IT & Security News
UK Most Targeted Region For Cyber Threats
The Malwarebytes annual State of Malware report has revealed that the UK is now the most targeted region in the world for cyber threats. Big Rises The UK has been elevated to the unenviable position at the top of the targets table after a huge 165% increase in UK bound ransomware was recorded, and after…
UK’s Digital Snooping Powers Illegal
A legal challenge by Labour MP Tom Watson against the UK government’s own digital mass surveillance legislation laws introduced in 2014 has led to a court deciding that the laws were illegal. Legislation The legislation that was successfully challenged in court was the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIPA), which was actually replaced at…
Amazon Announces SMS Messaging Via Alexa
Amazon has announced that it is introducing a service that will allow users of Alexa devices to send text messages to any contact via the digital assistant using just their voice. Builds Upon Alexa Calling The new service builds upon the Alexa Calling service introduced last year, which allowed owners of the Echo Dot to…
Facebook Pushes Local News
In a move to improve the quality and trustworthiness of content, and to increase civic engagement, Facebook has announced that it will be focusing on local news sources. Misleading News Problems Even though Mark Zuckerberg has been keen to promote the view that the change to the prominence given to local community news sources in…
Military Bases Exposed By Fitness App
A user activity ‘heat map’ published by fitness tracker Strava has unwittingly revealed the location and structure of military bases in other countries. How? The app, made by San Francisco-based Strava, uses a mobile phone’s GPS to track a subscriber’s exercise activity. Although the new version of the app, introduced in November last year, is…
Nominet To Walk Away From Own Charitable Trust
Questions about Nominet Trust’s direction and accountability have led to Nominet announcing that it is withdrawing from its own charitable foundation that it set up over a decade ago. What Is Nominet Trust? Nominet Trust is the charitable foundation that was set up by Nominet, the UK’s domain-name registry, as a way of dealing with…
Amazon’s ‘No Checkout’ Grocery Store Opens
Amazon has opened a revolutionary checkout-free, bricks-and-mortar grocery store called ‘Amazon Go’ in Seattle, after more than a year of testing. How Can It Have No Checkouts? The Amazon Go store uses infra-red ceiling-mounted cameras and electronic sensors to track what shoppers remove from the shelves (which have weight sensors), and what they put back.…
10% of Cryptocurrency ICOs Are Stolen
A report by Ernst & Young has highlighted the fact that 10% of all funds raised through Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are stolen by hackers using techniques such as Phishing. What Is An ICO? An Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is a controversial way of start-up companies raising money / crowd funding to build new technology…
HP Worldwide Recall of ‘Fire Hazard’ Laptop Batteries
HP has announced that it is launching a worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program for certain notebook computer and mobile workstation batteries over safety concerns. Fire Hazard The reason given for the recall is that the batteries, including those for the ProBook, ZBook, x360, Pavilion and Envy, is that HP says they have the…
WhatsApp For Business Launches in UK
The new business-focused version of WhatsApp for Android is now available for download in the UK. Small Business Needs The new WhatsApp Business can be downloaded for free at Google Play, and is specifically aimed at the needs of small businesses, which account for 99.3% of all private sector businesses in the UK (FSB). Facebook-owned…
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