Tag Archive for: Peace

BlackBerry phones will finally rest in peace on January 4

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The pioneer of the smart phone before the smartphone BlackBerry has announced devices running on its BlackBerry OS software will stop working as of next week.

From January 4th, BlackBerry OS device owners won’t be able to make or receive calls, send texts, use Wi-Fi, or access mobile data.

That includes all smartphones running on BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, the ill-fated BlackBerry 10 operating system and even the tablet-based BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 (and earlier).

“As of this date, devices running these legacy services and software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS and 9-1-1 functionality,” the company said in a support post (via Liliputing).

However, if you have one of the few BlackBerry devices that launched running Android, such as the 2017 BlackBerry Priv, you won’t be affected.

The company had already announced over a year ago that its transition to a software company had been completed. Back in September of last year it would be “taking steps to decommission the legacy services” ahead of the termination date of January 4.

So, this has been coming for a long, long time but it still feels like the end of an era. Since it got out of the smartphone game Blackberry has reinvented itself as an internet security software company that assists governments and such. The company was initially renowned for the security of its email and BlackBerry Messenger platform so this isn’t too great of a leap.

In the announcement in September 2020, the company said: “Today BlackBerry is focused on providing intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. Since pivoting to an enterprise software and cybersecurity company, we have received questions about our plans to provide ongoing support for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier and BlackBerry 10 devices. In 2017, we committed to providing at least two more years of support for BlackBerry 10 and at least two years of BlackBerry network access for BBOS…

Source…

Make Peace With Your Internet Passwords – Forbes Advisor UK

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We’ve all been there. Eager to quickly log-in to check your bank balance or to checkout while shopping online, you reach the “enter password” step – and your mind goes blank.

The next (weary) step is to reset your password. To make it easier to remember the next time, it’s tempting to fall back on to the trusty name and number combo that you use for your email, social media accounts and work laptop.

But resist, as this could open you up to all kinds of problems if one of your accounts is hacked.

To help you make your internet passwords simpler and more secure, here we take a look at why it’s so important to get them right, the dos and don’ts of choosing passwords, and the tools that could make your online life easier.

What is an internet password?

We store so much information about ourselves online, whether in our emails, on social media platforms, via online banking or on shopping sites, that it’s important to password-protect accounts.

This means that to access these accounts, you’ll usually need to enter both your email address or username and a password of your choosing.

Why are internet passwords important?

Unfortunately, there are cyber criminals who are looking to exploit weaknesses in your online accounts, in order to steal data about you so they can commit identity fraud or to gain access to your bank account.

So, it’s important to choose a password that’s hard to guess to prevent leaving yourself open to being hacked online.

Dos and don’ts of choosing an internet password

To keep your online accounts secure, follow our dos and don’ts when deciding on your password.

Do…

  • use at least 10 characters for any password and make sure these characters are a combination of upper and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers
  • think especially carefully about the password you use for your email account as, with access to this, it might be possible for a fraudster to change your other online passwords
  • National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends connecting three random, but memorable, words together to form a strong password, with special characters to make it even tougher to crack
  • make sure your software and…

Source…

Verizon, volunteer firefighters make peace; T-Mobile’s Legere can stand down

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Verizon has doused a public-relations flare-up with the volunteer fire department that serves a small Virginia island community, meaning that:

  • The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company will pay far less than $ 73,000 to have telecommunications equipment moved off land that will accommodate its new headquarters.
  • This financial relief will forestall the heftier bill possibly having had to come out of the hides of the Chincoteague Ponies, a herd of 150 wild horses that are shepherded by the firefighters and helpful to have when publicly battling a major corporation.
  • And, finally, that T-Mobile CEO John Legere can keep his checkbook in his pocket.

First the cease-fire. From the fire company’s Facebook page:

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network World Paul McNamara

Cyber warfare poses serious threat to global peace and security: IPU Assembly – Shanghai Daily (subscription)

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Kuwait News Agency

Cyber warfare poses serious threat to global peace and security: IPU Assembly
Shanghai Daily (subscription)
According to a report released at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security of IPU, the increasing use of the internet and interconnected computer systems over the past years has resulted in a sharp rise in the number of …
Kuwait plans anti-cyber piracy laws — MPKuwait News Agency

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