BullGuard And The World’s First IoT Security Scanner

The internet of things is awesome…and BullGuard aims to keep it that way by keeping hackers out of your connected devices with its IoT Scanner.

The Internet of Things has steadily taken off, perhaps not in the overnight world-changing manner that many people hoped, but in the ongoing rollout of connected devices that make our lives easier, safer, and just more fun. From thermostats that track your usage and adjust accordingly to refrigerators that keep up with how much milk you’ve used in order to quietly purchase more for you, IoT innovation is only scratching the surface of its capabilities.

But what if IoT wasn’t so helpful, or so user-centric? What if it was actually more like the latest Hollywood blockbuster cyberthriller? White hat hackers have already demonstrated how they can intercept an installed insulin pump and deliver a fatal dosage. Implanted pacemakers that “talk” to the patients’ cardiologists have been scrutinized for their ability to be hacked and forced to fatally alter patients’ heart rhythms. Even vehicles on the road have been proven in a now-famous demonstration to be vulnerable to hackers who can take over everything from the windshield wipers to the brakes while the car is in motion.

That’s why antivirus software developer BullGuard has issued what they consider the world’s first IoT scanning software, intended to show consumer-level users who else is on their network and potentially tampering with their devices.

“The Internet of Things has moved rapidly from an early adopter market into the mainstream, but in doing so has introduced a range of new security concerns for consumers,” said Paul Lipman, CEO, BullGuard, in a press release. “We’ve made an important first step towards addressing these issues with IoT Scanner, a tool that allows anyone to check if smart devices in their home are secure.”

In an interesting turn of the tables, IoT Scanner uses data from Shodan, a search engine for IoT devices that are currently installed and in use; Shodan has already been blamed for being the data source that hackers have used to remotely infiltrate IoT products without their owners’ knowledge. BullGuard’s IoT Scanner scans for vulnerable smart devices–security cameras, baby monitors, Smart TVs, even wearables– and presents the results in a user-friendly way. If an unsecured device is discovered, it’s flagged and shared with the owner, along with “details of potential vulnerabilities.”

Move Over, Trello, Microsoft Planner Is Here

With the launch of Planner, Microsoft’s answer to Trello, some of Microsoft’s premium customers can already take advantage of the new tile in their Office 365 apps.

Microsoft has certainly been busy. Windows 10 is a done deal, the purchase of LinkedIn is rolling along, so why not launch a brand-new feature in Office 365 that takes on one of the handiest collaborative tools to come along in ages?

Planner has a few key differences over Trello, of course. Rather than the card system that so many collaborative assistance users are familiar with, Planner relies on buckets to organize the tasks you and your team members have to do. Progress is mapped out in multi-colored charts to show tasks and progress at a glance.

One of the biggest benefits users may experience is the seamless integration with file sharing due to the fact that this is all powered through Office 365. Team members can attach files, open them, read them, edit them, and more, all without ever having to leave Planner.

Planner also offers a one-stop view of everything you’re working on, even if you have plans for different projects, different teams, or even different companies, as in the case of using Planner to keep yourself on-task with multiple clients’ projects or as a freelancer, for example. The My Tasks dashboard shows you every plan you have going, as well as your completion status on each of those plans, all in one screen.

Interestingly, while Planner has only launched for certain subscription levels within the platform, Microsoft’s team claims they are reading every piece of feedback they get. That’s a sign that they understand the ramifications of encouraging people to move from one tried-and-true collaboration platform to a brand-new one, and they’ve promised that updates and improvements will be coming quickly based on users’ experiences.

Avast Buys Out Riva AVG For Reported $1.3 Billion

Prospective deal means Avast could become world’s largest antivirus company in the world.

‘We are in a rapidly changing industry, and this acquisition gives us the breadth and technological depth to be the security provider of choice for our current and future customers,’ said Avast CEO Vince Steckler in a blog press release on the Avast website announcing the news

The new merger will give Avast access a combined total of over 400 million devices running both companies’ software. Crucially, as the market shifts increasingly toward more mobile orientated hardware, the takeover will mean that that Avast will have software running on around 160 million phones and tablets, the company reported earlier this week.

Of course, both companies are perhaps known best to the wider world for their free antivirus and anti-malware software currently available for Windows PCs, Macs and Android devices. However, both companies also sell “Professional” versions of the same software with additional features. Both companies also feature Internet security applications for business.

Steckler also said:

“Both are innovators with world class R&D teams. Both have most of their users outside of their home Czech market. Both have had similar user bases for many years: about 200M each. And most importantly, both treat their users with respect and consequently each has a large and loyal user base. One slight difference though is that while Avast is a private company, AVG is public and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In spite of this one difference, these companies are so similar that it is only natural that they be combined and that is what we are now planning on doing.”

The merger also means that Avast could potentially overtake the current market leader Microsoft, who have an anti-malware market share of 15.9 percent, which would also make it the largest antivirus company in the world.

Control Your Device With Only A Look Thanks To New Software

Researchers are hard at work on a new piece of software that stands to be a game changer for mobile devices. Teams from MIT, University of Georgia, and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics have developed a software called iTracker, and its accuracy in detecting where your eyes are looking is getting quite good.

One of the first obstacles researchers had to overcome was the very different ways we look at our mobile device screens when we’re in a lab versus out in the “real world.” That meant creating an app called GazeTracker that tested users’ eye movements both in a controlled setting and in other everyday situations. What’s truly interesting is the number of people who signed up to use GazeTracker in order to help provide the data that researchers needed to improve the function of iTracker. An estimated 1,500 or so users have provided their test feedback, but researchers believe they can improve the accuracy of iTracker down to mere millimeters with the appropriate amount of user data.

Obviously, once the required accuracy is there, this stands to be a tremendous benefit to a variety of individuals and industries. While much of the focus has been on how this can impact smartphone users–potentially eliminating some of the safety concerns involved with using things like GPS apps while driving–the real benefit stands to be in the wide variety of disability uses, especially in using tablets. As an interesting aside, the app that researchers had to develop in order to gather data on eye movements also appears to have cross-over uses in the medical field, particularly in better understanding some forms of mental illness.