Author name: Jenny Nicole

Current Generation of Cybercriminal threats
WhatsApp

WhatsApp is unprotected from the Current Generation of Cybercriminal threats

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Cyberthreats have been around since the old Internet days. But fast forward to 2021, and they are the biggest threats to any IT company. They have now taken on the role of an intrinsic part of the Internet experience. We have experienced the days of malware campaigns initiated via emails. Soon after, we saw the advent of emoji packs. It was another malware attack campaign. And now cybersecurity threats have shifted to smartphones, targeting messaging apps specifically. WhatsApp is the biggest perpetrator of this phenomenon. Cybersecurity threats have shifted to smartphones One of the most noticeable cybersecurity threat patterns over the past decade has been smartphones’ use in phishing incidents. Attackers are increasingly using SMS text messages, WhatsApp, and other mobile messaging platforms to carry their crimes. As email providers have improved their spam identifying algorithms, actors welcome smartphones as their new modus operandi. Smartphones naturally are much more unsecured than a computer. The average mobile device is less likely to be protected against phishing when compared to a computer network. Hackers are forcing users to rely on their phones Threat actors may also combine email and mobile messaging in a single assault, such as sending a phishing email with a QR code that must be scanned by a smartphone, thereby moving the attack to the mobile endpoint. It is quite an advanced technique that targets smartphones specifically since many smartphones come equipped with QR readers. Hackers are now trying to force people into opening links only accessible via smartphones or specific apps, like in the case of the above example. We’ve witnessed an increase in QR-based assaults as the previously underutilized technology has erupted in popularity. Hackers have become adept at exploring and exploiting their target system’s flaws. The target organization is unprepared for these kinds of assaults. Organizations most often react too late to a cyber threat. Organizations never expect to become a victim, only a bystander. Threat actors are exploiting WhatsApp’s popularity Threat actors are attracted to WhatsApp’s popularity. They see it as a golden opportunity for get-rich schemes that are ransomware scams. As of October 2021, 2 billion people across the world use WhatsApp. It just goes to show that the ball is in the threat actors’ hands. Just because of how many people use WhatsApp as their primary source of daily communication, they have great success odds. Just recently, Pegasus, an Israeli spyware program made the rounds on international news channels. Pegasus would get installed on people’s phones by hackers contacting them on WhatsApp. Hackers had access to the phone owner’s data, even if they didn’t answer the anonymous phone call. While WhatsApp has published a Pegasus fix, there is no certainty that this incident won’t repeat. Pegasus specifically targeted WhatsApp because the chances of a person of interest using that app are gargantuan. It is not always WhatsApp’s fault Because they continue to succeed, most attacks still rely on a small list of techniques and approaches. It’s not inherently WhatsApp’s fault that these attacks occur. Some of these flaws are inherent to the medium it’s operated on, that is, the mobile phone’s operating system. Smartphones are now following the route of planned obsolescence. It means smartphones have increasingly shorter lifespans. So they become obsolete quicker. It causes smartphones to get outdated quickly. So they won’t receive any security updates in the future. It leaves them exposed to threats that could be prevented easily if the mobile device had operated on the latest security patch. Developers patch any known vulnerabilities after thoroughly testing them in isolation and part of the whole operating system both. Having your phone running the latest security patch is therefore crucial. What can users do to secure their WhatsApp? Users need to be aware and educate themselves on the variety of cyber threats existing in our digital realm. The responsibility lies on their shoulders. Most malware attacks can stop in their tracks. With minimum effort and caution, in most scenarios. Always assume everything is a threat; presume that everything that appears fishy is most likely phishy. Although phishing emails have evolved significantly from the earlier days of broken English, nonsensical communication patterns of yesteryear, there will always be red flags. Language and design discrepancies should raise red flags that users need to be aware of. They should always double-check that the sender’s display name matches the email address. Double-check any links before opening. And if it is a corporate email, it can be swiftly verified by checking official websites, email signatures, or using search engines. Businesses can also assist their employees and consumers by offering a convenient way to report phishing. Customers should readily report suspicions to the company. Workers should have direct access to their IT security staff, ideally via a specific anti-phishing and restoration tool. Even if an employee’s mobile device has a corporate email application installed, open channels like SMS and WhatsApp will get beyond whatever anti-phishing security it has. Despite end-to-end encryption. It is where remote monitoring tools can be of assistance. Remote monitoring apps work unconventionally to most corporate-level cyber threat fail-safes. Since hackers exploit conventional or known vulnerabilities, they do not expect surprises. Hence remote monitoring tools are a viable solution to the ever-present threat of malware, ransomware, and other cybersecurity threats. XNSPY is one such remote monitoring app that is frequently featured on list of handpicked WhatsApp spying tools of 2021. It can help keep user data safe from these phishing schemes, malware, and ransomware threats. XNSPY allows employers to act proactively and think creatively before a threat becomes imminent. And since it has the ability to remotely spy on WhatsApp activities, you’ll find it in almost all hand-picked tools of 2021 for WhatsApp spying. Employers can utilize the service’s screen recording and WhatsApp monitoring to secure employees’ data from getting into the hands of said actors. Users can remotely spy on WhatsApp activities such as messages, calls, and multimedia sent and received on the target phone or tablet using this app. Employers

android surveillance tools
Business

Google’s Security Patches – Becoming Self-Reliant with Security on Android

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Android is hands down the most popular smartphone Operating System with over 2.5 billion users as of 2021, spanning 190 countries. It has a whopping share of 87% of the global smartphone market share. To say Android knows a thing or two about smartphones would be an understatement. It is a force to be reckoned with. Some Android trivia You may be forgiven to think that we have been using Android for our entire life, but it’s only been a little over a decade since Android popped up on the scene. So let’s take a quick history of this massive hit of an operating system. Many people don’t know this, but Android started as an operating system for digital cameras. It was conceived by Andy Rubin in 2003 in Palo Alto, California. It was then marketed as an open-source alternative to Palm OS and iOS before being bought by Google in 2005. It was quickly picked up by the industry’s heavy hitters such as HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung, all releasing phones running on Android. This helped to launch the platform and it quickly became the most popular smartphone OS. By 2014, Android Lollipop was launched aka version 5. By then, it had amassed one billion users worldwide. Android has the biggest percent market share of mobile operating systems in the third world and developing countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Turkey. It falls behind Apple in Japan and the United States. Android’s greatest edge over its competitors is its high customizability. However, since Google launched its flagship hardware known as Pixel, Google has been adding more services and security updates to its brand of smartphones. It has given Google Pixel an edge over its competitors since it’s the first to receive Android security updates. So why are security updates so vital in establishing dominance in the ruthless smartphone business? Frequent Security Updates are crucial When you turn on your new Android smartphone for the very first time, it asks you to install security updates. These updates seem very small and inconsequential. But they are essential for the smooth and secure running of your smartphone. Since Android is open-source, many phone manufacturers add their twist to the OS which can create a lot of bugs and security loopholes. That is why security researchers are constantly on the lookout for such vulnerabilities. Researchers notify Google of the vulnerabilities after an update is released. To not mess up the release cycle, it is known as responsible disclosure. Third-party app manufacturers and hackers can exploit the vulnerabilities in a system and use them to invade a person’s smart device. So Google engineers do their QA testing to check out the harmful potential of vulnerabilities. Once they are satisfied, they group several security patches and ship them out as a security update. Google tallies these security fixes and notifies the phone manufacturers. It gives them ample time to rectify the vulnerabilities caused on their end, so they can all try and release an update simultaneously. But as most Android users know, these updates are not as frequent as they would like. So ultimately, it is the device manufacturer’s and the carrier’s responsibility to deliver timely updates to your smartphone device. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) do bundle their bug fixes and UI improvements. But these are too minute to make a noticeable difference. And this is why so many users feel let down when they get a notification for an update. After installing it, they cannot virtually tell the difference before and after. This communication breakdown is one of the most significant drawbacks of Android. And it is also the reason why many people think Apple is more secure than Android. So what is Google doing to overcome this hurdle and ensure its dominance over Apple? Google is not going to depend on OEMs for security updates In a brilliant move by Google, it is trying to step away from the bad reputation it developed because of the slow updates it sends out. It is trying to cut off its dependence on OEMs for the security update to make it easier to send incremental updates to the Android OS. The project, called Project Mainline allowed users to download the most significant updates directly from Google Play Store, circumventing the waiting period. Users would still receive updates from their OEMs, but they won’t be a time-crucial or high-priority update. It means certain parts of the Operating System will receive updates via the Play Store while still receiving massive firmware updates directly from the device manufacturers. Project Mainline got introduced in Android 10. Hence all the devices running on Android 10 could utilize this feature. It is good news for all parties involved. Consumers can rejoice as they no longer need to wait for device manufacturers to complete their testing before a patch is released. Device manufacturers will be relieved knowing that they won’t have to worry about any inconsistencies in the Android ecosystem. Google will be pleased knowing it will be retaining its customers who were switching to Apple over security concerns. This modular approach to updating the Android OS is a much welcome change, greatly appreciated by users. It will minimize the security risks and vulnerabilities associated with delays in OS updates. How to not rely on Google for security Luckily, there are a lot of techniques you can apply to improve your phone’s security and become independent of the tools provided by Google and phone manufacturers. Do not leave your phone unattended Back up your phone frequently Do not open any suspicious links Always have a third-party antivirus installed on your Android device Buy phones that have a good track record of security and frequent updates like Samsung and Google Pixel Install apps from trusted vendors These are all fail-proof tips that can go a long way in protecting users’ privacy. But even some of the most ideal Android surveillance tools fall flat when it comes to this. So what is this

Cyber Monday - 2021
Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday Scammers are Targeting Shoppers – What Should You Look Out For

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Cybersecurity Practices for K-12 Schools
Business

Why Cybersecurity Practices for K-12 Schools Should Worry Everyone

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Digital threats have evolved considerably in the past 11 years. Whereas US education is on the decline. This disparity creates a turbulent environment for school-going children, especially the ones from Kindergarten to grade 12. Between August 14 to September 12, 2021, 63% of all malware attacks focused on educational institutions. A total of 5.8 million malware attacks occurred in just that month. Last year wasn’t any better. In 2020, 1681 educational institutions were the target of malware attacks in the US. These included schools, colleges, and universities. That year malware attacks focused on 44% of all the educational institutions worldwide. During the pandemic, educational institutions were the biggest victims of cybercrime. Last year schools and colleges faced a loss of $2.73 million due to cyberattacks. This was $300,000 more than the next-biggest sector: distributors and transportation companies. These costs included lost clients, downtime losses, and repairs. Internet cybersecurity firm Kaspersky conducted a study that found 55% of children have experienced at least one cyberattack against schools they were studying at. Additionally, 72% of the surveyed parents said they support having their child’s school pay the ransom in the case of a ransomware attack. Meanwhile, 28% of parents believed their kids’ school should never pay under any circumstance. The data showed ransomware attacks jumped from 28% to 57%. In many cases, schools had to pay tens of millions of dollars to hackers just to keep the schools open and avoid student data from leaking. What is the government doing to protect schools from ransomware attacks? The US government has put in measures to prevent ransomware attacks, and what to do in case of one. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Secure Schools, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have all been assigned specific roles to help schools prepare and protect from cyberattacks like ransomware and brute force attacks. These different governing agencies have offered services, support, and programs to help kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools defend themselves against various cyberattacks. These included guides for parents and children to deal with online threats, network monitoring tools and detailed explanations of the type of attacks that can occur. The agencies also discussed the potential vulnerabilities in communication systems. Meanwhile, the Department of Education is directly responsible for any incident that targets educational institutions, cyberattacks or not. But, the Department of Education’s official security guideline was published back in 2010 and has since gone out-of-date. Why is the Department of Education so behind? The Department of Education is responsible for developing and maintaining a sector-specific plan to address cybersecurity risks at K-12 schools. It is also responsible for calculating possible needs for sector-specific guidance. But since the Education Facilities plan was developed and issued in 2010, it has become redundant. Why? Because ransomware attacks have become more complex and unpredictable over the years. There exists a disparity between how quickly hackers attack a system versus how quickly an organization can respond to it. And over the years this gap has widened dramatically. Hackers have gotten quite proficient in their ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities within the systems they are targeting. Whereas, the target organization is most likely unprepared for such threats. These organizations have developed a react-approach instead of a prevent-approach. And by the time they react to a cyberattack, it is almost always too late. Schools are underfunded Also, the Department of Education is incredibly underfunded. According to a study released by The Century Foundation (TCF), The United States is underfunding K-12 public schools by nearly $150 billion annually. This means that most US schools cannot afford to train their teachers on even the most basic IT skills. US schools generally have an inadequate IT infrastructure. They are using outdated or pirated copies of Windows. Such operating systems no longer receive any security updates, leaving the systems exposed to both external and internal threats. Schools even rolled out Chromebooks to make up for the shortage of PCs in computer labs. But the schools did not know how children were utilizing their time on the devices. This exposed children to ransomware, third party scams and malware attacks. Specific third party monitoring apps for schools could have been useful here for monitoring school resources. US Government is too old to handle technology matters Another factor is that a majority of elected officials in the US government are old. According to an analysis from the Congressional Research Service, the average age of US senators in the current 116th Congress is 62.9 years. Meanwhile, The House of Representatives is not much different. It has an average age of 57.6 years. So the people in power, the people who are running this country, who have the final say in how technology is used in this country, are the ones who are not familiar with even the basic concepts of tech. Only a few years back, at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was asked a random question about Rep. Steve King’s iPhone. To which the CEO replied, “Congressman, iPhone is made by a different company.” If the people in charge cannot differentiate between Google and Apple, how can they educate and prevent ransomware? What can the Department of Education do to prevent ransomware attacks? The US Government Accountability Office(GAO) noted that the DoE blamed other departments for its failures. It blamed the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). DoE remarked that the department had not told it to make any updates to the 2010 plan. But GAO holds DoE accountable for not updating the guidelines which could have prevented many of the ransomware attacks the schools faced. GAO’s report has made it clear that government officials need to take extreme measures to prevent ransomware attacks on K-12 schools. GAO has called for a more organized effort among the various government agencies. It maintains a greater need to share threat intelligence with K-12 schools, equipping schools with better awareness

Black Friday Super sale - xnspy
Events & Deals

Best Black Friday Software and Hosting Deals 2021

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It’s finally November. So you know what that means. It’s time for pumpkin spice lattes, turkey dinner, and the biggest sales of the year. Yep, that’s right! In a few days, it will be Black Friday, which means you can get a lot of great deals on your favorite software programs. Windows software, especially, is going for astronomically low prices, and everyone should jump on this trend ASAP. You will get a better idea of the kind of deals worth your cash, without wasting time searching. Luckily, manufacturers and e-commerce websites gave us a preview of the discounts to come. Please note that these discounts are subject to change, without further notice. So without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s best Black Friday software deals. Best Amp Modeling Software Amp modelers have come a long way over the years. Modeling technology has gotten so sophisticated that you virtually cannot tell the difference between an amp modeler and an actual guitar amp. There are some great amp modelers on the market. But my choice of software is NeuralDSP. They are having a massive sale right now, with every amp modeler at 50% off. So now is the perfect time to get an amp sim of your choice. Best Antivirus Deals Due to how common malware attacks and ransomware incidents have gotten in the last five years, now is a great time to invest in a powerful Antivirus suite. Although free Antivirus can get the job done for most users, premium Antivirus suites have become a requirement.  After searching the web for countless hours, I have found the best Antivirus deal for Black Friday. Avast is offering 75% off its monthly subscription for its all-in-one essential security service, Avast One. The annual subscription is down from $99 to $29. That’s a whopping 75% off this Black Friday.  That means a monthly subscription to Avast One will set you back at just $2.5. Avast One is a great choice for heavy users who want safety against unwanted ads, trackers, suspicious sites and want to update all their drivers automatically. The service also has a VPN included. Best Deals on Creativity and Design Suites Adobe is offering 40% off on its Creative Cloud through November 26. Individual plans are now $29.99 per month instead of $52.99. Teams subscription is now $49.99 instead of $79.99 per month.  This deal is great is for students and teachers as they get 70% off. So instead of paying $52.99 per month, they now have to pay $15.99 per month. Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of 20+ apps. These include Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere Pro among others.  Please note this discount is for the first year only.  So now is a great time to be an artist or a creative professional. Best Web Hosting Discount Anyone looking to build a new website and host it can use HostGator. The company is offering a massive 70% on all of its plans. Hatchling and Baby plans are available at $2.08 per month, while the Business plan is available at $4.48 per month. HostGator offers unmetered bandwidth, free domain registration, free SSL certificate, and one-click installation. Baby plan is the best value as it offers unlimited website hosting as well on top of all the other features that hatchling plan offers. Best Parental Control App Deal If you are in the market for the best deal on parental control apps, look no further. My recommendation is XNSPY. Parents use different apps to track kids’ phone activities, but this is the app that does it all. XNSPY has all the features you want out of a parental control app.  Kids can be exposed to nefarious actors and be prone to malware attacks and ransomware when using the Internet. Parents can use XNSPY’s monitoring features to keep track of their kids and ensure they are being productive and doing their homework on time. Parents can also use XNSPY to ensure their kids are not spending too much time on their smartphones. XNSPY is the cheapest out of all the best parental control apps on the market. Their basic version costs $4.99 per month if you buy the yearly package. Whereas the premium edition costs $7.49 every month, billed as $89.99 annually. Parents use different apps to track kids’ phone activities and ensure they are not getting scammed online or getting into any trouble in their free time. XNSPY lets users reach these goals with ease.  The app offers screen recording, remote surrounding recording, and social media monitoring. XNSPY can help parents track the activity on popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Tinder. 

Events & Deals, Infographic

Dreading Thanksgiving with the Family? Let’s Spruce it up

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Thanksgiving wasn’t always a polarizing time of the year for many people, but over the past few decades, it has divided opinions. Today, people argue over its veracity as a holiday. Some dread the amount of cooking required, while others despise it for the eventual family bust-ups it leads to at dinner time. Regardless of where you land on the topic, Thanksgiving is an integral part of U.S history and culture. So how can you improve your Thanksgiving experience this year around? Let’s find way to spruce it up for everyone.

Business

Is Your Business Protected Against Data Breach?

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Businesses of various types have had to follow strict data protection guidelines to ward off any thefts, leaks, and breaches. This has been the case ever since companies began offloading their data to servers and the cloud. While encryption and other protective measures exist, these may not be enough. This is especially true as the rapidly evolving pace of technology demands proactive measures. (Lorazepam) Today, we’ll look at the various ways your business could be susceptible to a data breach, and the best ways to thwart that threat.

Business Protected Against Data Breach
Tech

Ethical Hacking is the Best Strategy for Tech Companies

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Imagine, if you will, that you’re a hacker. There you are, sitting in a dimly-lit room, hunched over a computer screen. You’re trying to hack your way into the network of a tech company valued at a couple of billion dollars. There is precious data and information just within your reach. So you sit at your computer, constantly probing and testing the network’s security barriers, looking for gaps or weaknesses. (Diazepam) You go over minute details, scanning the entire security landscape on that particular network until finally… success! You’ve found a hole in the system that you can exploit. You quietly enter the system, gain administrative access, and extract whatever data you need. Careful not to leave a trace, you stealthily make your exit. Surprisingly, instead of filing charges against you, the company you were hacking sends you a paycheck and along with their thanks for exposing bugs in their security system.  Welcome to the world of ethical hacking, where companies pay white-hat hackers to try to infiltrate their networks and expose holes in their security systems. As the old saying goes, “It takes a thief to catch a thief.”   What is Ethical Hacking? Ethical hacking is the process of hacking into a company’s network from the perspective of a malicious hacker and exposing a weakness that can be easily exploited—with the company’s permission to do so. Ethical hackers, also called bug bounty hunters, are usually cybersecurity officials or even ex-hackers who use their talents for good, instead of crime. By using their experience and expertise in hacking computer systems, they can stage a mock attack on a company’s security system to test its defenses and capabilities. Nowadays, companies are willing to pay big money to ethical hackers to safeguard themselves against malicious attacks. And with good reason, too, because according to a report by Bugcrowd, over $27 billion in damages were prevented by ethical hackers on their platform.  Just as vaccines work to strengthen our defenses against diseases, ethical hacking performs a similar service for security systems. Despite the word “hacker” having connotations, white-hat hackers can report and fix bugs in IT systems that their criminal counterparts would have exploited for monetary gain.  A lot of ethical hackers are people who were at one point, black-hat hackers. Industry insiders think that ex-black-hat hackers generally are better equipped to prevent other malicious hackers from hacking into a system. One of the biggest reasons is that these people are used to thinking outside the box and ignoring the rules. They are more likely to see a security network and instinctively know how a hacker might approach it. Kevin Mitnick was once an infamous hacker. He was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and spent 5 years in jail on computer and wire fraud charges. Now, he successfully runs his cybersecurity firm, using the skills and talents that he previously employed for the crime.  Regardless of whether their skills were learned legally or not, experts say the best hackers all have the same habits. They are mostly hyper-curious people, eager to show off their technical prowess, and are familiar with all the practices of malicious hacking, such as phishing and SQL injection.   Compared to Hacking as We Know It When presented with term hacking in its everyday context, it’s fairly reasonable to imagine agencies working for malicious purposes. Ethical hackers operate differently though. Using their knowledge to secure and improve databases and technology, ethical hackers use their technical prowess to highlight instabilities and flaw in the current infrastructure. Instead of exploiting these flaws, they report back to the organization or portal manager and suggest fixes to their platform. The modern day Robin Hoods, if you will. Ethical hackers provide an essential service to organizations by highlighting any vulnerabilities that could lead to security breaches. In fact, most organizations have the same group of hackers perform retests to ensure that all the flaws and vulnerabilities are fully resolved.  Malicious hackers on the other hand, aim to gain access to a resource online for either personal recognition or financial benefit. They usually target sensitive organizations such as healthcare, government or financial institutions. Some might even infiltrate the organizations they intend to hack before journeying on their endeavors. These hackers can also target specific Android and iOS devices that are registered with organizations, or are provided by them. To get around this issue, most companies now utilize employee monitoring software to keep a close eye on any potential culprits. Many employees with company Android phone today have this piece of kit installed, that routinely checks for any malicious activity occurring on company property. Still, hackers have a comprehensive selection of hacking apps for the Android OS to choose from and because of these, their methods used and vulnerabilities found remain largely unreported. Malicious hackers don’t concern themselves with improving the organization’s security posture and instead direct their efforts to malign them. Bug Bounty Programs  Understandably, a lot of companies are still hesitant about hiring hackers and giving them access to confidential company data. But ethical hacking is catching on in a big way, especially in tech companies. In the next two years alone, U.S companies are expected to spend $1 trillion annually on proactive cybersecurity measures. Apart from hiring hackers, full-time, these companies also host bug bounty programs. These are events where outside ethical hackers participate and get compensated for finding bugs and gaps in a company’s code or security system.  The scope of these programs can vary from company to company. Sometimes, companies declare open season on their applications and web pages. They invite anyone to come and test them out. (practicetestgeeks.com) Others can have set limits and restrictions to what a hacker can do to their network. A DDoS attack might be an example of something an ethical hacker won’t be allowed to do.  When a bug is discovered by a hacker, a report is submitted to the company through a platform. The company verifies the bug and works with the hacker to create a patch solution and test it.

Facebook - Now Metaverse
NEWS

Understand Facebook’s Metaverse in Under 5 Minutes

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At Facebook’s recent Connect conference, the company announced its intentions to rebrand itself. The Facebook company officially changed its name to Meta. Under Meta, the company hopes to bring together all its apps and services under one brand. With the creation of the metaverse, Facebook reiterates how augmented and virtual reality will be dominant technologies in the future. Facebook also stated that the name change would mean its stock ticker shows MSYR instead of FB. And while the company’s corporate structure will not change, how they report their financials will be different from now. In the past, Facebook has invested in several hardware upgrades as releasing its versions of the Oculus AR headsets and now making RayBans Stories glasses. The company also claims to have set aside $10 billion to create the tech required for the Metaverse. In the demo for the metaverse on October 28th, Mark Zuckerberg showcased all the different benefits and advantages of using AR. Whether for social interaction or learning and education, a 3D interface provides users with a more immersive experience. Zuckerberg also wants Facebook to shift away from being a social media company towards building the Metaverse. All of this comes after Facebook went through intense scrutiny because of the documents provided by whistleblower Frances Haugen. The documents proved that Facebook knew its platform was toxic, especially towards teenage girls. Some other notable points from the documents include Facebook knowing its customer base consists mostly of an aging population. It also knows how there is a tier system for handling crises depending on where in the world it takes place. Perhaps because of Facebook’s frustration at missing out on the mobile shift, they want to make sure they stay on top of wherever the next shift goes. This rebranding is also similar to how Google announced it was becoming a part of a parent company called Alphabet in 2015. Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Oculus are all now under the umbrella of the Meta Company. Oculus is also going through its rebranding. It will replace the name Meta in all its products and apps. According to Mark Zuckerberg, this move was being planned for 6 months and was not an attempt to divert attention from any negative press. Why a metaverse? Zuckerberg seems confident that the metaverse is a replacement for the mobile internet. In the live demo of the metaverse, we saw happy cheerful avatars representing real people, enjoying virtual concerts and videos, hanging out in the virtual world, and shopping for virtual goods. Whether its implementation will look the same way, we have to wait and see. Perhaps by making something like the metaverse, Facebook can solve its aging user base crisis and attract the newer generation again. Additionally, since Apple and Google dominate the mobile internet, sometimes their interests do not match those of Facebook. The company needs its platform if it is ever going to control its fate and stop paying its competitors’ fees for using its services. Another advantage of becoming Meta for Facebook is fewer regulations and rules. Since AR and VR are relatively new fields, it is unlikely that they will be regulated any time soon. And since Facebook is once again focusing on a social platform, perhaps it can avoid the political pitfalls this time around. Another advantage to rebranding is a possible fix for the reputation damage that Facebook has sustained over the years. This might be their second chance to have a lasting impact on another future form of human interaction. However, Facebook is already facing problems and a mixed reaction from the general public. The metaverse could just end up bringing even more scrutiny and regulations over the company. And Facebook still has the monumental task of convincing people that the Oculus headset itself is a good investment outside of the gaming world. Whether this is just a vain publicity stunt, and an expensive one at that, remains to be seen. But if Mark Zuckerberg succeeds, it would open a brand new frontier of social communication and e-commerce. 

Infographic

How to make Halloween 2021 safer than last year’s

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Halloween 2021 is something that kids and adults alike are looking forward to. COVID-19 crushed last year’s Halloween spirit. Expectations are high, so there is less room for error when it comes to making Halloween safer for adults and kids especially. Fortunately, the CDC has given the go-ahead to celebrate Halloween 2021. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Sunday told Fox News host Chris Wallace, “I would say put on those costumes, stay outside and enjoy your trick-or-treating.”

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