wake-up call Archives

AppWizard

September 9, 2025

75% Of Top Free Apps Are Spying On You — With Messenger, Pinterest And Lyft Leading 2025’s Most Invasive List

Approximately 75% of the top 100 free mobile apps are tracking user data without explicit consent, as revealed by a study from Tenscope. The most invasive app is Facebook Messenger, scoring 100 out of 100 for invasiveness, collecting over 20 times the data compared to more privacy-conscious apps. Lyft ranks third in terms of data privacy concerns. The study also identified common deceptive design patterns that pressure users into granting excessive permissions, such as 'All or Nothing' consent and complex privacy settings. The 10 most private apps include TeaOnHer, ParentSquare, and Microsoft Edge, which demonstrate that robust functionality can be achieved with minimal data collection.

AppWizard

September 2, 2025

Citizen Lab Exposes Hidden Ties in 20 Android VPN Apps with 700M Downloads

Researchers from Citizen Lab discovered that over 20 popular Android VPN applications, collectively downloaded 700 million times, are interconnected through undisclosed ownership ties. These applications, marketed as independent privacy solutions, share codebases, servers, and encryption vulnerabilities. The VPN providers are categorized into three families linked to a Russian entity, a Chinese company, and another with ambiguous origins. Apps like Turbo VPN, X-VPN, and UFO VPN share cryptographic keys and backdoors, increasing the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks. Many applications use outdated encryption methods, making it easy for attackers to decrypt user traffic. Some apps route user data through servers in jurisdictions with lax privacy regulations, exposing sensitive information. The investigation revealed identical backend infrastructures among different apps, despite claims of no-log policies, breaching user trust. Hidden trackers within the apps contradict their privacy assurances. Regulators are beginning to respond, with Google removing problematic apps and the EU considering stricter data access regulations. Experts recommend choosing vetted, paid VPN services that undergo independent audits to ensure better security.

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Persona 4 Revival game page opens for PC via Steam and PS5 via PlayStation Store

Atlus has launched dedicated game pages for Persona 4 Revival, now available on PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 through the PlayStation Store. The game was originally announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 and is also listed on the Microsoft Store for PC and Xbox Series X|S. The PC version will feature Denuvo Anti-tamper DRM upon launch, though specific PC specifications are not disclosed. To celebrate the release, Atlus is hosting a Persona Franchise Sale on Steam until July 24, offering discounts on various games. Persona 4 Revival is set in the rural Japanese town of Inaba, where players investigate a series of murders while experiencing a journey of self-discovery and encounters with the occult. Key gameplay elements include attending classes, engaging in club activities, and battling "Shadows" in turn-based combat. The game features revamped graphics and allows players to form Social Links with town locals to enhance their journey.

Winsage

July 1, 2025

Teams Classic Is Officially Dead: IT Leaders Face Double Deadline with Windows 10 End-of-Life Looming

Microsoft Teams Classic has officially ceased operations, with all backend services disabled and servers shut down. Many organizations delayed their migrations despite prior announcements, leading to user disruptions and increased support tickets. A study by the UK’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found that over a quarter of UK businesses experienced cyberattacks in the past year, and nearly three-quarters of business leaders anticipate cybersecurity disruptions within the next one to two years. The end of support for Windows 10 is set for October 14, 2025, presenting further challenges for IT teams, particularly in regulated sectors. Organizations face hurdles in migration due to budget constraints, lack of visibility into legacy dependencies, and staff turnover. IT teams must deploy the new Teams client, disable Teams Classic, and ensure clear communication and documentation to mitigate risks.

Winsage

June 20, 2025

Microsoft Ends FrontPage RPC in Secure 365 Update

Microsoft plans to block outdated protocols, including FrontPage Remote Procedure Call, as part of its "Secure by Default" initiative to enhance cybersecurity within its Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This decision aims to phase out legacy technologies that pose security risks, reflecting a broader industry trend toward prioritizing robust cybersecurity over maintaining older systems. The impact will be significant in enterprise environments, where legacy systems are often critical, requiring IT teams to identify dependencies on these protocols. While Microsoft provides guidance for migration, the responsibility lies with customers, which may strain relationships with long-time clients.

Winsage

August 4, 2024

Microsoft Update Warning—70% Of All Windows Users Now At Risk

Microsoft is urging users to transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 due to the approaching end of support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. In June, Microsoft issued a full-screen notification warning users about the lack of technical support and security updates after this date. As of July 2024, Windows 11 has surpassed 30% market share for the first time since its launch in October 2021, with over 7% year-over-year growth. However, more than twice as many users still rely on Windows 10 compared to those who have switched to Windows 11. The transition is expected to accelerate as the October 2025 deadline approaches, but many users may risk operating without official support, increasing their vulnerability to cybercriminals.

Winsage

July 26, 2024

‘Hug your IT folks’: The CrowdStrike outage turned technicians into heroes

An IT crisis struck Atlanta when a faulty update from security software firm CrowdStrike caused an outage, affecting an estimated 8.5 million Windows devices globally. The incident cost companies over billion in revenue, with Fortune 500 companies potentially losing more. IT technicians worked overtime to get systems back up and running, highlighting the importance of IT workers during such crises. Lessons learned included the importance of having an up-to-date business continuity plan, diversifying providers, and storing key data in different places.

Winsage

July 21, 2024

Microsoft Windows Outage A Wake-up Call Of The Risks Our Globalized Society Faces, Says Shrisha Rao – www.lokmattimes.com

The recent Microsoft outage on July 19th, attributed to CrowdStrike, highlighted vulnerabilities in supposedly secure systems, emphasizing the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and contingency plans in our increasingly digital world.

Winsage

July 21, 2024

Airports, hospitals in Canada begin returning to normal after global IT outage

Airports, hospitals, and police services in Canada are recovering from a global technology outage caused by a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows. The glitch affected 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide, leading to flight cancellations, disruptions in health care services, and emergency communication issues. The outage serves as a warning for Canadian organizations to improve industry practices to prevent future disruptions.