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Looking specifically as LinkedIn and Instagram, bad actors could execute remote code attack on servers. Most chat apps use link previews to highlight received links alongside a preview image. It’s useful for the user because they can get an idea of what the link is about without clicking on it. Research from Talai Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk finds this useful tool can also leak IP addresses. Some links have been found to be “unnecessarily downloading gigabytes of data quietly in the background....

KrebsOnSecurity investigated many of the fake LinkedIn profiles, which combine text copied from real executive accounts with AI-generated profile images. The security outlet found many inauthentic accounts that were all pretending to be Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) at Fortune 500 companies. Following that report, feedback from LinkedIn users and HR departments using the network is that the false profiles are everywhere, mostly mimicking executive positions within major organizations. KrebsOnSecurity provides several first-hand accounts from businesses that have been affected by the phony profiles....

According to the South China Morning Post, LinkedIn and the other companies took the action in response to new security laws in Hong Kong. Under those changes, new crimes were created. For example, conspiring with foreigners to incite hatred towards the Chinese government. This new crime carries a sentence of life imprisonment even though it seems like a groundless accusation. The rules are controversial because they apparently break a pact China made when it took Hong Kong back from the British in 1997....

If enforced, the companies may have to pay a combined maximum fine of over €18.8 billion ($21.3 bn). As GDPR violations can take the form of 4% of global revenues, Apple would be hit the hardest, with a maximum fine of €8.02 billion ($9.13 bn). The news comes as Apple CEO Tim Cook calls for the US government to double down on privacy legislation. “In 2019, it’s time to stand up for the right to privacy—yours, mine, all of ours,” said Cook in a op-ed in Time....

The decision came from the Trump administration on Wednesday and rolls back defenses for transgender Americans in schools. States and local school boards will now be able to decide if transgender students can use the bathroom fitting their gender identity. In doing so, the administration has suggested a wider view that transgender citizens aren’t protected under federal anti-discrimination civil rights. “This is a states’ rights issue and not one for the federal government,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer....

When he was just 16 years old, Mudd created a malicious code called Titanium Stresser. After building the malware, he set up a business and started selling it to hackers. The success of the code allowed the teenager to make £386,000. Far more than his own monetary gain, the code allowed 1.7 million hacks to be carried out worldwide. The court found Adam Mudd guilty of carrying out 594 distributed denial of services attacks against 181 IP addresses....

Considering the ongoing legal wrangling over Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, Microsoft’s push is as timely as ever. In a blog post detailed Microsoft 365 for Campaigns, Microsoft said campaigns are often stretched and don’t have funds to roll out a robust security operation. With Microsoft 365 for Campaigns, politicians and their organization can leverage security “regardless of level of technical experience”. In the blog post, Jan Neutze, Senior Director Digital Diplomacy at Microsoft, detailed some of the abilities of Campaigns:...

The latter of those additions is a Windows 10 app built by Microsoft and the National Federation of the Blind and Sensotec. Users can already download the application, which allows people with print disabilities to get content by photographing the document. KNFB Readers concerts the image to text, which can be read aloud in synthesized speech. Alternatively, the content can be connected to a refreshable Braille display. Microsoft says the underlying technology can use audio and vibration to place the camera for a perfect image....

SWNG is a ‘living photos’ app that lets iOS users capture interactive images. Users can “capture one-second moments that magically come to life,” such as 3D selfies. Users can playback animations by swiping or moving a mouse cursor or export them as slow-motion video to the camera roll. It’s also available in iMessage for easy sharing. Skype Development It’s an interesting concept, but it seems Microsoft is buying the team alongside its app....

In a confirmation statement, Microsoft highlighted the problem. The company says users running Microsoft Edge through the latest Windows 10 January cumulative (KB4480973) will encounter the issue. “After installing [this month’s cumulative update], some users report that they cannot load a webpage in Microsoft Edge using a local IP address. Browsing fails or the webpage may become unresponsive.” All cumulative updates for Windows 10 version 1703 and above are experiencing the problem....

John Montgomery, VP of program management and developer tools and services, says Microsoft will work with JClarity to make Azure a better solution for Java users. “Microsoft Azure and JClarity engineers will be working together to make Azure a better platform for our Java customers and internal teams, improving the experience … of the platform for Java developers and end-users,” said Montgomery. “At Microsoft, we strongly believe that we can do more for our customers by working alongside the Java community … The [JClarity] team, formed by Java champions and data scientists with proven expertise in data-driven Java Virtual Machine (JVM) optimizations, will help teams at Microsoft to leverage advancements in the Java platform....

Microsoft says it is rolling out the capability to Cortana on iOS, Android, Windows (PC), and eventually the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker. Yes, that’s right, no Windows 10 Mobile support to speak of. There is another important limitation. For the time being, the Fitbit skill is only available in the United States. Starting to link Fitbit wearables to the digital assistant is as simple as connecting your Fitbit account....

Among those new features is a Report Server. This allows organizations to safely store their data behind a security firewall. Additionally, Power BI Premium will be based on a dynamic pricing scale that charges users depending on content creation and frequency of use. As mentioned, Microsoft has also changed the way in which users can share dashboards. Power BI users can still share public dashboards through powerbi.com, an avenue that used to be open for private reports....

“Microsoft understands the unique value FHIR offers to enable management of Protected Health Information (PHI) in the cloud, so we’re advancing Azure technology to enable our health customers the ability to ingest, manage, and persist PHI data across the Azure environment in the native FHIR format,” said Heather Jordan Cartwright, general manager, Microsoft Healthcare, in a blog post. The company says its goal was to craft a new PaaS to put the focus on development rather than resources and tech....

Using the widely popular Spongebob as an example, Microsoft’s blog post showcases its ability to point out the titular character, Patrick, Gary the Snail, and lesser-known characters. Customers can then tag them with names and other data, receiving statistics like the percentage they’re in the video. The improvement was achieved through the use of the Azure Custom Vision Service, with customers able to train AI with custom models in a single pipeline....

The company says the expansion is part of its goal to bring locally held data services to more people Availability in South Africa has been expected as Microsoft opened its first datacenters in the country back in March. The company has facilities in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. “The launch of these regions marks a major milestone for Microsoft as we open our first enterprise-grade datacenters in Africa, becoming the first global provider to deliver cloud services from datacenters on the continent,” the company said at the time....

This is significant because moving to the Beta Ring means Xbox Game Pass is one step closer to a full roll out. Microsoft has still not said when all Xbox One users will get the feature. As usual, the company is asking Insiders to provide feedback on the service. While the company has not put a specific date on launch, Game Pass is scheduled to drop sometime during the spring....

This is an interesting situation because Microsoft is currently stabilizing Windows 10 Redstone 5 ahead of its October release. We presumed the company would reserve Your Phone for what’s to become the October 2018 Update. Instead, the company has rolled out for users running the current Windows 10 1803 build (April 2018 Update). However, Microsoft did not officially announce this release. Your Phone gives users the ability to mirror what appears on a smartphone screen to their PC....

However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says he is concerned working from home could have its own issues. Certainly, it seems the idea that COVID-19 has created a new work culture that will extend beyond the pandemic is not one Nadella shares. “What I miss is when you walk into a physical meeting, you are talking to the person that is next to you, you’re able to connect with them for the two minutes before and after,” Nadella in an interview with the New York Times....

Santorini will reportedly be a flavor of the long-hinted Windows Core OS that adapts to a number of different device types. It appears to be something of a ChromeOS competitor, simplifying things in comparison to Windows 10. Windows Central sources say it will introduce sets, use the Microsoft logo for its start menu, and cut live tiles. However, though mentions of cellular data will inevitably lead to Surface Phone speculation, that isn’t necessarily the case....