News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Malicious Google Chrome extensions affect 1.4 million users
McAfee identified five malicious extensions that you should avoid, including Netflix Party.

Malicious extensions redirect users to phishing sites and insert affiliate IDs into cookies of eCommerce sites, according to a McAfee blog post Monday. According to the security company, the extensions also track users' browsing activity, and every website visit is sent to servers owned by the extension creator.

The extension creator can then insert code into eCommerce websites being visited by the user, and receive affiliate payment for any items the user purchases. There is an implicit privacy breach to the consumer when the browsing data is shared.

The five malicious extensions McAfee identified were Netflix Party, Netflix Party 2, FlipShope – Price Tracker Extension, Full Page Screenshot Capture – Screenshotting and AutoBuy Flash Sales, with a total install base of over 1.4 million users. The specific extension names and extension code IDs are listed below.

SpaceX's Starlink internet is now heading to cruise ships in 'game-changing' deal

Elon Musk promises "kickass" internet on cruise ships with major new deal.

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean will deploy Starlink across its entire fleet to improve connectivity for guests and crew. Cruise ships have in the past had to rely on expensive satellite internet services that rarely offer enough bandwidth to do a Zoom meeting. Royal Caribbean promises Starlink will be a game-changer for passengers.
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Starlink will be deployed immediately on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, as well as all new vessels for each brand. The cruise company expects to complete the installation by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
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The Royal Caribbean deal is also a big win for SpaceX, which launched Starlike Maritime in July and recently lost out on $885 million in regional broadband funding from the Federal Communications Commission. SpaceX has launched over 2,000 Starlink satellites.

SpaceX has deployed Starlink for its own fleet of ships used for capturing spaceships returning to sea.

Japan's digital minister vows to rid the country of floppy disks

Digital minister Taro Kono on Tuesday vowed to dismiss Japan's laws that have entrenched floppy disks and CD-ROMs in the nation's systems. In a tweet from his English Twitter account, Kono said he was declaring "war" on floppy disks as part of its digital transformation and enabling citizens to submit data online. 

Kono explained there were about 1,900 articles in Japan's laws that require businesses to submit forms to the government on floppy disk. There are also 157 laws that require submissions specifically be sent on optical disks, magnetic disks, and magnetic tapes.

Because those laws don't specify an online mechanism, it technically binds businesses and citizens to use technology that many consumers can't even find at a store today: Sony stopped selling floppy disks in 2011.
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The country is embarking on a national ID smartcard scheme called My Number that citizens can use to electronically sign online tax submissions, apply online for other government services, and use for online banking logins and signing transactions.
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Bloomberg reports that Kono, a potential contender to be prime minister, has been a critic of the nation's inefficient bureaucracy, including the continued use of fax machines and the 'hanko' or red stamp used to sign official documents.
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The US Air Force only in 2019 replaced floppy disks for managing its nuclear arsenal with solid state drives.

 Well, it certainly took the air force a hell of a time to upgrade their nuclear related technology.