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.
Avast apologizes for selling user data and shuts down its marketing analytics subsidiary Jumpshot with immediate effect
Avast has been facing growing criticism following an investigation by Motherboard and PCMag that revealed the company’s free antivirus software was harvesting user data and selling it onto marketers.
In a bid to appease users, Avast published a blog post explaining why it was collecting user data, and announced that going forward this collection would be opt-in, but that the company would continue to sell the data via its analytics subsidiary Jumpshot. Throughout the post the security firm insisted that collected data was fully "de-identified", despite the fact that Motherboard and PCMag’s investigation showed how it could be linked back to an individual.
Avast defends its data gathering and sharing practices -- 'that's how antivirus works'
Two days ago we reported how a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag discovered that Avast's free antivirus software was harvesting user data and selling it onto marketers in a way that could be linked back to an individual.
Following the inevitable backlash, Avast has responded, defending its data gathering and attempting to justify the practice of selling it on, while continuing to insist that the data is fully "de-identified".
New solution allows businesses to find and protect sensitive documents
Modern businesses have large numbers of documents, many of which contain information that is commercially sensitive. But poor file management, incorrect permissions and uncontrolled sharing can put that information at risk.
The unstructured nature of this data makes it notoriously difficult to keep track of. Now though California-based Concentric is launching a new solution to allow enterprises to identify and protect these documents.
Apple releases iOS update featuring U1 chip location tracking fix
The latest update to iOS will please anyone with privacy concerns. iOS 13.3.1 gives iPhone owners the chance to toggle the location-tracking U1 Ultra Wideband chip on and off -- something Apple promised a couple of months ago.
There was controversy when security experts discovered that the chip meant iPhones were periodically tracking people's location even when location services were disabled. Now it is possible to ensure that such tracking cannot be carried out.
Why everyone needs to be speaking the same language on data privacy [Q&A]
Today is Data Privacy Day and with CCPA coming into force at the start of this month, the focus is very much on personal data, how it's used and how it needs to be protected.
One of the issues is that there are lots of definitions and terms involved which means it’s vital that everyone understands what they’re dealing with.
Facebook promises to give users more control over their privacy... again
Today is Data Privacy Day, and Facebook is using the occasion to try to convince its users that it cares about their privacy.
The social network says that it recognizes there is a lot of work to do to improve privacy protections, but that's not going to stop the company from trying to make it seem as though it doesn't represent a massive invasion of privacy. As part of its latest PR campaign, Facebook will encourage users to review their privacy settings as well as launching the Off-Facebook Activity tool globally.
Businesses gain from strong data privacy practices
Data privacy is very much in people's minds at the moment with the introduction of CCPA and other legislation around the world.
Businesses can sometimes see privacy regulations as a necessary evil that they have to comply with, but new data from Cisco reveals growing, tangible benefits for businesses that adopt strong privacy practices.
The perils of choosing convenience over privacy: When is it not worth it?
From the lightbulb and telephone to smartphones, the advanced technology of the day has always been lauded as a way to make peoples’ lives easier. But while today’s technology makes it possible to pay that electricity bill from your phone, it has also opened up privacy concerns that were unimaginable even ten years ago. In that decade, it is reported that more than 4 billion records have been stolen and 15 of the largest data breaches in history have occurred. Has technology marketed as a consumer convenience contributed to these breaches?
While George Orwell presented a dire picture of "big brother," today’s society certainly seems willing to embrace technologies that are always watching, listening and capitalizing on personal data shared in our daily lives. But what’s the true cost of choosing convenience over privacy? Let’s look at how technology has driven privacy complacency for the sake of convenience and how it has changed the way people think about and safeguard their information.
How CCPA will impact on enterprises and individuals [Q&A]
With the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) having come into force at the beginning of the year, and Data Privacy Day coming up next week, privacy is very much in the news at the moment.
But how much of an impact will the new legislation have? And what do organizations need to do to make sure they don't lose consumer trust? We spoke to Chad McDonald, VP of customer experience at Arxan to find out more.
Google researchers reveal flaws in Safari that could be exploited to track users
Apple's Safari web browser was found to have multiple security flaws that allowed for user's online activity to be tracked, say Google researchers.
In a yet-to-be-published paper, the researchers reveal issues in a Safari feature which is actually supposed to increase user privacy. The Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) feature found in the iOS, iPadOS and macOS version of the browser is meant to block tracking, but vulnerabilities mean that third parties could have accessed sensitive information about users' browsing habits.
Microsoft exposed 250 million customer service and support records in massive privacy blunder
A new report reveals how Microsoft exposed nearly 250 million Customer Service and Support records online late last year.
The security research team at Comparitech discovered five servers, each of which contained the same 250 million logs of conversations with Microsoft support agents and customers. The records, which spanned 2005 to December 2019, were accessible to anyone with internet access; no password protection or encryption was used.
Fake 'compensation' scheme exploits fears of data leaks
A new online fraud scheme is designed to trick people into thinking they are owed compensation for data leaks only to scam them out of cash.
Researchers at Kaspersky uncovered the scam which tries to get users to purchase 'temporary US social security numbers' at a cost of around $9 each. Victims have been found in Russia, Algeria, Egypt and the UAE, as well as other countries.
Why consumers must adopt a 'zero trust' approach to security [Q&A]
A lot has been written about the consumerization of IT, but when it comes to personal security Josh Wyatt, VP of global services engagement at Optiv Security, believes consumers would be well served to take a page from the corporate cybersecurity playbook and adopt a 'zero trust' security strategy.
We recently spoke with Josh to find out how zero trust security can help consumers defend against cyberattacks, what types of threats we need to be aware of, and how this all relates to the business world.
Why secure data exchange is vital for the fintech industry [Q&A]
Over the past few years, we've seen a surge in popularity for both consumer fintech apps, as well as fintech services for businesses.
This shift in the financial services ecosystem has empowered users to take greater control of their financial lives, equipping them with tools to better understand how and where they spend their money, increase their credit scores, prepare taxes, aggregate disparate financial and investment accounts, among many other applications.
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