Cyber theft experts say millions of credit cards exposed in breach being sold online


The compromised information from credit card breaches often ends up on dark web marketplaces, leaving victims at risk for having their precious information sold in a transaction that's entirely out of their control.
But, people often are clueless about whether their breached data ended up on the dark web. Many assume it did and, hopefully, go through the recommended steps to stay safe from cyber identity theft.
Switching from Windows 7 to Ubuntu Linux is very easy, so why is Canonical making it seem so hard?


I am a huge proponent of using Linux-based desktop operating systems, and I try to convert people from Windows whenever it makes sense. Why do I do this? Well, Linux distributions, believe it or not, are often easier to use than Microsoft's operating system. With so many people living in the web browser these days, a Linux installation with Google Chrome is largely all an average user needs. More advanced users can install excellent free software such as LibreOffice or GIMP -- if needed. Not to mention, it can be argued that Linux is more secure than Windows. Overall, switching to Linux is a huge win for many.
Even installing a Linux distro is easy these days. Long gone are the days where the installation required a degree in computer science (except for Arch, maybe). The current Ubuntu installer, for instance, is more straightforward than the one found on Windows 10! So why in the hell is Canonical, the maker of Ubuntu, making it seem so damn hard? You see, the company has put out an installation guide that will make a person curious about switching to Ubuntu to instead run for the hills.
Facebook Messenger Kids now lets parents view their kids' chat history and remotely log them out


Facebook has announced a raft of changes to its Messenger Kids service, giving parents more control and oversight over what their children are able to do.
Parents are now about to see 30 days' worth of chat logs as well as details of the types of conversation they are having with different contacts. Other new features include the ability to see images that have been shared, and also to remotely log their child out of chat sessions using the Parent Dashboard.
Google may have shared your videos with strangers


If you used Google Takeout to download an archive of your Google Photos content, there's a chance that someone else may have ended up with your videos.
The company has admitted that for a few days in November last year, "some videos in Google Photos were exported to unrelated users' archives". This means that not only could your videos have ended up on a stranger's computer, but also that you may have received random videos belonging to someone else.
Why businesses must be ready for lots more IoT devices [Q&A]


There are expected to be more than 70 billion connected devices by 2025, which means the opportunity for hackers to infiltrate connected devices, and to get onto networks, is going to get much larger.
So how can businesses prepare for this influx, train their staff and get ahead in order to protect their critical data from cybercriminals who are always keen to update their tactics and strategies? We spoke to Jonathan Langer, CEO of healthcare device security specialist Medigate to find out.
Anonymous tweets the REAL numbers of the Coronavirus, or so they claim


As you'll be more than aware, there’s a virus rampant in China and it has spread to other countries, including cases in the US. But there’s been a lot of FUD surrounding it and we honestly don’t know what the real numbers for cases and deaths are.
If Anonymous is to be believed then we may know a bit more. The group claims its numbers are backed up and verified.
Yet another Windows 10 update is causing problems


Problematic updates for Windows 10 have become pretty common these days, and now it has happened again.
Microsoft released the KB4532695 update last week to address problems with Explorer which were introduced by the November 2019 Update. But this update has itself been found to cause issues, with users complaining of BSoDs, audio problems and more.
BenQ EW3280U 4K HDRi monitor has integrated subwoofer, USB-C, AMD FreeSync, and ePaper mode


For many consumers nowadays, a computer monitor isn't a very exciting purchase. Instead, it is merely a necessity for desktop computer users. While people were once wowed by flat screen displays -- and later, to a lesser extent, curved displays -- these days, there just isn't much innovation.
Today, however, BenQ launches a new monitor that has excellent specs and some unique features. The 32-Inch "EW3280U," as it is called, has an impressive 4K resolution, AMD FreeSync, and HDRi, but that is merely the start of the fun. Believe it or not, it has 2.1 audio. Wait, how can a monitor do 2.1? It has an integrated subwoofer! Cool, eh? For connectivity, you get HDMI and DisplayPort, but also, USB-C. There is even a neat ePaper mode, which provides a more comfortable eBook-reading experience.
Less than a fifth of organizations are effectively stopping cyberattacks


Just 17 percent of organizations worldwide are considered 'leaders' in cyber resilience, meaning under a fifth are effectively stopping cyberattacks and finding and fixing breaches fast enough to lower the impact, according to a new report from Accenture.
Based on a survey of more than 4,600 enterprise security practitioners, Accenture's report looks at how businesses prioritize security, the effectiveness of their current security efforts, and the impact of new security-related investments.
Microsoft will let you uninstall Notepad, Paint and WordPad from Windows 10


It is now a couple of weeks since Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Build 19551 to the Fast ring, and it seemed like a fairly unexciting build.
But the release actually gave us an interesting glimpse into Microsoft's future plans to give users more control over the operating system. Specifically, it will soon be possible for Windows 10 users to uninstall the likes of Notepad, Paint and WordPad.
Microsoft cancels launch of Surface Hub 2X compute cartridge


Microsoft has changed its mind about the future of the Surface Hub 2. The company had previously planned to release a processor upgrade in the form of the Surface Hub 2X compute cartridge, but this no longer appears to be the case.
A leaked webinar shows that Microsoft's plans to release a processor- and GPU-enhancing upgrade cartridge have been put on hold, with the company now planning to release a "major software update" for Surface Hub and Surface Hub 2
That Outlook.com Premium email address? Gone, unless you get an Office 365 subscription


Microsoft launched a limited test of Outlook.com Premium back in 2016. This was a subscription-based service that anyone could sign-up for after the test period ended to gain access to a number of benefits including up to five personalized (custom) email addresses and an ad-free environment.
Outlook.com Premium became available to users from the United States in the same year for an introductory price of $19.99 instead of the regular price of $49.99.
My first prediction for 2020 -- IBM


For 20+ years I’ve been writing predictions every January and I guess I’m doing another set now. But this time will be different for several reasons. For one, January is over, so it has sloughed over into February. For another, I always start by going back to the year before and grading my previous year’s predictions. I’m the only guy in this business who does that. But this year I am going to bury the score a bit because I need to start with a prediction simply because it's immediate and really can’t wait. So I’ll do the scoring later, but today I have my first 2020 prediction to get out of the way.
And, finally, there is one more difference between this year and every other: this year I’ll not just say what I think is going to happen, I’ll also say what I think should happen. I’m old and cranky and there are only a couple of these so just bear with me.
OpenMandriva Lx 4.1 Linux distro now available for download


It was just a few days ago that we shared with you a release candidate was released for OpenMandriva Lx 4.1. Well, things apparently went very well, as today, you can download the final release! Today is Super Bowl Sunday though -- surely people should be relaxing and watching the big game instead of messing around with Linux, right? Sure, if you enjoy football. If you don't like the sport, don't torture yourself. Instead, turn off the TV and install this new version of OpenMandriva!
Hell, if you are invited to a Super Bowl party today, you should not only bring with you snacks or beverages, but a flash drive containing OpenMandriva Lx 4.1 too -- you can then install it on your host's PC. If they are running the unsupported Windows 7 in particular, you would be doing them a huge favor.
Microsoft Edge has a new 'unwanted apps' download-blocker -- here's how to enable it


Microsoft has introduced a new feature to its Edge browser that blocks "potentially unwanted apps" from being downloaded.
At the moment, the security feature is available in the beta version of Microsoft Edge, but it will also be making its way to the stable version of Chromium-based Edge later this month. Strangely, Microsoft has chosen not to switch on the feature by default.
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