Microsoft will disable Office VBA macros by default to block malware
In so many ways macros have made life easier for Office users, helping to automated and speed up a variety of tasks. But they also pose a gigantic security threat, particularly in documents downloaded from the internet.
Now Microsoft is taking action, and will block internet macros by default in Office. The reason for the move is the widespread exploitation of VBA macros by bad actors to spread malware.
Working from home leads to increased 'digital anxiety'
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a boost to the numbers of people working remotely. But a new study from F-Secure finds that 67 percent of internet users who work from home reported they increasingly worry about their online security and privacy, even if nothing is wrong, compared to 58 percent of other users.
Remote workers also report raised concerns about a range of other of issues, for example 65 percent of those who work from home say the internet is becoming a more dangerous place, compared to only 54 percent of other respondents.
Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT wireless gaming mouse now available in pink
Back in November 2020, Logitech shocked the gaming community with the G PRO X SUPERLIGHT wireless mouse. What made this pointing device so special? Well, as the name suggests, it is incredibly light. You see, this gaming mouse weighs less than 63 grams -- very impressive.
And now, there is a new variant of the Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT wireless gaming mouse. No, the specifications are not any different. Actually, the only difference is a new color. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a pink/magenta version of the mouse is here for the gamer-girl (wife or girlfriend) in your life. Of course, men are welcome to use the pink mouse too.
Leak: an upcoming Windows 11 update will tell you how eco-friendly your computer is
Delving into the underbelly of just about any software can reveal exciting secrets, and this is certainly true of Windows. A software detective has taken a peek behind the curtain and found no fewer than three exciting new features hidden away in Windows 11. These are likely to be features that Microsoft is currently still working on and will unlock in a future update for the operating system.
An intrepid explorer has unearthed evidence of upcoming changes to the way notifications work and a possible renaming of Focus Assist to simply "Focus". Other gems include wallpaper stickers and a new energy conservation section of Settings that, among other things, will assign your computer an Eco Score and provide recommendations for how you can reduce its energy consumption.
Enterprises aren't providing a joined-up digital experience
According to a new study from integration and API specialist MuleSoft 70 percent of organizations struggle to provide completely connected user experiences across all channels.
This is despite the fact that almost three-quarters (72 percent) of organizations' customer interactions are now digital.
Twitter's latest direct message test is criticized for harassment potential
Twitter has announced that it is testing a new way to start direct message conversations with users on the platform, leading to criticism from those concerned about the potential for abuse.
The new system means that it will be possible to start a DM conversation by simply clicking a newly added direct message button in individual tweets. While Twitter says that the move is about making it easier to start conversations, critics point out that it is likely to be used for harassment.
Why PKI still has a key role in security [Q&A]
The origins of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) date back to the 1970s and research at UK intelligence agency GCHQ, though it didn't emerge from the secret world and take off commercially until the 1990s.
PKI still underlies a great deal of modern cryptography, so we spoke to Ryan Sanders, senior product marketing manager at Keyfactor, to find out more about it and why it isn’t going away any time soon.
Is Kubernetes the right fit for your IT?
Kubernetes is a standardized, open-source program for managing containerized workloads and programs. It is claimed to be many things -- and has a great many fans in the tech space, and for good reason.
It has a whole raft of benefits. It is incredibly efficient, improving workloads and response times across broad IT infrastructures, and ultimately resulting in more portability (although not a cure), shortened software development cycles, and reduced cloud-data consumption. Naturally, this in turn leads to quicker and cheaper IT projects.
The dislike button on Twitter is going global
There are many things that Twitter users would like to see implemented on the platform, not least of which is the option to edit tweets. As this is extraordinarily unlikely to happen, they'll have to make do with the next best thing -- a dislike button.
Except Twitter doesn't want you to call it that. And it does not function in the way you'd probably hope. So... prepare to be underwhelmed and disappointed by the downvote option which is now available worldwide.
Google launches free Workspace Essentials Starter Edition to appease disgruntled G Suite users
It is only a couple of weeks since it came to light that Google was killing off 'G Suite legacy free edition', meaning that users would have to pay for Google Workspace instead. But now the company has announced that there is now a free tier of Workspace Essentials available.
With Google Workspace Essentials Starter Edition, Google is hoping to placate those who were annoyed by recent changes. The free option will also help to attract new users look to conduct collaborative work without charge.
What has Covid taught us about tech?
As we move into 2022, perhaps the biggest change we have seen is the beginning of the end for traditional 9-5 working in favour of anytime working. Much has been made of agile and remote working with a great deal of the focus being on physical location, but the knock-on effect this has on working hours and the technologies we utilise is huge.
The act of walking in and out of an office (or perhaps the commute) for most gives a clear beginning and end to the working day. In the hybrid working world these once black and white edges to your day become greyed. Today, with laptops firmly in place and collaboration tools delivering work into your home mean that work is never more than a couple of steps away.
Phishing and stealers dominate dark web forums (but don't mention ransomware)
The malware types and hacking services most discussed over the last year on dark web forums are dominated by phishing, stealers, zero-day attacks, and ransomware.
But the 2021 Year-End Data Breach Report from Risk Based Security finds discussing ransomware has been widely banned on major forums as evidenced by referring to ransomware offerings as 'crypters' or 'lockers' to avoid the post or account getting immediately banned.
Best Windows apps this week
Four-hundred-seventy-six 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.
Microsoft explained this week why recent updates may not be installed on some Windows PCs. Devices need to be online for a certain time to ensure that updates are downloaded and installed.
Microsoft releases Windows Terminal Preview 1.13 with updated Settings UI and profile auto-elevation option
It feels as though it has been a little while since there was a new version of Windows Terminal, but Microsoft has now rectified this. The company has released Windows Terminal Preview 1.13 with an impressive list of new features, options and fixes.
There are a few particularly noteworthy changes including the introduction of a new text rendering engine. There is also a new Windows 11-style UI for Settings, and a newly added option to have a profiles automatically elevated so it launches as Administrator. But the list of changes and additions is much longer than this.
The challenges facing Kubernetes developers and how to overcome them [Q&A]
Developers have a lot to think about in 2022. Security tops the list and, increasingly, developers in the cloud and using Kubernetes need to think about cost too.
We talked to Rob Faraj, co-founder of monitoring tool Kubecost, to find out cultural shifts that organizations and developers need to make to overcome challenges created by the increase in adoption of Kubernetes.
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