Researchers at McAfee have demonstrated a method that hackers could use to perform an end-run around Cortana and access data, run malicious code, or even change a locked computer's password. In this case, however, the emphasis is on the word "could.
Android Still Tracking Users With Location History Turned Off
According to Google's support page on the matter, disabling your phone's "Location History" in your phone's privacy settings will prevent Google from tracking every move you make.
The support page reads as follows:
"You can turn off Location History at any time.
Social Media App Filters Could Alter Beauty Perception
File this one away under "unintended consequences." There's a newly emerging trend in the medical community called "Snapchat Dysmorphia" that's leaving plastic surgeons around the country to sound the alarm, and in some cases, scratch their heads in disbelief.
Survey Shows People Are Most Concerned About Data Theft
How seriously does the average consumer take data theft? It's an interesting (and fair) question, and one that Radware recently attempted to answer when the company sent out surveys. They contacted more than three thousand people to conduct its recent survey titled "Consumer Sentiments: Cybersecurity, Personal Data and the Impact on Customer Loyalty.
PGA Golf Organization Gets Hit By Ransomware
These days, we expect giant corporations, government agencies and medical facilities to be the targets of hackers. However, golf is something new.
According to a recent report from GolfWeek, the PGA's offices have been hacked and infected with what appears to be the "BitPaymer" ransomware.
Android Gets New OS Update Named Android Pie
Android 9 is finally here, at least for some users. As of today, if you have any of the following phones, you can get the latest update:
The Google Pixel
The Pixel XL
The Pixel 2
The Pixel 2 XL
The Essential Phone
The company is currently working with other vendors to make the new update available.
Microsoft Is Keeping Classic Skype, For Now
Microsoft recently found itself on the receiving end of more than a little user rage when they made significant changes to Skype, with the release of version 8. The company's original plan was to model Skype 8 after several different social media services, but the users found the new interface to be both annoying and frustrating.
Reddit Users Advised To Reset Their Passwords
If you're a Reddit user, it's time to change your password. According to the company, they recently discovered evidence of a hack that exposed all company data from the site's launch (2005) to 2007, including user emails and account credentials.
The company also reported that all public messages from that time period were downloaded, as well as an unknown number of private conversations.
Click Rates For Spam Emails Are Increasing
F-Secure recently published a new report, and their findings are disturbing.
The click rates on spam emails increased to 14.2 percent for the second half of 2017, up from 13.4 percent reported in the first half of 2017.
The increase seems to be driven by two factors.
The Internet May Be Hurting Your Sleep
Can you imagine life without the always-on internet? If you're like most people today, it's a simply indispensable tool, and the thought of suddenly being without it makes you shudder and brings images of the Dark Ages to mind.
It's glorious, no doubt, and it really is a remarkable tool, but unfortunately, it's not all upside.