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Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that Russian military personnel are the target of a new malicious campaign that distributes Android spyware under the guise of the Alpine Quest mapping software. "The attackers hide this trojan inside modified Alpine Quest mapping software and distribute it in various ways, including through one of the Russian Android app catalogs," Doctor Web said in an Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Phishing attacks remain a huge challenge for organizations in 2025. In fact, with attackers increasingly leveraging identity-based techniques over software exploits, phishing arguably poses a bigger threat than ever before.  Attackers are increasingly leveraging identity-based techniques over software exploits, with phishing and stolen credentials (a byproduct of phishing) now the primary

Phishing attacks remain a huge challenge for organizations in 2025. In fact, with attackers increasingly leveraging identity-based techniques over software exploits, phishing arguably poses a bigger threat than ever before.  Attackers are increasingly leveraging identity-based techniques over software exploits, with phishing and stolen credentials (a byproduct of phishing) now the primary [email protected]

We all have bad habits. On a Windows PC, it’s easy to fall into patterns that are “good enough” — they get the job done but may not be the fastest or easiest way to achieve your goals.

It’s not that these habits are wrong — it’s that some things are just a bit slow and inefficient. But with a few simple changes, you can transform the way you use your PC, speed up your workflow, and have a better all-around computing experience.

Here are the habits I think you should consider breaking — and the transformations I recommend.

Want more Windows PC tips? Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter. I’ll send you free Windows Field Guide downloads as a special welcome bonus!

1. Clicking to open apps from the Start menu

Clicking through the Windows Start menu isn’t the best way to open apps. If you find yourself scrolling through the list of all apps and trying to remember the precise name of a particular application shortcut, you’re wasting time.

Instead, use search — type the name of an app into the Start menu. Pin applications you use to your taskbar — or at least pin them to the top of the Start menu so they’re easy to access. Consider creating a custom keyboard shortcut for the applications you launch most, too — it’s easy.

2. Digging for folders the slow way in File Explorer

It’s easy to find yourself clicking repeatedly through the same folders each time you open File Explorer. Even if you know exactly where to look and are not wondering “Where’d I put that…?” the repeated clicks just aren’t very efficient.

Instead, make those important folders easier to access without a lot of clicking. If a folder is important to you, right-click it in File Explorer and select “Pin to Quick Access.” After that, it’ll be easily accessible in File Explorer’s sidebar.

Folders you pin in this way will also show up when you right-click File Explorer’s icon on your taskbar thanks to jump lists, and they’ll appear in file Open and Save dialogs throughout Windows — you’ll see the same sidebar at the left side of the dialog window.

You can also drag and drop folders right to the left sidebar to pin them.

Chris Hoffman / Foundry

3. Hunting down settings screen by screen

It happens to me, too: You find yourself slowly clicking through the Settings app, looking for That One Particular SettingTM. Where exactly is it? Even if you remember, you may have to click through a variety of screens, one after another. There’s a better way.

Instead, use the search feature to find settings: Just type whatever you’re looking for in the search box in the Settings app. You can also press Windows+I (that’s the letter “i”) to launch the Settings app from anywhere and start typing to search.

The Settings app can even help you find other settings-related items, like the Device Manager — even if they aren’t technically in the new Settings app itself.

4. Sticking with the default Start menu and taskbar

I’ve seen it over and over: So many people never really customize their taskbar or Start menu. That’s a huge mistake. The default taskbar is often full of pinned apps you don’t need — junk from Microsoft and your PC’s manufacturer — as is the default Start menu.

You can make your taskbar and Start menu feel more like your own — and you should.

To take control, start by unpinning the taskbar icons you don’t want — right-click each and select “Unpin from taskbar.” In the Start menu, do the same in the pinned items area — right-click something and select “Unpin from Start.” Then, pin the shortcuts you do want there.

You can configure more than just which apps appear in your Start menu and taskbar, too. For example, on Windows 11, head to Settings > Personalization > Start to customize exactly what shows up in the Start menu — you may want to hide recommended items, for example. To do the same thing for your taskbar, head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to adjust what appears there — perhaps you’d rather not see the Widgets icon, for one thing.

You might also want to skip Microsoft’s Start menu entirely and turn to a third-party Start menu replacement or try something like Command Palette. The choice is up to you.

Microsoft offers some alternative launchers you may prefer to the Start menu, such as Command Palette.

Chris Hoffman / Foundry

5. Manually positioning and resizing windows

While you can drag windows around on your screen and resize them by clicking and dragging, that’s not exactly the most efficient way to use a Windows PC.

Instead, turn to the built-in Snap feature — which is easy to use with drag and drop, shortcuts like Windows+Left arrow and Windows+Right arrow, or even Windows+Z on Windows 11.

But Snap is just one option. If you have a larger monitor or just more advanced needs, Microsoft’s FancyZones PowerToy is an excellent way to take control over how window positioning works on your PC. It can even automatically move windows to their last known zone on screen when you launch them. PowerToys Workspaces is also a quick and easy way to launch a variety of apps from one shortcut, automatically positioning them where you like them.

6. Copy-pasting the tedious way

Want to copy paste? That usually means Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V — or the Copy/Paste buttons. But there are better ways.

I really do recommend using the clipboard history built into Windows — launch it by pressing Windows+V. Here, you’ll find items you recently copied so you can easily insert them without hunting for them again. It also lets you pin items (text and images) that you frequently paste to save yourself time in the future.

Clipboard History is probably one of the most underappreciated features on a modern Windows PC.

Chris Hoffman / Foundry

The Clipboard History tool also helps you quickly paste something without formatting — something that can be very annoying on Windows. In many apps — like Google Chrome, for example — the Ctrl+Shift+V shortcut will quickly paste without formatting (paste as plaintext), too.

For an even more advanced clipboard manager, try Ditto.

7. Capturing screenshots the hard way

You don’t have to capture a full-screen screenshot and cut out the bit you want anymore. Windows now offers a much easier way to do this.

When you want to share just a small part of your screen, press Windows+Shift+S (or Print Screen) and draw a rectangle around whatever you want to capture. (After pressing the shortcut, you may have to use the options on the bar at the top of the screen to select “Rectangle.” You can then quickly paste that into whatever app you like.

8. Letting your startup apps pick themselves

Many applications on Windows add startup tasks — which’ll pop up when you sign in — making the login process take longer, cluttering your system tray, and just wasting system resources if you don’t need them. But Windows lets you quickly control this from a central place.

I prefer using the Task Manager for this — right-click an empty spot on your taskbar and select “Task Manager” or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch it. Then, click the “Startup” tab (you may have to click “More details” first on Windows 10). Go through the list of items here and disable any you don’t need — just right-click an item and select “Disable” to stop it from running when you sign in. For more information, right-click an item and select “Search online” — that may help you identify what it does, if you’re not sure.

You almost certainly don’t need both Microsoft Copilots running in the background.

Chris Hoffman / Foundry

9. Always using the mouse

When you aren’t in the habit of using keyboard shortcuts — or you just don’t know them all — it’s easy to use the mouse all the time. But it’s worth learning at least a few powerful keyboard shortcuts, which will gradually boost your PC-using speeds.

Start with some basics like Windows+E to launch File Explorer, Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch Task Manager, and Windows+I (the letter “i”) to launch Settings. And be sure to use Windows+. or Windows+; (that’s a period or semicolon) to launch the emoji panel, too — that’s a useful one.

That is just the tip of the iceberg, also —  Windows is packed with keyboard shortcuts, so I recommend thinking about the tasks you perform most frequently and looking up the keyboard shortcuts for those, as well.

10. Rebooting to fix File Explorer, desktop, or taskbar problems

A quick reboot can fix a lot of problems on your PC. But that reboot may not be quite so quick if you have to save your work and then reopen all your programs after your PC restarts.

Luckily, you can fix lots of little issues right from the Task Manager. Launch it with Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Then, click over to the “Details” list.

On Windows 11, search for “Explorer” at the top of the window. On Windows 10, you will have to hunt down “explorer.exe” in the list. Right-click the explorer.exe process and select “Restart.” Windows will restart the Explorer process that handles the desktop, taskbar, and File Explorer windows —this can fix a bunch of issues, and save you from a full reboot.

The Task Manager will help you find and fix lots of other issues, too. For example, if an application is using a lot of CPU or memory, find it in the process list and axe it.

The “Restart” option only appears for the Explorer.exe process.

Chris Hoffman / Foundry

Break the patterns and speed up your Windows workflow

These tips only scratch the surface of what you can do, and if even one of them inspired you to find a new, quicker way to use your PC, I promise the efficiency upgrade will be worth it.

More importantly, I encourage you to identify the things you’re doing on your PC that just aren’t working for you. If you find yourself using a workflow that seems inefficient or just plain annoying, consider looking for a better way. Windows PCs are incredibly flexible tools.

For more productivity upgrades, be sure to dig deep into Microsoft’s free PowerToys package. I mentioned FancyZones, Workspaces, and Command Palette above, but there are so many more excellent tools in that package.

This is just the start! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter today and I’ll send you three new things to try each Friday. Plus, you’ll get free copies of Paul Thurrott’s Windows Field Guides as a welcome gift.

New research shows that many college-educated workers believe their degrees aren’t necessary for their jobs and say they wouldn’t have gone to college if degrees weren’t required for so many roles. In fact, some workers consider their degrees a complete waste of money, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of job search platform Indeed.

The age of the 772 US professionals surveyed plays a major role in their perception of college investment, displaying a generational divide. While only 20% of Baby Boomers consider their degrees a waste of money, that number jumps to 41% for millennials and 51% for Gen Zers.

Indeed’s findings line up with other recent surveys. Last year, the Pew Research Center found that only 25% of Americans believe that a four-year college degree is crucial for obtaining a high-paying job in today’s economy. Additionally, 49% think a degree is less important now than it was two decades ago.

In October, a USA Today survey found that about 46% of college graduates felt they could have secured their current job without a degree. This sentiment is particularly strong among younger generations, with 52% of millennials and 42% of Gen Z respondents sharing that view.

The Indeed survey results highlight a shift toward valuing skills and experience more than traditional qualifications, a trend that has been ongoing for several years. More employers are leaving behind college degree requirements and embracing a skills-based hiring approach that emphasizes strong work backgrounds, certifications, assessments, and endorsements. And soft skills are becoming a key focus of hiring managers, even over hard skills.

Large corporations including Boeing, Walmart, and IBM have signed on to varying skills-based employment projects, such as Rework America Alliance, the Business Roundtable’s Multiple Pathways Initiative, and the campaign to Tear the Paper Ceiling, and pledged to implement skills-based practices, according to McKinsey & Co. “They’ve removed degree requirements from certain job postings and have worked with other organizations to help workers progress from lower- to higher-wage jobs,” McKinsey said in a November 2022 report.

The lack of a need for a degree is also affecting freelance workers. When considering new hires, 80% of corporate executives prioritize skills over degrees, with half planning to increase freelance hiring this year to fill in for a gap in AI and other skills, according to a recent study by freelance job platform Upwork.

Rapidly changing skills and a shrinking wage gap

Caroline Ogawa, a director of research in the Gartner’s HR practice, said that as skills evolve rapidly, many college-learned skills become less relevant over time. Nearly two-thirds of job candidates (64%) agree their job skills are constantly changing, and 48% say they’ve had to learn new skills in the past year to stay competitive, according to Gartner’s own research.

The top 10 highest paid skills in tech can help workers earn up to 47% more — and the top skill among them is generative artificial intelligence (genAI), according to Indeed and other sources. Upwork’s study showed “unprecedented growth” in demand for specialized AI skills, which have surged 220% year-over-year.

To address skills shortages, organizations are prioritizing skills over credentials, allowing them to tap into nontraditional talent. This approach helps employers find candidates with the right skills, even if they don’t have a college degree, Ogawa said.

“This shift in focus, combined with the speed of change for skill relevance, has likely impacted those weighing the importance and cost of investing in those credentials,” Ogawa said.

While 70% of Indeed’s respondents said their degrees are relevant to their jobs, 36% feel they were a waste, and 60% believe they could do their jobs without them. Those with student debt (41%) are more likely to feel that way, especially Gen Z (68%) and millennials (64%).

For decades, a degree meant higher wages, with college graduates earning significantly more than high school graduates. However, the wage gap has recently plateaued, and the “college wage premium” is no longer growing, according to Indeed’s study.

And as the labor market tightens as the result of AI adoption and an economic downturn, employers are tightening their job experience requirements with along with a larger applicant pool. For example, the percentage of software development job postings requiring less than a year of experience has declined as overall job postings in the sector decrease. In April 2022, 3.2% of developer job postings required less than a year’s experience. In 2025, that has dropped to 1.2% of employers advertising for positions requiring less than a year’s experience, according to Indeed’s Hiring Lab.

“As the class of 2025 prepares to don their caps and tassels, they’re stepping into a labor market marked by extraordinary uncertainty,” Allison Shrivastava, an economist with  the Indeed Hiring Lab wrote in a blog. “While headline job numbers may still appear strong, these figures are both backward-looking and disproportionately buoyed by growth in just a handful of sectors, notably healthcare and social services.”

AI changes everything

“Undoubtedly, a college education is not the differentiator it once was. But this issue may become moot, as the AI revolution may completely upend higher ed,” said Arthur O’Connor, PhD, head of the data and information science degree programs at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies.

Students pay tens of thousands of dollars for a degree based on an outdated divide, said O’Connor, who authored the book Organizing for Generative AI and the Productivity Revolution. Undergrads pick between a broad Bachelor of Arts degree or a skills-focused Bachelor of Science degree. “This is a hopelessly outdated dichotomy, as both sets of disciplines are essential today,” O’Connor said.

“Compare this to AI tutors and virtual assistants that offer free or low-cost personalized, self-paced, competency-based learning, tailored to an individual’s learning style, pace, and aptitudes, on any topic of interest,” he said. “In the long run, the real issue is what you learn; not where or how you learn it.”

For today’s students, college is just the start of lifelong learning, O’Connor said. To keep up, universities must overhaul costs, tuition, admissions, staffing, and how they teach.

If they do, college degrees can remain relevant and useful. “Those who say college education has completely lost its value due to AI are confusing knowledge with understanding. As knowledge becomes commoditized, the importance of understanding AI’s inputs and outputs becomes more valuable,” O’Connor said.

Multiple suspected Russia-linked threat actors are "aggressively" targeting individuals and organizations with ties to Ukraine and human rights with an aim to gain unauthorized access to Microsoft 365 accounts since early March 2025. The highly targeted social engineering operations, per Volexity, are a shift from previously documented attacks that leveraged a technique known as device code

Multiple suspected Russia-linked threat actors are "aggressively" targeting individuals and organizations with ties to Ukraine and human rights with an aim to gain unauthorized access to Microsoft 365 accounts since early March 2025. The highly targeted social engineering operations, per Volexity, are a shift from previously documented attacks that leveraged a technique known as device code Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Google’s got a wild new idea about “reinventing” how we silence our phones.

It’s happening now, in the current Android 15 era of our favorite operating system. Google eliminated the simple, one-tap system for silencing a device and putting it into Do Not Disturb mode and instead bundled that setting into a perplexing new Modes menu. Now, when you want your phone to zip its metaphorical lip, you’ve gotta tap the Modes tile within your Android Quick Settings panel, then find and activate Do Not Disturb from there.

That may seem like a small distinction, but for something as foundational as silencing your frickin’ phone, it’s an extra step that adds up and quickly feels cumbersome — especially if you’re hunting for it multiple times a day. More than that, it’s an extra slice of confusion that creates needless murkiness around what oughta be a simple-as-can-be core phone function.

And, oh yes: We’ve been here before. Way back in the Android 5.0 “Lollipop” era of Android, Google similarly sought to revamp the simple silencing function — with a similar sort of setup, even, around overly complicated “modes.” Long story short, it was bewildering and annoying, everyone hated it, and Google eventually backtracked and brought back a simple one-step silencing system.

Now, it seems, history is poised to repeat itself again in yet another amusing Android flip-flop. Freshly uncovered code suggests El Googenphlorp has heard the outcry and is actively working to restore a one-tap Android Do Not Disturb toggle that’ll exist alongside the new Modes option.

There’s no telling how long it’ll take to show up for most of us, though. And in the meantime — whether you’re using a device with the latest Android version and its ever-fun Modes maze or not — you’ve got some spectacular ways to not only restore a simple Do Not Disturb toggle on your own but also to improve upon it and make it even more effective.

Pick whichever path you prefer, and prepare for an instant and immensely practical upgrade to your day-to-day Android-using experience.

[Psst: Love shortcuts? My week-long Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks for your phone. Sign up now for free!]

Android Do Not Disturb shortcut #1: The simple toggle return

We’ll start with the simplest possibility of all, and that’s bringing back the one-tap Do Not Disturb toggle in your Android device’s Quick Settings section — without having to wait on Google to make it happen.

This one couldn’t be much easier to manage. Just install the free and aptly named Simple DND app from the Play Store. Open it up and follow the prompt to grant the app the permission to manage your phone’s Do Not Disturb state — then tap the Add Tile button on its main screen and confirm that you want to do that.

One tap, and boom: Simple DND puts a simple Do Not Disturb tile right back into Android’s Quick Settings for you.

JR Raphael, Foundry

And that’s it: You should now see a new single-step Do Not Disturb tile right in your Quick Settings, if you swipe down twice (or swipe from the right side of the screen, on certain devices) to open it.

Do Not Disturb, right back where it belongs — thanks to Simple DND.

JR Raphael, Foundry

That, of course, is simply restoring the once-standard Android behavior in a roundabout way. But you can also make it even easier to access your device’s Do Not Disturb mode and silence or unsilence your phone on the fly, if you want.

Android Do Not Disturb shortcut #2: The Pixel tap dance

If you’re using a reasonably recent Pixel device, you’ve got an incredibly cool and impossibly convenient way to make Do Not Disturb easy to toggle.

For this path, you’ll need to go download a handy (and completely free) little app called Mute. Install it, then open ‘er up and follow the prompts to allow the app to modify your system settings.

Next, head into your system settings and scroll down until you see the line labeled “System.” Tap that, then tap “Gestures” followed by “Quick Tap to start actions.”

Flip the toggle next to “Use Quick Tap” into the on position, then tap the option for “Open app” to select it — and once it’s active, tap the gear-shaped icon alongside it and select “Mute” from the list that pops up.

Quick Tap strangely doesn’t support toggling Do Not Disturb out of the box, but the Mute app fixes that.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Make your way back out of that menu, and now, anytime you double-tap the back of your Pixel, you’ll feel a brief vibration and see a small visual confirmation that Mute has been activated. Your phone’s media and ringer volume will shoot all the way down to zero, and Android’s Do Not Disturb mode will be activated. Double-tap again, and Do Not Disturb will go back off while your volume settings pop back up to their previous levels.

You might have to experiment a bit to figure out the exact right spot on the back of your phone where the tapping gesture works most reliably. On most Pixels, it’s higher than you might expect — right beneath the camera module.

Once you know where to tap, though, you’ll have a swift ‘n’ satisfyingly simple new way to switch your phone in and out of Do Not Disturb without having to mess with any on-screen menus. As long as the screen is on — even if the device is locked! — all it’ll take is two quick taps to silence or unsilence as needed.

Android Do Not Disturb shortcut #3: The notch nudge

No Pixel? Or maybe you just aren’t into the whole tap-a-tap tactic? No problem.

With the help of a clever and convenient app called Touch the Notch, you can transform that blacked-out space at the top of your screen — y’know, where the front-facing camera lives — into a simple switch for impressively efficient toggling of your device’s Do Not Disturb status.

Just snag the app, then open it once to configure it. The first time you do, you’ll be prompted to pay four bucks to bump up to the app’s full version. You may want to do that, for reasons we’ll explore in a moment, but you don’t have to commit right off the bat. If you’d rather try the app out first and see whatcha think, tap the “x” in the upper-left corner of the upgrade offer to skip it.

Now, tap “Required permissions” on the app’s main screen, then tap the checkbox next to “Touch the Notch.”

With that one-time initialization out of the way, you can scroll down the app’s main screen and review the available options. If you didn’t upgrade to the app’s full version, you’ll be limited to “Single touch” — which isn’t exactly optimal but will get the job done and at the very least let you see what the app can do.

Personally, I’d suggest going with “Long touch,” which does require the one-time $4 upgrade but works brilliantly well and is far less likely to be activated accidentally. Tap that line, then find and select “Do Not Disturb” in the list of choices that comes up and make your way back out of that menu.

Touch the Notch adds all sorts of interesting possibilities into an otherwise unfunctional area of your phone’s screen.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Now, for the real magic: At this point, all you’ve gotta do is press and hold that blacked-out spot at the top of your screen (a.k.a. the notch) for a split-second, no matter what else you’ve got goin’ on with your device, and boom: Android’s Do Not Disturb mode will flip on and back off, with every press you make.

srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?quality=50&strip=all 800w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?resize=300%2C23&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?resize=768%2C59&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?resize=150%2C11&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?resize=640%2C49&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-do-not-disturb-toggle-notch.webp?resize=444%2C34&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="800" height="61" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">Toggle on, toggle off: Touch the Notch’s Do Not Disturb sorcery in action.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Doesn’t get much easier than that. And you don’t need any special fixes from Google to make any of these paths instantly available.

Get even more advanced shortcut knowledge with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll learn tons of time-saving tricks!

​Microsoft has resolved a known issue causing Remote Desktop sessions to freeze on Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 devices. [...]

Microsoft has fixed several known issues that caused Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and installation issues on Windows Server 2025 systems with a high core count. [...]

The Ripple cryptocurrency npm JavaScript library named xrpl.js has been compromised by unknown threat actors as part of a software supply chain attack designed to harvest and exfiltrate users' private keys. The malicious activity has been found to affect five different versions of the package: 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, and 2.14.2. The issue has been addressed in versions 4.2.5 and 2.14.3.

The Ripple cryptocurrency npm JavaScript library named xrpl.js has been compromised by unknown threat actors as part of a software supply chain attack designed to harvest and exfiltrate users' private keys. The malicious activity has been found to affect five different versions of the package: 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, and 2.14.2. The issue has been addressed in versions 4.2.5 and 2.14.3.

The ongoing saga of a Google secure browsing project took yet another turn, with the latest change coming just a few days after the company lost an antitrust lawsuit against the US government.

Google this week dropped some features from its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which was initiated in 2019 and aims to reduce the invasiveness of third-party cookies in the Chrome browser.

The company said it won’t provide a specific prompt that would allow Chrome users to opt in or out of cookies from third parties. That was a central feature of the project that made it easier for users to secure Chrome experiences.

The initial objective of Privacy Sandbox in 2019 was to drop third-party ad cookies for better browser security.

That idea was dropped last year amid regulatory concerns. Third-party cookies were reinstated, and Google also said it provides “a new experience in Chrome” for users to be able to adjust their third-party cookie choices.

This week Google dropped that idea, saying it wouldn’t roll out the so-called “new experience” — a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies for users to opt in or opt out of cookies from third parties.

“Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings,” wrote Anthony Chavez, vice president for the Privacy Sandbox initiative, in the blog entry.

Chavez wrote that the change came amid changes in the regulatory landscape and browsing experiences.

Google last week lost a case against the US, which accused the company of violating antitrust law “by monopolizing open-web digital advertising markets.”

Google said it would appeal the ruling.

The US Department of Justice originally accused Google of “wielding its dominance across digital advertising markets to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products,” according to a press release in 2023.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation last year, in a blog entry, criticized Privacy Sandbox, saying it didn’t eliminate online tracking.

Instead, online tracking moved from third-party trackers to Google, which tracks the data from Chrome and shares browsing habits with websites and advertisers.

“Despite sounding like a feature that protects your privacy, Privacy Sandbox ultimately protects Google’s advertising business,” EFF wrote.

Chavez reaffirmed it won’t deprecate third-party cookies. The company will engage with developers, publishers and advertisers to improve the Privacy Sandbox roadmap.

Either way, Google’s reversal of Privacy Sandbox plans still points to the company chasing a closed ecosystem that serves the company’s business interests, said Anand Kashyap, CEO and Founder of Fortanix.

Advertisers and media companies will use AI in their own secure systems that can analyze data to deliver targeted advertising on the Internet, Kashyap said.

Google is also adding a feature in the third quarter this year that will protect the IP address when in secure mode of Chrome browser.

Typically, users can be located by capturing and tracking the IP address. The feature will anonymize the IP address, and it will be part of Incognito mode, which creates a temporary browsing window that deletes browsing data on exit, Google said in a blog post on its Privacy Sandbox website.

“The feature will be initially available in certain regions, and we plan to expand the availability over time. IP Protection will launch to Chrome Stable no sooner than July 2025,” Google said on the GitHub page for IP Protection.

Chrome’s IP address anonymization feature could be important for enterprise users, said Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy.

“It’s clearly Google trying to enhance the security of Incognito mode and more importantly enhance the privacy of a mode that people assume is inherently private,” Sag said.

In terms of privacy, Google’s IP Protection feature could block user IP access for third parties but not for their own services or needs, said Alex Matrosov, CEO of security firm Binarly.io.

Google is attempting to adopt a similar approach to Apple’s Private Relay feature, which also hides IP addresses and has posed significant challenges for internet advertisers, including Google itself.

“In the modern internet, the word privacy has really transformed into marketing terminology or something else. It’s a nice feature for the Chrome browser to have, but it raises questions about why it was not implemented before,” Matrosov said.

Google on Tuesday revealed that it will no longer offer a standalone prompt for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative. "We've made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies," Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy

Google on Tuesday revealed that it will no longer offer a standalone prompt for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative. "We've made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies," Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has disclosed that it is responding to a cyberattack over the past few days that has impacted operations, including its Click and Collect service. [...]

An Active! Mail zero-day remote code execution vulnerability is actively exploited in attacks on large organizations in Japan. [...]

A hacking group dubbed 'Elusive Comet' targets cryptocurrency users in social engineering attacks that exploit Zoom's remote control feature to trick users into granting them access to their machines. [...]

Microsoft has released the optional KB5055612 preview cumulative update for Windows 10 22H2 with two changes, including a fix for a GPU paravirtualization bug in Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). [...]

South Korea's largest mobile operator, SK Telecom, is warning that a malware infection allowed threat actors to access sensitive USIM-related information for customers. [...]