Computeractive 650

If someone sneaked on to my PC behind my back, they’d be able to find out that I recently installed the new version of Paint.NET (see page 18); that my Windows clipboard contained gobbledygook from Lenovo (page 21); and that I’ve been chatting online with Winston Churchill (page 49). So far, so harmless. But if they dug deeper, they might also access passwords I’ve saved and personal details that get automatically added to forms. That’ll be more useful to them than knowing I’m on first-name terms with Greatest Briton (www.snipca.com/44807). None of this information will be available in future because I’m taking Robert Irvine’s advice in our Cover Feature and wiping it using PrivaZer and Privacy Eraser (both free). His instructions also cover removing old software and all the files…

Norton has advised nearly one million users to change their password “immediately” after it detected hackers attempting to log into customer accounts. In an email to an estimated 925,000 affected users (www.snipca.com/44824), the antivirus firm said it “strongly believes that an unauthorised third party knows and has utilised your username and password” for both the main Norton account (https://login.norton.com) and Norton Password Manager. Norton – now officially known as Norton LifeLock - began to suspect an attack on 12 December, when it spotted an “unusually large volume of failed logins to customer accounts”. It found that from 1 December an “unauthorised third party” had used passwords and usernames obtained from “another source, such as the dark web”. It said a hacker signing into a customer’s account would have seen their…

We applaud Norton for quickly detecting this attack and alerting those affected. Its reaction contrasts with LastPass, which has been accused of misleading users over the scale of its recent breach. On page 38, we explain how to switch from LastPass, but we’re happy to keep recommending Norton - it’s a powerful antivirus tool with an excellent record of protection. The lesson here is never to reuse passwords across multiple accounts. If you do, you risk being hacked sooner or later.…

PayPal users have also been targeted in a credential-stuffing attack, with hackers attempting to access close to 35,000 accounts between 6 and 8 December. The company said hackers logged into customer accounts and could access their full names, dates of birth, postal addresses, social security numbers and individual tax identification numbers. It claimed that its systems weren’t breached by the hackers and that there’s no evidence the passwords were obtained from its database. PayPal is contacting users whose accounts were affected (www.snipca.com/44829) and has reset the passwords of hacked accounts. It claimed the attackers didn’t attempt to perform any transactions from the PayPal accounts accessed. To change your PayPal password, sign into your account then click the top-right Settings cog. Click the Settings tab above your name, followed by Update…

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would quickly disrupt the global supply of electronic goods such as computers and phones, the boss of a leading semiconductors firm has warned. Doris Hsu (pictured), CEO of Taiwan-based GlobalWafers, told Sky News that it would take just weeks for the supply chain to be affected. Taiwan makes 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, making it an indispensable part of the global supply chain for electronic goods. Researchers at US firm Rhodium Group estimates that China attacking or blockading Taiwan would cost the global economy $2 trillion even without considering the impact of sanctions. Ms Hsu added that customers have “a lot of concerns” about China’s attitude towards Taiwan, which sees the island as a breakaway republic that it will eventually rule…

Microsoft has confirmed that running a System Restore in Windows 11 can stop some apps working. It said the flaw affects apps that use the MSIX Windows package format to run, including Notepad, Paint, Office and Cortana. In a blog post (www.snipca.com/44808) it said that the flaw causes the error message ‘This app can’t open’ to be shown (see screenshot above). It added that the flaw may also cause apps to appear multiple times on the Start menu. It didn’t say when it would fix the flaw, but did offer temporary solutions, including running Windows Update and reinstalling the affected app from the Microsoft Store. If the app didn’t come from the Store, Microsoft suggests reinstalling it “from the original source from which it was first installed”. Only computers running…