Hackers use virtual assistant devices to steal
The utility of virtual assistant devices like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home is undeniable. They're just genuinely handy devices to have around.
Unfortunately, they're also prone to abuse and exploits by hackers and unsavory developers.
Microsoft may have given up on the idea of putting their Windows operating system on smartphones, but that doesn't mean they've given up on smartphones altogether. Recently, the company announced a significant new functionality that will allow users to take calls made to an Android phone from their Windows-based PC.
The new feature is currently only available to Windows Insiders for testing, but will be generally available to all users in an upcoming build in the unspecified, but not too distant future.
Do you have the new Windows 10? The most recent version is version 1903, which was the May 2019 update. Assuming you've got that version or later, you should have Microsoft's Tamper Protection enabled by default.
If you're not sure what the big deal is, in a nutshell, Windows Tamper Protection blocks scripts, apps, and programs from making changes to your security settings and to Microsoft Defender.
Extended Support for Office 2010 expires on October 13th, 2020, so time is running out to upgrade. The company's official recommendation is to upgrade to either Office 365 ProPlus, or Office 2019.
In addition to that, "We also recommend business and enterprise customers use the deployment benefits provided by Microsoft and Microsoft Certified Partners, including Microsoft FastTrack for cloud migrations and Software Assurance Planning Services for on-premises upgrades.
Twitter isn't having a good year. Over the past twelve months, the company has fessed up to half a dozen bugs and blunders that have left the company with egg on their faces and have earned the ire of their burgeoning user data.
In late 2018, the company disclosed a bug that shared a variety of private user data with third-party app developers.
Do you own a Samsung Galaxy S10? If so, one of the reasons you bought it may be because of its cutting-edge biometric technology. It utilizes ultrasounds to create a detailed 3D map of your fingerprint and provides a higher level of security.
Earlier in the year, the company warned its customers against using tempered glass screen protectors with their phones.
The creators of the dreaded 'Robbinhood' ransomware strain are putting their reputation to work for them. The hackers have recently modified their ransom note in a couple of important ways.
First and foremost, they stress that there's no public decryption tool currently available to recover files encrypted by RobbinHood and that they are monitoring the situation to make sure that the company impacted by the malware does not contact law enforcement.
Pitney Bowes Hit by Ransomware
Pitney Bowes ransomware attack will affect small business owners. If you're a business owner, you probably utilize at least a few of the services Pitney Bowes offers. They maintain global shipping, mailing, e-commerce, and financial services empire that touches just about every country on the planet.
Say what you want about Google, but the company has a solid track record of doing all they can to keep the Google Play Store relatively free of poisoned apps. By most accounts, they have been wildly successful at that.
Unfortunately, given the sheer number of apps available on the Play Store, statistics invariably catch up with them.
Are you a Windows iTunes user? Then, you'll need to upgrade iTunes immediately to avoid ransomware.
The group is controlling the software using a zero-day exploit in iTunes for Windows. Allowing them to bypass antivirus detection schemes entirely.
Apple responded quickly and has already patched the zero-day out of existence in iTunes for Windows and iCloud for Windows.
