Fearing forced Windows 10 upgrades, users are disabling critical updates instead

Microsoft stepped on the gas in its quest to drive Windows 7 and 8 users to Windows 10 over the past couple of weeks, rolling the upgrade out as a Recommended update. Watch out! The only behavior that could deny the Windows 10 upgrade before—closing the pop-up by pressing the X in the upper-right corner—now counts as consent for the upgrade, and worse, the upgrade installation can automatically begin even if you take no action whatsoever.It’s nasty business, and it’s tricking legions of happy Windows 7 and 8 users into Windows 10. Over the past week, I’ve received more contact from readers about this issue than I have about everything else I’ve written over the rest of my career combined. But beyond merely burning bridges with consumers, these forced, non-consensual upgrades could have more insidious consequences.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Shared malware code links SWIFT-related breaches at banks and North Korean hackers

Malware links suggest that North Korean hackers might be behind recent attacks against several Asian banks, including the theft of US$81 million from the Bangladesh central bank earlier this year.Security researchers from Symantec have found evidence that the malware used in the Bangladesh Bank cyberheist was used in targeted attacks against an unnamed bank in the Philippines. The same malware was also previously linked to an attempted theft of $1 million from Tien Phong Bank in Vietnam.Symantec confirmed the earlier findings of researchers from BAE Systems who found code similarities between the Bangladesh Bank malware, which was used to modify SWIFT transfers, and the malicious program used in attacks against Sony Pictures Entertainment in December 2014.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Shared malware code links SWIFT-related breaches at banks and North Korean hackers

Malware links suggest that North Korean hackers might be behind recent attacks against several Asian banks, including the theft of US$81 million from the Bangladesh central bank earlier this year.Security researchers from Symantec have found evidence that the malware used in the Bangladesh Bank cyberheist was used in targeted attacks against an unnamed bank in the Philippines. The same malware was also previously linked to an attempted theft of $1 million from Tien Phong Bank in Vietnam.Symantec confirmed the earlier findings of researchers from BAE Systems who found code similarities between the Bangladesh Bank malware, which was used to modify SWIFT transfers, and the malicious program used in attacks against Sony Pictures Entertainment in December 2014.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

4 LinkedIn messaging tips for career builders

Maybe you're in the middle of a software deployment and need advice from someone who's been there. Perhaps you're seeking a new mentor to help you carve out a career path or improve an existing skillset. Either way, navigating LinkedIn's waters, which are full of HR representatives, recruiters, jobseekers and managers, isn't always easy.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Senate proposal to require encryption workarounds may be dead

A proposal in the U.S. Senate to require smartphone OS developers and other tech vendors to break their own encryption at the request of law enforcement may be dead on arrival.The proposal, released as a discussion draft last month, may not be formally introduced this year because of strong opposition, according to a Reuters report.The draft bill, pushed by Senators Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, would allow judges to order tech companies to comply with requests from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to help them defeat security measures and break into devices.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Senate proposal to require encryption workarounds may be dead

A proposal in the U.S. Senate to require smartphone OS developers and other tech vendors to break their own encryption at the request of law enforcement may be dead on arrival.The proposal, released as a discussion draft last month, may not be formally introduced this year because of strong opposition, according to a Reuters report.The draft bill, pushed by Senators Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, would allow judges to order tech companies to comply with requests from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to help them defeat security measures and break into devices.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Data gravity: The new KPI for tech companies

Data is the new natural resource of our time. Information that was previously thrown away is transforming every facet of business as organizations use technology to query and analyze data in real time to help them better understand their customers’ behaviour and markets. Such knowledge and insight is helping businesses make better decisions and improve performance.  Yet for data to be worth anything, organizations must have the ability to store it. With more data being created every 20 minutes than is currently held by the Library of Congress, many organizations are overwhelmed by petabytes (one petabyte is the equivalent of 20 million filing cabinets of text). As a result, companies are moving to the cloud—not only because of its flexibility, cost efficiency and reliability, but because of the impact of “data gravity.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New JavaScript spam wave distributes Locky ransomware

Over the past week, computers throughout Europe and other places have been hit by a massive email spam campaign carrying malicious JavaScript attachments that install the Locky ransomware program.Antivirus firm ESET has observed a spike in detections of JS/Danger.ScriptAttachment, a malware downloader written in JavaScript that started on May 22 and peaked on May 25.Many countries in Europe have been affected, with the highest detection rates being observed in Luxembourg (67 percent), the Czech Republic (60 percent), Austria (57 percent), the Netherlands (54 percent) and the U.K. (51 percent). The company's telemetry data also showed significant detection rates for this threat in Canada and the U.S.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New JavaScript spam wave distributes Locky ransomware

Over the past week, computers throughout Europe and other places have been hit by a massive email spam campaign carrying malicious JavaScript attachments that install the Locky ransomware program.Antivirus firm ESET has observed a spike in detections of JS/Danger.ScriptAttachment, a malware downloader written in JavaScript that started on May 22 and peaked on May 25.Many countries in Europe have been affected, with the highest detection rates being observed in Luxembourg (67 percent), the Czech Republic (60 percent), Austria (57 percent), the Netherlands (54 percent) and the U.K. (51 percent). The company's telemetry data also showed significant detection rates for this threat in Canada and the U.S.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Optimize Your Data Center: Ditch the Legacy Technologies

In our journey toward two-switch data center we covered:

It’s time for the next step: get rid of legacy technologies like six 1GE interfaces per server or two FC interface cards in every server.

Need more details? Watch the Designing Private Cloud Infrastructure webinar. How about an interactive discussion? Register for the Building Next-Generation Data Center course.

Micro-Fiber, Meet Micro-Segmentation! Columbia Sportswear Virtualizes the Network, Saves Millions

With 110 stores in North America, 46 data center locations, and $2 billion in revenue, Columbia Sportswear is constantly processing huge amounts of data—data whose security was being compromised by their inadequate hardware-defined data center.

When Columbia Sportswear virtualized their network, they not only stepped up their security; they also saved $16 million over a comparable hardware-based security approach.

Download our free ebook: Redefining Networking with Network Virtualization

How? Find out here. Follow their process step by step in the infographic below.

15VM061-Columbia_Sportswear_Infographic_Final 3

The post Micro-Fiber, Meet Micro-Segmentation! Columbia Sportswear Virtualizes the Network, Saves Millions appeared first on The Network Virtualization Blog.

Multiple U.S. trials underway for shared 3.5GHz wireless spectrum

Six technology companies, including Google, are working on trial projects in multiple U.S. cities to test out shared 3.5GHz spectrum wireless communications under an innovative model adopted recently by the Federal Communications Commission.The companies are working in an coalition that is tentatively being called the CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) Alliance, which borrows the CBRS terminology from the FCC. Some of the companies in the alliance have already demonstrated what they call OpenG technology, which uses 3.5GHz shared spectrum to improve indoor wireless communications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Multiple U.S. trials underway for shared 3.5GHz wireless spectrum

Six technology companies, including Google, are working on trial projects in multiple U.S. cities to test out shared 3.5GHz spectrum wireless communications under an innovative model adopted recently by the Federal Communications Commission.The companies are working in an coalition that is tentatively being called the CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) Alliance, which borrows the CBRS terminology from the FCC. Some of the companies in the alliance have already demonstrated what they call OpenG technology, which uses 3.5GHz shared spectrum to improve indoor wireless communications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Google cleared of infringement in Oracle lawsuit over Java

A jury in San Francisco on Thursday cleared Google of copyright infringement in a case brought by Oracle over Google’s use of Java in Android.The jury of eight women and two men took three days of deliberation to reach its verdict. Oracle was seeking up to $9 billion in damages, making it a huge victory for Google and its legal team."Your work is done," Judge William Alsup told the jury after the verdict was read.Oracle's lawyers sat stoney faced after the verdict was read, but shortly afterward the company said it would continue the battle.+ BACKGROUND: Oracle cries foul over expert in Java case against Google +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here