Three must-know cybersecurity building blocks

Cybersecurity-blocks

The increasing sophistication of cybercriminals significantly influences the rise in cybercrime, the frequent lack of sufficient cybersecurity measures, and the high profitability of cybercrime. Cybercriminals constantly refine their skills, developing advanced malware and phishing techniques to bypass security protocols. This progress often outpaces many businesses' and individuals' ability to safeguard their digital assets -- as a lack of resources, underestimation of risk, or insufficient awareness often results in inadequate cybersecurity measures. Further fueling this upward trend is the lucrative nature of cybercrime, with offenders able to amass significant profits from stolen money or data, often with a low risk of apprehension due to the anonymity of the internet and digital currencies. 

A recent BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report observed up to 12 attacks per minute from December 2022 to February 2023, and the number of unique attacks using new malware samples skyrocketed by 50 percent -- from one per minute in the previous report to 1.5 per minute during this reporting period. The most common weapons were droppers, downloaders, remote access tools (RATs), and ransomware, with the most significant target being the healthcare industry.

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AmigaLive: Play classic Amiga games with others over the Internet

Amiga computer

The Commodore Amiga was a very popular home computer. Introduced in 1985 originally as a successor to Commodore's even more popular C-64 home computer, it became a favorite of many with the introduction of the Amiga 500.

The 16-bit Amiga battled it out with the 16-bit Atari ST and several other devices in the 80s and early 90s. Amiga users of the time enjoyed some of the finest games ever produced up to this time. Games like Cadaver, Moonstone, The Secret of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones series of adventures, Lemmings, Cannon Fodder, Wizball, Another World, and Defender of the Crown were some of the defining titles of the era.

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Consumers want personalized experience but worry about sharing the data that drives it

digital marketing

European consumers want the personal touch in marketing communications, but are reluctant about sharing the data that enables it.

A new report, from customer engagement platform Twilo, shows 51 percent of European consumers say they will become repeat buyers after a good personalized experience, while 49 percent will tell a friend or family member, and 33 percent will become a member of the brand's loyalty program for deals and rewards.

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As Twitter flounders, rivals Mastodon and Bluesky flourish, and Meta launches Threads on Thursday

Threads by Instagram

The rocky journey for Twitter continues under Elon Musk, with this weekend seeing bizarre constraints introduced in an attempt to reduce unspecified "data scraping". Users of the service found themselves hit with rate limit warnings as Twitter placed restrictions on the number of tweets that can be viewed each day.

Rival Mastodon has already seen a steady influx of Twitter escapees, and this continued over the weekend with a 300,000 jump in the number of active users; Bluesky is also faring well, to the point that sign-ups have been paused to allow for tweaks and fixes to be implemented to accommodate the levels of interest. But now eyes are turning towards Meta, as the Facebook owner prepares for the launch this Thursday of its own Twitter alternative, Threads by Instagram.

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Linux-based Fatdog64-814 debuts as the final release of the 800 series

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Today, the folks behind the lightweight Fatdog64 Linux distribution announce the release of the final version in the 800 series, Fatdog64-814. The developers confirmed that no further releases are planned for this series. However, that's far from the end of the road for Fatdog64 -- the project will continue to innovate and evolve with a brand-new base, the 900 series.

Taking a closer look at the updates from the previous version, Fatdog64-814 incorporates Linux-5.19.17, known for its low-latency, 1000Hz, dynamic preemption. A testament to its commitment to keeping current, the team has included microcode updates as recent as those of October 2022.

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Memory-based attacks increase as attackers dodge cloud defenses

Cloud network security

A new report shows a 1,400 percent increase in fileless or memory-based attacks, which exploit existing software, applications, and protocols to perform malicious activities against cloud-based systems.

The research from Aqua Security's Nautilus research team collected honeypot data over a six-month period and shows that more than 50 percent of the attacks focused on defense evasion.

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The pros and cons of outsourcing data analytics

Today, companies utilize data analytics not only to understand past performance but also to predict future trends and make strategic decisions. However, as the volume and complexity of data continue to grow, many companies find it challenging to manage their data analysis needs in-house. Outsourcing data analytics has emerged as a potential solution to this challenge, and it is expected to become an increasingly popular option.

According to a report by Allied Market Research, the data analytics outsourcing market is projected to see an impressive compound annual growth rate of 29.4 percent between 2017 and 2023. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of outsourcing data analytics, thereby providing insights to assist businesses in making informed decisions regarding this critical aspect of their operations.

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Securing supply chains: Navigating risks in the evolving threat landscape

supply chain

Across the interconnected global economy, complex supply chains ensure the seamless flow of goods and services across every industry. However, as cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations throughout this ecosystem are, often unknowingly, being exposed to more and more security risks as a direct result of being part of the chain. This creates a range of critical challenges for organizations whose very existence is dependent on the reliability and integrity of their supply chains at all their various levels.

Understanding the various stages of contemporary supply chains -- from material sourcing to manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and distribution -- is essential for identifying potential vulnerabilities, with each stage susceptible to different types of risks.

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Hacking and why it can be good for cybersecurity [Q&A]

Text sign showing Ethical Hacking.

Hacking tends to have something of a bad name, but there are many hackers who do good work, identifying flaws before they can be exploited in cyberattacks.

However, many of these people operate in the shadows for fear of being prosecuted for violating legislation. We talked to Laurie Mercer, director of sales engineering at security platform HackerOne, to discuss whether ethical hackers need to be more open about their activities in order to bring about change and how ethical hacking is making organizations safer.

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Debian 12 Bookworm-based Peppermint OS Linux distribution now available

peppermint19

In the ever-evolving landscape of Linux distributions, Peppermint OS, well-loved for its unique combination of speed, elegance, and simplicity, has unveiled a freshly minted update, introducing a refined look and a bunch of enhanced features. With a build date of July 1, 2023, this Debian-based operating system will surely cool down your summer with its delightful refinements.

The first striking change is the updated branding. Peppermint OS has received a facelift in terms of aesthetics with a new Plymouth design, demonstrating the development team's commitment to continual improvement and modernization. This uplift is a welcomed change, presenting users with a fresh and visually appealing boot-up experience.

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Kodi 20.2 'Nexus' is available now -- here's what's new and why you should install it

kodi-20.2-nexus-splash

Although The Kodi Foundation is hard at work developing the next version of its popular home theater software, Kodi 21 'Omega', it is ensuring that users of the current 'Nexus' generation don't get forgotten.

Today the team announces the release of Kodi 20.2 and although it doesn't come with any real new features, you'll still want to install it.

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Understanding common internet-facing footholds exploited by bad actors

Typical-RDP

Ransomware remains a persistent threat with real-world consequences, with the ability to halt business operations, and cause significant reputational and financial damage.

Ransomware incidents have gained the attention of the general public with attacks like the Colonial Pipeline that led to fuel shortages, and WannaCry that led to British hospitals diverting patients. Despite an increased level of awareness at the board level, ransomware attacks continue to plague organizations.

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Forget Windows Copilot, what you really want is the new AI-powered Clippy

Clippy

Yesterday, Microsoft made the first preview version of Copilot available for Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel. This AI-powered feature appears as a docked sidebar on the right and lets users ask questions and perform actions, such as take a screenshot or turn on do not disturb.

Copilot is unquestionably the future of Microsoft's operating system, and will likely be a major part of Windows 12, but there are other AI tools on offer, including a modern take on Microsoft's ancient Office assistant, Clippit (more commonly called Clippy).

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Best Windows apps this week

voltsense

Five-hundred-and-forty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.

A preview of the AI-powered Windows Copilot is now rolling out to the latest Windows 11 Dev build installations. It is designed to assist Windows 11 users, for instance by helping them make changes to the operating system or troubleshoot issues.

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Ubuntu Linux-maker Canonical unveils a significant Snapcraft.io redesign

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Today, Ubuntu-maker Canonical announces a comprehensive redesign of its Snapcraft.io platform. The online store, known for its collection of “snaps” -- software packages designed for Linux distributions -- has taken a major leap forward, moving away from its long-standing user interface and style.

The redesign project, which Snapcraft.io embarked upon after numerous years of maintaining a consistent aesthetic, has been executed with the aim of modernizing the overall look and feel of the platform. The initiative has involved a meticulous analysis of potential improvements, resulting in a two-stage rollout.

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