Grumpy Cat

RIP Grumpy Cat: The meme and internet phenomenon is dead

Grumpy Cat, the feline subject of many memes, has died at the age of 7.

The internet celebrity rose to fame because of her delightfully dour demeanour and a sour face that made the online world smile. An internet celebrity for seven years, Grumpy Cat (aka Tardar Sauce) shuffled off this mortal coil this week, leaving the web a sadder place.

Black and white Trump

Banned from social media? Feeling persecuted and censored? Report it to Donald Trump!

The White House has launched a new tool that enables people to report the fact that they have been kicked off the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The tool is aimed at people who have had their social media presence curtailed and "suspect political bias" is involved. Anyone who feels aggrieved is invited to "share your story with President Trump".

Dark web hacker

Shining a light onto the dark web

The dark web is, by its very nature something of an object of mystery. It's easy to think of it as a huge, closed community hidden from the world in dusty corners of the internet. But what's the reality?

Threat intelligence specialist Recorded Future has done some research to try to understand the dark web's true nature.

By Ian Barker -
Firefox logo on blue background

Mozilla explains why Firefox add-ons stopped working... and how to fix the problem

Since late last night, Firefox users have been plagued with a problem that meant no add-ons were working. Extensions were disabled and users were unable to re-enable them, causing confusion and frustrationaround the world.

It turns out that that the reason Firefox add-ons stopped working is that a signing certificate expired. Having determined the cause of the problem, Mozilla has developed a fix for users of the desktop version of Firefox on the Release, Beta and Nightly channels. [UPDATE: Mozilla has released a new version of Firefox that fixes most problems for more users.]

Great Firewall of China

It is getting harder than ever for VPNs to break through the Great Firewall of China

The censorial Great Firewall of China is famed throughout the world for the restrictions it places on Chinese citizens. Internet users play a game of cat and mouse, seeking tools and methods for slipping through the censoring and spying that the government enforces.

But it is getting harder and harder to evade the Great Firewall. VPNs that once allowed unfettered access to the greater internet are quickly stomped on by the Chinese government, just as happens in Russia. At the end of March, a new update to the firewall blacklisted hundreds of VPN servers and now fewer VPN tools than ever work in China. So which is the best VPN for those fighting the Great Firewall?

MozillaRebrand02

Mozilla bans Firefox add-ons with obfuscated code

As Mozilla continues to try to make it safer than ever to use Firefox, the organization has updated its Add-on Policy so that any updates that include obfuscated code are explicitly banned.

Mozilla has also set out in plain terms its blocking process for add-ons and extensions. While there is nothing surprising here, the clarification should mean that there are fewer causes for disputes when an add-on is blocklisted.

Russia freedom keyboard

Putin signs law to create 'sovereign internet' for Russia

President Putin has signed into law a bill that will give Russia a "sovereign internet" -- one which could be disconnected from the global web if the Kremlin decided to do so. It is being sold as a way to "ensure the safe and sustainable functioning" of Russia's internet should the country's enemies try to block access.

But there are fears that the law -- which will require ISPs to route traffic through government-controlled servers -- amounts to the creation of a Russian version of the Great Firewall of China and will lead to severe online censorship.

TVCatchup

UK streaming site TVCatchup is down... and this could be the end

If you are having trouble accessing TVCatchup  via its mobile app or through its website, you are not alone. The UK TV streaming service has gone dark, and it could be a permanent closure.

The service has been no stranger to controversy and managed to attract the attention -- and the wrath -- of numerous broadcasters, and became embroiled in a legal battle. Having managed to stay online for longer than many would have imagined, it seems you’ll now have to seek out an alternative to TVCatchup.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
web address bar

Free test checks website security and PCI DSS compliance

Good website security is essential to give customers confidence in your business, but for smaller organizations testing can prove difficult.

To address this issue, security testing and risk rating company ImmuniWeb is launching a free website security test that can be used by anyone.

By Ian Barker -
Google logo on white wood

Google is killing off the Data Saver extension for Chrome

If you're a Chrome user with the Data Saver extension installed, there's some bad news. Google has announced that with the desktop version of Chrome 74, the extension is being deprecated.

Data Saver is not going away completely, however. It will remain, exclusively, in the Android version of the web browser where it will be known as Lite mode. While this is great for mobile users looking to reduce their data usage, it's a little strange that desktop users won't also be afforded the ability to enjoy a data-light, faster internet experience.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Edge in disguise

Chromium-based Microsoft Edge pretends to be different browsers by switching user agent

The new Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge has generated a good deal of attention, and an intriguing feature of the browser has been noticed that makes it all the more interesting.

It has been noted that Edge switches between user agents depending on the sites visited, effectively pretending to be a different web browser. This enables Edge to take advantage of web sites features designed for a specific browser.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Internet Explorer icons

Micropatch now available for Internet Explorer security hole

A few days ago, a security vulnerability in Internet Explorer came to light. A flaw in the handling of certain files can be exploited by hackers to steal files from users, and -- most worrying -- it doesn't matter whether the victim is an Internet Explorer user or not.

Microsoft is yet to create a fix for the vulnerability, so someone else has stepped up to the plate. Specialists from ACROS Security have create a micropatch for Windows 10 that addresses the issue, once again beating Microsoft in securing people's computers.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Trust card

Government websites top the charts for online trust

The Internet Society's Online Trust Alliance (OTA), which identifies and promotes online security and privacy best practices, announced today the results of its latest Online Trust Audit and Honor Roll.

The Audit finds that 70 percent of analyzed websites qualified for the Honor Roll, the highest proportion ever, and up from 52 percent in 2017, driven primarily by improvements in email authentication and session encryption.

By Ian Barker -
Facebook reactions and teenagers

UK recommends that Facebook and other social media sites disable 'like' option and data collection for minors

UK watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has put forward new proposals it believes will help to improve the safety of children online. Among the recommendations is the suggestion that Facebook and other social media sites should disable "like" functionality for minors.

The ICO's "Age Appropriate Design" consultation document is a code of practice for online services, and includes proposals such as minimum age checks and an increase in privacy settings for minors. Another suggestion in the 16-point set of proposals is that social media firms limit the collection of personal data about under-18s.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
Internet Explorer icons

Internet Explorer flaw leaves Windows users vulnerable to hackers -- even those who don't use the browser

A zero-day exploit found in Internet Explorer means hackers could steal files from Windows users. What's particularly interesting about this security flaw is that you don't even need to be an Internet Explorer user to be vulnerable.

A security researcher has revealed details of an unpatched exploit in the way IE handles MHT files, and the problem affects Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2012 R2. It leaves users vulnerable not only to having their files stolen by hackers, but also means they could be spied upon.

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson -
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