Day: November 25, 2019

NextCry Ransomware Targets NextCloud Linux Servers and Remains Undetected Features

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The ransom note that NextCry victims receive reads ““READ_FOR_DECRYPT”, and demands 0.025 BTC for a victim’s files to be unlocked. One NextCloud user, xact64, shared his experience with the malware on a Bleeping Computer forum in an effort to find a way to decrypt personal files which had been instantaneously locked in a NextCry attack: Read more about NextCry Ransomware Targets NextCloud Linux Servers and Remains Undetected Features[…]

Bad news: ‘Unblockable’ web trackers emerge. Good news: Firefox with uBlock Origin can stop it. Chrome, not so much

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Developers working on open-source ad-blocker uBlock Origin have uncovered a mechanism for tracking web browsers around the internet that defies today’s blocking techniques. A method to block this so-called unblockable tracker has been developed by the team, though it only works in Firefox, leaving Chrome and possibly other browsers susceptible. This fix is now available Read more about Bad news: ‘Unblockable’ web trackers emerge. Good news: Firefox with uBlock Origin can stop it. Chrome, not so much[…]

Extraterrestrial ribose and other sugars found in primitive meteorites

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ribose is an essential sugar for present life as a building block of RNA, which could have both stored information and catalyzed reactions in primitive life on Earth. Meteorites contain a number of organic compounds including components of proteins and nucleic acids. Among the constituent molecular classes of proteins and nucleic acids (i.e., amino acids, Read more about Extraterrestrial ribose and other sugars found in primitive meteorites[…]

1.2 Billion Records Found Exposed Online in a Single Server, contain social media profiles

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In October, dark web researcher Vinny Troia found one such trove sitting exposed and easily accessible on an unsecured server, comprising 4 terabytes of personal information—about 1.2 billion records in all. While the collection is impressive for its sheer volume, the data doesn’t include sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers. Read more about 1.2 Billion Records Found Exposed Online in a Single Server, contain social media profiles[…]

Sacha Baron Cohen gave the greatest speech on why social networks need to be kept in check, biggest propaganda machines in history

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Cohen gave the speech yesterday, at an awards gala for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where he was the recipient of ADL’s International Leadership Award. While accepting his award, Cohen touched on the role companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter have played in spreading lies and hate speech online, calling the sites “the greatest propaganda machine Read more about Sacha Baron Cohen gave the greatest speech on why social networks need to be kept in check, biggest propaganda machines in history[…]

Monero Wallet downloads compromised for 35 minutes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Some users noticed the hash of the binaries they downloaded did not match the expected one: https://github.com/monero-project/monero/issues/6151 It appears the box has been indeed compromised and different CLI binaries served for 35 minutes. Downloads are now served from a safe fallback source. Always check the integrity of the binaries you download! If you downloaded binaries Read more about Monero Wallet downloads compromised for 35 minutes[…]

Police can keep Amazon Ring camera video forever, and share with whomever they’d like, company tells senator

Posted on by Robin Edgar

More than 600 police forces across the country have entered into partnerships with the camera giant allowing them to quickly request and download video captured by Ring’s motion-detecting, internet-connected cameras inside and around Americans’ homes. The company says the videos can be a critical tool in helping law enforcement investigate crimes such as trespassing, burglary Read more about Police can keep Amazon Ring camera video forever, and share with whomever they’d like, company tells senator[…]

Why tech companies need to hire philosophers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I have spent the better half of the last two years trying to convince companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, DeepMind, and OpenAI that they need to hire philosophers. My colleagues and I—a small collective of academics that make up a program called Transformations of the Human at the Los Angeles-based think tank called the Berggruen Read more about Why tech companies need to hire philosophers[…]