Geek News

Since the dawn of infosec, the belief that we users are a group of dullard cattle who blindly trade our own security for convenience at every turn has been trumpeted by the stewards of IT and the infosec-arrogant , while bolstered by old research . Not anymore, says a new in-depth study from IBM on consumers' relationships with biometrics, authentication and the future of identity. If they have a choice, consumers now prefer taking extra security steps over using "123456" as a password. According to IBM Security's new " Future of Identity Study ," users of both mobile and desktop are wide awake to what's happening with each new high profile breach, and it's made them change their priorities. Strong security and privacy are now at the forefront of the average user's concerns, especially when it comes to banking, financial, online marketplaces, and their email accounts. That's a sharp contrast to research from Gartner in 2008 , which also...

It's hard watching Facebook struggle. Like how for the past two years it's alternated between looking like it's doing something about fake news, and actually doing something about fake news. The company's latest stab at the problem is saying it will change what people see in their News Feeds. The goal is to show users less posts from companies or brands, and more shares (or posts) from friends, in particular ones its algorithm thinks will get you excited. They're not specifically saying this has anything to do with stopping the spread of fake news from virulent racists, politically active conspiracy theorists, or propaganda farms successfully goading our country into tearing itself apart. No, because that would indicate they've identified the problem. Instead, Facebook says this notable change to the News Feed -- its cash cow fed by your attention -- is to make Facebook feel more positive for users. To bring people closer together. Wink. At this stage,...

Internet slowdowns at home aren't just annoying anymore. They can be hazardous to your health or dangerous if you're in an area that freezes. Internet service provider Armstrong Zoom has roughly a million subscribers in the Northeastern part of the U.S. and is keen to punish those it believes are using file-sharing services. The ISP's response to allegedly naughty customers is bandwidth throttling -- which is when an ISP intentionally slows down your internet service based on what you're doing online. In this case, when said ISP believes you're doing something illegal. As part of its throttling routine, Armstrong Zoom's warning letter openly threatens its suspected file-sharing customers about its ability to use or control their webcams and connected thermostats. The East Coast company stated : "Please be advised that this may affect other services which you may have connected to your internet service, such as the ability to control your thermostat ...