PowerShell 7 ups the telemetry but… hey… is that an off switch?

Microsoft emitted a fresh preview of command-line darling PowerShell 7 last night, highlighting some additional slurping – and how to shut it off. PowerShell 7 Preview 3, which is built on .NET Core 3.0 Preview 8, is the latest step on the way to final release at the end of 2019 and a potential replacement Read more about PowerShell 7 ups the telemetry but… hey… is that an off switch?[…]

Here’s a top tip: Don’t trust the new guy – block web domains less than a month old. They are bound to be dodgy

IT admins could go a long way towards protecting their users from malware and other dodgy stuff on the internet if they ban access to any web domain less than a month old. This advice comes from Unit 42, the security branch of networking house Palo Alto Networks. To be exact, the recommendation is that Read more about Here’s a top tip: Don’t trust the new guy – block web domains less than a month old. They are bound to be dodgy[…]

Microsoft Contractors Listened to Xbox Owners (mainly kids) in Their Homes – since 2013

Contractors working for Microsoft have listened to audio of Xbox users speaking in their homes in order to improve the console’s voice command features, Motherboard has learned. The audio was supposed to be captured following a voice command like “Xbox” or “Hey Cortana,” but contractors said that recordings were sometimes triggered and recorded by mistake. Read more about Microsoft Contractors Listened to Xbox Owners (mainly kids) in Their Homes – since 2013[…]

Moscow’s blockchain voting system cracked a month before election, will be fixed due to responsible disclosure, open source and bug bounties

A French security researcher has found a critical vulnerability in the blockchain-based voting system Russian officials plan to use next month for the 2019 Moscow City Duma election. Pierrick Gaudry, an academic at Lorraine University and a researcher for INRIA, the French research institute for digital sciences, found that he could compute the voting system’s Read more about Moscow’s blockchain voting system cracked a month before election, will be fixed due to responsible disclosure, open source and bug bounties[…]

Google, Apple, Mozilla end Kazakhstan internet by blocking root CA

On Wednesday, Google, Apple, and Mozilla said their web browsers will block the Kazakhstan root Certificate Authority (CA) certificate – following reports that ISPs in the country have required customers to install a government-issued certificate that enables online spying. According to the University of Michigan’s Censored Planet project, the country’s snoops “recently began using a Read more about Google, Apple, Mozilla end Kazakhstan internet by blocking root CA[…]

Bug-hunter finds local privilege escalation in Steam. Valve refuses to acknowledge and so he’s dropped it on the internet.

The way Kravets tells is (Valve did not respond to a request for comment), the whole saga started earlier this month when he went to report a separate elevation of privilege flaw in Steam Client, the software gamers use to purchase and run games from the games service. Valve declined to recognize and pay out Read more about Bug-hunter finds local privilege escalation in Steam. Valve refuses to acknowledge and so he’s dropped it on the internet.[…]

Google Play Publisher account gets terminated – but Google won’t tell you why

Developer Patrick Godeau has claimed his business is under threat after his Google Play Publisher account was terminated without a specific reason given. Godeau, from France, provides apps for iOS and Android via his company Tokata. It is a small business but Godeau said in his complaint that he has achieved “millions of downloads”, most Read more about Google Play Publisher account gets terminated – but Google won’t tell you why[…]

States to launch antitrust investigation into big tech companies, reports say

The state attorneys in more than a dozen states are preparing to begin an antitrust investigation of the tech giants, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported Monday, putting the spotlight on an industry that is already facing federal scrutiny. The bipartisan group of attorneys from as many as 20 states is expected Read more about States to launch antitrust investigation into big tech companies, reports say[…]