financial services Archives

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

Google to Ramp Up Android Security With These New Features for Developers

Google has launched initiatives to enhance the security of its Play Store, focusing on reducing malicious and fraudulent applications. Key measures include upgrading the Play Integrity API to protect users from harmful apps and assist developers in addressing modified applications. Google Play Protect's threat detection will expand to target apps impersonating financial services, with Enhanced Financial Fraud Protection being rolled out to more markets. The app submission process will be streamlined with additional pre-review checks, and developers will receive notifications about policy compliance. Google has introduced "Government" and "Verified" badges for specific app categories and plans to expand this system. Over the past year, Google blocked 2.36 million apps violating Play Store policies and identified significantly more Android malware from third-party sources compared to those on the Play Store.

AppWizard

March 26, 2025

Google Play is working on new categories of badges for Android’s very best apps

Google has been managing the Play Store for over a decade, focusing on the safety and functionality of Android apps. Recently, the company introduced new badges in the Play Store to signify official government applications and trustworthy VPN services, with plans to expand these badges to other app categories. In response to the vulnerability of financial services apps to cyber threats, Google launched a program in Singapore to automatically block sideloaded apps that may indicate financial fraud, with plans to expand this measure to more markets. Additionally, Google is simplifying the app submission process for developers by enhancing education on policy updates and implementing more pre-review checks.

AppWizard

March 24, 2025

Malicious Game Infects Steam Users With Info-Stealing Malware

Steam removed the game Sniper: Phantom's Resolution due to a security breach involving malware designed to extract sensitive user information. The malware was disguised as a legitimate Windows process and employed tactics like executing Node.js scripts and establishing startup persistence. A month earlier, another game, PirateFi, was found to be spreading the Vidar infostealer, affecting up to 1,500 users. Both incidents highlight the risks associated with malware hosted on trusted platforms like Steam, which may exploit vulnerabilities in submission processes. Users often identified suspicious behavior before the platforms did, indicating delayed detection and response times. The lack of timely communication regarding breaches further exacerbates user concerns.

Tech Optimizer

February 28, 2025

Long-dormant Mac malware returns with advanced capabilities

As of 2025, there is an increase in malware threats targeting Apple laptops, particularly a revamped version of XCSSET, which can infiltrate Xcode projects and has enhanced capabilities that make it harder to detect. This malware employs advanced code scrambling techniques and disguises its true purpose by renaming code components. Once it infects a Mac, it embeds itself in system files and replaces the Launchpad shortcut with a counterfeit version that runs both the genuine Launchpad and the malware. XCSSET is capable of stealing sensitive information, including data from digital wallets and the Notes app, as well as gathering system information and files. It can be updated with new capabilities, increasing its data-stealing potential over time. To protect against such threats, users are advised to install strong antivirus software, be cautious with downloads and links, keep software updated, use strong and unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication.

Tech Optimizer

February 19, 2025

EDB Expands Partner Program to Drive Global Postgres & AI Growth

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has expanded its Partner Program to support businesses and solution providers in utilizing an enterprise-grade Postgres data management platform for AI-driven data innovation. Over 35% of organizations are seeking enterprise-grade Postgres capabilities, with more than 67% of data workloads being hybrid. A McKinsey survey indicates that 65% of organizations are using generative AI in at least one business function. The enhanced EDB Partner Program offers on-demand support throughout the sales lifecycle, exclusive training and certification, increased go-to-market commitments, a personalized digital experience through the EDB Partner Portal, and showcases customer success stories. EDB aims to empower partners to help customers innovate and scale effectively in an AI-driven environment.

Tech Optimizer

February 17, 2025

Mac users beware: AI-powered malware threats are on the rise

Apple devices, particularly Macs, are facing an increase in cyberattacks, with a new wave of sophisticated malware targeting sensitive data. The emergence of Atomic Stealer (AMOS) in mid-2023 marked a shift from less harmful adware to more serious threats, with AMOS being marketed as a user-friendly service. By mid-2024, Poseidon became the leading Mac information stealer, responsible for 70% of infections and capable of draining various cryptocurrency wallets and capturing sensitive credentials. Cybercriminals are also using malvertising to lure users into downloading disguised malware. Android users are experiencing an even more severe situation, with a significant rise in phishing attacks. In 2024, researchers identified 22,800 malicious apps designed for phishing, along with thousands capable of reading one-time passwords (OTPs). These apps often mimic legitimate software and can easily infiltrate app stores, including Google Play. While Google Play Protect offers some malware protection, it is not entirely effective. To protect against malware threats, it is recommended to use strong antivirus software, be cautious with downloads and links, keep software updated, use strong and unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for critical accounts.

Tech Optimizer

February 14, 2025

EDB Strengthens Partner Program to Accelerate Postgres® and AI Adoption Worldwide

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has expanded its Partner Program to support businesses and solution providers in response to the growing demand for enterprise-grade Postgres data management platforms, particularly for AI-driven data innovation. Over 35% of enterprises are seeking robust Postgres capabilities, with more than 67% of data workloads being hybrid. A McKinsey survey indicates that 65% of organizations are using generative AI in at least one business function. The enhanced EDB Partner Program includes exclusive training and certification, increased go-to-market commitments, a personalized digital experience through the EDB Partner Portal, and an industry success hub showcasing customer implementations. EDB is focusing on empowering partners to help customers innovate and scale in an AI-driven environment.

Tech Optimizer

February 4, 2025

EDB Earns Top Industry Honors with EDB Postgres AI, Appoints Nancy Hensley as Chief Product Officer

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has introduced EDB Postgres® AI, the first unified data and AI platform for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads. Nancy Hensley has been appointed as Chief Product Officer (CPO) to guide the company through its next growth phase. Recent studies show that 35% of enterprises are considering Postgres for database initiatives, with 65% integrating AI in hybrid environments. EDB has achieved several milestones, including recognition as a top database solution and expanding its customer base to over 1,500 globally. EDB is the largest contributor to PostgreSQL, accounting for approximately 30% of code contributions.

Tech Optimizer

February 4, 2025

EDB Bridges Open Source Innovation and Enterprise-Grade Impact with CloudNativePG’s CNCF Milestone

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has announced that its open-source Kubernetes operator for PostgreSQL, CloudNativePG (CNPG), has been accepted into the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Sandbox. This acceptance underscores the significance of Kubernetes in enterprise strategies and EDB's commitment to innovation. CloudNativePG is recognized as the most popular PostgreSQL operator for Kubernetes on GitHub, with over 5,000 stars. EDB provides a data and AI platform that supports over 1,500 customers globally, including major government agencies and leading companies in various sectors.

Tech Optimizer

December 11, 2024

EDB Brings Cloud Agility and Observability to Hybrid Environments with Sovereign Control

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has introduced advancements to its EDB Postgres® AI platform, enabling enterprises to implement secure, adaptable AI-driven applications within a sovereign, hybrid framework. The platform offers a unified interface for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads, facilitating quicker AI project development. A recent EDB study found that over 56% of organizations are deploying mission-critical workloads in a hybrid model. The EDB Postgres AI platform features a Hybrid Control Plane for centralized management and automation, enhancing application performance and database health monitoring. The AI Accelerator allows enterprises to test and deploy generative AI applications within the Postgres environment, automating the data pipeline. The Analytics Accelerator improves high-performance analytics and offers near real-time OLAP capabilities. PostgreSQL version 17 is now available across EDB products, supporting various deployment environments. EDB serves over 1,500 customers globally, providing high availability and compliance controls.