We obtained an internal database of employee-reported privacy incidents at Google that shows the huge breadth of data it has and the run-of-the-mill and spectacular ways it mishandles it all the time

https://www.404media.co/google-leak-reveals-thousands-of-privacy-incidents/

Microsoft Recall is even worse than you think.

It has apparently been snuck into the Edge web browser even if you don't have the Windows version that adds it.

h/t @laimis who pointed out to me that #Recall starts with Windows 11 24H2; I only have 23H2.

BUT I found it in my Edge Browser which updated today to Version 125.0.2535.51.
The setting is:
{3 dots button} =>
Settings =>
Privacy Search and Services =>
Save screenshots of sites for history
(all the way down, default on).

#Microsoft

Oh, cool somebody finally figured it out...

As you probably know, the Microsoft Security Center has an API that lets you query which AV is installed and whether it is up-to-date.

What is less well-known, is that it also has another, not publicly known API, that lets you tell it "I'm installing another AV now, please disable Defender". This is what all other AV products use. Microsoft has provided to them documentation of this API but under NDA.

Many years ago, I made a proof-of-concept - a small VBScript script that would use this API via WMI to "install" an imaginary AV, thus turning off Defender - but since it was based on information learned under NDA, I obviously couldn't make it public.

Now somebody has reverse-engineered the API from AVAST and has done pretty much the same (albeit a bit over-complicated) in C++:

https://github.com/es3n1n/no-defender

I went to the aquarium today and there was a guy in a wetsuit pushing a penguin around on a box, back and forth through the water

someone asked why and he says, "yeah, she kinda just really likes riding on the box"

I'm still not over it y'all

A simple observation:

"White Hat Hacker" is NOT synonymous with "Ethical Hacker"

You can legally protect an unethical corporation and in doing so, you are an accomplice to their unethical actions.

You can ethically hack to protect people and still be conducting illegal activities.

Do not conflate the two terms.

#hacking #infosec