The Trisoft weekly technology news round up: 6 snippets of the week’s hottest tech news. Here’s what’s hot in tech 21/12/2015.
The computer virus that blackmails you
Ransomware is the fastest growing form of computer malware, and is used by hackers to lockdown a computer’s files and order a ransom in Bitcoins to release the files again. Ransomware encrypts all files on the computer, and like most viruses often arrives in the form of a phishing email, spam, or a fake software update where the recipient clicks a link or opens an attachment.
The hackers request payment in Bitcoin’s due to the difficulty to trace the currency.
For more on this fast spreading new virus, click here.
Electronic chips to be replaced?
A new material has been invented which could be 1,000 times more efficient than the chips in all our electronics. Apparently, this technology is a new type of chip that can be stacked like floors in a skyscraper compared to the silicon chips we currently use, which are arranged like single storey houses with digital data transferred through wires connecting each house in a town. This means data travels much faster in the new ‘skyscraper’ chips and isn’t slowed down by the data having to be spread out.
Read more about this new technology here.
CES 2016: next year’s top tech predictions
For the first time ever the Consumer Electronics Show will be holding a cyber security forum, which will focus on security challenges and threats, and how security should be designed into new devices. Rumors for the show include advances on electronic cars, virtual reality devices, wearable technology and the Internet of Things.
Read more about CES 2016 here and here.
New company could eradicate the password as we know it
Startup company AimBrain has developed software that tracks not only the password you enter, but exactly how you enter it so that it can identify if another person is trying to use your device. The software tracks and learns how a person uses a mobile device and will be able to identify an unauthorised attempt to access it with a stolen password, if a device has been picked up already unlocked or if the network has been hacked.
Read more on this story here.
Facebook’s ‘real names’ rules change
The company has long stood by its policy which requires users to use their real names, but has recently tweaked the rules so that people are able to use
unfamiliar names or pseudonyms on the social network. Facebook requires
people to use their real names as it says it makes it easier to root out bullying
and stop online trolls.
Read more on this story here.
And finally…
Microsoft names charitable side of business Microsoft Philanthropies.
Microsoft has announced it will extend its commitment to global philanthropy as a new organisation call Microsoft Philanthropies. This will help to grow Microsoft’s current charity commitments, which include donating software to non-profit organisations and supporting computer science education.
For more on this story click here.