ComputerWorld – Page 20 – PossibleThreat Articles

ACLU, public defenders push back against Google giving police your mobile data

February 2, 2023 0 Comments Data privacy, Emerging Technology, Mobile, Privacy, Security, small and medium business, smartphones, telecommunications industry

The ACLU and eight federal public defenders are asking the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to exclude mobile device location data obtained from Google via a so-called geofence warrant that helped law enforcement catch a bank robbery suspect.

The first geofence civil rights case to reach a federal court of appeals raises serious Fourth Amendment concerns against unreasonable search and seizure related to the location and personal information of mobile device users.

Geofence warrants have primarily been issued for Google to hand over data about every cell phone or other mobile device within a specific geographical region and timeframe. The problem: location data on every person carrying a mobile device in that area is scooped up in a wide net and their data is then handed over en masse to law enforcement.

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ComputerWorld Independent

US agency calls Apple, Google App Stores 'harmful'

February 1, 2023 0 Comments Apple, iOS, Mobile, mobile apps, Security, small and medium business

Apple appears to have been given yet another set of reasons to expand its legal team as the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) calls for antitrust action to force Apple and Google to make big changes to their mobile app store business models.

What’s the problem?

NTIA is the principal advisor on telecommunications and Internet policy to the Biden administration. It argues that the way things are run at present may be “harmful,” arguing that Google’s and Apple’s “gatekeeper” positions may harm consumers by raising prices and reducing innovation.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Morgan Stanley fines some employees $1M for WhatsApp, iMessage use

January 26, 2023 0 Comments enterprise mobile management, Financial Services Industry, messaging apps, Mobile, Privacy, remote work, Security, small and medium business

Investment banking firm Morgan Stanley has punished some of its employees with fines that topped more than $1 million for breaching compliance rules by using WhatsApp and iMessage for business communications.

The fines were levied by docking previous bonuses or future pay, according to a report in the Financial Times.

While the fines might seem steep, Morgan Stanley itself has had to pay millions of dollars in fines for previous SEC violations related to the use of consumer messaging apps for business purposes.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Apple marks Data Privacy Week with in-store privacy training, more

January 24, 2023 0 Comments Apple, Data privacy, iPhone, Mobile, Privacy, small and medium business

Apple this year is marking Data Privacy Week by working to educate iPhone users about the privacy protection tools they already have in hand, a move that has implications across any business that wants to maintain privacy.

Data protection is the bedrock of business

Data Privacy Week grew out of the Jan. 28, 2007 first convention on data protection. Today, it’s a global event that aims to raise awareness around privacy and data protection.

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ComputerWorld Independent

How Microsoft is helping Ukraine’s cyberwar against Russia

January 24, 2023 0 Comments Microsoft, Security, small and medium business, Windows

One of the big surprises in Russia’s war against Ukraine has been how well Ukraine has fended off Russian cyberattacks. Ad hoc groups of white-hat hackers have helped, as have a number of nations and the US government.

Less well known is that tech companies, including Microsoft, are part of the effort. That aid ranges from giving advice to identifying attacks, offering fixes for them, and providing Ukraine with free tech and security services.

Microsoft isn’t just trying to help defend a country under siege from an aggressive, more-powerful neighbor. Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine can also get loose in the wild and do damage to enterprises and organizations that rely on Microsoft technology. (Russia could also deliberately target private companies with those attacks.)

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ComputerWorld Independent

Patch now to address critical Windows zero-day flaw

January 13, 2023 0 Comments Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Security, small and medium business, Windows

The first Patch Tuesday of the year from Microsoft addresses 98 security vulnerabilities, with 10 classified as critical for Windows. One vulnerability (CVE-2023-21674) in a core section of Windows code is a zero-day that requires immediate attention. And Adobe has returned with a critical update, paired with a few low-profile patches for the Microsoft Edge browser.

We have added the Windows and Adobe updates to our “Patch Now” list, recognizing that this month’s patch deployments will require significant testing and engineering effort. The team at Application Readiness has provided a helpful infographic that outlines the risks associated with each of the updates for this January update cycle.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Microsoft doc details the dos and don’ts of Mac ransomware <u>

January 13, 2023 0 Comments Apple, iOS, MacOS, Security

As enterprise adoption of the Apple platform accelerates, it’s important to note that Macs can and sometimes do get hit by ransomware. So it’s good to stay tuned to security concerns on a platform and application level — and take precautions.

Knowledge is power

With this in mind, extensive insights into Mac ransomware recently published only to be subsequently removed by Microsoft, can help explain these threats. The impact of such attack can be huge – ransomware already costs victims hundreds of billions each year, and no one is immune.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Microsoft doc details the dos and don’ts of Mac ransomware

January 6, 2023 0 Comments Apple, iOS, MacOS, Security

Knowledge is power

With this in mind, extensive insights into Mac ransomware recently published by Microsoft can help explain these threats. The impact of such attack can be huge – ransomware already costs victims hundreds of billions each year, and no one is immune.

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ComputerWorld Independent

The top 12 tech stories of 2022

December 26, 2022 0 Comments Data privacy, regulation, Security, Technology Industry

The technology sector’s vulnerability to the vagaries of geopolitics and the macroeconomy became clearer than ever in 2022, as IT giants laid off workers en masse, regulators cracked down on tech rule-breakers, nations negotiated data privacy, the EU-China chip war widened, and the Ukraine war disrupted business as usual. Through it all the classic tech themes—including innovation and the fight to bolster cybersecurity—continued as ChatGPT was released, Broadcom sought to purchase VMWare, a Mac renaissance began to flower, and teen hackers brought major companies to their knees. Here are our editors’ choices for the dozen stories that rocked the world of tech in 2022.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Why enterprises should embrace remote work in 2023

December 22, 2022 0 Comments Apple, Mobile, remote work, Security, small and medium business

Many businesses are looking to cut costs as economies face recession, but some enterprises may be ignoring one of the most effective ways to trim the fat while boosting productivity — by embracing remote working.

The power is in your hands

We know Macs, iPhones, and iPads have been seeing increased deployment across the enterprise. We also know (because IBM, SAP and so many companies tell us) that businesses that embrace Apple kit also see reduced overall cost of ownership and lower tech support costs. Employee choice delivers big benefits.

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