The Coronavirus and lock down in place have not stopped disrupting our daily lives. With the measures put in place by the government, many people are discovering teleworking as well as distance learning. The Internet has never been so much in demand that streaming services have been forced to reduce their speeds. What about security?

Teleworking has become one of the solutions to curb the Coronavirus. Such a large number of Internet users connected with new tools (professional messaging, videoconferencing software, platforms for courses, etc.) represents an unprecedented opportunity for hackers. In such circumstances, it is vital to pay close attention to the security of one’s devices and data.

When teleworking, think about backups.

Save your documents regularly. Some viruses can encrypt or even erase your files and hold you for ransom. Besides, many breakdowns occur without warning. So remember to save your work in progress periodically, and create an additional copy on an external medium.

Protect yourself with an antivirus software

With so many people teleworking, hackers will be on the lookout for poorly protected computers that could be used to infiltrate companies. Be sure to install capable antivirus software. Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender by default, but you can opt for free alternatives such as Avast and Avira, or paid solutions such as Norton or Kaspersky.

Pay special attention to phishing attempts, especially by e-mail. Cyber hackers do not hesitate to send misleading e-mails reporting a problem with your account. The link leads to a fake site that asks for your login details, which are immediately forwarded to the author. To avoid this, always access your account using your bookmarks, rather than clicking on a link in an e-mail.

Improve the security of your accounts by enabling two-factor authentication where possible. For example, two-factor authentication requires a code sent to the mobile phone in addition to the password to log in. Finally, use a password manager such as LastPass or Dashlane. It allows you to create more complex and secure passwords without having to memorize them. Also, it helps to protect against phishing because the manager only fills in the credentials if you are on the right site.

Lock down: browse the web with a VPN

A VPN securize the connection between your computer, or other devices, and a remote server. All data transmitted between your computer and the Internet is encrypted and then redirected through the VPN. Sites only see the IP address of the server, which allows you to surf anonymously. The advantage is that not only will your data be impossible to decipher, but without your IP address, it will be impossible to scan your computer for vulnerabilities to infiltrate it.

Most services offer servers all over the world. So you can bypass geolocation-based blocks by connecting from Amsterdam, London, or New York. There are many VPN service providers, including PureVPN, which is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

It is now six months since the opening of 5G networks around the world began. Last August, the GSMA operators and manufacturers association published an inventory of the deployment. At that time, 5G was marketed in 20 countries by 40 operators, with 136 terminals available. 

Which services and uses?

At the moment, there is little creativity on the part of operators who have already launched 5G. They both offer two types of services: 5G boxes for fixed wireless access and mobile network.

Some additional service deployments such as Sunrise which will launch a 5G cloud gaming application in November. Virtual reality and augmented reality are also widely discussed, especially at sporting events with second-screen applications that allow for a different experience of retransmissions. But overall, for the general public, the promise remains focused on connection speed, which is around 1 Gbit/s.

A few technical problems accompanied the launch of 5G commercial networks in many countries in the early days. The award was given to Vodafone, whose users reached 5G speeds lower than 4G in London or Manchester in September.

Finally, opposition to 5G from anti-waves is stronger than when 4G was launched. In Switzerland, for example, cantons have imposed moratoria, while online demonstrations and petitions are increasing. It will delay deployments to cities.

Which subscription model?

In terms of package prices, three models seem to emerge. The first, very classic, is the one that takes place in South Korea. This country is an example with its three national operators that have switched to 5G, and almost covered population, 3.5 million 5G users and a threefold increase in data traffic. The 5G is sold more or less expensive depending on the quantity of mobile internet offered, from 43 dollars for 8 GB of data to 70 dollars for unlimited.

Korea has therefore chosen relatively convenient tariffs. In contrast, the United States has maintained high prices of up to $100 per month.

The second, rarer model is that of the operator Elisa in Finland. It has chosen to modulate its offers according to the connection speed. You need to count 50 dollars per month for 1 Gbit/s, 40 dollars for 600 Mbit/s, 32 dollars for 300 Mbit/s.

Finally, the third model, there are a few cases of operators who have chosen to keep the same 4G packages and add a supplement to them to obtain 5G — about 9 dollars in the case of Sunrise in Switzerland and Verizon in the United States.

While Pixel 4s are impressive in many ways, Google focused on a few key features during its conference. The focus was on photography, but the firm ignored some new features that XDA Developers has compiled.

The 90 Hz display can be set

If the Pixel 4 is equipped with a 90 Hz OLED display, it is ultimately the software that will dynamically choose when to prefer this refresh rate to the classic 60 Hz one.

While Google probably made this choice to optimize the autonomy of its smartphone, some people can no longer do without an extended refresh rate (and we understand them). It is possible, via an option reserved for developers, to force the 90 Hz display permanently.

Live Caption reserved for the English language

We suspected it a little bit, but there’s no point in confusing ourselves with false hopes. Live Caption, the feature that allows the Pixel 4 to transcribe dialogues in real-time (and even offline!) is currently only available in English.

Top Shot allows an even more precise selection

Introduced on Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Top Shot is a feature that enables the smartphone to capture 10 photos in a row and automatically select the two best shots in the package.

For even more precision in the exercise, Pixel 4 will now be able to do the same thing, but with a short video (press the button). The objective is to be able to choose even more precisely THE perfect moment to keep in your image.

Nevertheless, according to Android Police, a snapshot obtained from a short Top Shot video will be saved in 768 x 1024 pixels against 2048 x 1536 pixels via the original functionality.

The telephoto lens will now be used for portraits

The Pixel 4s are equipped with a second lens with an extended focal length. And like Apple on its iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and iPhone Xs, it is now this telephoto lens that will be used by Google for portrait mode.

The idea was to tighten the frame and better consider the depth of field to minimize false positives during digital processing.

The new Google Assistant

Google launched a new interface for its Assistant. Even soberer and intelligent, this one will eventually be available on the Pixel 3, 3 XL and 3a.

However, we have no certainty about the “when.”

Astrophotography mode

Already excellent in low light, the third generation Pixels will benefit from the new astrophotography mode of Pixel 4.

For convincing results, you will need to place your smartphone on a tripod or, failing that, on a stationary surface for the duration of the installation.

Again, there is no indication as to when the functionality will be available on older generation pixels.

According to the many VPN ads on the Internet, a VPN is first and foremost a tool to get rid of dangerous hackers who are after our data. That’s true, but a VPN is not limited to that alone. Here are the three main VPN uses on your PC, smartphone, or even TV sets under Android TV.

Access Netflix’s foreign catalog

VPNs make it easy to relocate your connection abroad. A server located in the United States will, therefore, allow accessing Netflix’s American catalog as if you were present on American territory.

One of the main advantages of a VPN is that it provides access to Netflix’s American and foreign catalogs.

Generally speaking, a VPN makes it possible to bypass what is known as “geoblocking” which are blockages set up by websites or services depending on the countries where you are in. It is the case with Netflix – whose American catalog is much more complete than the European one – but it also works for Amazon Prime Video or to access American television channels.

Bypassing geoblocking also has another useful purpose: it lowers the price of rentals or online services. The cost of a rental car can vary from 5 to 15%, depending on the country where you are searching from. Just connect to a VPN to test the prices by changing servers from the VPN application to a different country.

Protect your anonymity online

So here we are, on the Internet, malicious people are lurking next to your connection. They want your data, they want to get your credit card numbers, they want to know what you do every night on these ponies sites.

Of course, there are not any malicious hackers who are after your data every day. But like it or not, the web is nowadays very much monitored. Whether on peer-to-peer networks or through social networks that like to know where you are connecting from and what you are doing, it is difficult to hide from the state or large technology companies.

Here’s how a VPN works: a secure and encrypted tunnel is created between your device and the server. The server will then go on the Internet, but the data it will send you are undecipherable.

What a VPN does not allow

Today, the VPN is an actual digital Swiss army knife. It can also bypass censorship of countries that restrict Internet access (China, Iran, to name but a few), guarantee connection security at open WiFi access points, or even and generally ensure your online anonymity.

On the other hand, a VPN is not a digital shield against various cyber threats. If it protects your connection by encrypting it, it will not protect you from viruses and does not protect you from social engineering. By definition, a VPN does not look at the data you download or use: it cannot do anything if you go to suspicious sites or download suspicious files!

The flagship smartphone of the Cupertino’s firm is renewed, without significant aesthetic changes, with an ambitious camera and new functions to exploit computer photography, one of the trends in mobility lately.

Faster, more powerful, and with an ambitious camera.

This is the new iPhone 11 Pro, which the American company Apple presented this Tuesday in a keynote event. Without significant aesthetic changes, the flagship Apple product has opted for a renewed photographic section that stands out for the presence of three lenses located in a square module in the back.

There are three different models available, and Apple clearly stated that this season, the technology giant wants to regain ground in the market after two-quarters of falling sales.

Two models will be available with organic OLED screens, 5.8 and 6.5 inches respectively, which respond to the names of iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, and the third one with a “low cost” LCD panel. To improve some features of organic panels such as the lack of brightness levels, the new terminals release the new Retina XDR technology capable of reaching 1,200 nits brightness.

Improved camera

In addition to this leap, the mobile phone signature of the apple retains some aspects present in previous generations such as the size and the controversial “notch”, that upper tab on the screen that houses the camera selfie and sensors Face ID biometric technology, which again is the security measure to unlock the screen and authorize mobile payments.

On the other hand, its photographic capabilities have been given a twist with three different lenses in the style of the Huawei P30 Pro. The new “eye” that wins is a wide-angle. They will be placed in a square module at the back. The “low cost” model, the iPhone 11, on the other hand, has two rear cameras. These three lenses will allow three different types of zoom and have also taken steps to computer photography. The most critical step is that it has received improvements in image processing through artificial intelligence algorithms and a new function called “deep fusion,” which will improve the level of detail of the photographs.

A13 bionic chip

As expected, the devices are equipped with a more robust chip, the A13 Bionic microprocessor, which outperforms many laptops and is manufactured under a 7-nanometer process. As Apple does not usually reveal the RAM, this data is unknown until future tests by analysts. Nor has he mentioned the density of the battery, although he has promised that the iPhone 11 Pro Max model gains up to five hours compared to the iPhone XS Max last year.

With stereo sound, the iPhone 11 also retains the Lightning charging port despite rumors in recent weeks that it was going to jump to USB-C port, which has become the industry standard. All models are equipped with the new version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 13, which introduces multitasking enhancements, more privacy options, and a night mode.

Another expected absence has been the support for the new 5G mobile network connections; this technology is expected to be added next year.

The iPhone 11 Pro will start at $999 and will be available from September 20, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max will start at $1,099.

Intrusion testers and hackers from all around the world have recently been able to add a new dodgy method to their arsenal. This technique automates phishing attacks on two-factor authentication (2FA). Also, 2FAs are nowadays used on a lot of websites, and it is not easy to detect and block. This toolkit was presented last month at the “Hack in the Box” conference in Amsterdam and was released on GitHub a few days later. It is made of two components which are a transparent reverse-proxy called Muraena and a Docker container – called NecroBrowser – to automate Headless Chromium instances.

A tool for creating a phishing site in no time!

Muraena and NecroBrowser were designed to overcome these protections and automate most of the process of such a hack. It means that more attackers can now launch phishing attacks that can bypass 2FA protection on popular high risks websites. Michele Orru, former developer of the Browser Exploitation Framework Project (BeEF), and Giuseppe Trotta, member of the Bettercap project, created those tools.

Written with the Go programming language, Muraena can be compiled and executed on any platform where Go language is available. Once deployed, the attacker can configure his phishing domain and obtain a legitimate certificate for it, for example, by using the Let’s Encrypt Free certification authority. It contains a minimal web server that acts as a reverse-proxy and a crawler that automatically determines proxy resources from the legitimate website. The agent transparently rewrites the requests received from the victim before forwarding them. The crawler automatically creates a JSON configuration file. Pirates can then modify it to bypass various defenses on more complex websites. The package includes sample configuration files for Google, GitHub, and Dropbox.

A big problem but few solutions

Unfortunately, few technical solutions completely block such server-side phishing attacks. Muraena shows that techniques such as SRI and CSP have a limited effect and can be bypassed automatically. Besides, the tool indicates that 2FA is not a foolproof solution.

However, this type of proxy phishing cannot defeat some 2FA implementations such as those using USB hardware tokens with Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) support. It is because these USB tokens establish a cryptographically verified connection to the legitimate website through the browser, which does not pass through the attacker’s reverse-proxy. Also, solutions based on codes received by SMS or generated by mobile authentication applications are vulnerable, as victims have to enter them manually.

Vigilance is required

Another technical solution to check if the user enters his or her credentials on the right website. Google has developed such an extension for Chrome called Password Alert.

It alerts users if they try to open their Google credentials on a site that does not belong to Google.
Training users to be vigilant and ensure that they authenticate themselves on the right website with the right domain name remains very important. The presence of a TLS/SSL indicator and a valid certificate are not sufficient to consider a website legitimate.

Certificates can now be easily obtained free of charge so that most phishing sites will be HTTPS compliant.

Three major releases of high-end Android smartphones will be at the center of nerd’s attention in the last months of 2019. It will be interesting for those who are considering changing their mobile phone by the winter holidays or who hope to get their hands on the device that offers the best value for money.

Huawei Mate 30

Huawei will release a new model from its flagship Mate series. What’s more, if you look back over the past few years, the next Mate may well be the best smartphone of the year. But the Mate 30 could also allow Huawei to get back into everyone’s good papers. At least for some time to come.

If the Mate 20 had inherited the exceptional prowess of the P20 camera, the Mate 30 should do much the same thing with the P30 as its base. The Mate 30 will most likely inherit the P30’s circular rear camera and will have a 3D facial unlocking function. We also know that it will run on the next generation of Kirin processors manufactured in China by Huawei. Finally, according to the latest rumours, Huawei is expected to launch a Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro around September 19, the date Apple has chosen this year for the launch of its iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

The Galaxy Fold has not projected the best image for folding phones. However, the Galaxy Fold still presents itself as the first folding phone available to the general public. We don’t know if Samsung will be able to offer an engaging, robust, and convincing device that will pave the way for a mainstream market. But it will always be exciting to see what the Fold can bring.

Since the forced launch of the Fold in April, there are certainly fewer mysteries about what it contains. But little is known about the design and no information has been leaked about possible design changes. Because the question is whether Samsung’s foldable mobile phone is capable of withstanding regular and daily use. However, the problems encountered by previous versions of the Fold do not make it possible to validate the hype initiated by the manufacturer. In any case, Samsung says the Galaxy Fold will be available in September.

Google’s Pixel 4 released next October

Android fans’ expectations of the fourth generation of Pixel are high. Pixel 4 will already be Google’s first mobile phone with a multi-lens camera. Also, it seems that Google has been very ambitious and promises a great wealth of features. Notably, a 3D facial unlocking function in the Face-ID style, a 90 Hz display and a new form of gestural controls based on the Soli project, first presented by Google in 2015.

And if the Pixel 3a had set the bar higher for mid-range smartphones, the Pixel 4 could well serve as a reference for future premium mobiles. Enough to keep the excitement going! We don’t known when Google plans to deliver its Pixel 4, but the official announcement will likely take place before mid-October. It is usually during this period that Google organizes its Pixel event in anticipation of the holidays.

The way technology has changed, and changing our lives is something that cannot be explained in words. There is a lot more than what meets the eye. It would not be an understatement to state that it is literally controlling our lives.

The competition among tech companies is also at its peak. There is constant research that is going on to perfect already existing technology and to come up with new ones. So every day there is big news that we are hearing. In this article, we will see some of the latest tech news.

Huawei’s Own OS

As mentioned earlier, there is a huge competition and rivalry that is going on among the tech companies and off-late the entire world witnessed one of the greatest fights between two superpowers because of technology. As a result of this, one of the biggest smartphone manufacturer, Huawei, had a huge clash with the US. Hence many European and American companies withdrew their services for Huawei smartphones, and the biggest was Google stopping their Android OS services. Now Huawei has announced that they will roll out their own OS which will hit the market in the near future.

Google to challenge game consoles

It is high time that the gaming industry to up their game. It is because the tech giant which has absolute dominance when it comes to search engines is going to kick off Satdia in November. It was last March that Google announced its gaming service. The sales are expected to start with the limited edition bundles. Until next year there will not be any subscriptions. If everything falls in the right place, there are very good possibilities that the traditional gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation will be obsolete.

The Silicon Valley Hackathon

The Silicon Valley hackathon is, without a doubt, one of the biggest tech events in the world. Techies from all over the world participate. In most of the times, the coders will be concentrating on various other tech related things. But this time IBM’s call for Code Hackathon was California Wildfires. It was a huge surprise that more than 200 developers participated. The contest was, and the task was to create an app that could reduce the destruction caused by massive fire accidents.

Microsoft to offer tools to have secure elections

The brainchild of the world’s richest man Bill Gates has offered to come with tools to make the election and voting process more secure. The best part is that two out of three U.S. election vendors have expressed their interest in the project. The software is in the development states, and it is developed by Galois. At the developer’s conference in Seattle, CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella announced this initiative. The early prototype will be rolled out for the next elections.

Just two decades ago, a word called social media never existed. But today, more than fifty percent of the population of the world has at least one social media account, and we all know that it is an industry that is making billions of dollars.

It would not be an understatement to say that social media has become an undeniable part of our lives. It is said a normal human being spends a minimum of three hours on a daily basis in various social media platforms. We are sure that most of you might use it, but have you given a thought what is the future of social media going to be? We are going to see this in detail.

Being more mobile-oriented

The one that everyone is sure about when it comes to social media is that all the social media platforms will concentrate more on being mobile friendly. It is because more than sixty percent of the traffic comes from smartphones, and the predominant traffic that comes from the desktop is more of a business-oriented. So the mobile interface and the user experience is more like to get better and better.

The LinkedIn Factor

The word great would be an understatement to describe the growth of LinkedIn. Comparing to all other platforms, the growth has been tremendous, and they are having a great run. For professional advertisements, LinkedIn is more likely to become the numero uno. For ads like requirements, LinkedIn will be the most preferred one, and It will definitely fetch people more potential leads. On a monthly basis, nearly five hundred million people are using LinkedIn. It is definitely going to give a very tough competition to all the other players in the game..

More Concentration on YouTube ads

A lot of new video streaming platforms might pop up. But it would definitely take a lot to shake the dominance and the authority that YouTube commands. One of the main reasons will be the increase in the advertising cost on Instagram and Facebook.  When cost cutting is one of the most important agendas in most of the MNCs and startups, their concentration is more likely to divert to YouTube. A good video ad will be able to reach people and can actually generate many potential leads.

The Insta game for big brands

“A picture is worth a 1000 words” Instagram sure did capitalize on that. More than anything getting acquired by Facebook is more like placing the cherry on the top of the cake. For bigger brands for which cost is not a huge deal, they will definitely stick on the Instagram ads. When it comes to branding as of now, there is no better place than Instagram. So there will be good brand reach and also a better possibility of sales.