Beware Of That Unsubscribe Button; Microsoft Botches Another Windows 11 Update; Another Week, Another Data Breach;… and More!
Every day, we scan the tech world for interesting news, sometimes from outside the tech world. Every Thursday, we feature news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s ‘Thursday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!
Eerie reasoning experts are warning people to think before clicking ‘unsubscribe’ from emails
It could lead to something worse than spam
Getting spam emails from places you have no interest in is one of the more frustrating parts of the online experience, yet tech experts have warned against blindly unsubscribing from these as it could lead to something far more dangerous.
We’ve certainly all been there – you signed up for a newsletter over a decade ago and somehow your email account is still getting weekly or even daily updates.
It becomes easy enough to ignore after a certain amount of time, especially if your unread emails have piled into the thousands over the years, but it’s probably got to the point where it’d best for all parties if you just simply hit the unsubscribe button.
However, while you might think that doing so would not only free up your inbox but also protect you from any spam, tech experts have revealed that cybercriminals are now hiding sophisticated attacks through these unsubscribe buttons…
Microsoft creates separate Windows 11 24H2 update for incompatible PCs
Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it’s pushing a revised security update targeting some Windows 11 24H2 systems incompatible with the initial update released during this month’s Patch Tuesday.
“This update is being gradually rolled out to devices running Windows 11, version 24H2. We’ve identified a compatibility issue affecting a limited set of these devices,” the company said in a Twitter thread.
“If your device is affected, you’ll receive a revised update with all the June 2025 security improvements in the near term.”
In a message center update on Tuesday, Redmond added that “the June 2025 security update is fully available for all other supported versions of Windows.”
Microsoft has yet to disclose the hardware or software configurations affected by the compatibility issue that prompted the release of a revised security update and how the affected PCs were impacted after installing this month’s Patch Tuesday cumulative updates.
Also, the company didn’t share if this was the first time it released a revised Patch Tuesday update…
Read More at Bleeping Computer.
Massive data breach exposes 184 million passwords and logins
The database was unencrypted without any password protection
Data breaches are no longer rare events but a persistent problem.
We’ve been seeing regular incidents at public-facing companies across various sectors, including healthcare, retail and finance. While bad actors are certainly to blame, these corporations aren’t entirely without fault. They often make it easy for hackers to access user data by failing to protect it properly.
A recent example came to light when a cybersecurity researcher discovered an open database containing over 184 million account credentials.
How the database was uncovered and what it contained
Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler has revealed the existence of an open database that contains 184,162,718 million account credentials. These include email addresses, passwords, usernames and URLs for platforms such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Snapchat…
I don’t trust Windows Update anymore, and you shouldn’t either — here’s why
Windows Update is a core component of Windows 11, and obviously, it’s an important one. Delivering security fixes and improvements, along with new features, it keeps your PC running safely and can often make it better in many ways.
But for all the good it can do, Windows Update has been tainted by Microsoft’s poor implementation and safety mechanisms that often do more harm than good. You may think you’re doing a good thing by letting updates install freely on your PC, but there are some reasons to be cautious. Here’s why you shouldn’t blindly trust Windows Update.
The foundation of modern Windows updates means that every single month, your PC will get a new cumulative update with new improvements and fixes. These updates are rolled out on the second Tuesday of each month — what we call Patch Tuesday — and they’re mandatory for every Windows 11 PC. They may not install right away, but typically, within the next couple of days, the update will be automatically downloaded and installed, and you’ll be prompted to restart your PC.
Ignoring that prompt can be a problem sometimes, too….
Microsoft is ruining Notepad with pointless formatting in Windows 11
Sigh. Microsoft just can’t leave well enough alone. The company is now injecting formatting features into Notepad, a program that has long been appreciated for one thing — its simplicity. You see, starting with version 11.2504.50.0, this update is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, and it adds bold text, italics, hyperlinks, lists, and even headers.
Sadly, this isn’t a joke. Notepad is actually being turned into a watered-down word processor, complete with a formatting toolbar and Markdown support. Users can even toggle between styled content and raw Markdown syntax. And while Microsoft is giving you the option to disable formatting or strip it all out, it’s clear the direction of the app is changing.
It’s hard not to feel like this is a solution in search of a problem. Notepad has always been the go-to place to jot something down fast, open a config file without clutter, or write code without distractions. Now, it risks turning into yet another bloated Windows utility…
Thanks for reading this week’s Thursday Newbytes. We hope these articles were informative, interesting, fun, and helpful.
