Independent – Page 19 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:00:40 +0000

The rapper and social media personality Punchmade Dev is perhaps best known for his flashy videos singing the praises of a cybercrime lifestyle. With memorable hits such as “Internet Swiping” and “Million Dollar Criminal” earning millions of views, Punchmade has leveraged his considerable following to peddle tutorials on how to commit financial crimes online. But until recently, there wasn’t much to support a conclusion that Punchmade was actually doing the cybercrime things he promotes in his songs.

ComputerWorld Independent

January 17, 2024 admin

3 exceptional Android privacy power-ups

In many ways, privacy has become a bit of a conceptual buzzword — something that, similar to the AI craze of the moment, is as much about marketing a broad idea to people as it is anything specific or practical.

But all opportunistic hype aside, privacy absolutely does matter — once you dig in past that silly outer layer and actually think about what, exactly, you want to achieve. And here in the land o’ Android, you’ve got plenty o’ potential-packed possibilities to ponder.

Today, I want to draw your attention to one area where a teensy bit of effort can give you an awful lot of added privacy advantages — and that’s in the ever-evolving domain of web browsing on your favorite Android gadget.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 16, 2024 admin

How OpenAI plans to handle genAI election fears

OpenAI is hoping to alleviate concerns about its technology’s influence on elections, as more than a third of the world’s population is gearing up for voting this year. Among the countries where elections are scheduled are the United States, Pakistan, India, South Africa, and the European Parliament.

“We want to make sure that our AI systems are built, deployed, and used safely. Like any new technology, these tools come with benefits and challenges,” OpenAI wrote Monday in a blog post. “They are also unprecedented, and we will keep evolving our approach as we learn more about how our tools are used.”

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 15, 2024 admin

Failed unsubscribes could be a clue your data's out of control

Credit to Author: eschuman@thecontentfirm.com| Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 03:00:00 -0800

Anyone who’s eveer tried to unsubscribe to an email list knows that “unsubscribe” button never seems to work — except to verify your email account is working. But what if that failure arises from something more problematic than an unethical person ignoring the request?

What if it is the latest symptom of the overly distributed data problem?

That’s the same issue that undermines compliance and legal discovery rules such as GDPR’s Right To Be Forgotten rule. It’s also the same problem that makes it all-but-impossible for enterprises to have current and comprehensive datamaps.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 13, 2024 admin

For Patch Tuesday, 48 updates, no zero-day flaws

Microsoft has eased us into the new new year with just 48 updates for the Windows, Office and .NET platforms. There were no zero-days for January, and no reports of publicly exposed vulnerabilities or exploited security issues.

Developers of complex, line-of-business applications might need to pay particular attention to how Microsoft has updated the Message Queue system. Printing has been patched and minor updates to bluetooth and Windows shell sub-systems (shortcuts and wallpaper) require some testing before deployment.

The team at Readiness has crafted a useful infographic that outlines the risks associated with each of the updates for this January release.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 13, 2024 admin

Security tips for Apple-using workers in co-working spaces

For Apple-using workers on the go, especially if you frequent shared co-working spaces or public places, don’t assume you’re as secure as you think you are.

Co-working spaces are particularly under threat, in part because criminals have already figured out that the people using them are good targets for data theft, ransomware, and more.

They’ve also realized that at least some of those working from such spaces might well be part of, or connected with, larger corporate entities — meaning a successful data heist could unlock the gates to greater and more profitable kingdoms. There are useful resources from government and industry aimed at helping workers lock down their devices and data. In the US, for instance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a useful guide to explain some of the risks, while the US Office of Personnel Management offered up even more useful advice.

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ComputerWorld Independent

January 13, 2024 admin

How to securely erase your Android device in 3 simple steps

It’s an inevitable moment in the smartphone-owning cycle: the point at which a newer, shinier model comes along and your trusty old device is no longer needed.

Maybe your company bought you a new Android phone. Maybe your old one was getting too slow. Or maybe you just love electronics and couldn’t resist the lure of whatever eye-catching new Android gizmo your favorite manufacturer started selling.

Whatever the case, it’s common nowadays to find yourself with an extra phone. And while there are plenty of practical uses for an old Android device, there’s also a time when the best choice is to sell, donate, or otherwise pass it along.

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