Today’s Tech Sightings:
A computer screen shows a cyberattack warning notice reportedly holding computer files to ransom, as part of a massive international cyberattack, Kyev, Ukraine. (AP)
New Ransomware Attack Hits European Firms, Infrastructure
A massive cyberattack first reported in Ukraine has spread to Russia, Denmark, Britain and other countries. Hackers are targeting major companies, government agencies and infrastructure, banks, utilities, airports, and many others. In Ukraine, government agencies were unable to access their computers. In Britain, an advertising firm was among the victims, according to the BBC. The attack brings to mind last May’s massive Wannacry ransomware attack, but Tuesday’s virus appears to be a variant of Petya ransomware that emerged last year and was updated earlier this year and named Petrwap.
Microsoft Is Building a Smart Antivirus Using 400 Million PCs
As Europe reels from the latest massive cyberattack, Microsoft is turning to artificial intelligence to come up with an antivirus solution that works for millions of Windows PCs. To this end, the tech giant is relying on cloud data from more than 400 million Windows 10 computers to develop an antivirus solution that can detect malware behavior. If malware is detected, Microsoft said it will be able to develop a signature for it and isolate the virus on the cloud to protect all users.
Greenpeace Slams Apple, Samsung Tech for Poor Repairability
Teaming up with repair guru iFixit, environmental group Greenpeace reviewed a host of 40 phones, laptops and tablets to see how easy – or not – it is to repair them or replace their parts. While Apple’s iPhones didn’t fare badly, its iPads and MacBooks didn’t do as well. Samsung’s newest Galaxy S8 smartphone and Microsoft’s Surface line of hybrid systems were also panned for their lack of repairability.
More:
- The High-tech War on Tibetan Communication
- How AI Could Save the World
- IBM Is Telling US Congress Not to Fear Rise of AI ‘Overlord’
- Google Gets Record $2.7 Billion EU Fine for Skewing Searches
- Here’s Google’s Response to Record EU Fine
- How Silicon Valley Pushed Coding Into American Classrooms
- California’s Digital Divide Closing but New ‘Under-connected’ Class Emerges
- Discrimination, Lack of Diversity, Societal Risks of Data Mining Highlighted in Big Data
- Internet Privacy Policies: Who Has a Right to Your Data?
- Google Officially Kills Gtalk, Replaces It With Hangouts
