Windows 10's new Limited Periodic Scanning mode will keep your PC extra safe from malware -- here's how to use it
While there’s a lot of negativity surrounding Windows 10 at the moment, thanks mostly to Microsoft’s shady upgrade tactics, it is actually a very good operating system.
The upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update, out at the end of July, improves the OS significantly, introducing a wealth of new features, and one of the latest inclusions to be made available for Windows Insiders to try is Limited Periodic Scanning. This sets Windows Defender to scan your PC at intervals, even if you have another anti-virus program installed.
You could be held liable for cases of bank fraud if your online security isn’t up to scratch
If you need another reason to pay attention to online security, new measures under consideration by banks could sharpen your focus. At the moment, banks in the UK frequently shoulder the cost of online fraud when customers fall victim. But all this could be set to change.
The plans being looked at by banks, GCHQ and the UK government could see people who haven’t taken care of their own online security being excluded from receiving compensation if their account is hacked.
UK carrier Three will block ads for a day
In an attempt to improve the daily lives of its customers, Three is planning to block ads for all of the customers using its network in the UK.
The company will block all mobile ads for its users for one day next month. The trial will last for 24 hours but if it is received successfully by Three customers, the company has hinted that it would be willing to expand its experiment.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352 includes Cortana, Ink and Feedback hub improvements
Microsoft has pushed Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352 to the Fast Ring. The latest build introduced a number of updates and bug fixes. One of the biggest changes is to Cortana which can now be used to control a Groove Music Catalog and set a timer.
The recently-introduced Windows Ink gains improved Sticky Notes, and the ruler now benefits from the inclusion of a compass. Gamers can now enjoy the Windows Game bar at full-screen in more games, including World of Warcraft, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, and Diablo III. Important changes have also been made to the Feedback Hub.
Google wins trial against Oracle -- Java APIs in Android are 'fair use'
Google has won a case brought against it by Oracle in which it was accused of infringing on copyright by using Java APIs in Android. But at the end of a two-week trial, the jury found in Google's favor saying that 'fair use' was an acceptable defense.
Had Google lost the case, it could have cost the company billions of dollars and would have set something of a precedent. This was the first major case in which a company tried to use copyright law to control the use of APIs.
Google plans to replace your Android password with a 'trust score'
Google wants to do away with traditional passwords on Android and replace them with "trust scores".
The company outlined how it is planning to make the transition away from passwords on its mobile platform by 2017 during its I/O conference last week. By using a variety of different metrics, Google’s Trust API technology would be able to replace traditional passwords and pins used to unlock its smartphones.
Decade-old 'forbidden attack' vulnerability affects HTTPS Visa sites
A number of supposedly secure HTTPS sites owned by Visa are vulnerable to what has been dubbed the 'forbidden attack'. The security flaw makes it possible for hackers to inject content and code into sites, as well as opening up the possibility of performing man-in-the-middle attacks.
A team of researchers have published a paper that shows how 70,000 HTTPS servers were vulnerable to the attack, and 184 were found to be particularly at risk. While many of the affected sites have since been patched, sites belonging to Visa and Polish banking associate Zwizek Banków Polskich remain insecure because of reusing a cryptographic nonce in contravention of the TLS protocol (hence the 'forbidden' tag).
Microsoft and Facebook building underwater transatlantic 'MAREA' data cable
As the world's need for high-speed internet grows, there will be an increasing strain on existing infrastructure. While both the internet and the web can create a border-free exchange of data, something still needs to connect continents so that it can be shared. While you will likely never see it with your own eyes, there are actually data cables under the sea which connect large masses of land.
Today, Microsoft and Facebook announce a partnership to build a transatlantic subsea data cable. Called 'MAREA', it will connect the United States to Europe. More specifically, it will connect the State of Virginia to the country of Spain. The project will begin this August, with a targeted completion date of October 2017.
Toyota bets on Uber
Ahh, the battle in the car industry is heating up. Quick, everyone, grab your popcorn!
After both Lyft and Gett found investors in the form of General Motors and Volkswagen, respectively, it is Uber’s turn to get funded, and the car making company with the pleasure is none other than Toyota.
Microsoft discounts Radiohead, Minecraft, and more in summertime Windows Store promo
Despite negative sentiment towards Windows 10 because of Microsoft's shady upgrade tactics, it is actually a wonderful operating system. It is fast, secure, and compatible with many hardware configurations. Its Windows Store, which first debuted in Windows 8, allows users to easily download content -- both paid and free.
When it comes to apps and games, there is a lot of garbage in the Windows Store -- more crap than not. With that said, there are quite a few gems too. Today, Microsoft announces a special summer sale, delivering big discounts for shoppers in the store. Even the super-popular Minecraft gets a whopping 50 percent discount! However, not everything seems to be getting a reduction in price.
Nearly half of European workers use personal devices for work
Shadow IT, or stealth IT, is a practice still commonly used by European workers, according to a new Fuze report. It means employees are using either hardware or software that has not been directly approved of by the IT department, risking security breaches.
The report, entitled "App Generation report", argues that 40 percent of employees are using their personal devices for work. The same goes for software and apps.
CyberDuck 5 brings back Google Drive support, tweaks Mac user interface
Swiss open-source cloud-storage browser Cyberduck 5.0 has been released for Mac and Windows. The tool provides a friendly front-end for browsing a variety of different cloud servers, including FTP/SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Space.
Version 5.0 sees the program get a minor facelift on the Mac platform, plus it adds support for two extra storage providers, including Google Drive, support for which had previously been dropped.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation has put records management back on the business agenda
Records management is once again back on the business agenda, driven by the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into effect in under two years from now. Through the GDPR, the European Commission intends to strengthen and unify data protection for individuals within the EU. This new directive represents a substantial leap in scope compared to previous versions of this regulation; and its non-compliance poses a major risk to businesses.
No organization can take lightly the risk of a sanction that can be up to four percent of its worldwide turnover.
Microsoft stops you from using weak passwords
Having a good password can make the difference between your account being hacked and receiving a notification informing you of a failed login attempt. Even though this should be common knowledge, it seems that many folks are in the dark about this. You do not need to look hard to find evidence of this, as there are many reports that reveal passwords like "1234567890" to be very popular still.
Since it is clear that it cannot rely on its users to make the right decisions about their account security, Microsoft is taking a proactive approach by "dynamically banning commonly used passwords". So, if you think that "qwerty123" is good enough to keep all your emails private, luckily you will not have to find out whether you are right or not.
5 popular tactics scammers and hackers use to steal your identity
Though stealing someone’s identity is illegal, there are plenty of sneaky but legal tactics scammers and hackers employ that can expose you to identity theft as well. The first step in preventing this distressing scenario is being aware of the more common data collection schemes used to leave you vulnerable.
Here, we’ll detail five strategies you should be aware of so you can keep your identity -- and sanity -- in check.
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