ComputerWorld – Page 7 – PossibleThreat Articles

Android’s new biometric spec for 'strong security' is anything but

October 30, 2023 0 Comments Android, Google, Mobile, Security, small and medium business

Credit to Author: eschuman@thecontentfirm.com| Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Google has released new biometrics specs for Android devices, with the top-level “strong security” option requiring only “a spoof and imposter acceptance rate not higher than 7%.” But most biometrics specialists say that for something to be considered “high security,” that imposter and acceptance rate should be closer to 1%.

That prompted me to ask Google for comment. Google replied by emailing an anonymous statement to be attributed to nobody that doesn’t directly defend the levels it chose — but did say security decisions are ultimately up to each handset manufacturer.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Apple’s latest China App Store problem is a warning for us all

October 19, 2023 0 Comments Apple, Data privacy, iOS, iPhone, Mobile, mobile apps, Security, small and medium business

Ask anyone who knows, and they’ll tell you that when it comes to security, the weakest point is always people. Yet, as pressure grows for Apple to allow app purchases from outside the App Store, the fact the company fired App Store staff for “business misconduct” is cause for alarm.

As first reported by The Information, the Apple story is pretty simple.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Microsoft addresses three zero-days for October’s Patch Tuesday

October 13, 2023 0 Comments it management, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Office, Security, small and medium business, Windows

This month, Microsoft has released 103 updates to Windows, Edge, Microsoft Office, and Exchange Server. This update also includes minor updates to Visual Studio. Three zero-days (CVE-2023-44487, CVE-2023-36563 and CVE-2023-41763) require “Patch Now” updates for both Windows and the Edge browser for this October update cycle.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Homeland Security confirms your privacy is no longer safe

October 6, 2023 0 Comments Apple, Data privacy, iOS, iPhone, Mobile, Privacy, Security, small and medium business

The big problem with privacy is that once you relinquish some of it, you never get it back. What makes it worse is when those who are supposed to protect your rights choose to undermine them. When they do so, they eat away at the thin protections we should all enjoy in the digital age.

US agencies’ illegal use of smartphone data

These are some of the reasons to be so concerned to learn from a newly released US Department of Homeland Security report that multiple US government agencies illegally used smartphone location data, breaching privacy regulations as they did. To do this, they purchased smartphone location data, including Advertising Identifiers (AdIDs) from data brokers that had been harvested from a wide range of apps.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Are you looking forward to the new age of mobile app insecurity?

October 5, 2023 0 Comments Apple, iOS, Mobile, mobile apps, Security, small and medium business, smartphones

A contact recently told me that Apple handles thousands of inquiries from people who have forgotten or misplaced their Apple ID logins every day. That’s probably why Apple recently made it easier to access your Apple ID using any known email address.

But Apple reps are also inundated with requests related to third-party apps over which they have no control. As the EU looks to force Apple into allowing apps from alternative app stores onto its devices, a practice known as sideloading, the user experience with Apple devices — and the flood of inquiries and complaints — is about to get much, much worse.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Message to IT: Yes, you should install Apple security updates

October 4, 2023 0 Comments Apple, it management, MacOS, Operating Systems, Security

While it’s not universally the case, many businesses actively using Macs for work may not be paying enough attention to ensuring those devices are secured, according to cloud security provider Qualys, which estimates that just over half of Macs remain unprotected by recent security patches.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Zero trust and why it matters to the Apple enterprise

October 3, 2023 0 Comments Apple, it management, Mobile, Security, small and medium business

Once upon a time, digital business sat inside the security perimeter. Devices were kept in offices, shared the same network, and were protected by antivirus software, firewalls, and software updates. This system wasn’t perfect and became increasingly specialized, with security teams, networking teams, and others all working in different sectors.

With mobility, this changed. Devices were unleashed from their locations, used their own networks, and stood outside of traditional corporate endpoint protection.

The pandemic accelerated these changes, fostering the evolution of innovative security protections outside of traditional perimeters, such as around zero-trust. The global zero trust security market is now expected to reach $99 billion by 2030, up from $23 billion in 2021.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Google to block Bard conversations from being indexed on Search

September 28, 2023 0 Comments Data privacy, generative ai

Alphabet-owned Google is working on blocking user conversations with its new Bard generative AI assistant from being indexed on its Search platform or showing up as results.

“Bard allows people to share chats, if they choose. We also don’t intend for these shared chats to be indexed by Google Search. We’re working on blocking them from being indexed now,” Google’s Search Liaison account posted on Twitter, now X.

The internet search giant was responding to an SEO Consultant who pointed out on Twitter that user conversations with Bard were being indexed on Google Search.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Q&A: How one CSO secured his environment from generative AI risks

September 25, 2023 0 Comments 5G, Artificial intelligence, chatbots, Data privacy, Emerging Technology, generative ai, Security, Software Development

In February, travel and expense management company Navan (formerly TripActions) chose to go all-in on generative AI technology for a myriad of business and customer assistance uses.

The Palo Alto, CA company turned to ChatGPT from OpenAI and coding assistance tools from GitHub Copilot to write, test, and fix code; the decision has boosted Navan’s operational efficiency and reduced overhead costs.

GenAI tools have also been used to build a conversational experience for the company’s client virtual assistant, Ava. Ava, a travel and expense chatbot assistant, offers customers answers to questions and a conversational booking experience. It can also offer data to business travelers, such as company travel spend, volume, and granular carbon emissions details.

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ComputerWorld Independent