Category: Science and Technology

Inspectors discovered new safety violations at the company’s Redmond, Wash., site last December, in a visit prompted by worker complaints. Read More 

In the world of tiny houses, where every square inch counts, French company Baluchon is pushing the boundaries. Their latest creation, the Ellèbore, challenges conventional layouts by flipping the script – quite literally. Let’s dive into the details of this intriguing tiny home.

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Baluchon’s mission is clear: extract as much livable space as possible from their compact designs. The Ellèbore achieves this by turning the traditional layout on its head. Imagine a house where the bedroom resides downstairs, leaving room for a versatile living area above. It’s like a tiny house doing a handstand.

The Ellèbore measures a modest 20 feet in length and rests on a sturdy double-axle trailer. Its contemporary exterior features red cedar siding with subtle gray aluminum accents. From the outside, it looks like any other tiny house – but step inside and you’ll discover its delightful country charm.

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On one side of the tiny house is a small kitchen with a sink, refrigerator/freezer, microwave, electric mini-oven, gas cooktop and an electric water heater. It also has plenty of shelves, cabinets and a wood-burning stove to keep you toasty.

Next to the kitchen, you’ll find the bathroom. It’s compact and functional, housing a shower on one side.

On the other side of the bathroom is a toilet (though no sink). Practicality takes precedence here.

Across the kitchen lies the bedroom.

The bedroom is accessed through a sliding door. It’s a cozy sleeping nook with a low-beam ceiling. The downstairs location and petite doorway might evoke a touch of claustrophobia, but it serves its purpose well.

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To get to the second level, you’ll need to climb a set of storage-integrated steps, which can be neatly tucked away when not needed.

Suddenly, you’re in the living room – upstairs. The headroom is generous, and large windows flood the space with natural light. The sofa doubles as a comfortable bed, accommodating two guests.

Baluchon didn’t stop there – they managed to squeeze in a small home office area with a desk. Productivity meets relaxation.

Over the bathroom area, a secondary storage loft provides extra room for belongings. After all, every inch counts in a tiny house.

You’d think for a tiny house, you’d pay a tiny price. Not so much with this one. Baluchon’s models typically start around $91,000.

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The Ellèbore proves that innovation knows no bounds, even within the tiny house movement. So, if you’re ever in France and spot an upside-down tiny house, don’t be surprised – it’s probably the Ellèbore, redefining compact living one handstand at a time.

Would you consider living in a tiny house like the Ellèbore? Does the upside-down approach make it seem bigger than it is? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Nicole Shanahan donated $4 million to the super PAC responsible for the ad. Read More 

A new exploit threat lets hackers access your Google account using expired cookies that contain your login information. The exploits, which were discovered late last year, target session cookies, which only have a limited lifespan. However, they can “revive” those cookies, putting your personal information at risk.

A hacker named PRISMA first revealed they found a way to bring back expired Google session cookies. Since then, cybersecurity firm CloudSEK discovered an exploit in a program that allows users to synchronize their Google accounts across multiple devices. Now, hackers are using that exploit to steal your login and other information. Here’s a breakdown of how it all unfolded and how you can protect yourself.

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As reported by BleepingComputer, certain malware strains have discovered a backdoor into Google’s authentication system. The vulnerability lies in the MultiLogin endpoint, which remains undocumented and largely unknown to the public. This clandestine gateway enables threat actors to revive expired authentication cookies, granting unauthorized access to users’ Google accounts.

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Before we dive deeper, let’s understand the role of session cookies. These specialized browser cookies contain authentication information. If you’ve ever experienced the convenience of returning to a site without re-entering your credentials, you’ve encountered session cookies. However, their design intentionally limits their lifespan to prevent prolonged unauthorized access.

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In November of last year, cybercriminals associated with the Lumma and Rhadamanthys info-stealing malware strains made a bold claim: they could resurrect expired Google Authentication cookies stolen during cyberattacks. Armed with these seemingly defunct cookies, a hacker gains entry to a victim’s Google account, even if the user has logged out, reset their password, or their session has expired.

The exploit’s origins trace back to a Telegram post by a threat actor known as PRISMA. In October, they unveiled their discovery: a method to restore Google authentication cookies that had reached their expiration date. This revelation set the stage for further investigation.

Enter CloudSEK, a cybersecurity firm committed to predicting and preventing cyberattacks. Their researchers took on the challenge, reverse engineering the exploit. Their findings revealed that the MultiLogin endpoint served as the linchpin for the hackers. This undocumented feature facilitates account synchronization across various Google services, making it an ideal target for malicious actors’ nefarious activities.

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The exploitation of MultiLogin raises serious concerns for those of you who are Google account holders. To safeguard against this threat, consider the following steps:

1) Sign out of the affected browser: Google is aware of this issue and has taken action to secure compromised accounts. Google’s recommendation is to simply sign out of the affected browser to revoke session cookies.

2) Enhanced Safe Browsing: Enable Enhanced Safe Browsing in Chrome for additional protection against malware and phishing attacks.

On your computer:

On your smartphone:

3) Regularly change passwords: Regularly change your Google password to keep your account safe from hackers. If you struggle with creating new passwords, consider using a password manager.

4) Have good antivirus software on all your devices: The best way to protect yourself from having your data breached is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. Choose the best option for your PC, Mac, iPhone or Android smartphone. Having good antivirus software actively running on your devices will alert you of any malware in your system, warn you against clicking on any malicious links in phishing emails and ultimately protect you from being hacked. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

In light of the recent exploits targeting Google accounts through resurrected session cookies, it’s imperative to strengthen our defenses against such cyberthreats. From the initial discovery by PRISMA to the subsequent investigations by CloudSEK, the vulnerabilities in Google’s MultiLogin endpoint have now been exposed.

To protect your account, ensure you sign out of affected browsers, enable Enhanced Safe Browsing, regularly update passwords, and have good antivirus software across all your devices. By implementing these security measures, you can thwart attempts to compromise your online privacy and safeguard your digital identities.

How important do you think it is for technology companies like Google to continually update and enhance their security protocols to protect you from evolving cyberthreats? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Thought you'd exhausted all the ways to use emojis? Think again. Read More 

Starting this month, advertisers can choose to have their ads played before video content posted by specific creators. Read More 

Bitcoin exploded past the $50,000 threshold for the first time in more than two years on Monday – the latest sign of a massive rebound...

In 2022, nearly 70,000 people were collectively conned out of $1.3 billion from romance scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Read More 

NASA has detected a large grouping of sunspots — dark patches on the sun — known as AR3576, which have increased in size in the last month and could be a risk for strong solar flares. 

Solar flares, which are a large burst of energy on the sun’s surface, can pose a risk to spacecraft and astronauts and also affect radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals, according to NASA. 

In fact, NASA captured a massive solar flare on Friday at its Solar Dynamics Observatory.

And in December, the largest solar flare in six years — that caused problems with airplane radio communications — occurred, sending a burst of radiation hurtling toward Earth.

EARTH HIT BY LARGE BLAST OF SOLAR DEBRIS FROM THE SUN: NASA

Magnetic fields for sunspots are thousands of times more powerful than Earth’s. 

The space agency first discovered the grouping at the end of last month from NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars and the cluster is now facing Earth. 

Sunspots, which on average are the size of Earth, appear darker than the rest of the sun because they’re cooler and can cause solar flares when magnetic field lines are crossed. Some of AR3576’s sunspots are actually larger than Earth. 

NASA ANNOUNCES POTENTIALLY HABITABLE ‘SUPER-EARTH’ ONLY 137 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY

“Real-time images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory show an enormous sunspot group moving across the Sun right now!,” NASA posted on Friday. “If you have eclipse glasses and good vision, you might be able to see it without magnification. (Never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection!)”

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AR3576 is around 93,200 miles long, nearly four times the circumference of Earth. 

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It’s common knowledge that technology had a role in swaying voters in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

To add an additional layer of complications to the upcoming elections in the U.S., artificial intelligence will likely play a heavier hand. 

While AI has been utilized in a multitude of ways in society, there are growing concerns about the use of generative AI during this election season, which may manipulate voters and undermine the elections.

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Generative AI is artificial intelligence that is capable of generating photos, written information and other data based on models that learn and process raw data as well as through user prompts.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

For every candidate who is using AI as a cost-saving measure, there are those who can use it for more malicious purposes. While AI can be used to distinguish and exclude ineligible voters from registries as well as signature matches, it may end up suppressing voters by knowingly or unknowingly removing those who are actually eligible.

Chatbots and algorithms can be used to drum up incorrect information to voters, which can sway them against certain candidates. In the worst-case scenario, AI can amplify hot-button issues and potentially stir up violence.

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Tech companies aren’t investing in election integrity initiatives. AI companies don’t have the connections and funding to manage any risks involved with how their tools get utilized for elections. This means that there is less and less human oversight on what AI generates as well as how the AI-generated information gets used.

The very nature of the American Constitution could be in direct conflict with AI during this election season as free speech is part of the very fabric of American ideals, yet preventing and stopping misinformation is crucial to ensure a fair election.

Not only is the classic mud-slinging of candidates likely, but other countries, such as China, Iran and Russia, have recently been caught trying to use content created with AI to manipulate U.S. voters.

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Social media has undoubtedly changed the way election campaigns are run. Various platforms have their own processes in place to deal with election information and misinformation. YouTube has changed its policy and states: “We will stop removing content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches occurred in the 2020 and other past US Presidential elections.”

YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, requires election advertisers to prominently disclose when their ads include realistic synthetic content that has been digitally altered or generated, including by AI tools. Over the coming months, YouTube will also require creators to disclose when they have created realistic altered or synthetic content and will display a label that indicates to people that the content they’re watching is synthetic. 

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Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, will put labels on images and ads that were made with AI, in order to help people know what is real and what is not, and to stop false or harmful information from spreading, especially during elections.

Several states have passed laws regulating the use of political deepfakes, including California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Washington.

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While there will always be the potential for AI to be misused in any facet of society, it seems most alarming if it will impact our democracy. With the awareness of potential misuse by pundits and voters alike, there is a chance that it will encourage more critical thinking by voters who will be viewing election candidates, issues and information with a more critical eye. That can make people more apt to do their own research than just absorb what they are being “fed” online or offline. And since America’s election system isn’t centralized, it will be harder for AI to be misused as votes are managed at the local level. At the end of the day, your vote will still matter.

What are your biggest concerns regarding the use of AI during this year’s election? Do you think you’ll see or feel the impact? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question, or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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