Microsoft is giving its icons a sleek and smooth makeover
Microsoft has officially announced a subtle revamp of its Microsoft 365 icons. Taking something of a cue from Google, the redesign is subtle and sees a switch towards using gradients and flowing colors.
The update is the first for Office icons since 2018, and this latest change is a gentle revisiting and dialling up of the changes that were introduced then. This is not a rebrand or a major change, but a pleasing evolution.
Apple yanks ICEBlock app from the App Store after DoJ pressure
Apple has removed from its App Store, ICEBlock – described as “Waze but for ICE sightings”. The app launched back in April after Donald Trump announced a crackdown on immigration.
ICEBlock provides people with a way to report sightings of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents. The US Department of Justice was among those voicing concerns that agent tracking put people’s lives at risk, particularly in light of attacks on ICE facilities.
Why data lineage is a business strategy, not a technical feature [Q&A]
Modern enterprises are more than ever reliant on data. But that makes understanding how that data is generated, transmitted, changed and used over time -- its lineage, vitally important.
We spoke to Saurabh Gupta, chief of strategy, revenue and growth at The Modern Data Company, to discuss how proactive, context-rich systems of record enable organizations to accelerate, maintain trust, and strategically utilize data.
Spotify now lets you listen to a track without it influencing the algorithm
The Spotify recommendation algorithm is problematic, and easily sent askew by random tracks you listen to. The company has just announced that it is rolling out the option for users around the world to exclude individual tracks
This may sound like something we’ve heard before, but previous exclusion options have related to playlists. Now you can stop that one song your kid keeps listening to from causing your recommendations to be in a similar vein.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2026 and Premiere Elements 2026 offer AI-powered editing and creative tools
Adobe has released new versions of its consumer-focused photo and video editing software with Photoshop Elements 2026 and Premiere Elements 2026.
The two programs gain additional artificial intelligence tools, creative effects, and improved organization features designed to help users edit faster and experiment with new techniques. As before, there are Quick, Guided, and Advanced modes in both programs.
Red Hat confirms hackers have breached GitLab instances and stolen data
A group of hackers calling itself the Crimson Collective says that it has compromised GitLab instances belonging to Red Hat and stolen hundreds of gigabytes of data.
Red Hat has confirmed that it has suffered a data breach, but is yet to provide much in the way of details. The hacking group says that it managed to access 28,000 internal development repositories, and has stolen almost 570GB of compressed data.
One in four free mobile VPN apps fail privacy checks
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are trusted by millions to protect privacy, secure communications, and enable remote access on their mobile device. But what if the apps designed to safeguard your data are not secure?
Analysis by Zimperium zLabs of 800 free VPN apps for both Android and iOS reveals that the threat is real and widespread.
Security risks leave 84 percent of IT pros feeling stressed at work
A new study of 500 US IT and cybersecurity staff reveals that 84 percent report feeling uncomfortable levels of stress at work due to IT security risks, while 78 percent fear they will be personally blamed for security incidents.
The report from Object First exposes a gap in how organizations support their IT staff, highlighting the opportunity to provide mental health resources and less complex security technology to help reduce stress as cyber threats continue to rise.
90 percent of organizations face attacks involving lateral movement
A new report from Illumio, based on a survey of over 1,100 IT and cybersecurity decision makers, finds that almost 90 percent of leaders have detected a security incident involving lateral movement within the past 12 months.
Each incident involving lateral movement resulted in a global average of over seven hours of downtime. Alert fatigue, along with limited and fragmented visibility, especially across hybrid environments, are two of the top challenges to detecting lateral movement.
MiniTool Video Converter 4.5 gains AI-powered subtitle and transcription tools
MiniTool Software has rolled out version 4.5 of its Windows video conversion tool.
MiniTool Video Converter can convert video files between formats, record on-screen activity, and compress clips. It supports a wide range of video and audio formats, with adjustable settings for resolution, bit rate, and frame rate.
41 percent of schools suffer AI-related cyber incidents
A new survey of more than 1,400 education leaders across primary, secondary and higher education in the UK and US finds that while AI is already integrated into classrooms and faculty work, development of policies and protections needed to manage new risks in schools is lagging.
The study from Keeper Security shows 41 percent of schools have experienced AI-related cyber incidents, including phishing campaigns and misinformation, while nearly 30 percent reported instances of harmful AI content, such as deepfakes created by students.
The rise of the ‘bionic hacker’ -- AI’s impact on attack and defense
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming both attack and defense according to a report released today by crowdsourced security platform HackerOne.
It finds that organizations have expanded their AI program adoption by 270 percent this year, while HackerOne’s platform reported a 540 percent surge in prompt injection vulnerabilities to make them the fastest-growing threat in AI security.
AI use increases alongside plummeting consumer trust
A new report from Ping Identity finds that 68 percent of consumers are now using AI, up from 41 percent a year ago. But at the same time fewer than one in five (17 percent) say they have ‘full trust’ in the organizations that manage their identity data.
The findings of the study, carried out by Talker Research which interviewed 10,500 consumers across 11 countries, show that 75 percent say they are more concerned about personal data security than five years ago. In addition 39 percent cite AI-driven phishing as the modern scam that concerns them most.
NordVPN adds hijacked session alerts to warn users of stolen cookies on dark web
NordVPN has introduced a hijacked session alert, a new feature designed to protect users from stolen authentication cookies being sold on the dark web.
The new feature forms part of the company’s Threat Protection Pro service and sends immediate notifications when active session data is compromised, giving users the chance to act before criminals are able to exploit their accounts.
Snapchat plans to start charging for storing old posts
Snapchat is introducing paid storage plans for Memories, a feature the company introduced back in 2016 as a way for users to save snaps beyond the usual 24-hour limit.
The move will affect users with more than 5GB of saved content. The company says most users fall below this threshold, but those storing thousands of photos and videos will now need to upgrade if they want to keep them available long term.
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