IT security pros shouldn't try to 'prevent everything'
A new survey by Countercept by MWR InfoSecurity highlights all the frustrations IT security experts are experiencing as they’re trying their best to protect their company’s assets and employees.
The survey, conducted during Infosecurity Europe, asked 301 IT security professionals about their company’s ability to detect and deter cyber-attacks.
Microsoft's smaller Xbox One S launches August 2
It has been a few weeks since we learned about the slimmer Xbox One S, and now we know when eager gamers can get their hands on the new console. August 2 is the big date which also sees the launch of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
As well as being smaller, the Xbox One S also features a built-in power supply (bye bye, power brick!), up to 2TB of storage, and support for 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR). The newly announced launch date is not just the date the console hits retail stores in many regions, it is the date those who have pre-ordered should receive their Xbox One S. In all, three versions of the console are available.
Beware of Pokemon Go malware in Google Play
It may be easy to dismiss reports of Android malware as nothing more than fear mongering by clickbait-loving journalists and security companies, but not even apologists can argue with the fact that the threat is real when malware is approved on Google Play.
ESET's security researchers have uncovered a fake lockscreen app, called Pokemon Go Ultimate, which takes advantage of the game's mindblowing popularity to mislead users into installing it ultimately generating revenue by clicking on porn ads.
No one is safe -- security quo vadis?
With McAfee looking for a new home, Symantec acquiring Blue Coat, NewGen Unicorns claiming they are the "next best thing" since the invention of the wheel, and years of criticism from analysts and users alike about the loss of efficacy, the Anti-Virus market is being hit from all directions. Into this upheaval, the acquisition of AVG Technologies by rival Avast Software was recently announced.
This mayhem within the AV market highlights two issues: the market is confusingly saturated with security vendors telling similar AV replacement stories, and the AV incumbents know that they need to change or lose. This is leading to an industry-wide trend of accumulating even more solutions to face off the criticism, the newcomers and the loss of market.
PC Hunter: not just another task manager
PC Hunter is an expert-level Windows tool with an array of advanced features: it’s a task manager, a Registry editor, a rootkit hunter, a file explorer, and more.
The program isn’t updated very often, but with recent releases extending its Windows 10 compatibility, we decided to check out the latest build.
Opera falls into Chinese hands
Key components of Opera Software are to be taken over by a Chinese business consortium. A planned $1.24 billion takeover of the entire operation fell through after failing to gain regulatory approval, but a new deal has been struck in its place.
Instead, the consortium -- comprising Qihoo 360 Technology Co, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co and others -- will take over just a portion of Opera Software's consumer business for $600 million. With the desktop and mobile version of the Opera web browser now falling into Chinese hands, there will no doubt be concerns about potential privacy issues based on China's history.
Older Brits like to shop on tablets
Tablets might have a rough time ahead of them, but if you ask UK’s consumers, aged 55 and above, they’re quite nice to use for shopping.
That’s according to a new report by Bronto Software, which says that twice as many people in this age group (22 percent) use tablets for shopping, compared to their US (11 percent) and Australian (11 percent) peers. The UK has more tablets (60 percent), compared to the US (57 percent) or Australia (54 percent), and Brits use it for shopping more frequently (34 percent) compared to these two countries (25 percent and 19 percent, respectively).
Stampedo ransomware available for just $39
A new variant of ransomware has been found for sale on the dark web for an incredibly low price that allows its victims 96 hours to pay a fee.
This new piece of ransomware is called Stampedo and it is available for only $39 which includes a lifetime license. Once it has infected a user’s system, a fee must be paid within the allotted time in order to regain access. If a user fails to pay the fee, Stampedo begins to delete random files on their computer within six hour intervals.
In the wake of UK Brexit vote, ARM Holdings is to be bought by Softbank for $32 billion
The technology industry in the UK was rocked by the historic Brexit vote in the referendum about membership of the EU just a few weeks ago. Concerns were voiced that tech companies would scramble to leave the UK, and with Japan's Softbank Group due to buy UK chip-maker ARM Holdings for $32 billion (£24 billion), this could just be the start of things.
ARM chips are found in mobile devices produced by Apple and Samsung, and more recently it has branched out into the Internet of Things. But while some will be unhappy with the change of ownership, Softbank says that it will not only remain headquartered in Cambridge, UK, but will look to at least double its UK workforce.
Mandelbrot Fractal is a pure JavaScript fractal explorer
Mandelbrot Fractal is an open-source fractal generator with a difference: its spectacular images are produced using pure JavaScript, no external libraries or other oddball dependencies involved.
This makes for a very simple structure, essentially just an index.html with a supporting app.css and two .js files.
Quick ways to stop, start and restart Windows services
Windows services can safely be ignored most of the time, but sometimes you might have to monitor them or take more control.
You could do this from the regular Control Panel app (Win+R > Services.msc), but it’s slow, and you might have to scroll through hundreds of cryptically-named services to find the one you need.
Pokémon Go taken offline by PoodleCorp DDoS attack -- and the hackers have more in store
Pokémon Go has proved itself to be a rare phenomenon, and it has taken the world by storm. Attracting casual gamers of all ages the augmented reality title, Pokémon Go has seen people hitting the streets in search of elusive Pokémon -- until the servers overloaded.
There have been a few glitches with Pokémon Go, largely due to its staggering popularity. But today many people found that they were unable to get online for a different reason -- the game servers were hit by hackers. A group called PoodleCorp claims responsibility for the takedown and says worse is to come.
Privacy alert: Maxthon web browser sends private data about users to China
In the world of web browsers, there are four or five big names to choose from but no end of smaller alternatives. One such browser is Maxthon, and security researchers have just discovered that this Chinese-produced browser is transmitting a wealth of data about users back to China.
Researchers at Fidelis Cybersecurity and Exatel found that Maxthon frequently sends zip files to Beijing over HTTP and this contains a terrifying amount of data about users' browsing habits. The ueipdata.zip file incudes, among other things, details of the sites visited by users, the applications they have installed, and what searches have been performed.
Apple wants to simplify music royalty pay outs and this could harm Spotify
Many artists loathe music streaming services that have proved so popular with music fans. While they offer a platform to showcase music, the returns can be low and the way in which payments are calculated is endlessly complex.
Apple has put forward a proposal to simplify the royalty payment system which would not only see artists getting more money, but would make life more difficult for the likes of Spotify. Keep artists happy, harm the competition -- two birds with one stone. A government filing in conjunction with the Copyright Royalty Board suggests a royalty rate of $0.091 per one hundred streams.
Test responsive websites at multiple resolutions with Emmet Re:view
A well-designed responsive website should adapt its display to work properly on phones, tablets and desktops, but testing this on every possible device might take a while. Emmet Re:view is a free Chrome extension which displays responsive websites in various-sized views, side-by-side, enabling you to see how they work at a glance.
Visit the test website, click Emmet Re:view, and a tab opens with resizable views for each CSS media query breakpoint of your page.
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