA, they are much faster, and thanks to the M.2 form factor, they are much smaller too. While 2.5-inch drives are fine for a desktop, they are too large for modern laptops -- especially as manufacturers try to push the boundaries of thinness.
If you are looking to upgrade your laptop or desktop with a fast PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, ADATA has a new product which might pique your interest. Called "XPG SX9000," it offers tremendous performance using the M.2 2280 form factor. The "XPG" in the product name indicates this ADATA has created this drive for both gamers and enthusiasts. The company is even including a very impressive 5 year warranty.
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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