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Wednesday Newsbytes: Watch Out for SIM Card Swapping<\/span><\/strong>, Windows 12 On the Way, Chrome Ends Support for Windows 7 & 8,\u00a0 Google Sued Over Data Collection ..<\/span><\/strong>. and more!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Every day we scan the tech world for interesting news in the world of technology and sometimes from outside the world of technology. Every Wednesday, we feature some news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s\u00a0 ‘Wednesday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!<\/span><\/p>\n SIM Card Swapping: The Dangerous Cell Phone Scam Everyone Needs To Know<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n According to the Pew Research Center, almost all American adults (97%) own a cell phone. While that statistic isn\u2019t surprising, it does show how many of us are susceptible to a dangerous scam: SIM swapping.<\/span><\/p>\n SIM Swapping: What You Need To Know<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In this article, I\u2019ll explain what SIM swapping is and what phone carriers are doing about the issue. I\u2019ll also share some tips on how you can stay safe using today\u2019s technology.<\/span><\/p>\n What Is SIM Swapping?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n SIM swapping, or a SIM swap scam, happens when a crook is able to take control of the personal information stored on your SIM card by using it on another phone.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a successful SIM swap can occur if a scammer impersonates you and contacts your phone service provider with a bogus story.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the FTC\u2019s website, \u201cThey may call your cell phone service provider and say your phone was lost or damaged. Then they ask the provider to activate a new SIM card connected to your phone number on a new phone \u2014 a phone they own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Once scammers successfully take over your phone, they can access your bank account, social media accounts, email account and more. How? While two-factor authentication is typically a decent form of protection, the scammer now has access to your phone number and email. That means they have access to any codes sent through an email or text message…<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more at Clark.com.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Windows 12: Everything we know so far<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n It could be here as soon as 2024<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In early 2021, the prospect of a brand-new version of Windows seemed highly unlikely. Microsoft previously described Windows 10 as \u201cthe last version of Windows\u201d, and it continued adding new features at least twice a year.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the company tore up those plans with the release of Windows 11, which went from abstract concept to official announcement in a matter of weeks. The cancellation of Windows 10X influenced Microsoft\u2019s decision, but Satya Nadella and Co had clearly been considering a new desktop OS for a while.<\/span><\/p>\n With no assurances regarding Windows 11\u2019s lifespan, it\u2019s logical we\u2019ll see a successor at some point. Microsoft is thought to be working on Windows 12 internally, and it could be just two years away. Here\u2019s everything we know at this early stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Will there be a Windows 12?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Most likely, yes. Windows XP and Windows 7 continued receiving updates for 12 and 11 years respectively, while Windows 10 will be a decade old when support ends in October 2025. Windows 8\u2019s four years of mainstream support is the exception here, but that\u2019s primarily due to its overwhelmingly negative reception. If Microsoft continues this trend, Windows 11 would reach end of life sometime between 2031 and 2033. If that\u2019s the case, a new version will need to be available a few years earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n However, there are signs Windows 12 could arrive much sooner. A recent Windows Central article suggests a major new version of Windows will be released every three years. Author Zac Bowden even says that development has begun, with Windows 12 \u201ccurrently in early planning and engineering stages\u201d. It\u2019s even been given an unofficial codename \u2013 \u201cNext Valley\u201d…<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more at Tech Advisor.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Google will end Chrome support on Windows 7 and 8.1 in early 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n You’ll still be able to use older versions of Google’s web browser on those operating systems.<\/span><\/p>\n Google has announced it will end Chrome support on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 early next year. Chrome 110, which is scheduled for release on February 7th, will not work on either of the operating systems. You’ll still be able to use older versions of Chrome on Windows 7 and 8.1, but you’ll no longer be able to install newer builds, which will include new features and security updates.<\/span><\/p>\n On a support page that revealed the news, Google suggested upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 to keep getting Chrome updates. That might be difficult for those whose systems don’t support more recent versions of Microsoft’s OS, businesses that are still stuck on Windows 7 or 8.1 and folks who can’t afford to buy a new computer. Still, Google had to wind down support at some point. The company pointed out that its timeline matches up with Microsoft ending extended support for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on January 10th.<\/span><\/p>\n As it turns out, however, Google will support Chrome on Windows 7 longer than planned. It previously said it would stop offering Chrome updates for the OS in 2021, then this year…<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more at<\/span> Engadget<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Google Sued Over Unauthorized Biometric Data Collection<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Texas has sued Google for allegedly collecting millions of users’ biometric data without their consent.<\/span><\/p>\n A privacy lawsuit has been filed against Google by the Texas attorney general for the alleged unauthorized collection of biometric user data.<\/span><\/p>\n Texas Sues Google for Collecting Private Data<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n On October 20th, 2022, the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, filed a privacy lawsuit against Google after it was revealed that the company seemed to be holding onto biometric data without users’ consent. It is thought that millions of Texans’ biometric data has been collected by Google via various applications and services, including Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Google Nest.<\/span><\/p>\n The collection of biometric identifiers without consent is a breach of user rights and violates the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifiers Act which has been in place for over twelve years.<\/span><\/p>\n Face and Voice Data Was Allegedly Collected by Google<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It is thought that voice and face information has been collected by Google, both of which could threaten a user’s privacy. Even non-users’ data may have been taken indirectly, which puts even more people at risk.<\/span><\/p>\n This unauthorized collection of biometric data could have begun in 2015 or even earlier, and so has gone undetected for many years.<\/span><\/p>\n A privacy lawsuit has been filed against Google by the Texas attorney general for the alleged unauthorized collection of biometric user data.<\/span><\/p>\n In a news release on Paxton’s official website, the attorney general was quoted stating that “Google\u2019s indiscriminate collection of the personal information of Texans, including very sensitive information like biometric identifiers, will not be tolerated”. Paxton also stated that he intends to continue fighting Big Tech to protect the privacy and security of Texas’ citizens…<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more at MakeUseOf.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Microsoft: Vice Society targets schools with multiple ransomware families<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A threat group known as Vice Society has been switching ransomware payloads in attacks targeting the education sector across the United States and worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n While this isn’t necessarily new information, since the group is known for using multiple ransomware strains in some attacks, Microsoft has also seen them use this tactic against organizations in the U.S. education sector between July and October 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n As Microsoft Security Threat Intelligence analysts shared in a report published today, Vice Society (tracked by Redmond as DEV-0832) has been swapping between BlackCat, QuantumLocker, Zeppelin, and a Vice Society-branded variant of Zeppelin ransomware.<\/span><\/p>\n Since September, they’ve shifted to a modified version of their payload dubbed RedAlert that adds the .locked file extension to encrypted documents, according to Microsoft\u2019s analysts.<\/span><\/p>\n While Vice Society runs its own data leak site, it should be noted that the RedAlert and BlackCat operations have their own leak sites as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Besides the strains mentioned in the report, BleepingComputer is aware that the gang has also been deploying HelloKitty\/Five Hands ransomware as part of their attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n Vice Society will also skip the ransomware deployment stage in some attacks, with the operators opting for stealing sensitive data from their victims’ networks and extorting them under the threat of leaking the stolen files online…<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more at Bleeping Computer<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for reading this week’s Wednesday Newbytes. We hope you found these articles informative, interesting, fun, and\/or helpful. Darcy & TC<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wednesday Newsbytes: Watch Out for SIM Card Swapping, Windows 12 On the Way, Chrome Ends Support for Windows 7 & 8,\u00a0 Google Sued Over Data Collection … and more! Every day we scan the tech world for interesting news in the world of technology and sometimes from outside the world of technology. Every Wednesday, we feature\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4179,2247,1678,2509,1426,1674,4372],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24406"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24406"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24444,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24406\/revisions\/24444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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