How to lock down Zoom to improve your privacy and security

Zoom logo on a building

Zoom has received a lot of attention because of the increased number of people working from home, some good, some bad. There have been various security and privacy issues with the video conferencing app, but there are steps you can take to lock things down a little.

Following numerous controversies, Zoom has not only issued an apology but also put a stop on the development of new features while it gets itself in order. In the meantime, there are a various things you can do to increase your privacy and security when you're using Zoom.

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Best Windows 10 apps this week

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

Microsoft released an out-of-band patch for Windows 10 version 1903 and 1909 to address a connectivity issue.

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Get 'Virtual Teams for Dummies' ($17.99 value) FREE for a limited time

Virtual Teams

In the global marketplace, people can work practically anywhere and anytime, and that’s something we’re seeing a lot of right now thanks to COVID-19. Virtual teams cut across the boundaries of time, space, culture, and sometimes even organizations.

Packed with solid advice, interviews and case studies from well-known companies who are already using virtual teams in their business model and their lessons learned, Virtual Teams for Dummies provides rock-solid guidance on the essentials for building, leading, and sustaining a highly productive virtual workforce. It helps executives understand key support strategies that lead virtual teams to success and provides practical information and tools to help leaders and their teams bridge the communication gaps created by geographical separation -- and achieve peak performance.

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Is coronavirus going to break the internet?

Breaking internet header

With the current pandemic leading to many more people working from home, we could be looking at a permanent shift in working patterns over the longer term.

But the question many people are asking is can the internet cope? Tech education site Computer Science Zone has created an infographic looking at the effect of more remote working on the internet.

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If you used Firefox to access Twitter, your non-public info may have been exposed

Twitter bird megaphone

Mozilla Firefox is damn good web browser that is largely open source and focuses on privacy and security. That is why I choose it as my default browser on both Windows 10 and Linux-based operating systems such as Ubuntu and Fedora. Many people wisely choose Firefox for the same reasons.

Sadly, today, we discover that if you have been using Mozilla Firefox to access Twitter, you may have had non-public information data saved locally to cache. Twitter makes it clear that other major browsers, such as Google Chrome and Apple Safari, are not affected. Thankfully, the social network says it fixed the issue on its end.

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Rivet Networks unveils Killer E3100 2.5 Gbps gaming Ethernet controller

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If you've purchased a gaming PC or motherboard lately, there's a very good chance it has a Killer Ethernet controller by Rivet Networks. These controllers are supposed to provide better performance for gaming thanks to Killer's software for Windows that prioritizes gaming traffic. Some swear by Killer's technology, while others call it snake oil.

Today, Rivet Networks announces its latest such Killer Ethernet controller for gaming. Called "E3100," it provides 2.5 Gbps performance, more than double that of gigabit. True, 2.5 Gbps networks are still fairly rare -- especially in homes -- but its popularity is growing. Some people prefer 2.5 Gbps to 10 Gbps , as the former can use existing cabling.

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Grand National goes virtual to give fans their racing fix

virtual grand national

The Grand National is a highlight of the British sporting calendar. An event that prompts people who never normally bet on a horse race to venture a few pounds at the bookies or take part in a workplace sweepstake.

With this year's race canceled due to the coronavirus it looked like they might miss out, but virtual reality is coming to the rescue.

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Events tracking tool helps track and guard against phishing and spam campaigns

Phishing

It's not unusual for phishing attacks to focus their efforts on major events. The end of the tax year is always popular as are major sporting occasions. The latest lure of course is the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The problem for IT admins is how to protect against a sudden deluge of threats and spam messages while ensuring that important legitimate communications aren't accidentally blocked.

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Poor audio quality on calls can lead to lost productivity

Phone call frustration

On average end-users are losing almost half an hour of productivity each week due to poor sound quality on voice calls, time spent double checking information via follow-up emails or calls.

Research from Danish audio brand EPOS shows 87 percent of end-users surveyed have experienced at least one pain point due to poor sound quality on calls, whether in the office or working from home.

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Zoom issues an apology for privacy and security issues, will enact a feature freeze to focus on fixes

Zoom on a tablet

Zoom has been in the headlines a lot recently -- and not always for the reasons the company might have wanted. Thrust into the spotlight due to massively increased usage during the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom has been plagued with numerous security and privacy issues.

Now company CEO Eric S Yuan has issued a lengthy statement to Zoom users, apologizing for "unforeseen issues" and promising to improve things. For now, Zoom will get no new features as the company is focusing on fixing what is wrong, and regaining customer trust.

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Cloudflare launches DNS-based parental control service 1.1.1.1 for Families

Cloudflare .1.1.1 for Families

Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver has been around for a couple of years now, helping to cater for those looking for a more private and secure internet connection. Now the company has announced a new version of the product, this time with extra protective layers.

1.1.1.1 for Families is essentially a parental control filter, automatically blocking access to "bad sites". This means not only sites that deliver malware, but also adult sites that might not be suitable for younger internet users. But while parents may welcome this automated filtering, 1.1.1.1 for Families has already come in for criticism for incorrectly blocking sites.

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Cloudflare announces free VPN tool WARP for Windows and macOS, with Linux to follow

Cloudflare WARP

If you're in the market for a free VPN for your desktop PC or laptop, Cloudflare will soon have a new offering.

Following on from the success of its free VPN for mobile devices, the company that's also behind the 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver is now bringing WARP to Windows and macOS -- and there is a Linux version in the works. Cloudflare's WARP is currently available in beta, but not everyone will be able to get access to it straight away.

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Slack launches new integrations for Microsoft Teams and more

Slack with rainbow background

The problem with messaging and video conferencing platforms is that there are just too many of them. You and your work colleagues might be happily working away in Slack, but need to communicate with another team using Microsoft Teams.

To help get around this issue -- and to save you from having to switch allegiances -- Slack is launching new integration options via a new add-on app. This means it is possible to place a Teams call from Slack, and there are many more integrations to come.

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Manjaro Linux and TUXEDO Computers launch custom InfinityBook laptop

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TUXEDO Computers is a pretty cool company that not only sells machines running Linux, but partners with Linux distribution developers for officially licensed branded laptops too. For instance, Tuxedo partnered with Kubuntu on the official Focus laptop. It's a great way for Linux users to represent their favorite Linux-based operating system while also financially supporting the developers.

Today, Manjaro Linux and TUXEDO Computers launch the InfinityBook Manjaro laptop. This is Tuxedo's 15.6-inch InfinityBook, customized with Manjaro branding and that Linux-based operating system pre-installed.

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Integrated deployment approach plugs the gap between data science and production

plugging a gap

While data is essential to businesses it increasingly seems that there is a gap between creating data science and actually using the information in production.

Open source analytics company KNIME is aiming to eliminate this gap with the launch of Integrated Deployment.

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