Category: Tech News

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Google Acted On Less Than Half Of Requests To Remove URLs

Google’s latest Transparency Report reveals that of the 2.4 million requests made since 2014 to remove certain URLs from its search results, Google has only complied with less than half. Removal Requests The removal requests relate to a ruling by the European Union’s Court of Justice in May 2014 which said that Google and other…
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Tech Tip – Find Files By Date

If you have produced and stored many files on your computer over time, in multiple folders, it can sometimes be difficult to find the file you need. One way to narrow the search in Windows 10 is to search by date. Here’s how: Choose the folder, drive, or library you want to search. Click in…
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A Quarter Of Councils Have Been Hacked

A freedom of information request by privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has revealed the shocking statistic that a quarter of all UK councils have had their IT systems breached in the past five years. 37 Attempted Cyber Attacks Every Minute The ‘Cyber Attacks In Local Authorities’ report from Big Brother Watch shows that local…
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GDPR Extortion Prediction

A report by Security Company Trend Micro has predicted that, as cyber-criminals are now focusing more on maximising financial return, the introduction of GDPR this year could give them potentially lucrative extortion opportunities. How? The point that this report is making is that with the prospect of massive fines under GDPR e.g. fines up to…
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Belgium Says No To Facebook Tracking Code

A court in Belgium has told Facebook to stop using tracking code to follow and record internet use by people surfing in Belgium, until it complies with the country’s own privacy laws. What’s The Problem? According to Belgium’s privacy watchdog, the Belgian Commission for the Protection of Privacy (CPP), Facebook placed tracking code in the…
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Postcards To Combat Election Interference

Following disclosures of how Facebook was used by advertisers who may have been seeking to influence the US election result, Facebook has suggested that in future in the US, those backing candidates with advertising campaigns will receive a ‘snail mail’ postcard sent by Facebook with a verification code. Ads Mentioning A Candidate The measure is…
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Facebook In Authentication Spamming Row

Facebook is facing criticism for allegedly using sign-ups to 2 factor authentication as an opportunity to send spam SMS notifications. What 2FA? Facebook has been allowing users to sign up for SMS-based two-factor authentication to mitigate the risk of phishing attempts and to help protect people from having their accounts compromised. Spam Too Unfortunately, in…
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Tech Tip – Windows 10: Near Share

One helpful feature to look out for in the Windows 10 update this Spring will be ‘Near Share’ whereby nearby Windows 10 devices can share files and URLs with you via Bluetooth. This feature is similar to Apple’s AirDrop, and it works in the following way: Apps e.g. Photos, Microsoft Edge and File Explorer display…
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Adopt ‘HTTPS’ Or Face Being Penalised by Google

Google has announced that websites without ‘HTTPS’ in front of their domains will be labelled as ‘Not Secure’ in version 48 of Chrome, starting this July. What Is HTTPS and Why Does It Matter? HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is…
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UK Government Unveils Online Extremism Blocker

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has unveiled the UK government’s new tool for detecting and blocking online extremist and jihadist content. Publicly Funded The new tool was developed by artificial intelligence company ‘ASI Data Science’ based in London, and was funded using £600,000 of public funds. Tackling A Growing Problem The tool was developed to tackle…
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