The Marshall Islands and Palau joined Russia and the United States in voting Monday against a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly about Ukraine. Read...

It gives general practices a big funding boost, as well as reducing red tape and targets. Read...

Ages ago, coworkers asked why I covered my laptop’s webcam. Then they saw a video where a hacker used a remote access trojan (RAT) to spy on two people sleeping. They started taping over their webcam lenses, too. But that’s actually not enough to keep someone from spying on you. If you want full privacy on a laptop, you need to block your microphone, too. Malware capable of recording your camera’s feed can just as easily capture your incoming audio, as antivirus maker Kaspersky recently reminded us. (These types of data aren’t the only ones a hacker can steal, but they’re among the creepiest.) Fortunately, you can do this in a few ways, and quickly, too. An easy method is plugging in a headset (headphones with a built-in or attached mic) with a mute button. One with a non-functional mic will also do, so long as the mic still recognized by Windows. Connect the headset, mute it, and then verify in Windows’ Sound settings that it’s the active mic (Sound settings > Input). Usually, it should automatically switch over. You can test your microphone while in the Sound settings to verify it’s muted. In Windows 11, click on the mic, then find the Microphone test option. In Windows 10, you can perform the test from the main Sound settings screen. Windows 11 Sound settings scrolled down to the Input (aka microphone) section.PCWorld Windows 10 Sound Settings general screen, with output and microphone both active.PCWorld The most effective method isn’t much harder, but it requires manual undoing every time you want to use the microphone again. For Windows 11, open the Sound settings, then scroll to Input. Click on the mic. Under Audio, press on the Don’t allow button.  For Windows 10, head to Sound settings, click on the Device properties link, then tick the box for Disable. It will disappear from the list of input options. This option is best if you rarely (or never) use your laptop’s built-in microphone, or even the mic of on your headset or earbuds.  Windows 11 Sound settings for a specific microphone.PCWorld To re-enable the microphone in Windows 11, head back to Sound settings > [your device] > Audio, then click on the button that says Allow. For Windows 10, hit up Sound settings > Input, then choose Manage sound devices. Find your device under Input > Disabled. Click on it, then on the Enable button. Speaking of additional audio equipment—if you have multiple devices with microphones, you can selectively disable ones you don’t use. I do this for the Logitech C920 webcam connected to my desktop PC. I hate how it sounds, and disabling reduces the number of devices I have to scroll through whenever I change my settings. Laptop users have the most to be concerned about, when it comes to hackers listening to them on the sly—most desktop PCs don’t have built-in microphones. (A notable exception are all-in-one desktop computers.) But for peace of mind, owners of desktop PCs can still check in Sound settings to see if you have an active microphone. Our Favorite antivirus Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review Of course, the best way to avoid someone spying on you is to never allow a rogue piece of software on your PC to begin with. Keep your antivirus up to date, and be wary about sites you visit and downloads you voluntarily grab. Compromised or malicious sites can result in drive-by downloads, and any “Linux distros” (ahem) distributed through torrents can have unwanted extras. But sometimes our first lines of defense fail, and so limiting use of your laptop’s audio and video can be a secondary safeguard. And if nothing else, these measures can save you from accidentally broadcasting a side conversation when you’re in a company-wide Zoom call. Read...

It’s taken a couple years, but regional sports networks are starting to realize they charge too much to stream local games. NESN 360, which offers live streams of the Boston Red Sox and Bruins, just dropped its annual price from $330 to $240, while also throwing in four Red Sox tickets. Main Street Sports Group, which operates regional FanDuel Sports Network channels, has hinted at lower prices as well, and in some markets, local games stream for free or are available over-the-air with an antenna. What you’re witnessing are the first tweaks to a misguided sports streaming strategy, one that assumes high direct-to-consumer prices will discourage cord-cutting while offsetting the revenue losses linked to the decline of cable TV. That strategy hasn’t been working for regional sports networks, and it’s not going to work for the likes of ESPN and Fox, which plan to launch their own expensive streaming services later this year. A broken model The regional sports model—and live sports in general—used to be extremely lucrative. Sports networks earned per-subscriber fees from every cable customer, so they made money even from folks who never watched sports. That model’s been unraveling as more folks cancel their cable and satellite subscriptions. Most live TV streaming services don’t offer regional sports networks because they don’t bring in enough viewers to justify the cost, and those that do—namely DirecTV Stream and Fubo—relegate regional sports to more expensive tiers. Even on the cable side, Comcast has stopped offering regional sports in its base packages to keep prices down. Meanwhile, a growing proportion of cord-cutters are realizing they don’t need pay TV bundles at all. These trends have put regional sports networks in a bind. They don’t want to offer anything that would risk the easy money that still comes from cable, but they also can’t ignore their declining customer base and the growing proportion of viewers who’ve moved away from pay TV. The failed solution To address this dilemma, most regional sports networks have opted to charge excessive rates for standalone streaming. FanDuel Sports Network, for instance, only costs between $3 to $8 per month as part of a cable bundle, yet it costs $20 per month on its own. NESN’s carriage fee was a little over $5 per month as of 2021, yet NESN 360 costs $30 per month. The thinking goes that if standalone streaming is expensive enough, it’ll reach a new generation of cable-free superfans without actively encouraging more cord-cutting. Too bad the strategy isn’t working. When FanDuel Sports Network’s streaming service launched in 2022 (under the name Bally Sports+), its owners hoped it would eventually reach 4.4 million subscribers. The actual subscriber count today is only around a half-million, and now it projects to reach a less-ambitious 2.8 million subscribers by 2027. Meanwhile, the channel has lost 22 million pay TV subscribers over the past four years, and by 2027 its owners expect to lose 6 million more. The truth is that there just aren’t aren’t enough people willing to pay $20 to $30 per month for regional sports, nor are there enough people willing to keep expensive pay TV packages just to watch those channels. Like a lot of streamers, the regional sports networks have underestimated peoples’ ability to tune out. Lowering the paywall All this brings us to the news that NESN 360 is cutting the price of annual plans, from $330 to $240. The service’s monthly plan still costs $30, but the annual option will make a lot more sense for year-round Boston sports fans, especially with Red Sox tickets thrown in. Speaking to Mollie Cahillane at Sports Business Journal, NESN president David Wisnia acknowledged that it was asking too much. “Inflation is high,” he said. “There’s a saturation limit in terms of DTC [direct-to-consumer] right now, and we wanted to get into people’s homes and make it as available as we can, while balancing the financials of it and making sure it still makes sense for us.” NESN isn’t alone in changing its tune. Last month, Main Street Sports Group CEO David Preschlack told CNBC’s Alexander Sherman that the company is considering price cuts for FanDuel Sports Network as well. “We have the ability to go lower, and we’re going to test different price points, absolutely,” he said. Meanwhile, some teams are already embracing a philosophy of long-term reach over short-term subscription revenues. In Utah, a subscription to watch local Jazz games still costs $20 per month, but you can also watch for free with an antenna or your can stream individual games for $5 each. Jazz owner Ryan Smith told Sherman he’d never go back to the old model. “The more people watch, the more people come to games, the more we sell in concessions, the more money we bring in with sponsorships,” Smith said. Omens for ESPN and Fox The strategy of charging high standalone rates for sports streaming isn’t just going to be troublesome for regional sports networks. This year, both ESPN and Fox plan to launch their own standalone services. ESPN’s is rumored to cost between $25 and $30 per month, and Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch has told investors that it will intentionally charge a high price, so as not to cannibalize its pay TV business. “We don’t want, and we have no intention of, turning a traditional distribution customer into our direct-to-consumer customer,” Murdoch said. “So, our subscriber expectations will be modest, and we’re going to price the service accordingly.” Good luck with that. If sports fans are balking at $30 per month to watch their favorite teams every day or two, why would casual sports fans pay similar prices for a smattering of nationally televised games they might not even care about? Moreover, what’s even the point of offering a service whose price is intentionally unappealing? Regional sports networks are already failing at the same strategy, and the national sports networks will be next. What’s the solution? Sports streamers still have to pay astronomical costs for live sports rights, and those costs aren’t coming down anytime soon. That means direct-to-consumer streaming probably won’t get much cheaper on its own. What we’ll likely see instead is more attractive and flexible bundling. Disney and Max are already finding success bundling their non-sports streaming services together at a discount, and Disney could pursue something similar for ESPN with Fox’s streaming service. Perhaps they could also offer regional sports add-ons at lower-than-standalone rates. Instead of making everyone pay for sports, they can offer fairer pricing by putting lots of sports in one place. Sports networks have spent far too long trying to prop up traditional TV packages with little to show for it. They’d be wise to start building something better to replace it. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV insights. Read...

No doubt you use your mouse’s scroll wheel to scroll up and down in browser windows and in programs like Microsoft Word – perhaps without even realizing it. If you’re a gamer, you may even find it to be the quickest way to swap items or weapons. But if you’re just scrolling on your y-axis, you’re really missing out! Both gaming and general-use mice also come with four-directional scroll wheels now and getting one can really revolutionize your work or play. Here’s why… Speed up workflow When it comes to productivity, setting up the tools you need for an efficient workflow is a no-brainer. Most people will do that with a mouse that has two-directional scrolling, but a mouse with four-directional scrolling, like this $20 one, gives you more options to personalize that workflow. To illustrate that point, with a normal two-directional mouse you’re likely to see disruptions to your workflow if you’re, say, scrolling up/down but need to use your keyboard for commands like Ctrl + Shift to move horizontally through app windows or spreadsheets, since you will have to pause and switch between peripherals. But with four scrolling directions in your mouse wheel, you won’t be burdened by that problem. In fact, the two additional scroll directions may well be enough for you to avoid having to use a hybrid setup altogether. Another advantage is you get finer pointer control. That’s especially beneficial for creative professionals like graphic designers that need pinpoint accuracy. Mentioned in this article… Turtle Beach Kone II Read our review Best Prices Today: $59.99 at Amazon The other way a mouse with a four-directional scroll wheel can improve productivity is by giving you quicker access to your shortcuts. If you don’t want or need horizonal scrolling, you can simply assign shortcuts there that will speed up your workflow. Common commands like cut and paste, or redo and undo are top choices and can save you the hassle of laboriously clicking and selecting commands from menus, reaching for keyboard shortcuts, or searching through cluttered taskbars. Better ergonomics “Give your wrist a break,” could be the official motto of mice with four-directional scroll wheels. That’s because by being able to scroll horizontally with just your finger you don’t have to move your mouse from side to side as much, thereby saving your wrist from excess tension and strain. If you’re prone to wrist issues that can affect your ability to work, like carpal tunnel syndrome, this functionality could be just the break you need to put some comfort back into your workday. Logitech’s MX Ergo is notable for its ergonomic design, which includes a four-directional scroll wheel. It also comes with a trackball for even easier cursor control. More flexibility in gaming Four-directional scroll wheels are useful for gaming too, which is why so many gaming mice have them. Some of my favorite models include the Turtle Beach Kone II, Logitech G502X, and the Razer Basilisk V3. These are all top-performing gaming mice with accurate and quick sensors, and their four-directional scroll wheels add to their versatility. The Logitech G502XDominic Bayley How gamers choose to put the extra scroll functionality to use really comes down to the type of games they’re playing and their individual preferences. Again, some gamers will find value in applying the horizontal scrolling functionality, whereas others will see the big advantage in assigning extra commands there. Further reading: Best gaming mice I’ve already mentioned how a scroll wheel can be used to switch weapons, but some other ways players use four-directional scroll wheels to enhance their gaming include: Easier inventory management: You won’t need to use right and left arrow keys for scrolling through inventories in games like MMOs or RPGs when you can effortlessly scroll left or right with your mouse wheel. Quick access to macros: Launching macros via your mouse wheel is a lot faster than via your keyboard. With a four-directional mouse wheel you can launch macros with one or more functions and save the other functions for changing weapons or executing other useful commands. Lean-left or lean-right functionality: The extra functionality in four-directional scroll wheels comes in handy in some first-person shooters where you need to lean left or right or peer around corners. Adjust in-game settings: The extra functionality can also give you quick access to game settings like your volume or brightness without having to exit your game and enter the game menu. One more thing… You will have to configure your four-directional scroll wheel to get the most out of it. That’s easily done in your gaming mouse’s companion software app. And, just like a regular mouse, the commands you assign can be stored and saved in profiles, so you can tailor your commands to suit the different games you play. Read...

At a GlanceExpert`s Rating Pros Good speeds Inexpensive pricing Unrivaled user anonymity Versatile payment options Cons Struggles with unblocking streaming services Smaller server network Not as feature-rich as competitors Our Verdict Mullvad VPN is one of the most private and secure VPNs on the market. It also offers a user-friendly interface, good speeds, and inexpensive pricing. All of these things and more make it one of the top VPN services—especially for the privacy-Conscious user. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Sweden-based Mullvad is like the Swiss Bank account of VPNs—it doesn’t ask questions and gives you the best privacy and security possible.  When I say that Mullvad takes your privacy seriously, I mean it. Unlike other VPNs, Mullvad goes so far as to disconnect your account from an email by auto-generating an account number for you. They will even let you pay in cash. And this level of anonymity goes well beyond just registration, permeating everything you do with the app. Since our last review the service has undergone another independent audit and adopted post-quantum encryption on all platforms, further cementing its place as one of the most secure and trustworthy VPNs on the market. Read on to learn more, and then see our roundup of the best VPNs for comparison. Mullvad VPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Device connections: 5 simultaneous connections Business location: Sweden Number of servers: 650+ Number of country locations: 44 Cost: $5.16 per month What are Mullvad VPN’s features and services? Mullvad’s Windows app is clean and easy to use. Sam Singleton When you open Mullvad’s Windows app it strikes one as modern and clean. It starts with a non-interactive map in the primary section of the window and a red banner up top to indicate you’re not currently connected, with the device name and remaining time left on your account listed. Towards the bottom of the app screen you’ll find a button showing your currently selected VPN server and below that a Connect button which you can click to connect to the chosen server. When connected, you’ll see a Switch location and Disconnect button at the bottom of the window. The top of the screen, meanwhile, becomes a green banner with the Mullvad VPN logo indicating you’re now connected to the VPN. Mullvad has a relatively small server network, but provides a lot of useful detail for each server.Sam Singleton If you jump into the country listings, you can either select a country, select a specific location within the country if more than one is available, and even drill down to individual servers. The app doesn’t show any specific metrics about each server such as ping times or load, but if there’s a red circle next to a server, that means it’s not available for use. Green, meanwhile, means it’s working. With over 650 total servers, Mullvad VPN’s server network is rather small compared to some of its competitors. Services such as CyberGhost VPN and Private Internet Access boast server networks of over 10,000. Still, I never felt that I was limited in my options while using the service. The app itself is very easy to read and understand both in the Windows and Android versions. The default Windows’ app panel is automatically fixed to the bottom-right corner of the screen, but you can change this under settings if you wish. Mullvad traditionally hasn’t been big on extra features or services compared to other VPNs. It doesn’t promise to get past Netflix VPN restrictions (though sometimes it does), there aren’t any double-hop connections, or smart DNS; however, that doesn’t mean it’s a barebones VPN by any stretch. Mullvad recently did away with automatic-renewals on its subscription plans in order to minimize the private information it stores. Mullvad’s settings menu allows a ton of customization and is packed full of tweakable privacy options. Sam Singleton The service still provides the most important and frequently used features such as a kill-switch, split-tunneling, and ad-/tracker-blocking. It even takes its kill-switch one step further with a feature called Lockdown mode that will only allow your device to connect to the internet when it’s connected to a Mullvad VPN server. All of these features can be found by clicking the gear icon on the homescreen to access the settings menu. Go to Settings > VPN settings, and you can enable Mullvad’s IPv6 option, as well as manually choose between using OpenVPN or WireGuard. Mullvad was one of the earliest VPN services to implement WireGuard. Its multi-hop feature for WireGuard is also available here as well.  Since 2024, all WireGuard connections through Mullvad come with default “quantum-resistant” encryption technology. Mullvad once again places itself at the forefront of security innovations by fully adopting this standard. Another nice tool to use with the VPN is Mullvad’s connection check webpage. It lets you know if the app is working and currently connected to Mullvad. It also checks to see if you are leaking DNS requests, suffering from a WebRTC leak, or using a blacklisted IP address. Mullvad has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, all of which are open-source. How much does Mullvad VPN cost? Mullvad’s pricing is pretty cut and dry. For one month you’ll pay €5, or about $5.16 at the time of writing. It also offers subscription options for one year and a staggeringly long one decade. That’s practically a lifetime in the VPN market and just goes to show you how confident it is in the future of its service. Despite these long-term subscription options, the price still remains the same €5 every month. To compare, other VPN services typically offer their monthly subscription for around $10 per month and longer-term subscriptions average out to around $3 or $4 per month. That makes Mullvad VPN an extremely affordable short-term month-to-month VPN, but a more expensive long-term option. It’s also worth noting that Mullvad recently did away with automatic-renewals on its subscription plans. According to the company, this was “in order to store less data” such as on-file credit cards and other private information. As a result, you will need to manually re-up each month, or year, or decade, in order to keep using the service. A bit tedious, but that’s the price you pay for ultimate privacy. How is Mullvad VPN’s performance? In order to test Mullvad VPN’s speeds I measured connection rates across servers in different countries around the world for multiple days and then compared them to my baseline internet speed. I did this using both the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. The average download speeds across both protocols were rather impressive, clocking in at 53 percent of base speeds. The upload speeds were similar, maintaining an average of 49 percent of the baseline. That makes Mullvad a contender for one of the fastest VPNs, but still a ways behind speed demons such as Hotspot Shield and ProtonVPN. While testing speeds using different protocols I didn’t notice too much of a difference. WireGuard, as expected, had slightly faster averages than OpenVPN but the margins were so slim in my testing that I would be hard pressed to recommend one over the other for speed. The bottom line is that, overall, Mullvad’s speeds are more than enough for everyday internet activities, with the usual caveat that your experience may vary depending on your location in the world, equipment, and ISP. On Mullvad’s website you can find a list of which servers are rentals and which are owned by the service. Sam Singleton In recent years Mullvad started renting servers in addition to those it owns itself. Despite this change, there are no apparent speed decreases and from what I could tell, virtually no differences between the servers it owns and those it rents. If you’re interested, you can see which servers are owned and rented on its servers page. While Mullvad has a lot going for it, one area where it doesn’t impress is in unblocking streaming services. In my previous testing I found that the ability to access services such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max while connected was extremely hit or miss. Some servers had no issues while others detected the VPN and blocked access. This time around I found a slight improvement to the services I could access though. While Mullvad is certainly not the best VPN for streaming, it does okay at unblocking content. The good news is that once you’re able to find a connection that isn’t blocked, the speeds are fast enough to provide a seamless viewing experience with no buffering. How is Mullvad VPN’s security and privacy? The short answer is: excellent. Mullvad prides itself on user privacy, anonymity, and security. And it shows, too. Even from the time that you first pay for the service, it takes this seriously.  You have multiple options to pay for the VPN including by cash—unique among all other VPNs to my knowledge. Should you choose this method, Mullvad says it will take the cash, add credits to the account number included in the envelope, and then shred the envelope and the note. If you choose to use credit cards or PayPal, however, your usage of the service will be identifiable through those payment services—but it won’t be connected to any of your online activity. My DNS leak tests for both the Windows and Android apps came up clean with no leaks detected. This means you can trust Mullvad to keep your true IP address hidden while connected to its servers. By default, its DNS leak protection is always-on and can’t be disabled. Mullvad provides an additional feature called DAITA, or Defence Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis, which you can turn on under the settings menu. This will add network noise and make all network packets the same size.  It’s a way to further obfuscate your VPN traffic from sophisticated AI which may be able to distinguish your individual traffic patterns. Very few VPNs currently offer this advanced level of obfuscation, making it one reason Mullvad is a great option for privacy-conscious users. Mullvad offers WireGuard and OpenVPN protocol options with configurable settings for each. Sam Singleton In regards to VPN protocols, Mullvad keeps it simple by only offering the choice between OpenVPN and WireGuard. These are the two most secure protocols currently available and probably the best options anyways.  You also have the option to tweak and configure each connection to your own needs by choosing Ports, Obfuscation, and whether you want to use a Quantum-resistant tunnel. In the last year, Mullvad made all WireGuard connections quantum-resistant by default. While that might be a bit unnecessary now, we’ll all probably be thankful for this feature when quantum computers become more widely used in the future. Moving onto its privacy policy, Mullvad’s policy has exactly what you’re looking for in a VPN. Though it has now been split into two different documents: the general privacy policy and the “no-logging of user activity policy.” In those two documents the company says it does not “store any activity logs or metadata.” There’s no logging of your online traffic, DNS requests, connections, timestamps, IP addresses, bandwidth, nothing.  The only data Mullvad saves are the total number of current connections of all users on its network, the CPU load per core on its servers, and the total bandwidth used per server. It also logs the real-time number of connections per account as the service allows five simultaneous for each account. In 2023, Mullvad completed migration of its servers to RAM-only diskless servers meaning data does not persist on its servers nor can it be confiscated should the servers be physically removed—this goes for both the servers it owns and those it rents. Another welcomed development since our last review is that Mullvad underwent two new independent security audits by Cure53 and X41 D-Sec. Independent audits are always a good sign that a VPN is sticking to its no-log policy and maintaining strong security. They go a long way towards building user trust. Mullvad is owned and operated by Amagicom AB and based in Sweden. This means that it could be subject to mandatory government data sharing regulations since Sweden is a member of the 14 Eyes signals intelligence sharing alliance.  It’s not a huge deal as Mullvad does not log user data, but it’s good to be aware of, especially for the ultra-privacy conscious. Notably, Mullvad does seem to publish a notice on its blog whenever it’s subject to a search warrant. Is Mullvad VPN worth it? Mullvad VPN promises privacy and security and delivers both in droves. It might not have all of the flashy extraneous features of some other VPNs, nor does it excel at unblocking Netflix, but in practically every other area it shines. Its dedication to protecting user anonymity has never been in question and the latest independent security audits further prove this point. With this level of commitment to privacy as well as performance, Mullvad continues to be one of our top recommendations. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...

There’s no denying that ChatGPT and other AI chatbots make impressive chat companions that can converse with you on just about anything. Their conversational powers can be extremely convincing too; if they’ve made you feel safe about sharing your personal details, you’re not alone. But — newsflash! — you’re not talking to your toaster. Anything you tell an AI chatbot can be stored on a server and resurface later, a fact that makes them inherently risky. Why are chatbots so risky? The problem stems from how the companies that run Large Language Models (LLMs) and their associated chatbots use your personal data — essentially, to train better bots. Take the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day as an example of how an LLM learns. In the film, the future leader of the human resistance against Skynet, the child John Connor, teaches the Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, personal slogans like “Hasta la vista baby” in an attempt to make it more human. Suffice it to say, it learns those phrases and uses them at the most inopportune times — which is kind of funny. Less funny is the way your data gets harvested and used by companies to update and teach their own AI models to be more human. John Connor teaches the Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Terminator 2.Dominic Bayley / IDG OpenAI’s terms and conditions outline its right to do this when you use its platform. It states: “We may use the data you provide us to improve our models.” It’s the reason ChatGPT logs everything — yes, everything — that you say to it. That is, unless you make use of the chatbot’s new privacy feature which allows you to toggle a setting to prevent your chat history being saved. If you don’t do that, details like your financial information, passwords, home address, phone number, or what you ate for breakfast are fair game — if you share those details. It also stores any files you upload and any feedback you give it. ChatGPT’s Ts&Cs also states that the chatbot may “aggregate or de-identify Personal Information and use the aggregated information to analyze the effectiveness of our Services.” It’s a small addition, but it opens the possibility that something the chatbot has learned will be later accessed by the public — a troubling thought indeed. Why should you care? To be fair, it’s highly unlikely any company running an AI chatbot intends to misuse the personal information they store. In recent years OpenAI has released statements intended to reassure ChatGPT users about the collection and use of personal data. For example, in February this year when it was accused by Italy’s Data Protection Authority (DPA) of breaching provisions contained in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), OpenAI told the BBC: “We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals.” Then this: “We actively work to reduce personal data in training our systems like ChatGPT, which also rejects requests for private or sensitive information about people.” CKA / Shutterstock That may be true, but it doesn’t guarantee user data is safe from breaches. One such breach occurred In May 2023, in which hackers exploited a vulnerability in ChatGPT’s Redis library, giving them access to the stored personal data from chat histories. The leaked personal information included names, social security numbers, job titles, email addresses, phone numbers, and even social media profiles. OpenAI responded by fixing the vulnerability, but it was little consolation to the approximately 101,000 users whose data had already been stolen. And it’s not just individuals having privacy issues with AI chatbots either. Indeed, companies, too, are scrambling to keep a lid on confidential company data amid notable high-profile data leaks. One such leak was discovered by Samsung when it found that its own engineers had accidentally uploaded sensitive source code to ChatGPT. In response, In May 2023 the company banned the use of ChatGPT and other generative AI chatbots from being used for work purposes. Companies like Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan have since followed suit. Awareness is growing but it’s early days Of late there’s been a growing awareness about the dangers of AI chatbots at the level of the government and industry, which is a promising sign for the tightening up of data security. One big move forward happened on October 30 last year, when U.S. President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and use of Artificial Intelligence — a document that outlines the key principles governing the use of AI in the U.S. One of the priority points stipulates that “AI systems must respect privacy and protect personal data.” Exactly how that is to be implemented, though, is yet to be seen and could be open to interpretation by AI companies. Kind of contrary to that point is the fact that there’s still no clear law in the U.S. stating that training AI on data without the consent of an owner is any kind of copyright infringement. Instead, it can be considered fair use — which means there’s nothing solid in place to safeguard consumers’ rights. Until we get something firmer, as individuals our best line of defense is still simply to not overshare. By treating an AI chatbot like the algorithm it is, rather than a trusted friend, no matter how much it compliments you on your hairstyle or choice of clothing, you can at least keep a lid on what it knows about you from your end. Read...

New Zealand Food Safety`s deputy director general said the complaint was that special dietary meals- such as those for students with allergies - were labelled for the wrong student. Read...

You can usually spot scam emails through the sender information—not who’s listed in the From field, but what the message actually says. A legitimate email originates from servers tied to the site’s domain. But if PayPal’s recently notified you of a new address added to your account, proceed with caution. The sender will check out, but the email likely contains a phishing attempt. As investigated by Bleeping Computer, this particular scam abuses PayPal’s gift address feature. When a new address is added, the company does generate a real email about the event (“You added a new address”). But bad actors can manipulate these messages by pasting a long message into an address field, then having the notification sent to an email account that functions as a distribution list. The result is the embedding of a phony warning that leads users to a phony call support center, which instructs them to download and install software granting remote access to the PC. And because the notification about an added address gets forwarded to multiple email addresses, scammers can hit many targets at once. (Turns out scammers also try to work smarter, not harder.) A screencap made by Bleeping Computer of the scam email.Bleeping Computer You can read the full details of the scheme in Bleeping Computer’s impressive write-up, which details the outlet’s dig into the nuts and bolts of the ploy. As the article points out, PayPal needs to fix the issue by limiting the number of characters allowed in form fields. However, whether PayPal makes such a change (at press time, Bleeping Computer was still awaiting a response from PayPal), this situation is a cautionary tale. As wise as it is to learn individual signs of scams, no single signal is enough to verify authenticity.  You should still learn them, of course. They help set off your spidey senses that something’s just not quite right. But to actually stay safe, lean on standard advice: Always use a number you’ve verified when calling a business and head directly to a website in a separate tab if asked to log in. PayPal users who logged in independently saw immediately that no new addresses had been added. Because they hadn’t clicked on a link to do so, they could breathe easy after getting that confirmation. In general, we all have to be more careful about sophisticated scams, especially since they’re becoming more common in 2025. Injecting false info into a legitimate email won’t be the only clever attempt to dupe the unsuspecting—and thanks to AI aiding the bad guys just as much as the good guys, such campaigns will become even harder to spot. Read...

The government has asked for feedback on a proposal to increase prescription supply from three months to 12 months. Read...