If you're part of the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs, would you qualify for another stimulus bill, how do you need to file and what happens if you never got your first check? We have answers.
Mineral buildup is usually the culprit behind clogged spouts and uneven water flow. All you need are a few regular household items to knock it out fast without even breaking a sweat.
Update(November 4): The Google Pixel 4a will go on sale again today at 8 PM on Flipkart.
Google announced the Google Pixel 4a and Google Nest Audio in India a few weeks back. The Google Pixel 4a went on sale during the Flipkart Big Billion Days and was completely sold out during the sale. The Pixel 4a will be back in stock today and you will be able to purchase the device on Flipkart.
The Pixel 4a which was launched for Rs 29,999 as introductory special price during the Big Billion Days has now got a Rs 2,000 hike and the device will go on sale for Rs 31,999. However, if you own Axis Bank card, you can get a 10% instant discount and get the Google Pixel 4a at a discounted price.
The Google Pixel 4a is on sale from 12 noon today on Flipkart. It is available in only one colour option - Just Black.
Google Pixel 4a unboxing
Google Pixel 4a specs
The Google Pixel 4a offers a 5.81-inch 1080 x 2340 OLED screen that’s fairly compact for a 2020 smartphone. It has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 730G octa-core chipset, which is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The battery meanwhile is 3,140mAh, which isn’t massive. It supports 18W fast charging, but there’s no wireless charging.
Since its a Pixel phone, the camera is the USP of the device. It has a single-lens 12.2MP shooter with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization on the rear. The front camera meanwhile is an 8MP in a punch-hole, and there are stereo speakers along with a plastic back with a fingerprint scanner in the centre. The device runs on Android 10 out of the box and the Android 11 update is already out for the same.
Arguably the most exciting feature offered by Apple's new iPhone 12 range is the ability to charge wirelessly over a magnetic MagSafe connection.
While every model in the iPhone 12 line-up is compatible with the Cupertino company's optional MagSafe charger, it's been revealed that the iPhone 12 mini will receive a slightly downgraded charging experience, as spotted by MacRumors.
According to a support page found on Apple's website, the MagSafe charger can deliver "up to 12W of peak power delivery" via USB-C Power Delivery compatible adapter for the iPhone 12 mini at a wattage of 9V/2.03A, as opposed to a peak power delivery of 15W at a wattage of 9V/2.56A or above for its larger siblings, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Apple's website states that the "actual power delivered to the iPhone will vary depending on the wattage of the power adapter and system conditions," with such factors as "temperature and system activity" taken into consideration.
We'll be sure to offer a full rundown of the iPhone 12 mini's charging times when we get our hands on the device, so keep an eye out for our in-depth review in the near future.
Ransomware continues to be a growing threat against both individuals and businesses. More than 200,000 organisations in the US experienced ransomware attacks in 2019 alone, a 41% increase from 2018. Attacks have become increasingly diversified and sophisticated, targeting organisations and businesses of all sizes.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that compromises a user’s device, encrypts and blocks the user from accessing their files and then demands a ransom in exchange for restoring the files. Traditional forms of ransomware simply encrypt files, while more modern variants go one step further by also transferring potentially sensitive data to the attackers, who then threaten to release them.
Preventing ransomware attacks is no longer as simple as just avoiding suspicious email attachments and installing antivirus software. Threat actors have been increasingly successful at exploiting organisations through phishing, social engineering, and exploiting unpatched or zero-day software vulnerabilities.
Being prepared for ransomware attacks will help minimise any damage to systems and data.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Establishing security awareness and systematic planning
Though ransomware attacks pose an existential threat to businesses, more often than not, little is done to protect against them. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to mitigate risks.
1. Block and monitor
IT teams are the first line of defense against ransomware and can block many attacks before they reach end users or critical systems. Modern security practices leverage multiple "layers" of protection. Starting at the outermost layer, using a well-configured firewall and Intrusion Detection/Protection System (IDS/IPS) can help block large portions of low-level attacks. Additional network monitoring and analysis tools can then be set up to check for unusual and suspicious traffic patterns, with containment plans in place should the need arise.
2. Stay up to date
On endpoints and servers, IT should ensure that deployed software, operating systems, and anti-malware solutions are up-to-date. Additionally, user accounts should be well thought out, with each account configured to only allow access to what that user needs and nothing more. The same concept applies to system administrator accounts; avoid using a single account that has access to everything. Partitioning access to different systems and minimising access to only what is needed can help drastically reduce the damage inflicted if credentials are leaked.
3. Educate employees
Maintaining good security also requires all end users to be well-educated on potential threats, as many breaches have been caused by users falling prey to phishing and social engineering tactics. Training programs should be in place to provide examples of modern phishing attacks and how social engineering can happen. Additional best-practice knowledge should be shared on handling suspicious emails, identifying spoofed websites, and most importantly, how to report a security incident.
4. Plan, practice and be prepared
Crisis management plans should be well documented and rehearsed. For example, who should handle communications, internally and externally? What processes will be used to conduct auditing, damage analysis, and customer and authority notification, should the need arise? Internally, IT should always maintain up-to-date deployment maps of which systems are doing what, and which are dependent on one-another. Contingency plans should be in place should a total site shutdown be required to contain and/or remove the malware.
If you're still backing up to floppy disks, it's time to rethink your strategy.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Set up multi-version, offsite backups and real-time recovery mechanisms
While employee education and IT teams can mitigate ransomware attacks to a large extent, due to the unpredictable nature of attacks, systems can never be 100% protected.
The only fail-safe way to completely protect digital assets is to have a comprehensive backup strategy in place from the start. This will ensure that if systems are compromised, there will always be a clean version of data to recover from.
One popular backup methodology is the 3-2-1 backup strategy. Simply put, this is 3 copies of your data, across 2 different mediums, with 1 copy offsite. An example of this could be storing your data on an on-premise server, with two backups, one on-site and another located on the cloud or at a remote site.
To take a real-world case as an example, network-attached storage company Synology successfully helped a government entity to streamline and backup large-scale content creation projects produced by its subsidiary render farm. With 300 virtual machines (VMs) running multiple tasks, the render farm ultimately leverages Synology’s Active Backup for Business to back up its running VMs onto another onsite Synology NAS, while utilizing Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup to automate additional onsite and remote backup tasks. With this structure in place, the rendering farm can preserve multiple data backups at both onsite and offsite locations, drastically mitigating the risk of data loss. There are many more success stories where clients utilise Synology solutions to build their information security and backup strategies. In an era of ever-evolving ransomware, Synology believes that proactively backing up files regularly is a critical step in protecting important business data and preserving digital assets.
Ransomware continues to be a growing threat against both individuals and businesses. More than 200,000 organisations in the US experienced ransomware attacks in 2019 alone, a 41% increase from 2018. Attacks have become increasingly diversified and sophisticated, targeting organisations and businesses of all sizes.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that compromises a user’s device, encrypts and blocks the user from accessing their files and then demands a ransom in exchange for restoring the files. Traditional forms of ransomware simply encrypt files, while more modern variants go one step further by also transferring potentially sensitive data to the attackers, who then threaten to release them.
Preventing ransomware attacks is no longer as simple as just avoiding suspicious email attachments and installing antivirus software. Threat actors have been increasingly successful at exploiting organisations through phishing, social engineering, and exploiting unpatched or zero-day software vulnerabilities.
Being prepared for ransomware attacks will help minimise any damage to systems and data.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Establishing security awareness and systematic planning
Though ransomware attacks pose an existential threat to businesses, more often than not, little is done to protect against them. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to mitigate risks.
1. Block and monitor
IT teams are the first line of defense against ransomware and can block many attacks before they reach end users or critical systems. Modern security practices leverage multiple "layers" of protection. Starting at the outermost layer, using a well-configured firewall and Intrusion Detection/Protection System (IDS/IPS) can help block large portions of low-level attacks. Additional network monitoring and analysis tools can then be set up to check for unusual and suspicious traffic patterns, with containment plans in place should the need arise.
2. Stay up to date
On endpoints and servers, IT should ensure that deployed software, operating systems, and anti-malware solutions are up-to-date. Additionally, user accounts should be well thought out, with each account configured to only allow access to what that user needs and nothing more. The same concept applies to system administrator accounts; avoid using a single account that has access to everything. Partitioning access to different systems and minimising access to only what is needed can help drastically reduce the damage inflicted if credentials are leaked.
3. Educate employees
Maintaining good security also requires all end users to be well-educated on potential threats, as many breaches have been caused by users falling prey to phishing and social engineering tactics. Training programs should be in place to provide examples of modern phishing attacks and how social engineering can happen. Additional best-practice knowledge should be shared on handling suspicious emails, identifying spoofed websites, and most importantly, how to report a security incident.
4. Plan, practice and be prepared
Crisis management plans should be well documented and rehearsed. For example, who should handle communications, internally and externally? What processes will be used to conduct auditing, damage analysis, and customer and authority notification, should the need arise? Internally, IT should always maintain up-to-date deployment maps of which systems are doing what, and which are dependent on one-another. Contingency plans should be in place should a total site shutdown be required to contain and/or remove the malware.
If you're still backing up to floppy disks, it's time to rethink your strategy.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Set up multi-version, offsite backups and real-time recovery mechanisms
While employee education and IT teams can mitigate ransomware attacks to a large extent, due to the unpredictable nature of attacks, systems can never be 100% protected.
The only fail-safe way to completely protect digital assets is to have a comprehensive backup strategy in place from the start. This will ensure that if systems are compromised, there will always be a clean version of data to recover from.
One popular backup methodology is the 3-2-1 backup strategy. Simply put, this is 3 copies of your data, across 2 different mediums, with 1 copy offsite. An example of this could be storing your data on an on-premise server, with two backups, one on-site and another located on the cloud or at a remote site.
To take a real-world case as an example, network-attached storage company Synology successfully helped a government entity to streamline and backup large-scale content creation projects produced by its subsidiary render farm. With 300 virtual machines (VMs) running multiple tasks, the render farm ultimately leverages Synology’s Active Backup for Business to back up its running VMs onto another onsite Synology NAS, while utilizing Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup to automate additional onsite and remote backup tasks. With this structure in place, the rendering farm can preserve multiple data backups at both onsite and offsite locations, drastically mitigating the risk of data loss.
There are many more success stories where clients utilise Synology solutions to build their information security and backup strategies. In an era of ever-evolving ransomware, Synology believes that proactively backing up files regularly is a critical step in protecting important business data and preserving digital assets.
