Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » septembre 5, 2015

BetaNews.Com (9 non lus)

Snowden: web restrictions are 'wrong in Russia, would be wrong anywhere'

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 9:07pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Edward Snowden might be holed up in Russia, but that's not going to stop him from criticizing the country. While accepting the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression’s Bjornson prize, the former NSA contractor used a speech to call Russia's attitude to internet freedom and homosexuality as "fundamentally wrong".

The US government has indicated that it has no intention of pardoning Snowden so he remains in exile -- for now, this is in Russia. Not shy to court controversy -- and possibly biting the hand that feeds -- he has hit out at the Russian government saying that its control and restrictions it places on the web are a "mistake in policy".

Although Snowden has asylum in Russia, he has made it clear that he would much prefer to his native USA. Speaking via videophone from Russia while accepting his award for the work he has done for privacy, he said that surveillance and restrictions not do necessarily help to keep citizens safe in the way that governments often claim.

He pointed to the Charlie Hebdo attacks where, despite the assailants being known to French intelligence agencies, nothing was done to stop them.

Speaking about the situation in Russia, he said:

I’ve been quite critical of [it] in the past and I’ll continue to be in the future, because this drive that we see in the Russian government to control more and more the internet, to control more and more what people are seeing... [is] fundamentally wrong.

Photo credit: GongTo / Shutterstock
Microsoft leaks details of upcoming Skype Central Universal Windows 10 App [UPDATE -- there's no rebrand]

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 6:45pm CEST par Mark Wilson

A post has appeared on Microsoft's TechNet that suggests the company could be on the verge of combining Skype for Business and the consumer version of Skype into a single product known as Skype Central.

The move would echo that taken with OneDrive, and would help to streamline things a little for developers. The post is written by Microsoft's Tony Eversole and is designed as a placeholder so developers have a central point to exchange news and information.

This is the first hint that there are any changes planned for Skype -- it is not something that Microsoft has yet talked about. For now the placeholder doesn’t give away a great deal:

Placeholder entry for Skype Central Universal Windows 10 App. The idea is to have a shared blog from which PFE/DSE engineers can update the main landing page of the app to include news, troubleshooting, CU release information, or anything related to Skype for Business. This shared blog feed will be the mechanism from which Windows 10 Live Tiles are updated (notifications in Action Center, Live Tile data update, new article count, etc). This shared blog/feed can be hosted on TechNet or a 3rd party blogging service which complies with RSS 2.0.

Over on WinSuperSite, Richard Hay says that the post is home to two logos for Skype Central but it appears that it has since been updated, as there is only one visible now. Watch this space for more details!

UPDATE

Tony Eversole has been in touch to clear up what the post on TechNet is actually about. He says:

Skype Central is a placeholder name for a personal Windows 10 Universal App I am developing that acts as a document/tools/blog aggregator. It has nothing to do with Skype for Business or the Skype Product Group. The entry on TechNet was a test feed to be delivered to the app for feed testing and Live Tile testing. The logo is also unofficial and does not represent any current or future Skype rebranding.
Leaked image shows new Nexus 5

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 5:32pm CEST par Mark Wilson

If you've been wondering what LG's new Nexus 5 -- expected to be launched at an event 29 September -- looks like, wonder no more. We've already seen one leaked image purporting to show the device, and now we have another one to add to the pot.

This one is a particularly clear shot, and its quality means it's hard not to think that this is an official photo. Of course, this has not come from Google or LG -- at least neither have said as much -- but Android site AndroidPIT has obtained an image from a trusted source.

In line with previous leaks, the AndroidPIT photo shows the phone with a fingerprint reader beneath the camera lens. The camera itself is a protruding affair, and the handset is shown in white -- we don't yet know for sure whether there will be other color options available.

With the recently-confirmed Android 6.0 Marshmallow, we should expect to see the new Nexus 5 launch with the latest version of Google's mobile operating system installed later in the month. The LG-manufactured handset is believed to be a 5.2-inch device featuring a Snapdragon 808 CPU, 3 GB of RAM, and a 2,700 mAh battery.

At the event on 29 September, we should also see a 5.7-inch device manufactured by Huawei, and it is thought that pricing might be lower than previous Nexus handsets due to a plastic construction.

Photo credit: AndroidPIT
Spybot Anti-Beacon quickly closes Windows 10 privacy holes

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 5:05pm CEST par Mike Williams

Spybot developer Safer Networking has released Spybot Anti-Beacon, a portable free tool which makes it easy to disable a host of Windows 10 tracking technologies.

Just launching the program displays the current status of 10 "problem" areas: Telemetry Hosts/ Services/ Group Policy, Consumer Experience Improvement Program Group Policy/ Scheduled Tasks, Application Impact Telemetry, Steps Recorder, WiFi Sense, "Apps use advertising ID" and P2P Windows Updates.

Disabling everything is as simple as hitting the "Immunize" button, and if that gets you into trouble then an "Undo" option restores your original settings.

Unfortunately, unlike O&O's ShutUp10, there's no detail on what you're disabling, and no way to toggle individual settings: it's strictly all or nothing.

The only detailed control you get is under the "Optional" tab, where you’re able to tweak any or all of four features: Web Search Group Policy, Cortana Group Policy, OneDrive Service and Remote Registry Service.

Spybot Anti-Beacon is an extremely simple way to turn off Windows 10's core telemetry settings, and if you’re an expert and know exactly what you’re doing, that just might be good enough.

But if you'd like to have more control, and occasionally need reminding of what these settings actually do, O&O ShutUp10 remains the best privacy-maintaining choice.
Stop Windows 10's keylogger from monitoring what you type, ink, and say

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 3:26pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The 'keylogger' that's built into Windows 10 has gained something of a bad reputation -- but it's really a bit of a misnomer. Yes, there is a component that -- technically speaking -- tracks what you input using the keyboard, screen, mouse, voice, and stylus... but it's a bit more complicated than that. It is not really a keylogger in the sense that the malware term usually implies.

Microsoft openly admits that "when you interact with your Windows device by speaking, writing (handwriting), or typing, Microsoft collects speech, inking, and typing information". It's done with the intention of improving the accuracy of suggestions, providing a personalized experience, and so on. But we live in an age where privacy matters. If you are concerned about the privacy implications of this component of Windows 10, you can disable it. Here's how.

There are a couple of settings that you might be interested in changing, and they are easily accessed. Fire up Settings and click the suitably-named Privacy icon. In the General section, click the third toggle button (labelled 'Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future') so that it is set to Off.

Now move to the Speech, inking, & typing section and click the Stop getting to know me button. As we have mentioned before, this stop Windows from snooping into your contacts and calendar with Cortana.

Close the Settings window, and you're done. These changes may not allay the fears of some people who are opposed to Windows 10, but it goes some way to helping users regain control of their privacy.

Photo credit: Sangoiri / Shutterstock
Why hackers are after your private information

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 8:54am CEST par Adam Meyer
Cybercriminals are a motivated bunch that continually change up their approaches to evade traditional detection-based security. Rather than continuing the insane circle of identify and respond security, it’s time to flip your cyber script and focus on gaining situational awareness of the real risks your organization actually faces.

Once you know what hackers are after and how they are getting in, you can shift your defenses accordingly. To that end, let’s take a look back on the first half of 2015.

In a new mid-year cybercrime report by SurfWatch Labs, data analysts looked at all of the CyberFacts, or evaluated cyber intelligence, collected from January 1 - June 30, 2015. A CyberFact consists of an Actor -- who conducted the attack, Target -- what information/systems were targeted, Effect -- what was the impact of the attack and Practice -- what method was used, along with other key metadata and information such as the target industry sector.

The goal of the report was to take a more practical methodology for data analysis and provide meaningful insights that looked at the top avenues of approach used by cybercriminals in individual industries. In addition to the analysis of the evaluated intelligence, we wanted to provide practical preventative measures that organizations can take to reduce their cyber risk exposure.

First on the overall top 10 trending industry target list is the Anthem health insurance breach. Announced in February, hackers got away with information on more than 78 million people. Premera Blue Cross and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield are also in the top 10, making the health insurance sector very active overall.

While healthcare as a victim is nothing new, these notorious health insurance breaches that rose to the top were about the bad guys stealing personal information. Likewise, the most prevalent industry sector on the first half of 2015 top 10 list is government, taking up five of the top 10 spots.

The Office of Personnel Management breach is number two overall and breaches at the IRS, Army, Central Command, White House and NSA round out the five government breaches. Again, the cybercriminals were after the personal information held by these organizations.

The top industry targets of the first half of 2015 shows an important shift when compared to the second half of 2014 when Point of Sale breaches at Home Depot, Staples, Dairy Queen and others took up seven of the top 10 slots. In those instances, cybercriminals were going after credit card information which is very different from the personal information of patients, employees, partners and other individuals associated with the breached organization.

Why are cybercriminals more interested in personal data today? With this information, cybercriminals can:
- Generate revenue on the black market via storefront sales
- Leverage it to propagate identity theft
- Use it to defeat knowledge-based authentication
- Deploy social engineering efforts
- Use it for baiting purposes
- Defeat help desk authentication
And, this kind of information allows cybercriminals to gain a greater fraud footprint – much more beyond simply selling credit card numbers on the Dark Web. If your organization has personal data, it’s time to pay close attention.

Interestingly, 77 percent of all cyber attacks in the first half of 2015 started at user interaction points with websites, applications, accounts and/or endpoints. While the mid-year report outlines differing avenues of approach for different industries, hackers overall are first targeting users for entry. This is different from the second half of 2014 where POS equipment was the leading avenue of approach. Why the shift?

Since last year, retail vendors have been upgrading their equipment for Chip and PIN, adding tokenization and more, which is creating a harder target for actors to penetrate. This creates a "Fraud Balloon" effect. If you hold a rubber balloon in your hand and squeeze it, the air will shift to the area not under restriction. This same effect occurs in the cybercrime space. As targets begin to harden their environment, the cybercriminals will shift to softer targets to continue their business -- and they’ve chosen your users or, in some cases, the users of your partners.

Knowing the user environment is the most targeted, are your users effectively trained? Have you been proactive in monitoring the user environment? It’s certainly not an easy feat but it’s critically important to the overall security posture of your organization.

If you would like more information on the hackers' top avenues of approach specific to your industry, download the full report here.

Adam Meyer is chief security strategist at SurfWatch Labs.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: igor.stevanovic/Shutterstock
Is there a reason to be concerned about your kid's apps and websites?

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 2:34am CEST par Alan Buckingham

We worry about our children, or at least we should. Stranger danger is everywhere in today's world, unlike the one we grew up in. You may have wondered around town on your own, rode in a car with no seatbelt and probably asked the question "what's a bike helmet?"

Well, things are not that safe anymore, and in fact they can be downright scary. Websites and apps are trying to sell things to kids (it will be your money that they spend). But worse, predators lurk in the shadows looking for information for potential targets.

Security firm Sophos has taken a closer look at the problems and dangers faced by our offspring. The data is scary -- "The collection of watchdogs, collectively known as the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN), said 41% of the 1494 apps and websites it examined raised concerns over how data was being collected and shared with third parties".

To be fair, that doesn't mean your kid's information is going to the aforementioned predator, but it's going to a company. That's only slightly safer in the opinion of some people. It's names and email addresses also -- the most important data you want to protect, especially given data theft these days.

Sophos points out that "considering the occasionally dark nature of the world we live in, anyone with responsibility for a child's welfare may well not like the revelation that just under 1 in 4 sites and apps gave kids the opportunity to upload their photo or add video clips. 22% of the services looked at also allowed youngsters to hand over their phone numbers".

It gets worse, as only 24 percent of the tested apps and websites encourage parental control. That's a number no parent wants to hear.

The report was put together by the UK Commissioner's Information Office and can be read here. Meanwhile, we encourage you to please watch your children online.

Photo credit: sunabesyou / Shutterstock
8GadgetPack brings gadgets back to the Windows 10 desktop

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 1:00am CEST par Mike Williams

Windows gadgets made their first appearance in Vista as a convenient way to install tiny desktop tools like clocks, system monitors or weather applets.

The technology was retired in 2012 due to security vulnerabilities, but these days any danger is minimal, and if you were a fan then 8GadgetPack provides an easy way to run more than 50 gadgets on Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 PCs.

The program installs easily, with no adware, and immediately launches a few sample gadgets. Two of these displayed error messages, recommending we reinstall, but this wasn’t as bad as it seemed: we shut them down and everything else worked just fine.

The core of the program is a simple browser which displays thumbnails and basic descriptions of its more than 50 gadgets. Scan the list and you’ll find CPU, drive and network meters, process monitors, calendar and reminder apps, email checkers, clocks, puzzles, unit and currency converters, an internet radio tool, assorted weather checkers and more.

Double-clicking anything that looks interesting will add it to your desktop, and you can drag it around, work with the gadget, set opacity, tweak its options as required. Everything looks and feels just as it did on Vista and Windows 7.

A "Tools" dialog provides options to manage everything you install. There are buttons to make gadgets larger or smaller, run them at Windows startup (or not), organize them in a sidebar, add a new gadget, reset your gadgets to their default settings (handy for troubleshooting), or uninstall the package to get rid of everything.

We couldn’t get all of these gadgets working, and many of the others are, well, basic. If you just want a good weather app or desktop clock then you’ll get much better results by checking out the best freeware.

8GadgetPack is nostalgic fun for anyone who was a fan of the original gadgets, though, and there are still plenty of useful applets in its library. If you spend most of your time on the desktop then it might be worth a try.
View, search, edit, repair and convert CSV files with CSVed

Publié: septembre 5, 2015, 12:25am CEST par Mike Williams

Download a large dataset from just about anywhere and there’s a good chance it’ll available as a CSV file, which you can then open in just about any spreadsheet or database.

And if you don’t have access to any heavy-duty data processing packages right now, you could always try CSVed, a tiny free Windows tool for browsing, editing and generally processing CSV files.

Getting started is easy. Drag and drop a CSV file onto the table and even the largest datasets are opened quickly, ready for viewing, and you can edit, insert, delete, copy or paste records in a (right-)click or two.

Functions aren’t always organized quite as you’d expect. Pressing Ctrl+F does open a simple "Column Search" dialog, for instance, but the program can do much more. Select the "Search..." tab below the table and you’re also able to run global searches, with regular expression support, as well as search and replace operations.

The other tabs contain a vast number of text processing options. Whether you want to convert separators, change date or numeric formats, add or remove leading zeroes or spaces, strip out duplicates, insert custom prefixes or suffixes or set individual columns to a fixed length, there’s something for you here.

There are higher level tools to append files, merge them, even scan them to find and repair errors (some lines having more or less columns than others), and when you’re done the files can be exported to Excel, HTML, DOC, PDF and more.

This isn’t always straightforward. Right-clicking something won’t show you everything you can do. Saving something as a PDF probably won’t produce good results without a lot of preparation. Even undoing an operation is more awkward than it should be because there’s no Ctrl+Z shortcut -- you must press Edit > Undo.

Still, don’t let that put you off. CSVed works fine as a simple viewer, and you don’t have to delve into its other features all at once -- just explore them as necessary. Go take a look.