European workers vulnerable to social engineering attacks
Hackers are using social media to gather information about their next victim. They use that information to form sophisticated strategies and deliver advanced threats into networks.
These are the results of a new Blue Coat Systems report, based on a poll of 3,130 workers in various industries in Great Britain, France and Germany. Key takeaway from the report is that user behavior has not improved much since last year. This year, 42 percent of respondents say they only accept friend requests from people they know.
Ads drive most Internet traffic in Europe
With all the buzz and fuss over ad blockers and how they hurt the internet we know today, it's interesting to see just how much traffic these ads actually drive. As it turns out, more than you'd expect. According to a new report by Adobe Digital Insights, more than two thirds (68 percent) of all European traffic is driven by ads. General traffic is also growing. In Europe, more than half (54 percent) of sites grew their traffic in the last three years.
Also, mobile advertising is catching up. Personal advertising, an ads strategy which seems to be working quite nicely, is not as popular in Europe as it is in the States, the same report says. Personalized ads, such as direct emails or social advertising, accounted for 36 percent of new traffic for growing U.S. websites. In Europe, that percentage is at eight.
How much will the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cost in Europe?
The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be hugely expensive in Europe when they go on sale later this month. Apple has decided to increase the prices of its new flagships compared to the previous generation, with the bump likely triggered by the US dollar's gains against the Euro and British Pound.
To put things into perspective, it is interesting that the iPhone 7 Plus will also see a $20 price increase over the iPhone 6s Plus in the US, while the iPhone 7 will continue to be sold at the same price as its predecessor. The bigger device now starts at $769, as opposed to $749 for the iPhone 6s Plus, while the iPhone 7 kicks off at $649.
Ireland to appeal against Apple's $14.5 billion EU tax bill
When the European Commission said it believed Apple should pay €13 billion (around $14.5 billion) after enjoying "illegal tax benefits", it wasn't just Tim Cook who was unhappy. The Commission said that the Irish Government had "artificially lowered" Apple's tax bill, and ministers are not happy with the accusation.
After meeting to discuss the matter, ministers are now ready to appeal against the ruling. After Apple said it planned to appeal against the decision, Finance minister Michael Noonan said Ireland planned to do the same.
Tim Cook hits back at 'maddening' European ruling on Apple tax
Apple CEO Tim Cook, talking to Ireland's RTÉ News, says that allegations put forward by the European Commission that his company owes $14.5 billion in back tax are 'maddening'. He is also very confident that the Commission's ruling will be overturned on appeal.
Echoing an open letter published earlier in the week, Cook said that the claims that Apple was given preferential treatment and special tax arrangements in Ireland have "no basis in fact or in law". The Irish cabinet has already met to discuss how to tackle the appeal that Apple is expected to launch, but has yet to reach a decision. The appeal will see Apple restating Tim Cook's claim that the tax figure put forward by Europe is "false".
Ahead of iPhone 7 launch, Apple faces $14.5 billion bill for 'illegal tax benefits' in Ireland
Apple is facing a bill of €13 billion (around $14.5 billion) after the European Commission ruled that Ireland granted the company illegal tax benefits. Ireland permitted Apple to pay "substantially less tax than other businesses", and the Commission has decided that not only is this illegal, but the money must be recovered.
A three-year investigation concluded that Apple was paying corporation tax of just 1 percent in Ireland. The tax arrangement meant that Apple's tax bill was "artificially lowered" -- down to as low as 0.005 percent in 2014. Ireland is used by many technology companies for its favorable tax rates, but the European Commission's ruling could have implications not just for Apple, but for its rivals and contemporaries.
Mozilla wants EU copyright law reform
Mozilla has called out the European Union, asking it to reform its copyright laws. The current one, according to the organization, is holding innovation and economic development down. Writing a blog post on the topic, Mozilla CIO Katharina Borchert says EU’s copyright laws are stopping great ideas in their tracks.
"The internet brings new ideas to life every day, and helps make existing ideas better. As a result, we need laws that protect and enshrine the internet as an open and collaborative platform", Borchert says.
Europe wants to control the likes of WhatsApp and Skype like telcos
The EU is looking to exert greater control over online messaging tools such as WhatsApp and Skype. Documents seen by the Financial Times suggest that Brussels wants to treat such services more like traditional telecoms companies.
The proposals come amid mounting privacy concerns about data handling, particularly the "security and confidentiality provisions" from companies like Microsoft and Facebook.
Business apps are not ready for EU's GDPR rules
Time is relentless. The GDPR is moving ever closer, while at the same time apps aren’t. And that’s a huge problem for businesses, because if apps are not GDPR-compliant, they’re not GDPR complaint. That can mean huge fines, possibly even the end of businesses.
The fact that apps are far away from being GDPR compliant came as a result of a new and extensive study by Blue Coat Labs. The company analyzed more than 15,000 enterprise cloud applications in use and 108 million enterprise documents stored and shared within them.
EU lawmaker decries Tinder's terrible privacy policy
The dating app Tinder is facing criticism from Europe where lawmakers believe it breaches EU data protection rules. There are calls for the app to be investigated by the European Commission over how it makes use of personal data.
Concerns spring from the fact that Tinder's terms are written in such a way that owner Match Group Inc can continue to use user data even when accounts are closed. It is alleged that these "abusive clauses" are unlawful.
US and UK facing IT 'talent crisis'
Both the UK and the US are in serious need of cyber-security talent, as there are hundreds of thousands of job vacancies in this industry that won’t be filled any time soon.
This is according to a new report by Intel Security and CSIS, which polled businesses all over the world. There is a "talent crisis" in Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico, US and UK.
EU wants to create a database of Bitcoin users
The end of anonymity for Bitcoin users may be fast approaching as the EU has put forth a proposal that would require anyone using the cryptocurrency in the member states to register on a database.
The European Commission (EC) is behind the push to take away anonymity from Bitcoin and other virtual currencies with the hope that this could help prevent a number of crimes that use digital wallets as a means of avoiding a paper trail. The proposal would require all users of the cryptocurrency to register using their real-world identity and to provide the addresses of the virtual wallets containing their funds.
Europol's No More Ransom website helps ransomware victims unlock their files
To help curb the global rise of ransomware, the European police agency Europol has decided to launch a new initiative and website to put victims of an attack in touch with the police.
The initiative will be called "No More Ransom" and will be coordinated by Europol, but will also be receiving help from the Dutch national police, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab.
Most EMEA businesses are happy with Windows 10
Windows 10 is now used in 39 percent of businesses in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region, according to a new report by Spiceworks.
Titled "Windows 10 Adoption: Sprinting out of the Gate", it reveals that the highest adoption rate is among companies with more than 250 employees -- 51 percent. Software, manufacturing and energy industries are where Windows 10 is most used.
Brexit will not make GDPR mandatory in UK
Another day, another Brexit story. It’s going to be years before we stop hearing the various implications and results of the recently held UK referendum on leaving the European Union.
This time, it’s about private data and its sharing to third-parties, by private companies, without users’ consent.
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