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BetaNews.Com (18 non lus)

Sony details features in the upcoming PlayStation 4 beta software

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 9:22pm CET par Alan Buckingham

A few weeks ago we told you that Sony planned to release a beta version of its PS4 software, taking it to build 3.5. The beta was opened up to people to sign up for and now it's approaching the roll-out date. And the company is detailing what customers should expect.

Code-named "Musashi", the iteration begins to go out to users tomorrow. Regardless if you have chosen to enter the program, you will get this software sooner or later, once the testing ends.

Included is new friend notifications that let users know the moment someone comes online. This is an option users can enable, so people can choose to leave it turned off if they prefer a less obtrusive experience. You can also choose to not show when you're online in case you decide to game alone. You can even schedule this, sort of like making a "play date".

There's also remote play, which allows users to play from either a Windows PC or a Mac, though this will not be included in the beta release.

Finally, there is live streaming to DailyMotion, which Sony claims will "support archiving live broadcasts, like we do for other streaming services".

The company promises more details on the way, as well as a final release date.
Cloud solutions offer intangible benefits to businesses and customers

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 8:54pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

There are ways cloud-based solutions are improving businesses that are easy to spot and monitor, such as faster and more flexible access to technology, as well as less spending, but it’s the changes that you can’t see, or measure, that are transforming businesses, eg solutions says.

The Cloud Industry Forum has done the research, and here’s what cloud-based solutions can do to your business that’s basically intangible: 60 percent have reported improvements to both customer and employee propositions, and 29 percent have reported improvements in customer service.

Moreover, 26 percent say customer satisfaction also improved. If that wasn’t enough to convince you to go Cloud, here’s more: 45 percent said it was crucial to enabling innovation, while 31 percent said it was a major initiative to improve customer service and support.

Elizabeth Gooch, CEO, eg solutions, stated: "The way in which forward-thinking organizations transact and interact with both their customers and employees today has fundamentally changed. There are opportunities for businesses of all sizes to embrace digital technologies as a means to disrupt traditional industries and secure competitive advantage".

"The imperative for change, as seen in this research and indeed our own research findings, are many. But chief amongst them are the mounting demands of the consumer and the increasingly blurred line between our personal and working lives. This is the beginning of the era of the 'Always-On' Enterprise and those businesses that can adapt to the changes in the way that we as consumers interact are the ones that will flourish", added Gooch.

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

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Windows 10 overtakes Windows 8.x, but its growth is slow despite Microsoft forcing it on users

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 7:25pm CET par Wayne Williams

In January, according to figures from NetMarketShare, Windows 10 managed to best Windows 8.1 in terms of usage share. In February, it overtook both flavors of the tiled OS -- Windows 8 and 8.1 combined.

That’s hardly surprising, as Windows 8.x is losing share at almost the same rate that Windows 10 is gaining it. In a month when Windows 10 became a recommended update, meaning on some machines the installation of the OS could start automatically, you might expect growth to be strong, but you’d be wrong.

In February, Windows 10 went from 11.85 percent to 12.82 percent, a gain of 0.97 percentage points. That’s about half as much as it grew the previous month, and its second slowest month yet (in December it grew by just 0.96 percentage points). Sure, February is a shorter month, but only by a day or two.

That suggests a majority of Windows 7 and 8.x users are currently choosing not to go ahead with the upgrade when presented with it. Interesting. I wonder what the share growth would have been like if Microsoft hadn’t made Windows 10 a recommended update?

Elsewhere, Windows 8.1 went from 10.40 percent share in January to 9.83 percent in February, a drop of 0.57 percentage points. Windows 8, fell from 2.68 percent to 2.43 percent, a drop of 0.25 percentage points. In total Windows 8.x lost 0.82 percent share.

Windows 7 is mostly unaffected by Windows 10. Going from 52.47 percent in January to 52.34 percent in February. A drop of 0.13 percentage points.

Finally, XP continues to hold on, with 11.24 percent share, a decline of just 0.18 percentage points.

Will Microsoft’s aggressive tactics and forced upgrading finally pay dividends for the company in March? We’ll find out in a month’s time.

Image Credit: Richard M Lee / Shutterstock
AMD unveils A10-7890K APU and Athlon X4 880K CPU -- its fastest such processors ever

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 6:23pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Since I am not a hardcore gamer, when I build my computers, I do not put a huge focus on raw graphics power. Don't get me wrong, having a top-of-the-line GPU would be great, but just isn't worth the money for me. With that said, I don't want anemic hardware either -- I aim for balanced value.

If you are a casual gamer on a budget, AMD's APUs are a godsend. For a paltry amount of money, you get a CPU and GPU in one (with an upgrade path). Not only do you save money, but get respectable performance too. Today, AMD announces its fastest APU ever, the Wraith-cooled A10-7890K. For those that prefer buying a dedicated graphics card, the company also reveals its 'fastest multi-core Athlon' ever, the X4 880K CPU.

"Setting a new APU Standard, the new AMD A10-7890K is the fastest AMD desktop APU released to date, with 1.02 TFLOPS of theoretical compute performance. This new processor has been paired with the top-of-the-line AMD Wraith Cooler to deliver a high-performance combination, enabling best-in-class online gaming, while offering near silent operation for a premium experience. Gamers will be able to enjoy playing the most popular online and eSports games right out of the box on high settings with the new AMD A10-7890K APU, which is capable of providing smooth frame rates in some of the most popular online games", says AMD.

The company further says, "the new Athlon X4 880K is the fastest multi-core Athlon processor ever made, boasting a 4.2 GHz maximum turbo frequency and an unlocked clock multiplier7. Paired with the new near-silent 125W AMD Thermal Solution -- featuring the same capable hardware and performance of the Wraith Cooler, without the illuminated shroud -- this processor delivers high multi-core performance that can deliver extremely high frame rates in some of the most played and popular online games, capable of providing smooth performance at 1440p and 4K when paired with a capable graphics card".

In addition to these new chips, AMD's former top APU, the 7870K, is getting a refresh too. No, the specs aren't changing, but the stock cooler is. Rather than the slightly disappointing cooler it shipped with initially, it will now get a Wraith-based cooler, but without all the flash (the same as the Athlon X4 880K). In other words, the new cooler isn't as pretty -- the famed shroud is removed -- but it should cool brilliantly. If you don't have a window in your case, who cares, right?

Unfortunately, if you want one of these processors, you must wait until the end of March. With today only being the first day of the month, that is rather painful.

The good news, however, is that the pricing is very competitive. The blazing-fast 7890K (4.1GHz core, 4.3GHz turbo) is only $165, while the refreshed 7870K package is $140. If you have your heart set on a dedicated graphics card, the Athlon X4 880K can be had for a very low $95.

Will you buy one of these new processors? Which one? Tell me in the comments.
Cyber threats could overwhelm the healthcare industry

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 5:24pm CET par Ian Barker

Healthcare organizations average about one cyber attack per month and almost half say they have experienced an incident involving the loss or exposure of patient information during the last year, leaving patients at risk of identity theft.

These are among the findings of a survey by security company ESET and the Ponemon Institute into cyber security in the healthcare sector.

According to 78 percent of respondents, the most common security incident is the exploitation of existing software vulnerabilities greater than three months old. Advanced persistent threats are a problem too, respondents experienced an APT attack about every three months during the last year. The primary consequences of APTs and zero-day attacks were IT downtime (63 percent) followed by the inability to provide services (46 percent). Yet despite these attacks only half of respondents say they have an incident response plan in place.

Attackers are most interested in patient's medical records according to 81 percent of respondents. Also a majority (52 percent) say that legacy systems and new technologies to support cloud and mobile implementations, big data and the Internet of Things, increase security vulnerabilities for patient information. Respondents also expressed concern about the impact of employee negligence (46 percent), and the ineffectiveness of business associate agreements mandated by HIPAA which are designed to ensure patient information security (45 percent).

"The concurrence of technology advances and delays in technology updates creates a perfect storm for healthcare IT security," says Stephen Cobb, senior security researcher at ESET. "The healthcare sector needs to organize incident response processes at the same level as cyber criminals to properly protect health data relative to current and future threat levels. A good start would be for all organizations to put incident response processes in place, including comprehensive backup and disaster recovery mechanisms. Beyond that, there is clearly a need for effective DDoS and malware protection, strong authentication, encryption and patch management".

More information is available in the full report which can be downloaded from the ESET website.

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Transform Windows 10 into the operating system it should be

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 4:20pm CET par Wayne Williams

Windows 10 is a decent operating system, but there are a lot of niggles with it that I find frustrating, and I know I’m not alone in this. I’m not too worried about the new operating system "spying" on me, but there are plenty of other areas where, frankly, Microsoft could -- and should -- be doing better.

In the main, I find Windows 10 to still be rather half-baked. It’s very much a work in progress rather than a finished, and polished operating system. Fortunately if you take matters into your own hands, you can improve the OS in myriad ways and fix all of the issues that Microsoft can't, or won't.

Stop the Spying

Microsoft likes to know how you use Windows 10, and the operating system "gets to know you" in various ways in order to provide a "more personal computing experience". If you don’t want a more personal computing experience, and you don’t use Cortana, then you might want to reduce the amount of snooping.

For this, the best option is to use W10Privacy. The program offers a comprehensive collection of privacy-based settings you can block or change. The options are sorted into categories and color-coded so you can see whether a change is recommended or not.

Control Updates

Updates in Windows 10 are mandatory. If you’re running the Pro, Enterprise or Education editions you can defer updates, but not reject them outright. The latest version of W10Privacy does, however, give you complete control over updates. Setting it up takes a little work, but just follow this guide.

Get a Better Start Menu

The Windows 10 Start menu isn’t horrendous, but the tiled approach isn’t to everyone’s liking. Live tiles seem a bit of an odd addition too. You have to click on the Start button and wait for them to appear and update. I personally hardly ever pay any attention to the Start menu now, preferring to search for the programs and apps I want to run, or using desktop or Taskbar shortcuts.

If you’re not a fan of the Windows 10 Start menu, you can replace it with one of several free alternatives. Classic Shell is our personal favorite, but there are others to choose from.

Banish Edge

Microsoft Edge, like Windows 10 itself, will be pretty good... when it’s finished. At the moment, the new browser doesn’t really compete with the likes of Firefox or Chrome. Annoyingly it sets (and occasionally resets) itself to not only be the default browser, but the default PDF reader too.

If you definitely don’t want Edge, block it using Edge Blocker. You’ll find the instructions for doing so here.

Get Rid of Bing

Microsoft’s search engine is baked into Windows 10, not just in Microsoft Edge, but Cortana as well.

If you don’t want this to be the case, you can change the default engine to Google, or any other search site for that matter.

The process for changing the default search engine in Edge isn’t obvious. What you need to do is go to the search site you want to set as the new default, like www.google.com, and click or tap the ellipses in the top right corner of the browser and select Settings.

Scroll down and select View advanced settings.

Scroll down to Search in the address bar with, select Bing (www.bing.com) and select Add new.

Google should appear in the list of search engines. Select it and click/tap Add as default.

To remove Bing from Cortana, you’ll need to make use of the Chrometana add-on. Follow the instructions here.

Remove Ads and Unwanted Apps

Microsoft doesn’t advertise apps as such, but it does make app suggestions. If you don’t want these, you can toggle the options off. To remove the suggestions from the Start menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off Occasionally show suggestions in Start.

The software giant recently pushed the Rise of the Tomb Raider game on Windows 10 Lock Screens. To prevent this happening again, follow the instructions here.

Windows 10 comes with a lot of apps, some are useful, but plenty of which you’ll never even open. To get rid of these, use a program like IObit Uninstaller. Click on the Win Manager setting in the program and select the apps to remove.

Restore Features Microsoft Removed

Microsoft stripped out some functionality and tools found in previous versions of its operating system. Missing features include the Windows Experience Index tool and Windows Media Center.

You can get some of these elements back using the Missed Features Installer (MFI) for Windows 10. Follow the guide here.

Miscellaneous Tweaks

You can disable Windows 10's Action Center by following this advice, completely remove OneDrive from your system, and -- if you haven’t blocked Edge -- make Firefox or Chrome the default browser in Windows 10.

That should fix the majority of the annoyances found in Windows 10, but if you know of any other tricks, tweaks and suggestions please share them in the comments below.

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Google now sells its Cardboard VR headset for $15

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 4:16pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

The cost of a standalone virtual reality headset is prohibitive at this point, with prices for devices like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive Pre exceeding the $500 mark. However, if you want to experience this new technology, there are more affordable options to choose from, in the form of smartphone-powered headsets.

Such headsets are dirt cheap in comparison. Apple, for instance, sells one for just under $30 for iPhones through its online store -- it works with Android smartphones too. And now Google is also offering Cardboard, at an even lower price point.

Cardboard was originally unveiled at Google I/O 2014, with a new version being introduced in May of last year. Just like other similar headsets, it is compatible with Android smartphones and iPhones thanks to a dedicated app that is available on Google Play and Apple's App Store.

Available through Google's online store, the search giant's VR headset can be had for just $14.99. If you want two of them you will have to shell out $24.99. At this price, you could buy a few and offer them as gifts. Just make sure that they will be used with high-end devices.

If you prefer a sturdier option, Google also offers Mattel's View-Master VR which costs $29.99, but is made of plastic instead of paper. Alternatively, you can also look at the $14.99 Goggle Tech C1 Glass, which is foldable and Cardboard-ecosystem compatible.

As I frequently like to mention, the user experience provided by VR headsets is strongly linked to the display resolution of the smartphone that powers the device. The higher it is, the better everything will look. Having experienced virtual reality content on a Samsung Galaxy S6 (which has a resolution of 1,440 by 2,560), I know that I would not want to be looking at a lower-resolution panel at such a small viewing distance.

As long as you have a current-generation Android flagship, you should be good to go. Otherwise, do not get your hopes up with regards to image quality.

Photo credit: Alexandru Nika / Shutterstock
Updated Snooper's charter will allow police to remotely hack phones and computers

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 4:04pm CET par Mark Wilson

The UK's controversial Snooper's charter (or draft Investigatory Powers Bill) has been updated to grant the police sweeping new powers. The new legislation will permit authorities to not only access the browsing histories of suspected criminals, but also to remotely hack into computers and phones in certain circumstances.

Previous version of the bill had limited such powers to the investigation of "serious crime", but the updated version expands this dramatically. Home Secretary Theresa May is hoping to push the draft Investigatory Powers Bill through parliament later this year. The bill has already met with strong criticism from not only privacy groups, but also governmental advisers. While there are some concessions to protect unbreakable encryption, the latest changes will do little to assuage concerns with the bill.

The initial draft of the bill limited the police to accessing browsing histories relating to illegal sites and services -- the latest draft expands this so that entire browsing histories can be accessed during the course of investigations. The on-going battle between the FBI and Apple highlights concerns people have about the ability of governments and enforcement agencies to demand backdoor access to services. The latest draft of the bill makes it clear that companies will not be required to provide ways to bypass encryption if it is not financially or practically feasible.

A number of police forces and the National Crime Agency would also be granted the power to remotely hack into phones and computers in a number of circumstances. The updated bill widens the net so that this power can be used in cases involving missing people, where there is a "threat to life", as well as situations in which "damage to somebody's mental health" is a risk. May describes the hacking of computers as a "key operational requirement". She said:

This is vital legislation and we are determined to get it right. The revised bill we introduced today reflects the majority of the committees’ recommendations -- we have strengthened safeguards, enhanced privacy protections and bolstered oversight arrangements -- and will now be examined by parliament before passing into law by the end of 2016. Terrorists and criminals are operating online and we need to ensure the police and security services can keep pace with the modern world and continue to protect the British public from the many serious threats we face.

Privacy International's executive director Gus Hosein remains far from impressed by the bill: "The Bill published today continues to adhere to the structure and the underlying rationale that underpinned the draft IP Bill, despite the criticism and lengthy list of recommendations from three Parliamentary Committees.

"The continued inclusion of powers for bulk interception and bulk equipment interference -- hacking by any other name -- leaves the right to privacy dangerously undermined and the security of our infrastructure at risk. Despite this, the Home Office stands by its claim that the Bill represents 'world-leading' legislation. It is truly world-leading, for all the wrong reasons".

Photo credit: Michael Rosskothen / Shutterstock
New platform helps mid-sized organizations respond to cyber threats

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 3:52pm CET par Ian Barker

Cyber attacks don't discriminate when it comes to the size of the organization. But smaller enterprises can lack the resources needed to effectively deal with them.

Incident response specialist Resilient Systems -- which is in the process of being acquired by IBM -- has designed its latest Resilient Commercial Incident Response Platform (IRP) to meet the needs of mid-sized organizations.

It offers a foundation for incident response planning, management, orchestration, and mitigation. In addition it provides immediate improvement in security teams’ ability to have an expert, consistent, repeatable, and measurable process.

"Organizations of all sizes face serious cyber threats every day. While these threats seem daunting, security teams can successfully navigate them by preparing and provisioning for incident response," says John Bruce, Co-Founder and CEO of Resilient Systems. "With the launch of our mid-market platform, we've made it easier for companies with fewer resources or a smaller footprint to transform their security posture immediately, and be better prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any threat".

The platform can be delivered as a service or installed in-house. Features include more than 18 different response plans or playbooks that are based on the latest industry standards and best practices -- ensuring that response plans are consistent, proven, and repeatable.

Fast and easy incident creation and tracking is available, providing greater visibility and helping organizations ensure that incidents are captured, tracked, and fully resolved. Commercial IRP has incident workflow capabilities that allow for an orchestrated process and response, allowing security teams to move faster with more intelligence.

The platform also has collaboration tools to ensure all potential stakeholders in an organization, such as IT, legal, marketing, HR, and the executive team, can work together to define their roles and act quickly and decisively when an incident occurs.

More information can be found on the Resilient Systems website.

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Some smartphone users would not be 'upset' by data theft

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 3:51pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

There are two kinds of people in this world, and I don’t mean those who can read binary and those that cannot. I’m thinking about those who are aware of the security risks smartphones pose, and those who aren’t.

And according to a new survey by security firm Norton, the world is literally split in half over this -- 56 percent of those surveyed say the prospect of the financial and banking information stored on their phone being hacked is "upsetting". Meaning, for the remaining 44 percent it’s not upsetting.

Not only is it not upsetting, but they "either do not care about their information being hacked or they are less concerned about financial hacks than other information being compromised", Norton says in its report.

For almost 10 percent, out of more than 5,000 surveyed in US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, there’s not a single thing a hacker could take from their phone that would upset them. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true -- that just means they feel that way. "They don’t think anything bad could happen on a smartphone", Norton comments.

It’s the same with IoT -- globally, users feel more comfortable using banking and financial apps than home IoT devices. Despite the fact that we’ve seen countless examples of IoT devices getting hacked, people would still feel secure.

The point is not to panic, or to stop using IoT devices, Norton says. Instead, the point is to educate everyone that using these devices comes with great responsibility. "We want the people who are not concerned about hacking to understand the risk", Norton says.

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

Photo Credit: View Apart/Shutterstock
New solution aims to eliminate passwords in the workplace

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 3:19pm CET par Ian Barker

Passwords are increasingly seen as insufficient to protect sensitive systems and companies are looking for more secure alternatives.

Digital identity company Intercede is introducing new software that works with Intel's latest Intel Authenticate technology with the aim of eliminating workplace passwords entirely.

Intercede software, running on the 6th generation Intel Core vPro processor, works in combination with Intercede's MyID credentials management solution to replace password-based access control for networks, applications and services with certificate-based, secure and convenient hardware-backed protection.

"Intel Authenticate is a solid technology built to intelligently help secure Windows based platforms in today's enterprise environments," says Richard Parris, CEO of Intercede. "We are proud to be working with Intel to provide differentiating technology that works with their new generation solution. Intel Authenticate, coupled with MyID, enables end-user companies to focus on their business and to protect their workforce and assets with a more highly secure solution that is cost-effective, easy to deploy and manage across a global enterprise".

Currently available in preview, Intel Authenticate is a hardware-enhanced, multifactor authentication solution that strengthens identity protection on the PC, making it less vulnerable to identity breaches and security credential attacks. Intercede will complement Intel Authenticate by making hardware-backed credentials available for Windows and domain logons, as well as making it easier to issue and manage credentials. Enterprises will be able to use Intercede's technology with Intel Authenticate to remove the need for usernames and passwords and provide higher levels of user authentication.

"We're excited to advance our work on Intel Authenticate, working with premier security companies like Intercede," says Tom Garrison, vice president and general manager for the Intel Business Client Division. "Together, we're empowering enterprise to not only dramatically improve identity security, but to do so in a way that improves the ease of use and experience for the business professional".

The technology will be previewed at this week's RSA conference.

Photo Credit: Maxx-Studio/Shutterstock
Google Maps for iOS adds detour function, 3D touch support

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 3:17pm CET par Nick Peers

Google has extended its pit-stop feature -- the ability to find places to stop off on journeys -- to iPhone and iPad users with the release of Google Maps for iOS 4.16.

The ability to create diversions was first unveiled in Google Maps for Android back in October, and allows users to add pit stops to a planned route during journeys while in navigation mode.

Once users enter navigation mode to follow the route chosen, they can then plot a diversion en-route. Tap the search button to view options for viewing nearby local petrol stations, supermarkets, restaurants and coffee shops -- complete with ratings. Users can also search for other diversion by choosing "Search for more places", then typing or saying what they’re looking for.

Matching items appear with an estimated effect on journey time included -- users can then tap the location to select it, and the route will be replotted and updated.

Users must then remove the stop when complete in order to add further diversions to their journey if required.

Google Maps for iOS 4.16 also adds one more minor feature -- the ability to use 3D touch to tap and hold the Google Maps app icon on the home screen to get directions to home or work from the current location.

The update is rounded off with the usual unspecified bug fixes. Google Maps for iOS 4.16.0 is available now for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later, plus the Apple Watch.
Remove your PC's junk files with Kaspersky Cleaner

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 3:14pm CET par Mike Williams

Russian security vendor Kaspersky has released Kaspersky Cleaner, a free beta for Windows XP and later.

The program is designed to delete junk Windows and application files, check your system settings are giving you the best level of privacy, and restore broken settings which might be interfering with your PC’s operations.

Kaspersky Cleaner is targeted very much at the novice, and the interface keeps any complexities to the absolute minimum: four icons, a "Start Scan" button, and that’s about it.

There’s no waiting around, either. We launched a scan and within 5 seconds were told our system had "38 problems", and were presented with a green "Fix" button to resolve them all.

If you’d like to know more, then clicking one of four icons displays the checks made and any individual fixes Kaspersky Cleaner wants to apply.

The System Cleanup area lists assorted Windows and application caches which could be wiped (temp folders, Firefox leftovers, Flash, QuickTime, Windows memory dumps, more).

"Restore System Settings" lists broken or poorly configured Windows settings, in particular items which might have been trashed by a malware infection (autorun enabled, invalid file associations, REGEDIT/ Task Manager/ Control Panel blocked, more).

The confusingly-named "Private Browsing" section has nothing to do with the private browsing mode of any web browser, and seems to be more about disabling assorted Windows logging, telemetry and general privacy settings.

"Remove activity traces" is all about removing some low-level signs of your PC activities, including Windows log files, Direct3D and DirectDraw history, and assorted Windows and network cache files.

Selecting any of these areas displays all the checks made. Items you’ve passed are displayed in green, any "fails" are highlighted in red.

By default every red item is checked, which means it’ll be "fixed" by default. If you don’t want that setting to be touched, clear its checkbox and the program will leave it alone.

Once you’ve happy, return to the main screen, hit "Fix" and every issue you’ve left checked will be resolved in a few seconds.

Kaspersky Cleaner isn’t a tool for the advanced user. There’s no in-depth scanning for junk files, no file-level list of what it wants to delete (or the total space to be recovered), no way to permanently define the extra areas you’d like to check, no scheduler to run cleanups automatically.

Right now it’s probably best used as a simple way for PC novices to get their system working again, post-infection. In a click or two just about anyone can wipe away malware traces in their temporary folders, remove blocks on Control Panel or Task Manager, restore safe Autorun settings and more.

Kaspersky Cleaner is a free beta release for Windows XP and later.
Your business doesn't have a website? A DDoS attack can still happen

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 2:46pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Just because your business doesn’t have a website, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a victim of a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack. This sentence might not make much sense at this point, but keep reading.

Security firm Kaspersky Lab and researchers B2B International looked at what cyber-crooks go for when attacking businesses and enterprises, and here’s what they came up with:

Last year, 16 percent of companies (globally), were victims of a DDoS attack. Among enterprises, the percentage jumps up to 24. For most, external activities, such as websites, were targeted. Among half, websites had been hit, logins and portals were attacked in 38 percent of cases, while communications services were attacked 37 percent of times. Transactional systems had been affected in 25 percent of cases.

But also, in 25 percent of cases, file servers had been hit, and 15 percent said their operational systems were targeted. Another 15 percent said a DDoS attack hit their ISP network connectivity.

"It’s important to take a DDoS attack seriously. It’s a relatively easy crime to perpetrate, but the effect on business continuity can be far-reaching. Our study found that alongside the well-publicized impact of an attack, such as website downtime, reputational damage and unhappy customers, DDoS hits can reach deep into a company’s internal systems. It doesn’t matter how small the company is, or whether or not it has a website; if you’re online, you’re a potential target. Unprotected operational systems are just as vulnerable to a DDoS attack as the external website, and any disruption can stop a business in its tracks", said Evgeny Vigovsky, head of Kaspersky DDoS Protection, Kaspersky Lab.

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

Photo Credit: Duc Dao / Shutterstock
Microsoft announces Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 1:30pm CET par Ian Barker

Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated and can be costly for businesses. Microsoft has recognized that it needs to offer stronger protection for its enterprise customers and is announcing a new service to help them detect, investigate, and respond to advanced attacks.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection adds a new post-breach layer of protection to the Windows 10 security stack. Using a mix of client technology built into Windows 10 and a cloud service, it will help detect threats that have made it past other defenses.

It will also provide enterprises with information to investigate the breach across their endpoints, and offer response recommendations. It can provide key information on attacks thanks to sophisticated cloud-based threat intelligence.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection uses a combination of Windows behavioral sensors, cloud based security analytics, threat intelligence, as well as tapping into Microsoft’s intelligent security graph which uses big data analytics to identify anomalies. It allows admins to examine the state of machines and their activities over the last six months to maximize historical investigation capabilities and provides information on a simple attack timeline.

Writing on the Windows blog Terry Myerson, the head of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group says, "Just like we developed Windows 10 with feedback from millions of Windows Insiders, we worked with our most advanced enterprise customers to address their biggest security challenges, including attack investigations and day-to-day operations, to test our solution in their environments. Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection is already live with early adopter customers that span across geographies and industries, and the entire Microsoft network, making it one of the largest running advanced threat protection services".

SEE ALSO: How to activate Windows Defender Offline in Windows 10

Windows Defender ATP will be built into Windows 10, allowing it to be kept continuously up-to-date, so offering businesses lower costs and zero deployment effort. Using a cloud back end means no on premise server infrastructure or ongoing maintenance is required either.

It's likely that ATP will be made available via the Windows Insider program and eventually the public but as yet there's no word on the timescale.
Kiddle lets children search the web 'safely', leaves the sex talk to mom and dad

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 12:51pm CET par Mark Wilson
Parents with younger children may well be concerned about the type of content their offspring could stumble across online. While it is possible to enable the Safe Search feature of Google, this is not 100 percent reliable, and more adult content can slip through the net. A new 'visual search engine for kids', Kiddle, launched this week to plug the gap.

Although nothing to do with Google, Kiddle apes the colorful logo of the famous search giant, and also relies on Google Safe Search for some of its results. The bulk of the first ten results returned by any search, however, are handpicked by editors to ensure they are safe for children and easy to read. There are also some automatic filters in place that prevent searches for 'bad words' and the like and, interestingly, treat searched for homosexuality and heterosexuality in completely different ways.

When it comes to testing a search engine that claims to be 'safe for children' the first thing most people will do is type in a few swear words (including a check for the 'Scuthorpe problem'). True to its promise, Kiddle censors curse word searches, displaying a message that reads "Oops, looks like your query contained some bad words. Please try again!". Intriguingly, this is the same warning message that appears if you search for the word 'sex' or 'heterosexual' (other 'bad words' include 'murder', 'suicide', 'drugs').

The warning, it seems, is not triggered by the appearance of the letter s, e and x in succession, because searching for homosexual (or gay, or lesbian, for that matter) results in the appearance of a rather different message:

You have entered an LGBT related search query. Please realize that while Kiddle has nothing against the LGBT community, it's hard to guarantee the safety of all the search results for such queries. We recommend that you talk to your parent or guardian about such topics.

Make of that what you will.

Content filtering aside, Kiddle is geared towards children in a number of other ways. Search results feature large thumbnails, and a large font is used to increase legibility. The site has a simple privacy policy as well:

We don't collect any personally identifiable information, and our logs are deleted every 24 hours.

But it is undoubtedly the search result curation that will appeal to concerned parents. The results are filtered and ordered as follows:
- Safe sites and pages written specifically for kids. Handpicked and checked by Kiddle editors. Typically, results 1-3.
- Safe, trusted sites that are not written specifically for kids, but have content written in a simple way, easy for kids to understand. Handpicked and checked by Kiddle editors. Typically, results 4-7.
- Safe, famous sites that are written for adults, providing expert content, but are harder for kids to understand. Filtered by Google safe search. Typically, results 8 onwards.
Kiddle is looking for more input from parents. If you find a site that has slipped through the net that you believe should be blocked, or find a word that you feel should be blocked that can be searched for, there are links at the bottom of the page that can be used to submit a keyword blocking request or a site blocking request.
Kaspersky launches new platform to detect targeted attacks

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 11:40am CET par Ian Barker

While conventional security technologies are good at protecting against generic threats, targeted attacks are more difficult to handle.

Kaspersky Lab is looking to combat this type of attack with new offerings including the Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack Platform, a sophisticated solution designed to detect targeted attacks, and a range of Security Intelligence Services, offering penetration testing, cybersecurity training and threat intelligence sharing.

The Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack Platform enables businesses to detect targeted attacks and other malicious actions through the careful monitoring of network activity, including web and email. Based on the company's security intelligence and expertise in discovering cyber threats, the platform utilizes network and endpoint sensors and a sandbox technology to detect abnormal and potentially malicious activity within a highly integrated system.

The platform analyzes data collected from different points of the corporate IT infrastructure. Its sensors cover data acquisition over network traffic, web and email, as well as endpoints. This allows the solution to detect complex attacks at any stage, even when no malicious activity is taking place, like data exfiltration. Suspicious events are then processed via different engines, including an Advanced Sandbox and a Targeted Attack Analyzer for a final verdict.

"As we developed our Anti Targeted Attack Platform, we understood that a working solution cannot stand apart from well-known and highly efficient security approaches," says Nikita Shvetsov, Kaspersky Lab's Chief Technology Officer. "At the same time, new corporate threats demand new technology and intelligence an order of magnitude more complex than our existing solutions. The result of two years’ extensive investment of resources, expertise and talent is this premium product that helps enterprises to achieve new levels of security for their IT infrastructure".

In addition the company is launching its Security Intelligence Services to meet the needs of larger businesses. These include a Security Assessment service to carry out penetration testing and application security assessment, plus access to threat intelligence data from Kaspersky Lab through threat data feeds and botnet tracking. Kaspersky is also offering training in security awareness and in digital forensics and malware analysis.

You can find out more about Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack and Security Intelligence Services on the company's website.

Image Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock
Microsoft releases Windows 10 IoT Core for Raspberry Pi 3 -- can it displace Linux on Pi?

Publié: mars 1, 2016, 2:16am CET par Brian Fagioli

The ARM-powered Raspberry Pi computers have a been a godsend to tinkerers, students, HTPC enthusiasts, and more. The inexpensive devices have proven quite useful for many projects, and continue to push the envelope on what can be achieved for little money. The $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, while very limited, is quite the feat of engineering.

For the most part, however, Raspberry Pi computers have been largely Linux affairs. While open source technologies shine on these devices, Microsoft has been embracing the hardware since this time last year with its Windows 10 IoT Core operating system. Earlier today, the newest revision of the hardware, Raspberry Pi 3, was announced. If you are a Windows fan, you may want to pick one up, as Microsoft announces a Preview of Windows 10 IoT core for the latest Pi. Can Microsoft's OS beat out Linux for Raspberry Pi 3 dominance?

"This morning, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced availability of their new board -- the Raspberry Pi 3. We're excited to have Windows 10 support the new board via a new Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview update available for download today. The new Raspberry Pi 3 board is available now in the Microsoft Store online", says Billy Anders, Director of Program Management, Windows IoT.

Anders further says, "the new Raspberry Pi 3 is faster, more powerful and the first out of the box IoT ready Raspberry Pi. We’re thrilled to deliver the power of Windows 10 on the new board and your feedback continues to help us improve Windows 10 IoT Core".

You can see an example project of Windows 10 IoT Core running on the new Raspberry Pi 3 below.

Will Windows 10 IoT Core displace the popularity of Linux-based operating systems on the Raspberry Pi 3? Probably not. The demo seen above is definitely cool, but the Linux kernel is more appropriate for the lower-end hardware.

READ MORE: Raspberry Pi 3 launches! 10x faster, 64-bit Quad-Core CPU, built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Windows 10, even in this minimal state, cannot compete with open source software. The Linux kernel is mature and robust, while Windows 10 IoT Core is still young and unproven. It remains to been if developers will even embrace this variant of Windows 10.
Click to view slideshow.
Surprisingly, Microsoft is not only supporting the Raspberry Pi 3, but it is also becoming a sales partner. That's right folks, the Microsoft Store is selling the latest Pi, paired with a microSD card for $50. Unfortunately, this package will not ship until March 31.

If you are ready to download the Windows 10 IoT Core Technical Preview image for Raspberry Pi 3, you can get it here. Will you try it? Tell me in the comments.