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June 17, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Are you a Google Chrome user? If so, be aware that the company recently released a stable version of Chrome 102 and is urging all users of its browser to update right away. The latest release contains a total of 32 security fixes on Windows, Mac and Linux. Of the 32 flaws addressed, eight are […]
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June 14, 2022 by Vertical Axion
A browser hijacker called “ChromeLoader” has had a large uptick in detections this month, which is raising eyebrows among security professionals. ChromeLoader can modify a victim’s web browser settings to show search results that promote unwanted (and usually spammy) software, annoying pop-up ads, fake giveaways, adult games, dating sites, surveys, and the like. As malware […]
June 8, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Phishing campaigns get more effective the more closely they can imitate a trusted source. Recently, security researchers at Fortinet discovered evidence of a phishing campaign that specifically targets Microsoft Windows users and installs three different types of malware on the systems it manages to infect. Among other things, this campaign gives the hackers behind it […]
June 2, 2022 by Vertical Axion
If you’re a member of the Windows Insiders group, then you are likely already aware of this. If not, here’s something else to look forward to when Windows 11 is formally released. Microsoft has been experimenting with a new “Suggested Actions” feature when you copy data onto your clipboard. It all begins with Windows 11 […]
June 1, 2022 by Vertical Axion
At least one group of hackers has learned a new trick you need to be aware of. Security researchers at Kapersky Lab have discovered a malicious campaign-in-progress that is using event logs to store malware. That is a technique that has not been seen or documented until now. This new methodology is designed for maximum […]
May 12, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Has your Windows 10 machine been mysteriously freezing up on you lately? If it has, you’re not alone. Fortunately, Microsoft’s engineers have identified the root cause of that issue and have released a patch that fixes it. The patch you’re looking for is KB5012636. Be aware that this is a cumulative update preview patch for […]
April 19, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft recently confirmed that an account belonging to one of their employees was compromised by the Lapsus$ hacking group, which allowed them to abscond with portions of the company’s source code. Yes, you read that correctly. Microsoft got hacked. They now join the latest in a seemingly unending parade of large tech companies to have […]
April 13, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft recently announced that it was doing a bit of re-branding. The company’s apps that connect Android and iPhones to your Windows PC were formally called “Your Phone.” Under the new re-naming scheme, those apps will now be called “Phone Link.” Hand in hand with that change, Microsoft is also re-naming the mobile companion app, which […]
April 6, 2022 by Vertical Axion
People who are in the habit of pirating movies and software have something new to worry about. It seems hackers have begun targeting at least some of them with a ubiquitous form of malware. On the Dark Web, anyone who is willing to shell out twenty bucks or so can get their hands on a […]
March 29, 2022 by Vertical Axion
If you’re an early adopter playing with the Windows 11 builds as they come out and you are a “Windows Insider,” then you probably already know this. In the latest build, users were treated to a raft of new improvements and enhancements including a new Windows 11 video editor called Clipchamp. The build with the […]
March 2, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Do you use Microsoft Teams and do you have an older PC that struggles with Teams video meetings? If so there’s good news. Microsoft has recently upgraded Teams and halved the power used by Teams video meetings to make life easier on people with older hardware. Of course, even if you’ve got newer hardware this […]
February 19, 2022 by Vertical Axion
Individual users often don’t have a good sense of the scope and scale of hacking attacks around the world. The numbers may shock you. According to Microsoft, in 2021 the company blocked more than 25.6 billion brute force authentication attacks against Azure AD users. They also and intercepted a staggering 35.7 billion phishing emails with […]
January 20, 2022 by Vertical Axion
If you’re managing a company of any size and interested in copying from some other firm’s playbook, Apple is almost always a good choice. Even the folks at Google seem to think so. The search giant recently announced a plan to tighten the integration between Android/Chrome and Windows to create a seamless and hassle-free user […]
January 7, 2022 by Vertical Axion
There’s a new malware strain you should make sure your IT staff is aware of. Called the Dark Watchman, it is a well-designed and highly capable RAT (Remote Access Trojan) paired with a keylogger written in C#. First discovered by researchers at Prevailion this piece of malware likes to lurk in the Windows Registry and […]
December 30, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Two months ago, Microsoft began rolling out support for end-to-end encryption for all Teams calls. Given the pandemic and the increased demand for Teams and services like it, that was a very big deal. The good news is that Microsoft recently announced that the rollout is complete and all Teams calls now support E2EE which […]
December 25, 2021 by Vertical Axion
For a few years now Microsoft has been experimenting with voice commands. Their early experiments were limited to contexts that resided wholly inside specific applications however. For example, once you opened Word you could use voice commands to activate a few of the software’s features. Recently the company decided to take voice controls to a […]
December 17, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Emotet is one of the most feared malware strains circulating right now. The team behind it has managed to infect a staggering array of targets all around the globe. To say that it is a major threat would be an understatement. Recently the group behind Emotet just upped the ante even further. Researchers have recently […]
December 16, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft is making a few UI changes across its entire product line in anticipation of rolling out Windows 11. Early this year (2021) the company announced that they were updating the UI for Office 365 and Office 2021. Over the summer small groups of users participated in an open beta and began playing with the […]
December 13, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft has had a long and interesting relationship with its venerable “Paint” app. Most people are familiar with Paint. It’s been around since the earliest versions of Windows and let’s be honest it was never a great application. It allows users to do the basics but it was quickly eclipsed by more robust and feature-rich […]
December 11, 2021 by Vertical Axion
It’s no real secret that Microsoft has never been a big fan of Chrome, FireFox, or any other web browser that it didn’t build. The company clearly hasn’t gotten over the fact that it lost the browser wars and lost them handily. That’s why it keeps trying periodically to reinvent the wheel offering up new […]
November 23, 2021 by Vertical Axion
If you use Exchange Server to handle your company’s email then you’re probably already aware that a critical security flaw has been discovered that puts the server at risk. The issue is being tracked as CVE-2021-42321 and impacts both Exchange Server 2016 and 2019. Even worse is that Microsoft reports that this issue has been […]
November 19, 2021 by Vertical Axion
If you spend a lot of time browsing the Windows Store you may have noticed something unexpected. You can now download Mozilla’s Firefox browser from that source. Previously Mozilla was unable to upload its browser to the Windows Store because Microsoft’s policies required that all browsers on their platform had to use the engine provided […]
November 17, 2021 by Vertical Axion
There’s great news in your immediate future if you’re one of the legions of Excel users. Recently Microsoft made some behind the scenes changes to the venerable spreadsheet application that allows developers to code their own custom data types for use inside the program. The upgrade isn’t aimed at business executives but rather at developers […]
November 16, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Are you a OneDrive user running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1? If so be aware that on January 1st, 2022 your OneDrive desktop application will reach end of support. The company offered the following by way of explanation: “In order to focus resources on new technologies and operating systems and to provide users […]
