harmful content Archives

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

‘Loophole’ in law on messaging apps leaves children vulnerable to sexual abuse, says NSPCC

Nearly 39,000 child sex abuse image crimes were documented in the past year, with approximately 38,685 crimes recorded in England and Wales during the 2023/24 period, averaging over 100 incidents per day. Snapchat was identified as the most frequently mentioned app in these cases, accounting for 50% of incidents, followed by Instagram (11%), Facebook (7%), and WhatsApp (6%). The NSPCC and other organizations are advocating for stronger enforcement of the Online Safety Act, citing concerns about a loophole that allows direct messaging services to remove harmful content only if deemed "technically feasible." The NSPCC expressed the need for proactive measures from platforms to prevent becoming "safe havens" for abusers, particularly highlighting risks associated with end-to-end encryption. A 13-year-old victim shared her distressing experience on Snapchat, where she was threatened after sending nude pictures to a stranger. NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood called for immediate government action, criticizing separate regulations for private messaging services that allow tech companies to evade responsibility. The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, mandates social media companies to mitigate illegal and harmful content, but protective measures are still being implemented. Ofcom stated that most services should be capable of removing harmful content, while a government spokesperson reiterated the commitment to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse and to implement the Online Safety Act effectively.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

X Blocks Signal Messenger Links Shared on Posts, DMs, and More—But Why?

Users are experiencing difficulties sharing links from Signal Messenger on Elon Musk's X platform, as these links appear to be blocked. Reports indicate that attempts to share Signal links result in various error messages, affecting public tweets and direct messages. There has been no official explanation from X regarding this restriction. Journalist Matt Binder noted that links to Signal have seemingly vanished from X, with users reporting similar issues. Error messages encountered range from generic notices to alerts labeling posts as harmful content or spam. While links already posted may carry warnings, they can still be accessed; however, links associated with Signal handles or the main website are currently inaccessible. Elon Musk previously endorsed Signal Messenger as a trustworthy alternative to WhatsApp, but the current blockage suggests a shift in his stance on secure messaging.

AppWizard

February 11, 2025

Minecraft’s Top 5 Tips for Safer Gaming

Minecraft is promoting "Top 5 Tips for Safe Gaming" in recognition of Safer Internet Day on February 11, aimed at supporting families in Australia and New Zealand. Recent statistics show that 89% of individuals aged 8-17 in Australia engage in online gaming, with 40% having interacted with strangers and over half of teen gamers encountering harmful content. In New Zealand, 80% of children aged 8-17 are involved in online gaming, with half of teenagers reporting conflicts with friends due to gaming. The tips include: 1. Understand Online Interactions: Teach children not to share personal information, use reporting tools, and maintain open dialogue about interactions. 2. Set Up A Child Account: Use the Xbox Family Settings App for age-appropriate accounts and content settings. 3. Recognise In-Game Purchases: Differentiate between virtual currency and real money, set spending limits, and review purchase requests. 4. Balance Screen Time: Create a balanced schedule for gaming and other activities, set playtime limits, and encourage breaks. 5. Build a Safe Online World: Help set up private servers, use moderation tools, and organize supervised activities within the game.

Tech Optimizer

December 4, 2024

How hackers are using corrupted Microsoft Office files to fool everyone

Corrupted Microsoft Office documents and ZIP files are being used in a phishing campaign that evades antivirus detection, as reported by cybersecurity firm ANY.RUN. This tactic, active since at least August 2024, involves corrupting files to bypass email security protocols while allowing harmful content recovery. The documents are designed to avoid detection by email filters and antivirus software, using QR codes to direct users to fake Microsoft account login pages. Analysis shows these attachments often do not trigger alerts on VirusTotal, as they exploit Microsoft Word and WinRAR's recovery features. This method is categorized as a potential zero-day exploit, aiming to deceive users into opening the files and activating the QR codes for credential harvesting or malware delivery. Security experts stress the importance of user awareness and training to identify phishing attempts, while organizations are enhancing email filtering to detect file corruption patterns. The rise of QR code phishing, or "quishing," adds complexity, as many users are unaware of the risks of scanning codes.

TrendTechie

November 22, 2024

В qBittorrent 5.0.1 разработчики исправили баг с неправильной валидацией TLS-сертификатов, который был в проекте 14 лет

In late October 2024, the qBittorrent project released version 5.0.1, which addressed a 14-year-long issue of improper validation of SSL/TLS certificates, mitigating a vulnerability that exposed users to man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. The vulnerability allowed for remote code execution due to the application’s failure to verify SSL/TLS certificates in the DownloadManager component, first documented in a commit from April 6, 2010. Since then, qBittorrent had accepted any certificate, enabling malicious actors to manipulate network traffic. The default behavior was changed to enforce verification on October 12, 2024. Sharp Security identified four primary risks associated with this vulnerability: 1. An attacker could intercept a request for a Python installer and substitute it with a malicious version. 2. An attacker could replace the update link with a malicious one during the update check. 3. Attackers could modify RSS feed content, inserting malicious URLs. 4. Exploitation through potential buffer overflow vulnerabilities when downloading a GeoIP database from a counterfeit server. An example of exploitation included remote execution of the system application "Calculator." The qBittorrent 5.0 client was released in late September 2024, developed using the Qt toolkit, with source code available on GitHub under the GPLv2+ license.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

Minecraft Winter Drop: new biome, mob, blocks, and more

Minecraft's Winter Drop introduces a new biome called the Pale Garden and a new mob named the Creaking. Players can access this content by enabling experimental features in the Minecraft Launcher. The Pale Garden is a variant of the Dark Forest biome with limited visibility at night and no animal spawns. The Creaking mob cannot be defeated through standard attacks; players must destroy its Creaking Heart block located in a nearby Pale Oak tree. Crafting recipes available include various items made from Pale Oak and Pale Moss, except for Pale Hanging Moss, which grows naturally. The Minecraft Beta and Preview Version 1.21.60.21 adds the ability to pause single-player worlds and a Filter Profanity Toggle for text chats. The update also includes improvements to the Creaking mob and addresses various bugs. The official release date for the Pale Garden update has not been announced, but it may launch in December, January, or February.

AppWizard

November 15, 2024

ADL research finds 1.8m instances of hate or extremist content on Steam

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has raised concerns about extremist content on Valve's Steam platform, reporting over 1.8 million instances of such material from more than 1.5 million users and 73,824 groups. The content includes antisemitic rhetoric, white supremacy, and Nazi iconography. While Valve has guidelines to combat hate speech, the enforcement is inconsistent. The ADL claims that Steam has the technical capability to moderate harmful content but has a lenient content policy that allows extremism to thrive. The organization calls for Valve to make substantial changes to its governance approach to effectively address hate on the platform.

AppWizard

November 14, 2024

Xbox AI transparency report reveals 19 million toxic messages blocked, and improved player safety in Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Xbox's latest AI transparency report for the first half of 2024 highlights significant advancements in moderation techniques that combine artificial intelligence with human oversight. During this period, Xbox blocked over 19 million pieces of content violating its Community Standards. The moderation system employs a dual AI approach for rapid identification and classification of inappropriate messages. Xbox is also implementing advanced moderation tools in games like Minecraft and Call of Duty to reduce toxic behavior. A new 'strike system' has been introduced, where players accumulate strikes for rule violations, with escalating consequences for repeated offenses. Severe violations can lead to immediate permanent suspensions or device bans. The report emphasizes the positive role of AI in enhancing player safety and reducing the burden on human moderators.

AppWizard

October 9, 2024

Russia and Turkey ban Discord messaging app

Russia and Turkey have imposed restrictions on the messaging platform Discord due to its failure to comply with local regulations. In Russia, the internet regulatory body Roskomnadzor cited violations related to terrorism, extremist recruitment, and drug trafficking, while data from NetBlocks confirmed Discord's restriction across multiple internet service providers. A Moscow court recently fined Discord for not removing forbidden content. In Turkey, the telecommunications regulator ICTA linked Discord to serious offenses, including child abuse and online harassment, following a court ruling. Both countries have a history of limiting access to social media under security pretexts.

Winsage

September 30, 2024

This one security feature makes Windows 11 Pro worth every penny

Microsoft's Windows 11 Pro includes the Windows Sandbox feature, which provides a virtualized environment for users to explore the web and download applications without risking their primary system. The Sandbox is isolated, containing any potential malware, and can be easily disposed of with a click. To activate it, users must enable the feature in the Control Panel, which may require a system restart. When launched, it offers a fresh Windows desktop without personal customizations, allowing users to engage with untrusted sources safely. However, transferring files from the Sandbox to the main system can pose risks if those files contain malware. Closing the Sandbox erases all its contents. The inclusion of Windows Sandbox makes upgrading to Windows 11 Pro appealing for users seeking enhanced security.