The lure of keygens helps spread Gatak malware through the enterprise and healthcare industry
Malware spreads through various channels, and numerous methods are used to fool people into unwittingly installing it. In many cases, the promise of getting something for free -- naming expensive software -- is enough to trick a victim into infecting their own computer.
It's far from being a new tactic, and warnings have been issued to fans of torrenting for some time. Keygens (small programs that promise to provide unlock codes and product keys for big-name software titles) are being used to help spread the Gatak or Stegoloader Trojan. Something that is interesting about this malware campaign is that it is specifically targeting enterprise users, with a particular focus on the healthcare industry.
Right-wing Breitbart blocked by AppNexus ad exchange for hate speech
Right-wing website Breitbart -- the darling of the so-called alt-right movement -- has been blocked by a leading ad exchange. The site, home to Milo Yiannopoulos (also known as @Nero and banned from Twitter) will no longer be permitted to sell ad space via AppNexus.
The move comes after an audit by AppNexus found that Breitbart was in violation of its policies on hate speech and incitement to violence.
Police warn about dating apps after serial killer conviction
Police are warning people who use dating sites and dating apps to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. The advice comes after serial killer Stephen Port who contacted his victims through apps such as Grindr and Gaydar.
While people making use of dating services have always been warned to take safety precautions, police are concerned that sexual predators are increasingly using such sites and apps as a way of finding potential victims.
Apple's disappointing Black Friday deals -- gift cards worth up to $150 with every order
After years of avoiding getting in on the Black Friday action, 2016 sees Apple finally letting its hair down and joining in with everyone else. Earlier in the week we learned that there were some treats in store, and today we can reveal what they are.
If you were hoping to save some money on a new MacBook Pro (2016) or to bag yourself a cheap iPhone, you're going to be disappointed. Apple is not offering any Black Friday discounts whatsoever; instead the company is giving away gift cards worth up to $150 with every order placed. So here's the lowdown.
Facebook is ready to censor posts in China -- should users around the world be worried?
Facebook's relationship with China has a tense and turbulent history. The social network is currently banned in China, and this clearly takes a huge chunk out of Facebook's ad revenue. In a bid to keep Chinese authorities happy, Mark Zuckerberg has been involved in the creation of software that can be used to monitor and censor posts made by users.
In terms of playing by China's rules, this is clearly great news for Facebook, and it opens up the possibility of the social network operating in the country. While there is the slight silver lining that Facebook's censorship tool does not amount to a full blackout (as the Guardian puts it: "The posts themselves will not be suppressed, only their visibility"), the new program does raise a very important question: if Facebook is willing and able to create such a censorship tool for China, what’s to stop it doing the same for other markets, or even for its own benefit?
Deseat.me helps you delete yourself from the internet with a few clicks
Everyone has a digital footprint these days, and it can be terrifying to think about the amount of personal information stored online in various accounts. You may have resolved to clean up your act and close a few of your accounts, and this is where Deseat.me can help.
The site takes advantage of the fact that many of your online accounts are linked together by a common thread -- Google. By signing into the site with your Google credentials, Deseat.me will find all of your linked accounts and give you the option of wiping them out in one fell swoop.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise laptop hack exposes personal details of 130,000 US Navy sailors
A data breach has exposed the personal details of more than 130,000 US Navy sailors, including social security numbers.
Rather than being a breach of the Navy's own defences, the data leak came about after a laptop owned by a Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee was compromised. In total, 134,386 current and former sailors are affected by the problem.
CERT warning: Windows 10 is less secure than Windows 7 with EMET
In direct contrast to Microsoft's assertion that Windows 10 is its most secure operating system ever, the US-CERT Coordination Center says that Windows 7 with EMET offers greater protection. With EMET due to be killed off, security experts are concerned.
A vulnerability analyst from CERT, Will Dormann, advises Microsoft to continue the development of EMET. Microsoft says 'many' of EMET's features have been integrated into Windows 10, but the concern is that key components are missing, and others have been implemented in such a way that reduces their security.
Caught red-handed: Reddit CEO edited comments that disparaged him
If you leave a comment on a website you expect one of two things. First, and most likely, is for your comment to be left alone and posted as-is. The second possibility is that you might find your comment has been deleted because of violating site terms. Reddit, however, has a third option.
The self-styled 'front page of the internet' is a little red-faced after CEO Steve Huffman admitted editing comments that were critical of him. Posting using the name 'spez', Huffman was able to anonymously edit comments and replace references to his name with those of Reddit moderators.
Travel firm Skyscanner sold to Chinese site Ctrip in $1.74 billion deal
Edinburgh-based Skyscanner -- a site specializing in price comparison for travellers -- has been bought by its Chinese counterpart Ctrip. The deal values Skyscanner Holdings at $1.74 billion (around £1.4 billion) and sees the Scottish firm joining China's largest travel site, Ctrip.cn.
Despite the sale, Skyscanner says that it will continue to operate as an independent company, and it will continue to help travellers find the best deals for hotels, flights and car rentals.
No kinky online sex, please -- we're British!
The UK government's relationship with the web is something of a checkered one. Keen to pander to the fear of concerned hand-wringers, we've seen torrent sites blocked and there are plans afoot to censor porn sites that do not implement 'effective' age checks.
Now there is a chance that UK web users will be denied access to websites that portray "non-conventional sexual acts" in the latest act of censorship by the government. A bill currently being considered would apply the same restrictions to online pornography that currently apply offline.
Revamped Google Sites now let anyone create websites for free
Google Sites recently underwent something of a redesign and it was made available to a select group of testers. Now the website building tool is available for everyone to use.
For anyone who has used any of Google's online apps, Sites will be immediately familiar. Like so many web building tools, it eschews HTML in favour of a WYSIWYG interface, meaning that even web novices can get a site up and running easily.
Why did Apple limit the MacBook Pro (2016) to 16GB RAM? Battery life
The recently unveiled MacBook Pro (2016) complete with its Touch Bar has been praised and criticized in just about equal measure. One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Apple is that RAM is limited to 16GB. Why such a cap on a professional device?
Apple has revealed that the reason for the limit is nothing to do with -- as some may have suspected -- keeping costs down (as if!), but rather due to concerns about battery life. The reasoning may be fairly sound, but the full explanation may not be enough to silence critics completely.
Apple has some Black Friday special offers for you -- but they're secret for now!
Black Friday is mere days away, and shoppers are preparing to hit the streets and online stores. Big names like Microsoft have already revealed some of the bargains you can snap up, and this year Apple is getting in on the action too.
Apple has traditionally turned its nose up at Black Friday, but the lure of shifting a few extra units by lopping off a few dollars seems to have been too great this year. The company's Black Friday special offer site is up and running, but it's a bit of a tease at the moment.
NHS partnership with DeepMind puts Google AI in charge of sharing patient data
Google is no stranger to working with user data, but its latest partnership with the National Health Service sees the company entering unchartered waters. Having already been granted access to the records of more than 1.6 million patients in London, Google's DeepMind will be used by the NHS to alert medical staff to the condition of people under their care.
Given Google's track record of using data gathered from its users as part of its ad business, there are understandable concerns from privacy groups about the company's involvement. But data shared with DeepMind will not make its way to Google itself, and will also be encrypted as an extra level of security. But is artificial intelligence really the future of medicine?
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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