Security commentator Brian Krebs hit with the biggest DDoS attack ever
Attacks on websites are a daily occurrence so to get any real attention an attack needs to be something special. Starting on Tuesday, Brian Krebs' security blog, KrebsOnSecurity.com, was hit with what is being described as "the largest DDoS the internet has ever seen".
Despite being clobbered with a colossal 665 Gbps of traffic, Krebs' site remained online thanks to the anti-DDoS efforts of security firm Akamai. It is thought that Krebs was targeted for his exposés of hackers, and the attack was delivered via a huge number of hacked IoT devices.
More than half of IT pros don't erase data properly
A new study reveals that 53 percent of IT professionals use common, but ineffective, methods to erase data on corporate computers, external drives and servers.
The survey by Blancco Technology Group of over 400 professionals worldwide found that 31 percent report dragging individual files to the Recycle Bin and 22 percent reformat the entire drive.
Marketers lose $100 million to mobile app advertising fraud
App marketers will lose up to $100 million in 2016 due to mobile app install and engagement advertising fraud according to a new study.
The research from mobile analytics company AppsFlyer shows that the losses come from fraudulent click data, paid installs from fraudulent devices, and fraudulent and simulated in-app events.
Many reports of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note7 units are false
We have heard lots of stories about exploding Galaxy Note7 devices, but how many of them are actually true? In another episode of the Galaxy Note7 recall saga, Samsung has revealed that it has received multiple false reports from consumers claiming that their new smartphone caught fire, suggesting that, perhaps, there are fewer destroyed units in the wild than we have been lead to believe.
Samsung says that it has dealt with 26 such reports from alleged Galaxy Note7 owners, and that in 12 cases it has been unable to find an issue with those devices. What about the rest of the claims?
Hands-on with Allo, Google's sort-of smart messaging app
Does the world need another messaging app? We’re not sure, but Google is giving us another one anyway, launching Google Allo for Android and iOS.
Key features include "Smart Reply", which analyses incoming messages and suggests appropriate responses you can send with a tap.
Microsoft raises dividend, launches $40 billion share buyback program
Microsoft has authorized a share buyback program that will see the company reacquiring $40 billion of its own shares, just over nine percent of the company.
This is the fourth $40 billion buyback program launched by the company, which said that it will complete the first round by the end of this year. Microsoft's most recent buyback was first announced in 2013 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.
Enterprises are learning from cyber attacks but bad habits persist
A majority of enterprises (79 percent) say they have taken action to improve their security in response to major cyber attacks. However, 40 percent of organizations still store privileged and admin passwords in a Word document or spreadsheet, while 28 percent use a shared server or USB stick.
This is among the findings of the 10th annual Global Advanced Threat Landscape Survey from cyber security company CyberArk which looks at whether organizations are learning lessons from cyber attacks.
Consumer rights group strongly criticizes Microsoft over Windows 10
The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has already ripped into Microsoft and Windows 10 for "blatantly disregarding user choice and privacy", and now consumer group Which? says Microsoft "must act over Windows 10 woes" and "do better".
Which? says it has received well over 1,000 complaints about Windows 10, with PC users claiming the new OS has brought them nothing but problems.
Homes are getting smarter, but not more secure
Smart homes aren’t something that’s going to happen in "the near future" -- smart homes are happening today. They’re no longer reserved for the early adopters or geeks, too. In some places, they’ve reached the "tipping point" -- they’re basically mainstream now.
This is according to a new and fairly extensive research by the non-profit prpl Foundation. In its study, The prpl Foundation Smart Home Security Report, it surveyed 1,200 people in the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, and concluded that people should be more careful with their home routers.
Number of data breaches rises by 15 percent
The number of breaches and their severity are both growing, a new report by digital security company Gemalto is saying. Titled Breach Level Index, it says there has been 15 percent more data breaches in the first half of 2016, compared to the last six months of 2015.
A total of 974 data breaches were reported worldwide, amassing 554 million compromised data records, in the first half of 2016. It is also interesting that in more than half of cases (52 percent), the number of compromised records were not disclosed at the time of reporting. Looking specifically at the UK, there have been 61 breaches, most of which happened at the government sector (14). Finance and healthcare sectors were close second and third.
Bitdefender 2017 brings anti-ransomware, Wi-Fi vulnerability checker
Bitdefender has unveiled its 2017 consumer security range, including Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017 ($39.99-), Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 ($59.99-) and Bitdefender Total Security Multi-Device 2017 ($89.99-).
New features include the Wi-Fi Security Scanner, a one-click tool which lists local wireless networks and quickly highlights any vulnerabilities.
Logitech unveils 'Z337 Bold Sound with Bluetooth' for Windows, Mac, and iPhone 7
When you buy a desktop computer, it will sometimes come with speakers for audio. When they are included, however, they are often terrible -- replacing them is probably a good idea. If you are a system builder, you must buy some for your rig -- if you don't already own some, that is. Laptops have integrated speakers, but they don't always produce great sound. I state all of these things to make a point -- dedicated quality speakers are almost always a smart buy.
Most computer speakers come with a 3.5mm audio plug, and sometimes RCA connectors too. This is perfect for connecting to, say, a Windows desktop, or an Apple MacBook. But wait -- Apple just got rid of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. What if you want a speaker system that will work with both your PC and your smartphone? Today, Logitech unveils a 2.1 speaker system that will meet your needs. The 'Z337 Bold Sound with Bluetooth' offers 3.5mm for connecting to Windows 10, Linux, and macOS machines, but in addition, it has Bluetooth for connecting to an iPhone 7 or other smartphone or tablet. Nice!
Google to stream the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump debates live on YouTube
This upcoming Monday, September 26th, many people around the world will be glued to their televisions. Why? For the first time ever, Hillary Clinton (Democrat) and Donald Trump (Republican) will face off in a presidential debate. This will take place on Long Island, at the well-respected Hofstra University. This has been a very contentious election season, so many supporters of both candidates, plus the undecided, will likely tune in just to see the potential fireworks.
What if you are a cord-cutter without cable or satellite television service? How will you watch this monumental debate? Don't worry, Google has you covered. Believe me. The search-giant will be streaming Monday's presidential debate, plus some others, on its YouTube platform. In addition, YouTube's #voteIRL initiative will help unregistered voters get registered, so they can participate in the election process.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14931 for PC arrives on the Fast ring
A week ago, Microsoft rolled out its first really big new Windows 10 Insider Preview build since the Anniversary Update. As well as fixing a lot of problems, Build 14926 introduced some experimental new features, including the ability to "snooze" a tab in Microsoft Edge.
Today, Microsoft releases Build 14931 to the Fast ring, but unlike recent builds it’s only available for PC. Build 14926 introduced a couple of big problems for Mobile last week, so Microsoft has decided to hold off issuing a new build until they are fixed.
Samsung unveils 960 PRO and EVO M.2 NVMe SSDs with up to 2TB storage capacity
Solid state drives have dramatically changed the PC market. Long gone are the need for slow mechanical hard drives that create irritating noise. SSDs are silent, not to mention both faster and more energy efficient too.
NVMe-based M.2 SSDs are the latest and greatest, as they overcome the SATA speed limitations. Not to mention, since they are smaller than a 2.5 inch drive, computer manufacturers can create even thinner machines. Samsung's 950 line of SSDs were extremely popular, as they offered tremendous speed and reliability. Today, the company launches the next generation -- the 960 EVO and PRO -- which are only available in M.2 NVMe.
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