Facebook faces European probe over data collection
It is not just Google which is coming under the scrutiny of the European Commission – the European antitrust regulator have announced that they are also looking into the data collection practices of Facebook.
Just as with Google, the Commission has sent out preliminary questionnaires as part of an investigation into how Facebook collects and monetizes its data.
Twitter introduces new Privacy Center to give users greater transparency
Conceding that as a company it "is not perfect at privacy and data protection", Twitter has revealed details of a new Privacy Center. This central repository will serve as the portal through which Twitter will keep users informed about how it handles user data.
Twitter is also introducing updates to its privacy policy on January 1, 2020. These will be compliant with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which places numerous obligations on large companies, including giving customer greater control and transparency, and the right to have their data deleted on request.
Cyber attacks become more targeted with data theft as the goal
Mass cyber attacks are now being outnumbered by targeted attacks, with 65 percent of the total in the third quarter of 2019 being targeted, compared to 59 percent in the previous quarter.
The latest threatscape report from Positive Technologies also shows data theft grew to 61 percent of all attacks on organizations and 64 percent of all attacks on individuals (compared to 58 and 55 percent respectively in the second quarter). The share of attacks with direct financial motivation was 31 percent.
Why digital transformation and security should go hand-in-hand [Q&A]
Digital transformation is becoming an essential part of many business initiatives and of course security is a high priority too. You would think that two such essential areas would exist in close harmony, but it isn't always the case.
In the age of digital transformation security can get left behind. So, what can businesses do to ensure that new digital initiatives are secured from the start? We spoke to John Worrall, CEO at application and infrastructure security specialist ZeroNorth to find out more.
Facebook launches data portability tool to allow users to transfer photos and videos to Google Photos
Embracing the notion of data portability, Facebook has launched a new tool that lets users transfer their photos and videos from Facebook to other online services.
The social network is kicking things off by making it possible to transfer data from Facebook to Google Photos. It comes as part of Facebook's participation in the open-source Data Transfer Project and the ability to transfer to other services will be added soon.
Unencrypted SMS database found online, exposing millions of US text messages
A huge database of text messages and user data has been discovered online, completely unprotected and free for anyone to browse.
Found by researchers from vpnMentor, the database belongs to US communications company, TrueDialog. Among the exposed data are not only tens of millions of SMS messages, but also private information including usernames and passwords.
Linux Mint 19.3 'Tricia' BETA is mere days away!
Back in October, we told you the Linux Mint developers were hoping to have version 19.3 released by Christmas 2019. Well, I have some good news regarding that -- Linux Mint 19.3 "Tricia" it is still on schedule for a release by December 25! Yes, Linux Mint fans, you will likely be treated to something much better than any gift wrapped under your tree-- a new version of the OS you love.
With all of that said, I have some more great news about Linux Mint 19.3 "Tricia" -- the BETA will be released this upcoming Tuesday, December 3! This past Friday was "Black Friday," tomorrow is "Cyber Monday," and I think we can now dub the day after that "Mint Tuesday."
TRENDnet TUC-ET2G USB-C to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet adapter for Windows, Mac, and Linux [Review]
I wish all new laptops came with Ethernet ports, but sadly, it just isn't meant to be. You see, as computer makers try to make notebooks thinner, they omit important ports such as Ethernet. For many folks, this isn't a big deal, as they only use Wi-Fi anyway. Other consumers, such as yours truly, like having the ability to connect to a network using a cable.
Thankfully, an Ethernet port is just a dongle away! Thanks to USB, you have long been able to add hardwired networking to a computer without it. With new computers having USB-C ports running at 3.1 gen 2 speeds, it is time to think beyond Gigabit (1Gbps) -- 2.5 and 5Gbps.
Google is under investigation over its data collection practices
The European Commission has started an investigation into "practices relating to Google's collection and use of data".
EU antirust regulators have already hit Google with record-breaking fines, but concern remains about how the company collects data about its users as well as how this data is then used. The regulator has contacted several companies to ask about agreements they have with Google to hand over user data and what -- if any -- money was involved.
You can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free
When Windows 10 first appeared, Microsoft made quite a fuss about that fact that while it was possible to upgrade for free, this was a time-limited offer. Many people rushed to upgrade because they felt the deadline was hanging over them like the sword of Damocles… but it seems that the deadline was not as pressing as Microsoft made out.
In fact, you might be surprised to learn that more than five years after the launch of Windows 10, it is still possible to upgrade for free. So what's going on?
RCS is being implemented dangerously, leaving users vulnerable to attack
Security experts from Security Research Labs (SRLabs) have warned that carriers are implementing RCS (Rich Communication Services which will supersede SMS) in ways that risk leaving users exposed to all manner of attack.
The German hacking research collective issues the stark warning that "RCS technology exposes most mobile users to hacking". This is not because of inherent problems with the messaging protocol, but with the ways in which it is being implement.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-sixty-three 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.
There are plenty of Black Friday deals in the Microsoft Store. Discounts for games, applications and official hardware.
Why mobile healthcare apps are at risk [Q&A]
Cyber-attacks represent a real threat to unprotected healthcare mobile apps. The overall operational integrity of these apps is at risk, but there's also a significant risk of malicious attacks on the medical devices themselves, personal health information, and intellectual property.
We spoke to Rusty Carter, VP of product management at Arxan to find out more about the risks and how they can be addressed.
A quarter of UK smaller businesses don't have an IT disaster plan
Almost one in four of UK SMEs -- around 1.4 million businesses -- don't have an IT disaster recovery plan in place. Yet, 80 percent of businesses who suffered a major incident ended up failing within within 18 months, according to the Association of British Insurers.
A survey of over 1,100 IT workers by technology services provider Probrand also finds 54 percent reveal that their disaster plan isn't regularly tested to identify and fix any potential flaws in their DR process.
Forecasting the cloud security landscape in 2020
Every year, threat actors will continue to evolve their current tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that they use in order to exfiltrate customer, company and partner data, interrupt business operations, implant ransomware, and more. In fact, cybercrime damage costs are predicted to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021, according to research from Cybersecurity Ventures. In 2020, as cybercriminals refine their methods, we will continue to see a plethora of breaches occur due to a common vulnerability: misconfigurations.
Despite organizations running an average of 40 percent of their workloads in the public cloud, most companies fail to be able to accurately identify the risk of misconfiguration in public cloud as higher than the risk in traditional IT environments. In the new year we will also see a greater focus placed on identity in cloud security -- a challenge that’s easier said than done, since approaches that worked in traditional data center environments do not translate to the cloud.
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