Latest Technology News

Dynabook Portégé X40-K 14-inch Windows 11 laptop is a beautiful, blue, beast

Dynabook unveiled the Portégé X40-K earlier today, and the laptop is quite impressive. Powered by 12th Gen Intel Core processors (i5 or i7), the notebook can be configured with either Windows 10 or the superior Windows 11. The 53 Wh battery should provide all-day usage, and the 14-inch display will be offered as either a touch or non-touch screen.

If you like the color blue as I do, you will absolutely adore the Portégé X40-K chassis, which is made of a beautiful blue aluminum. The svelte laptop is loaded with useful ports too, such as two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI. It can even be had with an optional Smart Card reader -- an essential slot for many, including those in the military. And yes, you get both a fingerprint reader and IR Webcam for Windows Hello unlocking.

Continue reading

Privacy-focused Linux distro Tails 5 Beta now available for download with many critical security bug fixes

If you’re worried about your privacy, there’s plenty you can do to secure it. Tails, The Amnesiac Incognito Live System, is a live Linux-based operating system that you can boot into on any computer. Once running it can be used to encrypt your files, emails and instant messaging chats.

Today, the developers release a beta version of Tails 5.0, and this is the first version of the distro based on Debian 11 (Bullseye). It offers new versions of most of the software included in Tails, as well as some important usability improvements.

Continue reading

Identity is the new frontline of cybersecurity

identity theft mask

Identity is a battleground upon which all organizations must now fight. Responding to this growing threat is non-optional because identity is at the heart of the processes and technologies that power the new world of remote and hybrid working.

The "human element" is involved in 85 percent of breaches, with credential data theft and misuse now factoring into 61 percent of incidents, the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2021 reported last year. Attackers know this, so they are constantly searching for ways of accessing valid credentials which they can use to gain access to the network and then move undetected in search of new targets.

Continue reading

Microsoft reveals new features coming to Windows 11 -- including tabs in File Explorer

Today, at an event to showcase how Microsoft is developing new experiences to "enhance the way we work today, and in the future", the software giant gave us a look at some of the new features coming to Windows 11 in the near future.

While much of the presentation was about business, specifically hybrid working, Microsoft did cover experiences for consumers.

Continue reading

Financial fraud attempts up over 200 percent in two years

hack money

A new study into financial fraud from Feedzai finds that fraud attempts globally are up by 233 percent over the last two years.

Over the same period there has also been a whopping 794 percent increase in fraud on digital entertainment transactions. The effects of the pandemic are evident too with a 65 percent increase in online transactions and a 75 percent drop in US cash withdrawals.

Continue reading

Data privacy is the top metaverse challenge say developers

Ever since Facebook rebranded itself as Meta at the tail end of last year the metaverse has been creating a buzz in the tech world -- though not so much outside it.

Real-time engagement API specialist Agora has carried out a study that looking at how developers feel about the current state and evolution of the metaverse, which finds that data privacy is the biggest concern.

Continue reading

94 percent of critical assets can be compromised within four steps of a breach

Network security

A new study from Israel-based XM Cyber, based on findings from nearly two million endpoints, files, folders and cloud resources throughout 2021, shows 94 percent of critical assets can be compromised within just four steps of the initial breach point.

The research team analyzed the methods, attack paths and impacts of attack techniques that imperil critical assets across on-premise, multi-cloud and hybrid environments, and developed tips for thwarting them.

Continue reading

US among the most expensive for fixed-line broadband

Broadband

The US ranks 134th in the world for fixed-line broadband costs with an average package price of $55 per month making it one of the more expensive developed nations.

If you want a cheap service you need to head to Syria with an average monthly cost of just $2.15 according to a study from comparison site Cable.co.uk. At the other end of the scale the African state of Burundi tops the chart with an eye-watering monthly cost of $429.95.

Continue reading

What's really happening with eSIM and the IoT?

In the technology industry, hype is a fact of life. But hype doesn’t just create inflated expectations that are soon dashed against the rocky shores of reality, it can also lead to the misperception that a particular development is at a dead-end when in reality it still offers the potential for real progress.

This is happening now with the Internet of Things and its impact on modern business. While the IoT is still seen by many as a valuable business opportunity, hyper-inflated expectations of the widespread deployment of paradigm-shifting applications have recently been tempered by technical difficulties and a slower pace of adoption than what was originally expected. Despite this, a steady stream of new developments continues to push the IoT into the digital mainstream, leading researchers like IoT Analytics to predict the number of IoT connections will top 27 billion by 2025.

Continue reading

Elon Musk asks, as Twitter's largest shareholder, if users want an Edit button

Twitter logo through a magnifying glass

Elon Musk, the CEO of both Telsa and SpaceX, recently went shopping. He splashed $2.89 billion on Twitter stock, making him the largest shareholder in the company, with a hefty 9.2 percent holding.

While it is not yet clear what Musk intends to do with the influence he now undoubtedly wields, he is certainly not going to be sitting quietly. In a tweet posted overnight, the entrepreneur tweeted a poll asking if Twitter users would like an edit button.

Continue reading

Windows 11 users can now install AlmaLinux from the Microsoft Store

Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is friggin' awesome. If you aren't familiar, it essentially lets you easily run a Linux distribution (and commands) from within Windows 11 (or Windows 10). Best of all, you can install these distros directly from the Microsoft Store. There are many popular Linux-based operating system on that store too, such as Kali and Oracle.

And now, yet another Linux-based operating system has come to the Microsoft Store. You see, as of this month, you can download and install AlmaLinux by clicking here.

Continue reading

AI: Data's guardian angel

AI

AI is one of the biggest tech-driven talking points of recent years. It's a debate that also translates into some very big numbers, with the global Artificial Intelligence market predicted to grow in size from $51.08 Billion in 2020 to $641.30 Billion by 2028 in a huge acceleration of investment. For AI, industry hype is increasingly being reflected in reality.

Indeed, organizations across the public and private sectors have already seen widespread benefits, particularly its impact across complex applications such as automation, digital assistance, and data analytics.

Continue reading

CCleaner uninstalled most of a user's programs without permission [Updated]

CCleaner has had a few issues over the years since Avast acquired the popular system cleaning program from Piriform back in 2017.

Issues we’ve reported on in the past here include buggy bundled software, malware, pop-up ads, and unwelcome privacy changes. Today a user on Reddit reports that the tool uninstalled most of his software without his knowledge.

Continue reading

New endpoint solution reduces risk and streamlines patching

Endpoint protection

A new multi-vector endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution from Qualys aims to reduce the risk of compromise with vulnerability management and patching all from a single agent.

Traditional EDR solutions still focus solely on endpoint activity to detect attacks and incorporate only MITRE ATT&CK techniques -- not tactics. This means security teams are forced to rely on additional tools to strengthen their risk management.

Continue reading

Two-thirds of ransomware victims paid up last year

ransomware cash

A record 71 percent of organizations were impacted by successful ransomware attacks last year, according to the 2022 Cyberthreat Defense Report (CDR) from CyberEdge Group, up from 55 percent in 2017.

Of those that fell victim, almost two-thirds (63 percent) paid the requested ransom, up from 39 percent in 2017.

Continue reading

© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.