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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will require web hosting giant GoDaddy to implement basic security protections, including HTTPS APIs and mandatory multi-factor authentication, to settle charges that it failed to secure its hosting services against attacks since 2018. [...]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will require web hosting giant GoDaddy to implement basic security protections, including HTTPS APIs and mandatory multi-factor authentication, to settle charges that it failed to secure its hosting services against attacks since 2018. [...]

A new UEFI Secure Boot bypass vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-7344 that affects a Microsoft-signed application could be exploited to deploy bootkits even if Secure Boot protection is active. [...]

This article delves into the rising tide of MFA failures, the alarming role of generative AI in amplifying these attacks, the growing user discontent weakening our defenses, and the glaring vulnerabilities being frequently exploited. The storm is building, and the worst is yet to come. [...]

Google will no longer charge Workspace customers an additional fee for Gemini, expanding access to generative AI (genAI) features in apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. At the same time, the company is increasing the price of Workspace subscriptions by a small amount.

“Google is disrupting a market while some application vendors are still trying to monetize generative AI,” said Wayne Kurtzman, research vice president for collaboration and communities at IDC. It’s an “unusually bold first move” by Google, one that “should result in paid user growth of their Workspace platform.

“We are moving to an economy where we will experience AI everywhere, so it makes sense that we see AI included in office and collaboration applications,” said Kurtzman.

Google launched its Gemini AI assistant (formerly Duet AI for Google Workspace) in August 2023. There were two main add-ons: Gemini Business priced at $20 per user per month, and Gemini Enterprise, which cost $30 per user per month. Each represented a significant outlay for Workspace customers on top of their core subscriptions; Google later introduced more affordable add-on options that provided a limited set of genAI tools: AI Meetings and Messages and AI Security, both costing $10 per user a month. 

All of those subscription costs will end as of March 17, Google said in a blog post Wednesday.

Instead, Gemini features will be included in regular paid Workspace plans from the Business Standard plan upwards. That will allow access to Gemini in the side panel of several Workspace apps, as well as automated note taking in Meet video calls, image generation in Docs and Slides, and access to the NotebookLM Plus app. 

(Google has a detailed list of the AI features available and coming soon to each payment plan at its admin help site here.)

At the same time, the price of payment plans will increase. Business Standard will rise from $12 to $14 per user each month when paid on an annual basis; Business Plus customers will see a more substantial increase — from $18 to $22 per user a month. The Business Starter plan, which will provide access to limited Gemini capabilities, will go from $6 to $7 per user a month. 

Google doesn’t provide details on the Workspace Enterprise tier publically. 

The change to pricing will begin today for new customers, Google said. Existing customers will see the updated prices applied after March 17.

The move could be seen as the commodification of genAI; more than two years after  ChatGPT 3.5 launched, AI assistant tools have become common and vendors have shifted their attention to more advanced AI agents. Or Google may have moved on from  its attempt to convince customers to pay a premium for Gemini over and above the base subscription costs. 

“While there’s an element of truth to both, Google’s sales channel and customers may well celebrate,” J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team, said in a blog post about the announcement.

One implication of the decision is to make genAI tools available to all employees with access to Workspace; due to the high per-user cost, many customers might have been selective about handing out licenses, dividing knowledge workers into AI “haves” and “have-nots.”

“This pricing change effectively removes a company’s need to determine who will get an AI productivity boost, and who will not,” said Kurtzman. “This should expand the number of paid seats of Google Workspace, as the value prop of usability and AI are clear.” 

It could also convince more companies to switch to the paid version of Workspace. 

“Many companies still use the free version of Google Workspace to access collaborative features that their current applications do not support,” said Kurtzman. “The inclusion of AI and a price point much lower than many competitors should result in additional paid users to Google Workspace.”

Google’s move will clearly put pressure on Microsoft — which charges $30 per user a month for its M365 Copilot add-on — to follow suit, as well as other productivity software vendors that charge an extra fee for access to genAI capabilities. (Zoom is a notable exception, having included its AI Companion in its apps at no extra cost since launch.)

As the cost of running large language models (LLMs) drops, this is a natural direction of travel: Gartneranalysts have said they expect genAI features to be included at no extra cost in office software subscriptions by 2028, according to a recent report (subscription required), as vendors seek broader adoption of their tools.

Price cuts will likely spur wider adoption. Microsoft has found it difficult to convince large numbers of customers to adopt its M365 Copilot widely across their organizations, with subscription costs one of the barriers. Microsoft has already bundled Copilot into consumer M365 subscriptions in some countries and willlikely do the same for business customers eventually.

“How long can Microsoft hold the line — and for how long — on $30/user/month? We’re betting the pricing strategy evolves,” said Gownder.

The digital world is exploding. IoT devices are multiplying like rabbits, certificates are piling up faster than you can count, and compliance requirements are tightening by the day. Keeping up with it all can feel like trying to juggle chainsaws while riding a unicycle. Traditional trust management? Forget it. It's simply not built for today's fast-paced, hybrid environments. You need a

The digital world is exploding. IoT devices are multiplying like rabbits, certificates are piling up faster than you can count, and compliance requirements are tightening by the day. Keeping up with it all can feel like trying to juggle chainsaws while riding a unicycle. Traditional trust management? Forget it. It's simply not built for today's fast-paced, hybrid environments. You need a [email protected]

You can tell the story of the current state of stolen credential-based attacks in three numbers: Stolen credentials were the #1 attacker action in 2023/24, and the breach vector for 80% of web app attacks. (Source: Verizon). Cybersecurity budgets grew again in 2024, with organizations now spending almost $1,100 per user (Source: Forrester).  Stolen credentials on criminal forums cost as

You can tell the story of the current state of stolen credential-based attacks in three numbers: Stolen credentials were the #1 attacker action in 2023/24, and the breach vector for 80% of web app attacks. (Source: Verizon). Cybersecurity budgets grew again in 2024, with organizations now spending almost $1,100 per user (Source: Forrester).  Stolen credentials on criminal forums cost as [email protected]

Details have emerged about a now-patched security vulnerability that could allow a bypass of the Secure Boot mechanism in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) systems. The vulnerability, assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-7344 (CVSS score: 6.7), resides in a UEFI application signed by Microsoft's "Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011" third-party UEFI certificate, according to a new

Details have emerged about a now-patched security vulnerability that could allow a bypass of the Secure Boot mechanism in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) systems. The vulnerability, assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-7344 (CVSS score: 6.7), resides in a UEFI application signed by Microsoft's "Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011" third-party UEFI certificate, according to a new Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Cybersecurity researchers have found that the Microsoft Active Directory Group Policy that's designed to disable NT LAN Manager (NTLM) v1 can be trivially bypassed by a misconfiguration. "A simple misconfiguration in on-premise applications can override the Group Policy, effectively negating the Group Policy designed to stop NTLMv1 authentications," Silverfort researcher Dor Segal said in a

Cybersecurity researchers have found that the Microsoft Active Directory Group Policy that's designed to disable NT LAN Manager (NTLM) v1 can be trivially bypassed by a misconfiguration. "A simple misconfiguration in on-premise applications can override the Group Policy, effectively negating the Group Policy designed to stop NTLMv1 authentications," Silverfort researcher Dor Segal said in a Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Threat actors have been observed concealing malicious code in images to deliver malware such as VIP Keylogger and 0bj3ctivity Stealer as part of separate campaigns. "In both campaigns, attackers hid malicious code in images they uploaded to archive[.]org, a file-hosting website, and used the same .NET loader to install their final payloads," HP Wolf Security said in its Threat Insights Report

Threat actors have been observed concealing malicious code in images to deliver malware such as VIP Keylogger and 0bj3ctivity Stealer as part of separate campaigns. "In both campaigns, attackers hid malicious code in images they uploaded to archive[.]org, a file-hosting website, and used the same .NET loader to install their final payloads," HP Wolf Security said in its Threat Insights Report Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

When you think about your smartphone, apps and interfaces are probably the first things that come to mind. Beneath all that surface-level stuff, though, our modern mobile devices are filled with files — folders upon folders of ’em! — just like the clunky ol’ computers we’ve relied upon for ages.

We may not come face to face with our phones’ file systems too often, but it’s valuable to know they’re there — and to know how they can work for us when the need arises. Whether you’re looking to dig up downloaded PDFs and presentations, open up ZIP files that a client emailed you, or move files from your phone to a computer, tablet, or even another Android phone or an iPhone, you’ve got all sorts of options to get down to business.

Here’s everything you need to know to tap into your phone’s file managing and transferring powers.

Manage files on your Android phone

You might not realize it at a glance, but Android actually allows you to access a device’s entire file system — even from the device itself.

The key is finding the right file manager to handle the job. That type of app makes it incredibly easy to browse, search, and interact with all the files stored locally on your device as well as clean up your local storage to free up space. You can even compress or uncompress files and add extra encryption onto especially sensitive items.

You’ll likely need just a single standout Android file manager to handle all of that and then some. I’ve narrowed down the field to two top contenders — one that’s the best all-around option for most professionals and one that offers an extra-advanced and robust file management experience with all sorts of interesting extras.

Check out my Android file manager recommendations and see which path makes the most sense for you, then keep whichever app you end up with handy for on-demand file-wrangling right from your device.

Supplement your phone’s local storage

One little-known feature of Android is its ability to connect with external storage devices like USB memory sticks and even larger-capacity portable hard drives. A phone just has to support something known as USB On-The-Go, or USB OTG, in order for the connection to work.

A fair number of devices, including Google’s Pixel phones and many Samsung Galaxy products, offer such support. If you aren’t sure if your phone does, your best bet is to Google its name along with “USB OTG”; odds are, you’ll find the answer fairly quickly.

Provided your device supports USB OTG, all you need is a USB-A to USB-C adapter like this one made by Amazon. Use the adapter to plug the external drive into your phone, then look for a notification confirming the drive is connected.

Tap the “Explore” option within the notification, and that’s it: You can now browse and access all the files on your external drive.

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Look for the notification that pops up when an external drive is connected, and you’ll be browsing the drive’s contents in no time.

JR Raphael / IDG

When you’re finished, don’t forget to go back to the notification and tap “Eject” before disconnecting the drive.

Android file transfers for Windows computers

In addition to supporting external hard drives, your Android device can act as an external hard drive for fast file transfers with any computer. And with a Windows system, it’s especially easy to make that connection.

Just plug your Android device into any open USB port on your Windows computer, then turn on the phone’s screen and unlock it.

Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, and you should see a notification about the current USB connection. At this point, it’ll probably tell you your phone is connected only for charging.

After you connect your phone to your computer, a notification will let you prepare it for transferring files.

JR Raphael / IDG

Tap the notification and select “Transfer files” or “File transfer” in the menu that appears. If media files are all you’re planning to move, you could also use the “Transfer photos” (sometimes listed as “PTP”) option, which’ll treat your phone like a digital camera.

Once you’ve made your selection, go to your desktop and open up a File Explorer window — using whatever method lines up with your Windows workflow:

• Click the File Explorer icon in your taskbar
• Open the Start menu and click This PC or Computer
• Click the This PC, Computer, or My Computer icon on your desktop

Then look for an icon representing your phone alongside other portable devices and drives. Click or double-click that icon, and ta-da: You’ll be staring at your Android phone’s internal storage. You can now click around and browse folders, drag and drop files between your phone and PC, or manipulate the data in any way you want — as if it were any other ordinary drive.

Android file transfers for Macs

Got a Mac? The Android file transfer process is a bit more complicated for you — but fear not, for it’s still reasonably easy to get going.

The main difference is that before things will work, you’ll need to download and install a program that’ll allow your Mac to interact with your Android device. Google used to have its own program for this purpose called Android File Transfer, but the company seems to have quietly phased that app out over time (which isn’t entirely surprising, as Mac owners had been complaining about its reliability for years).

What you’ll want instead is the favorably reviewed third-party Commander One. It costs $30 for a single license or $100 for a five-user team license. Once installed and configured, it’ll let you browse your Android device’s storage, transfer files in either direction, and even interact with data on the phone or tablet without transferring anything.

Or — well, skip down to the final section of this story for one other option.

Android file transfers for Chromebooks

You’d expect file transfers between Android phones and Chromebooks to be as simple as can be, considering that Google’s the driving force behind both of those platforms — and by golly, you’d be absolutely right.

Just like with Windows, all you’ve gotta do to connect your Android phone to a ChromeOS device is plug it into any open USB port on the computer, then tap the USB charging notification on the phone and select the appropriate option for file transferring.

Once you do that, a prompt to open the ChromeOS Files app should automatically appear on your Chromebook, with your phone loaded as the active storage focus. You can then simply drag and drop files in either direction as needed.

Pulling up your Android phone’s storage on a Chromebook is as easy as can be.

JR Raphael / IDG

Told ya it was easy! And you’ve got one more option yet.

Wireless Android file transfers

Good ol’ wired transfers are fast and reliable, sure — but these days, you can also opt to move files from your Android device to another Android device, a computer, or even (gasp!) an iPhone without needing any physical connection.

You’ve got a few possible paths worth considering here:

1. Quick Share (formerly Nearby Share)

Google’s own native-to-Android wireless sharing solution makes it effortless to beam files between any Android device and another Android device, a Chromebook, or a Windows computer. Just use the standard system share command within any app on Android, then select Quick Share from the list of options that pops up and follow the steps that show up to get started.

If the other device is running Android or ChromeOS, search its system settings for quick share to make sure it’s set up and ready to receive. If the other device is a Windows computer, download the official Google Quick Share Windows app to connect it.

And if the other device is running any other operating system, consider one of the next two wireless file-sharing strategies instead.

2. PairDrop

PairDrop is a free and open-source service that lets you wirelessly send files between any devices on the same network, no matter what operating system they’re running.

It works entirely on the web: All you’ve gotta do is open up the PairDrop website on both devices, then click the center area of the screen or drag and drop files to initiate a transfer.

PairDrop brings wireless file transferring to any devices across any platforms — Android, iOS, Mac, you name it.

JR Raphael / IDG

That’s it: No downloads, no sign-ups, no hassles whatsoever. And the service’s open-source code makes it clear that no data is ever stored or even touched by a remote server as part of the process.

3. Cloud storage

If PairDrop isn’t for you and Quick Share isn’t doing the trick, the time-tested tactic of embracing a middleman can get the job done.

Simply pick any cloud storage you like — Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, or any other such service. Upload the files you want to transfer into a folder within the respective app on your Android phone, then find the folder within the same app on the receiving device (or vice-versa). Or, if the sharing involves other people, share the folder with them within the same cloud storage service app.

Android file transfer: Automatic syncing with a computer

Maybe you like having certain files stored locally on your Android phone, but you also want those files to be backed up and saved on your computer. The best of both worlds, right?

Believe it or not, this is actually quite easy to pull off. Just grab an Android app called AutoSync, which is available for use with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box. It’ll let you create pairings between a local folder on your phone and a cloud-based folder — for free with a single folder pair and files smaller than 10MB or for a one-time $5 payment without any real restrictions.

Install the appropriate computer-side app for whichever service you prefer, make sure it’s set to sync with your computer’s hard drive — and there ya have it: Your Android device’s folder is now effectively part of your PC.

You can even have the folders stay constantly synced in both directions — so if you add or update a file on the computer, the same changes will appear on your phone as well.

That’s a wrap!

Congratulations: You’ve officially earned the title of Android file master. (For real — you can even type it into a document, print it out, and tape it to your desk so everyone knows.)

Next up: Make sure you understand the ins and outs of Android backups. They’re ultimately made up of files, too, after all — and pretty important ones, at that.

This article was originally published in August 2017 and most recently updated in January 2025.

File management may not be the most exciting subject surrounding smartphone ownership — but if you use your device for productivity, my goodness, is it ever worth your while to chew over.

Your phone, after all, is your on-the-go connection to the world. It’s the always-available PC of our modern computing era. And whether your work involves presentations, PDFs, documents, or images, you’re bound to find yourself fumbling around with files on your pocket-sized screen sooner or later.

With the right tool for the job, though, managing files on your phone doesn’t have to be a hassle. Android’s got some outstanding file manager options, and best of all? You almost certainly only need one of ’em — a single standout file manager to handle all of your file-wrangling requirements.

Read on and see which path makes the most sense for you.

The best all-around Android file manager for most business users Files by Google

First and foremost, if your Android file needs are fairly simple and straightforward, Files by Google — or Google Files, for short — is the Android file manager you want.

Google Files has come a long way since its inconspicuous 2017 debut. These days, Files is a fully featured file management tool, with all the basics you’d expect and some compelling extras — all packed into a nicely designed and easy-to-use interface that’s compatible with any Android device (even if it typically comes preinstalled only on Pixels).

At its core, Google Files makes it painless and almost even pleasant to browse through your phone’s local storage and find, share, or organize any files you’ve downloaded or transferred onto the device. The app lets you look through folders or sort items by type (documents, images, videos, and so on) and optionally move sensitive materials into an encrypted and password-protected Safe Folder.

It has a spectacular search system, too, including the ability to search for text that appears within PDFs, images, and documents on your device. It even offers a convenient way to send any locally stored files directly to Google Drive with a couple quick taps — though it doesn’t, curiously enough, actually let you browse and interact with your Drive storage or connect at all to any non-Google cloud services. If that sort of more robust all-in-one control center for handling both local and remote storage is what you’re after, the Android file manager in the next section will be more suitable for you.

Files by Google lets you browse your phone’s local storage and perform a variety of actions on folders and files.

JR Raphael / IDG

Google Files can open and now also create compressed archives, too, and it even has a handy built-in option for scanning physical documents on demand and saving ’em as neatly cropped PDF files.

Perhaps most helpful of all is Files’ integrated system for freeing up storage on your phone: Just tap the app’s three-line menu icon, in the upper-right corner, and select “Clean” to see an ever-evolving set of intelligent suggestions for superfluous files you can safely delete. Files will also show you which apps you haven’t opened in a while and make it especially easy to uninstall ’em right then and there.

All in all, Google Files is a well-rounded and intuitive file manager that handles all the file management tasks most business users will need on a phone. It’s a significant upgrade from the default file managers that come preinstalled on most non-Pixel Android devices, and if you don’t have any special requirements or advanced demands, it’s almost certainly the app for you.

Google Files is free.

The best advanced Android file manager Solid Explorer File Manager

For anyone who needs a little more mobile file management oomph, Solid Explorer is the way to go.

Solid Explorer has all the same file manipulation basics as Google’s Files app but adds in advanced options like the ability to encrypt files and even create password-protected ZIP collections. It’s also able to integrate with a wide variety of internet-based storage services — including Google Drive, along with Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and your own private servers — and then serve as a streamlined interface for managing all of your stuff and transferring data between different locations.

Solid Explorer is overflowing with advanced options for manipulating files and working with cloud storage.

JR Raphael / IDG

Solid Explorer has a clever two-panel interface for fuss-free dragging and dropping between locations, too — be they two local folders or a combination of local and cloud-based folders from any connected service. All you have to do is flip your phone sideways or open the app on a wide-screen tablet or foldable device for that setup to appear.

Solid Explorer’s smart two-panel interface allows you to view two folders together and drag and drop files between them.

JR Raphael / IDG

From variable-based batch renaming to folder bookmarking and even support for casting content to a TV or other Google-Cast-compatible display, Solid Explorer is just jam-packed with useful stuff — and yet it manages to remain reasonably simple and easy to use. (It also works exceptionally well on a Chromebook, and once you’ve bought it for your phone, you can install it onto any ChromeOS device without having to pay again.) The app’s advanced elements won’t be necessary for most people, but if your on-the-go work requires such next-level file management functions, Solid Explorer is the path to pursue.

Solid Explorer costs $3 after a free 14-day trial.

Beyond Android file managers

Important as they are, of course, Android file managers themselves are just one piece of the puzzle.

Google’s mobile operating system has some powerful native systems for beaming files between different devices, transferring files from your phone to a computer, and supplementing your phone’s local storage. With a few minutes of simple setup, you can even create special folders on your phone that automatically sync with matching folders in your favorite cloud storage service — and vice-versa.

Head over to my Android file management guide next to explore all the ins and outs of managing files on Android — including the easiest ways to wirelessly transfer files on the fly.

It may not be exciting, exactly, but you’d better believe it’ll make a world of difference.

This article was originally published in April 2018 and most recently updated in January 2025.

Cybersecurity researchers have detailed an attack that involved a threat actor utilizing a Python-based backdoor to maintain persistent access to compromised endpoints and then leveraged this access to deploy the RansomHub ransomware throughout the target network. According to GuidePoint Security, initial access is said to have been facilitated by means of a JavaScript malware downloaded named

Cybersecurity researchers have detailed an attack that involved a threat actor utilizing a Python-based backdoor to maintain persistent access to compromised endpoints and then leveraged this access to deploy the RansomHub ransomware throughout the target network. According to GuidePoint Security, initial access is said to have been facilitated by means of a JavaScript malware downloaded named Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Ivanti has rolled out security updates to address several security flaws impacting Avalanche, Application Control Engine, and Endpoint Manager (EPM), including four critical bugs that could lead to information disclosure. All the four critical security flaws, rated 9.8 out of 10.0 on the CVSS scale, are rooted in EPM, and concern instances of absolute path traversal that allow a remote