It's the second Tuesday of the month, so that can mean only one thing: Microsoft has some Windows security updates waiting for us. This month, the company has tackled a total of five "Critical" bugs, so it's highly recommended that every Windows user go and update whether you're at home managing one PC or in the...
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We've talked a lot about IoT devices here at HotHardware, but over the past year, it's become increasingly clear that we have to be careful with how we roll out new devices. Companies are leading us on to believe that in the future, the world will simply be blanketed with IoT devices everywhere. We see that as a...
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Someone at Microsoft is having one of those Southwest moments where the airlines asks, "Want to get away?" That's because someone at the Redmond outfit leaked a security key that could allow attackers to bypass the protections in Windows devices that are put in place through Secure Boot. Worse yet, now that the...
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Nothing beats wireless for convenience, but whenever you transmit important data through the air, there's a risk that someone could be nearby, ready to intercept the signals before they reach their destination. If this sounds familiar, it might be because we talked about this very thing earlier this year, when...
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We reported earlier on France's demands to Microsoft with regards to bolstering its Windows 10 OS to better protect user data, and ultimately, their privacy. The fact that a watchdog would target Microsoft for collecting too much data probably strikes no one as a surprise, as that very complaint has been one shared by...
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It's beginning to look like some rather sophisticated hackers have made their way into Apple's core and crippled iCloud security so severely that some iPhones have essentially been held hostage. A few iPhones here and there might not seem like a big deal, but ultimately, there could be a staggering 40 million iCloud...
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It doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, if you don't practice good security habits on the web you're likely to get hacked. Case in point, Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire whiz kid and co-founder of Facebook, the most popular social media site on the planet, had his Twitter and Pinterest accounts...
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In December, HotHardware reported that Microsoft had entered the planning stages for introducing a tweaked version of its Windows 10 operating system in China, and just three months later, the first iteration is being delivered. You have Windows 10 Pro? China has Windows 10 'Zhuangongban'. That rolls right off the...
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With agencies like the NSA and FBI wanting to peer into our personal communications at will, we have to be proactive about keeping ourselves safe. But what if there's a fault we can't work around and simply have to live with? Unless you're a skilled developer, you have to rely on other to come up with an improved...
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Fingerprint scanning is quickly becoming a standard security feature on high-end smartphones. The perceived notion is that this type of biometric safeguard provides a superior means of security due to the unique patterns of everyone's fingers, but a new study and experiment conducted by researchers at Michigan State...
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It's pretty common knowledge that using strong passwords is important, but we'd can understand it if you sometimes take shortcuts for the sake of convenience. A great example for many of us would be with our PCs. Given the fact that we login to them all of the time, it can get old typing in (or even trying to...
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The greatest benefit wireless peripherals offer is what they help cut down on: wires. Fewer wires means that our desktops are easier to keep clean, and we're not kicking wires as often under our desk. It's a win-win overall. Or is it? As with most things convenient, wireless peripherals can suffer exploits just like...
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It's a sad reality we must all face: some groups want nothing more than to intrude on our personal lives, gaining information that should be kept private. A notable group is of course the US government, which Edward Snowden proved to us over the past two years many times over is relentless when it comes to information...
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Since its introduction in Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft has helped keep users safe from malware and browser hijacks with SmartScreen. The company went on to introduce SmartScreen as a feature of Windows itself, able to detect malicious software, or at least warn people that software about to be installed is an...
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Have you ever seen a browser littered with toolbars and other junk that doesn't belong? A common trick used by malware and adware writers is to inject DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) into the browser, which bypass the built-in interfaces for settings controls. Microsoft is determined not to let that happen in its...
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Mozilla on Friday announced some major changes coming to the development of add-ons for its Firefox browser. One of the biggest changes is a new extension API called WebExtensions, which isn't all that different from the one used in Chrome and Opera. By switching to WebExtensions, Mozilla is making it easier for...
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If you're keen on not wanting your movements tracked online, Mozilla may have just saved you the need for installing extensions to prevent it. Well, as long as you don't mind using the Developer Edition of Firefox, that is.
Mozilla for quite some time has offered robust protection tools, such as Private Browsing...
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With the amount of positive hype that surrounded Windows 10 well in advance of its launch, it almost seemed like Microsoft could do no wrong. That was up until the actual release, that is, when multiple caveats were revealed. The biggest one is no doubt the fact that users of the Home edition lack complete control...
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Microsoft has taken advantage of the ongoing Black Hat conference in Las Vegas to announce that it has increased the maximum payout in its bug bounty program from $50,000 to $100,000 - a sign that it's committed to making sure its software is as secure as possible.
This move of course comes hot on the heels of the...
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Microsoft is plugging a security hole with a new Critical-rated security update. The patch will fix an issue in Windows and OpenType fonts that could expose users to malicious website content. So long as you have automatic updates enabled, your PC will download and install the patch, if it hasn’t already.
“This...
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Over the past five years, where the bulk of Microsoft's revenue comes from has skewed quite a bit. As the company begins to transition its Windows OS to become a "service" (and not to mention, largely giving it away for free up-front) and deal with other products that are suffering decreased revenue, the company has...
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In the wake of recent security threats that have come to light, Mozilla has made the decision to block Adobe Flash content by default on all versions of its Firefox browser. Mark Schmidt, head of Firefox support at Mozilla and CEO of SupportHacker, announced the change via Twitter on Monday, adding that this is a...
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