In a momentous development in cybersecurity, Thomas Kennedy McCormick, alias “fubar,” a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for masterminding a racketeering conspiracy within the infamous Darkode hacking forum.
The intricate web of cybercrime unraveled in the courtroom, revealing McCormick’s pivotal role in the development and dissemination of malicious software, resulting in substantial financial losses.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist from the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division jointly announced McCormick’s sentencing.
Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates imposed 36 months of supervised release, emphasizing continued scrutiny over the convicted cyber offender.
Darkode’s Enigmatic Underworld
Court documents illuminated McCormick’s tenure as an administrator within Darkode, a clandestine organization operating within a password-protected cyber forum.
This illicit consortium served as a breeding ground for high-profile international hackers and cybercriminals, facilitating the development, trade, and exchange of hacking tools, knowledge, and nefarious ideas.
McCormick’s ascent from member to administrator marked his involvement in deploying malware worldwide, gaining illicit access and control over numerous devices.
McCormick’s malevolent activities extended beyond administrative duties, as he crafted and sold malicious software designed to pilfer users’ personal information, banking credentials, and credit card details.
The court revealed that his possession included stolen credit card data from nearly 30,000 individuals, along with an assortment of malware copies, reads the Attorney report.
McCormick’s guilty plea acknowledged his culpability in inflicting approximately $679,000 in financial losses through these cyber offenses.
Legal Charges and Culmination
Facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, McCormick’s legal entanglement culminated in a guilty plea on March 3, 2020.
The sentencing was meted out as 12 months for racketeering conspiracy and an additional 6 months for aggravated identity theft, which encapsulates the legal ramifications of his cyber machinations.
This sentencing serves as the latest chapter in a sprawling investigation that led to the dismantling of Darkode in July 2015.
Twelve individuals faced charges in a coordinated effort involving law enforcement agencies from 20 nations, revealing the international reach and collaboration required to combat cybercrime.
The FBI spearheaded the investigation, receiving crucial assistance from Europol, the European CyberCrime Center (EC3), the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the Metropolitan Police Service (Scotland Yard).
Prosecutorial Symphony
The Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia collaborated with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Corbin A. Weiss, alongside current Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman, orchestrated the legal proceedings.
Patch Manager Plus, the one-stop solution for automated updates of over 850 third-party applications: Try Free Trial.
Nokia has been outside of the flagship smartphone game for a while, but that doesn’t mean that the company is completely irrelevant. Like other companies that suffered a fall from grace, Nokia is now confined to the budget smartphone market. I was given the opportunity to review one of the latest entries, the Nokia G310 5G.
Not quite a premium phone, not quite a Bargain Bin handset, the G310 5G is a device to get if you want a nice balance of affordability and capability. It sits above the Nokia G210, and it’s eclipsed by phones such as the Nokia XR21. Thus, you’d expect a feature set to reflect this.
The question is, does the Nokia G310 5G reach The Sweet Spot between these phones, or is it the Forgotten middle child? Let’s find out in this review.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Design
In terms of design, I have to admit; if it wasn’t for the Nokia logo front and center, I would have expected this to be a Motorola phone. The use of textured glass in the rounded rectangular camera Island is reminiscent of some of Motorola’s 2023 smartphones. It definitely resembles the Moto G Stylus 2023. In any case, the design does look very nice.
The back glass has this very nice textured and translucent look to it that plays with the light in a very neat way. The light permeates the glass and illuminates it beneath the surface, giving it a bit of depth. So, rather than reflecting off of the surface, the light looks volumetric. It looks absolutely beautiful in the sun.
As for the camera Island, it has a two-tone look that looks like a mixture of glass and metal. However, it’s actually two types of plastic. The size of the camera package and the nearly flush design give it an almost minimalistic and Sleek look.
The Nokia G310 5G has a singular color all around with the glass matching the color of the frame. When it comes to thickness, I’d say it’s pretty much in the middle. It definitely reaches the sweet spot between clunky and too thin. The volume rocker sits pretty high on the phone with the fingerprint scanner/power button right below it. Up front, we have the notched display with a teardrop notch up top and a pretty sizable chin bezel. However, I’ve definitely seen worse chin bezels.
Overall, in terms of design, I think that Nokia went for a nice and understated design that you appreciate. It’s the kind of design that brings to mind the saying “Less is More.”
Nokia G310 5G Review: Build Quality
When it comes to the build quality, admittedly, this phone is not winning any awards. That’s not to say that it’s bad; it’s just that Nokia didn’t go all out to give this phone a premium feeling. The back glass does feel pretty nice, but it does have an almost plasticky feel to it. That’s only made worse when you feel the camera package and its plastic components.
The Nokia G310 5G does have a nice bit of heft to it. This gives you the feeling that it’s not a cheaply made device. It’s pretty significant in the hand, and the thickness of the phone adds to that a bit. Other than that, the use of plastic components for the frame and the buttons does hinder the feeling of it.
On the other hand, when using the phone, there are no creeks or other sounds when pressure is added to it. This means that everything is tightly secured and nothing is moving around when I’m using it. Everything is held together tightly, which means that they should hold together for an extended period of time. Also, all the buttons are very clicky and tactile, which is a plus.
Overall, I’d say that the build quality is good. It gets all of the important parts right like eliminating creeks, and clicky buttons. These all hint at solid Manufacturing. Other superficial qualities like premium materials and weight in the hand aren’t there, but they’re not quite as important as the fundamentals.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Display
When it comes to Android phones, there’s always the chance that an affordable phone comes with an amazing display. This is something I’ve come across many times when reviewing the devices. So, when I first powered on this device, I did so with the understanding that I could very well be blown away by the screen performance. How does this display perform?
Brightness
Starting off with the screen brightness, it makes me feel nostalgic. Nowadays, even budget phones come with either very bright displays or panels that have an extended brightness mode to boost the brightness in the sunlight. However, back in the day, that was not the case, and you had to just deal with the poor visibility when you stepped into the sunlight.
Unfortunately, that’s the experience I had with this phone. The display brightness is very average. I can comfortably view it at full brightness while inside, which means that outside visibility is a major issue. The moment I stepped into the sun, I was greeted with my reflection. It was very hard to see anything on the screen, and that made taking pictures outside tough as well.
I turned on Adaptive Brightness to see if there was some extended brightness mode, but there was none. It was stuck with the default brightness. When outside in the shade, I think that the screen does pretty well. However, once you step out into the sun itself, you’re going to have to cover the screen with your body.
Colors
When it comes to the colors, I’d say that they are decent. Some displays I’ve seen on affordable phones really challenged the notion that LCD displays are unsaturated. However, you won’t get that with this display.
When I turned on some ultra-saturated high-definition HDR videos, I was met with a few pretty pleasing colors. I found that many of the more saturated colors were violet and other colors around that spot in the spectrum. These are videos that are meant to push your display’s colors to the absolute limit, so, the majority of your viewing experience will be pretty mundane compared to the videos.
When watching videos and playing games on this phone, the colors don’t really pop off of the screen, and there aren’t any Vivid or saturated display modes to boost the colors. Overall, the display is just a display.
Contrast
The contrast of this display is also nothing to write home about. It’s your typical LCD display with no tricks used to boost the contrast. This means that blacks are a dark gray, and high-contrast scenes look pretty dull. So, don’t expect any surprises there.
Smoothness
In terms of smoothness, this display is pretty decent. It’s not the smoothest display you’d find on the market, but it’s still above older phones that you’ll find in this price range. It has a 90Hz refresh rate. This means that the display is notably smoother than a standard 60Hz display.
So, if you are used to a 60hz display, then you will enjoy the added smoothness. However, if you’re more used to high refresh rates, then you will not be impressed.
In my opinion, it’s pretty nice. Animations are pleasant to watch and, with the additional hertz, animations ease in and out pretty gradually.
Overall
As I said, there are some cheaper phones with exceptionally good displays. Some of them are very bright for the price, some of them are very colorful, and some come with insanely high refresh rates. In the case of the Nokia G310 5G, it’s evident that the company didn’t put much more effort into the display other than having it turn on. You won’t find an exceptionally great display experience, but it’s not exceptionally bad. You will have a very average and run-of-the-mill experience.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Speaker Performance
Just like with display quality, I’ve tested a fair amount of devices with varying speaker qualities. Sometimes, some of the cheaper devices surprised me with how well their speakers performed. I had my preconceived notions about how the speaker quality would be with the Nokia G310 5G, however, there were some surprises with this phone speaker.
Starting off, I was disappointed to see that there was only one speaker on this phone. It’s a single bottom-firing speaker in an age where phones of similar prices come equipped with dual stereo speakers.
Loudness
When it comes to loudness, this was a bit of a disappointment. The speaker on this phone is by no means loud. Honestly, I was really wanting a bit more power. When testing speakers, I usually test them at near full volume. However, in the case of the Nokia G310 5G, the volume was full the entire time. And, I was still wanting more power from the speaker.
Nokia does have an ace up its sleeve, as this phone comes with a volume booster. Once the phone is at full volume, simply click the volume up button one more time to enter the volume booster mode. This will bring additional punch to the sound. Nokia says that this is for outdoor situations where you need a louder speaker so that everyone can hear that awesome new TikTok you just discovered.
There are a few issues with this, however. Firstly, the volume booster mode is Handy, but it’s building off of a peak volume that’s already underpowered. So, the volume booster mode pretty much just brings the volume up to par with other phones. It’s not providing any additional power.
Also, if you’re planning on using the volume booster mode, be prepared for the most shrill and brazen sound you’ve ever heard. The volume booster mode seems to just crank up the higher tones using a built-in EQ which makes the sound extremely hard to listen to. So, if you listen to music using this mode, your ears will get tired extremely quickly.
Low end
This is the area that surprised me about this speaker. I was expecting very weak low-end performance and shrill audio. However, that was not the case. Honestly, there’s a very pleasant amount of low-end, and that gave the sound a very nice depth and warmth.
I listened to several genres of music with this speaker, and I was actually able to get some decent performance while listening to classical music. The speaker isn’t the optimal speaker for classical music, but it did a great job of producing a well-balanced sound. Lower instruments like double basses and bassoons were able to sing very nicely. They sounded much better than I would expect from a single-firing speaker.
Moving on to more modern genres, the added bass gave a nice punch to epic cinematic music. While classical and epic cinematic music use similar instruments, cinematic music focuses more on impact. The low-end really made the sound pretty much explode. So, if you’re watching an action flick, then the music will sound amazing.
Other genres like 70s pop and 90s R&B sounded amazing. These are two genres I feel have a very tasteful amount of low-end in the sound, especially 90s R&B. 90s R&B focused a ton on warm velvety low sounds that just massage the soul, and this speaker was able to showcase that very nicely. I was able to get a good sound with ’80s music, but that genre had a particular focus on higher-end audio, even with the basses. So, I didn’t quite have the best experience with listening to 80s music.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with how much depth I was able to get from this single-firing speaker. It really sounded nice.
High end
Moving on to the high end, I was less than impressed. Nokia really toned down the high-end performance of the speakers. Granted, too much high-end audio can make the sound brazen on the ears, so I do appreciate the company’s restraint here. However, the higher-end just sounds flat. Sometimes, you want some additional punch when you’re listening to songs with higher percussion. Also, if you’re really into ’80s music, you will want to have those higher synth sounds really sing.
However, that’s not the case. All the higher-end audio just sounds flat with no emphasis. The low end sounds nice, but all the higher tones just seem to sound dead and lifeless. I listened to some examples of ’80s music with a lot of higher synth, and the higher tones just blended in with the mid-tones. The same thing happened when I listened to music with higher percussion. A lot of 90s hip-hop used a strong snare drum. When I listen to that music, the snare drum just blends in with the rest of the audio.
The same thing goes for vocals. The singers’ voices just did not project through the rest of the music. Again, they just sounded flat and lifeless
Overall
It seems that Nokia tuned the speaker to really emphasize the low end of the audio. However, the higher tones didn’t get any attention. It’s as though the company just took an EQ, cranked up the lower end, and left the other tones flat. If you want to listen to certain genres of music, you will definitely have a pleasant time. However, the music will sound dull for the most part.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Performance
Speaker quality, display quality, and build quality are great. However, none of that matters if the performance is bad. When it comes to the performance of this phone, it’s about par for the course for a device of this caliber. I didn’t really notice many stutters or dropped frames while using the interface, but they are there.
They’re few and far apart, and they don’t bog down the overall experience. It’s just the occasional stutter that happens when opening up a folder or summoning a menu.
Generally, however, the performance is solid. I didn’t come across any instances when apps took too long to load or lock up. App performance was smooth, and so was the general usability.
It did not heat up all that much. However, I did notice that the performance took a bit of a dip when the phone did eventually get warm. It wasn’t too bad, however. The occasional drop frames would appear slightly more often, and apps will take a little bit longer to load. Some apps will take about a second and a half to load, and some will take about 2 seconds. However, even that’s not too bad
I’d say that the performance of this phone is solid, and you will not have a bad time using it.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Gaming
Regular performance is one thing, but gaming performance is another. The Nokia G310 5G isn’t quite a gaming-centric device, however, there were some surprises. So, let’s go through the section to see whether this phone should be your next portable gaming console.
Simple 2D games
Simple 2D titles are usually the easiest ones to conquer, and I expected this phone to perform admirably. However, the experience was admittedly lackluster at some points but exceptional at others. I played simple 2D titles such as Best Fiends and Survival.IO.
Both games showed some stutter on this phone. They were far from unplayable, but the stutter and drop frames were very much noticeable. When I played Survivor.IO, the game started to lag very early in the round where there were only a few zombies on screen. Unfortunately, as the number of zombies increased, the game lagged even more. Still, it was not unplayable. Regardless, this is still something to keep in mind if you plan on using this phone for some serious gaming.
Mid-range 3D games
Cranking up the graphics a bit, I tried out some 3D games. The games I tested on this device were games like Asphalt 9, Sky: Children Of The Light, DragonBall Legends, and others of this caliber. These are 3D games that are moderately graphically intensive and can definitely slow down weaker Hardware.
The performance of the Nokia G310 5G is a bit of a mixed bag with these games. There is definitely more stutter than I would have wanted. While playing Asphalt 9, I would see it lag every now and then, this game gets very intense very fast, so it could be a pretty heavy load on the phone.
As for Sky, the gameplay was noticeably smoother. There was no lag or drop frames from what I could see. It was definitely nothing I will call a bad performance. The thing about this game is that most of the gameplay revolves around flying over large open areas. That just means that the phone has to render that much more, and it does so proficiently. Other games like DragonBall Legends ran equally as smoothly.
When it comes to games like these, it seems that the Nokia G310 5G is a decent performer. Most 3D games that you’d run across have graphics similar to these games, so you should be able to play most of your favorite games without much issue.
Graphically intensive 3D games
Now, let’s reach the top of the ladder. Games like Sky: Children Of The Light and Asphalt 9 are very pretty and nice to look at, but there are some titles that go the extra mile. Of course, I’m talking about games such as Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact. These are some of the most graphically intensive games on the market today, and they’re definitely capable of pushing your hardware to its limits.
Starting off with Star Rail, I played this game on its highest graphical setting, and smooth gameplay was not an option. The game ran at a consistently low frame rate which I figured to be between 12 and 15 frames per second. That only got slower as I entered into battle. Ultimate attacks would cause the game to drop some serious frames. Also, just running through the town setting, the game did not want to keep up.
However, it was still perfectly playable. You can definitely play this game on its highest graphical settings and still have a playable experience, albeit with consistent lag. Turning the graphics down to the low settings gave me much smoother performance, so you will want to do that.
Genshin Impact
Moving on to this game, it’s no surprise that I got a consistently laggy experience. When I turned the graphics up to the highest settings, rotating the screen and getting that motion blur effect turned the game into a slideshow. It was less playable than Star Rail on its highest settings.
Again, when I turned the graphics down to their low settings, the experience was much smoother. So, more graphically intensive games, obviously, slow this phone down. However, they still remain relatively playable at the highest settings and perfectly playable at lower settings.
All in all, this is not a gaming phone, but it’s still possible to get some decent gaming in. You’ll be able to play most of the titles on the Google Play Store without any fuss. Just know that more graphically intensive games will definitely slow it down
Nokia G310 5G Review: Camera
The camera is an area where I also had a few pleasant surprises. Nokia phones aren’t quite known for their camera quality, and this is still a mid-range device. So, my hopes weren’t super high when testing out this phone’s camera. However, the results came out much better than I expected.
Exposure
When it comes to the exposure, the camera did a great job at creating a well-balanced and well-exposed image. There weren’t really any places I felt came out underexposed. Overall, I actually felt that the images leaned more toward the bright side. There are some areas where I felt were getting really close to being overexposed. Some areas showed a few hot spots, but nothing was too severe.
At worst, some areas would just come out rather bright. Overall, the exposure is pretty nice.
Colors
This is the area where I was pretty surprised. Some cameras on cheaper phones usually tend to focus on oversaturating the image to make it seem more appealing. However, this camera actually struck an amazing balance with the color saturation.
It managed to make colors that were pleasantly saturated but kept from going overboard. There’s enough punch in the pictures to give grass a nice green and juicy look to it and the sky a nice sea blue. However, they kept from being cartoonishly saturated.
A good example is the flower below. This is a red flower, and digital sensors have a hard time capturing red. Normally, this red flower would look extremely saturated and bright in this image. However, the camera seemed to tone down the colors and deliver a nice balanced red tone.
I definitely give Nokia props for its excellent color reproduction. The colors were a bit on the warm side, and that helped with the overall look of the images. I think that the colors are probably the best part of the images.
Contrast
Another amazing aspect of the images is the contrast. Some of the shadows in the images do tend to get crushed, but it’s not a huge deal. Overall, I think that these images have excellent contrast. I can see the crisp shadows in high-contrast shots, and they look very nice. If the colors are the best part of these images, then the contrast will be the second best.
Low-light
Now, for the low-light performance. This is a pretty mixed bag, as the results were pretty inconsistent. For starters, without using the night mode, the phone didn’t really attempt to brighten the scene. It appeared to take the pictures of the scene as is. When the lights go down even lower, the camera will take a longer exposure shot to compensate for not brightening up the scene. That could be frustrating, as some scenes benefit more from a simple ISO boost rather than having to hold the phone steady.
When using the night mode, the phone will take an even longer exposure shot in dark environments. With that mode enabled, the results were a bit varied. Some shots came out very blurry and noisy while other shots came out nicely exposed and sharp. It seems to be hit or miss with the low-light performance.
With its best shots, I was able to get some pretty nice results from this camera. So, you might want to be careful when taking pictures at night with this camera.
Overall, I think that the camera performance is solid for this phone’s price. Honestly, I think that the colors and contrast really help to bring out these photos and make for some nice shots.
Nokia G310 5G Review: Battery
When it comes to the battery performance, there weren’t any surprises that jumped out at me. I was able to get just over a day of battery usage on a single charge. That was with moderate usage consisting of some light gaming, video watching, and social media scrolling. The phone lasted overnight into the next day but didn’t last too long after that.
I’d say that the battery performance is pretty decent overall. However, if you’re planning on using this phone heavily, then you’re going to want to have the charger ready. On heavier days, I will still be able to get about a day’s worth of battery power, but it was really struggling toward the later hours.
Final Verdict
Overall, I consider the Nokia G310 5G to be a solid device. It doesn’t particularly excel in any category. However, it’s not particularly bad in any category either. The screen brightness isn’t the best and the speaker quality leaves a bit to be desired. However, it excels at just being a generally good phone from head to toe. It does manage to hit a sweet spot in the market by offering a nice user experience.
Do I recommend that you pick up this phone? I’d say yes! For $199.99, you’re getting a solid device with solid performance across the board. There are other options around this price range from the likes of Motorola and TCL, and I think that you should consider those options as well. However, the Nokia G310 5G is ample competition for these devices.
Many of you have probably heard of Bluesky at this point. Bluesky is a decentralized social media app, and technically a competitor to X. Well, Bluesky actually managed to reach 2 million users ahead of its expansion.
Bluesky has reached 2 million users, and it will soon be available to the public, kind of
Now, do note that Bluesky was founded by Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co-founder. Those 2 million users may not seem like a lot compared to X and other social media networks, but do note that Bluesky is not available to the public, not openly.
You still need an invite in order to join Bluesky, which is the main thing that has been preventing the company from growing. Bluesky wanted to take things one step at a time, rather than risking everything falling apart.
Now, the company seems to be ready for the next step. Bluesky will soon be able to reach a much bigger audience. The upcoming public web interface will allow everyone to see the posts, even if they’re not signed in.
More changes are coming early next year
That interface will become available towards the end of this month. Early next year, the company will also open its doors for federation. We just don’t know when exactly.
Those of you who have used Bluesky thus far probably get Twitter vibes from it. That’s likely a good thing, and something that Bluesky is well aware of. It will be extremely difficult to compete with X and Threads, though.
Now, Bluesky is a decentralized social media network, kind of. It’s built on top of the AT Protocol, but registered users still must sign up via the company’s bsky.social network, so… yeah.
In addition to announcing what we said, Bluesky also wanted to highlight some other changes. The company added new features recently, such as mobile push notifications, email verification for accounts, and accessibility improvements.
Fortinet notifies users of a critical OS command injection vulnerability in the FortiSIEM report server that might enable an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute malicious commands via crafted API requests.
“An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS Command vulnerability [CWE-78] in FortiSIEM report server may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute unauthorized commands via crafted API requests”, reads the advisory published by Fortinet.
Specifics of the Critical OS Command Injection Vulnerability
The OS command injection vulnerability in FortiSIEM, with a CVSS Score of 9.3, is tracked as CVE-2023-36553.
The execution of arbitrary commands on a host operating system (OS) is called command injection. Typically, the threat actor injects the commands by taking advantage of an application flaw, such as insufficient input validation.
The command injection vulnerability can result from unauthorized access, data breaches, and even system compromise.
Additionally, it was discovered that this critical FortiSIEM injection vulnerability (CVE-2023-36553) is a variant of CVE-2023-34992, another critical vulnerability previously fixed in October of this year.
In Fortinet FortiSIEM versions 7.0.0, 6.7.0 through 6.7.5, 6.6.0 through 6.6.3, 6.5.0 through 6.5.1, and 6.4.0 through 6.4.2, improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command (also known as “os command injection“) tracked as CVE-2023-34992 allows an attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted API requests.
Improper input sanitization allows OS command execution, which increases the risk of unauthorized data access, modification through API requests, and deletion through API requests.
Affected Products:
FortiSIEM 5.4 all versions
FortiSIEM 5.3 all versions
FortiSIEM 5.2 all versions
FortiSIEM 5.1 all versions
FortiSIEM 5.0 all versions
FortiSIEM 4.10 all versions
FortiSIEM 4.9 all versions
FortiSIEM 4.7 all versions
Solutions:
FortiSIEM version 7.1.0 or above
FortiSIEM version 7.0.1 or above
FortiSIEM version 6.7.6 or above
FortiSIEM version 6.6.4 or above
FortiSIEM version 6.5.2 or above
FortiSIEM version 6.4.3 or above
It is unclear whether the vulnerability is actively exploited in attacks in the wild. The users of Fortinet are advised to upgrade to the latest version released.
Patch Manager Plus, the one-stop solution for automated updates of over 850 third-party applications: Try Free Trial.
Earlier this week, we gave you an early look at Samsung‘s next rugged smartphone, the Galaxy Xcover 7, through exclusive official renders. The images revealed the phone’s design but we didn’t have its specs or a launch date to share with you. While the launch date is still a mystery, a new benchmark listing has given us a few key specs of the upcoming handset.
Galaxy Xcover 7 shows up at Geekbench
The Galaxy Xcover 7 is known to carry the model number SM-G556B. This device has popped up on the popular benchmarking website Geekbench. We can see that the unannounced Samsung phone runs Android 14 out of the box with 6GB of RAM. There may be other RAM variants (Galaxy devices usually come in multiple RAM and storage configurations), but we don’t have any evidence yet.
The Geekbench entry also confirms an octa-core chipset for the Galaxy Xcover 7, with two CPU cores operating at a maximum frequency of 2.2GHz. The other six cores operate at a 2.0GHz frequency. The chipset appears to feature ARM’s Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. As pointed out by MySmartPrice, which first spotted this benchmark listing, this could be a MediaTek processor.
The needle is pointing towards the Helio G99 or the Dimensity 6100+. These are essentially the same chipset, with the latter adding 5G cellular connectivity. So if Samsung decides to ship the Galaxy Xcover 7 with 5G, it will use the Dimensity. If not, the Helio-series chip could power the next-gen rugged Galaxy smartphone. The Korean firm is using the two processors in Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A15 5G, which are expected to break cover in the coming months.
Since these are budget phones, don’t expect a powerful performance from the upcoming Xcover model too. The Geekbench scores of 663 (single-core) and 1,867 (multi-core) already hint at a mediocre performance, though these scores don’t always reflect the real-world performance of a phone. Nonetheless, the Galaxy Xcover 7 won’t be a top performer, certainly not at the level of the Galaxy XCover 6 Pro.
It won’t compromise on ruggedness
Samsung’s next Xcover phone may be a budget offering (in the rugged segment) but it would not compromise on ruggedness. It should boast MIL-STD-810H-compliant build quality, IP68 dust and water resistance, and drop-to-concrete resistance. The device will also feature customizable hardware buttons, a removable battery, and enhanced touch sensitivity. More details about the Galaxy Xcover 7 should surface in the coming weeks as Samsung prepares for its launch.
Google has taken to the Android Developers Blog to announce the new features coming to Play Games on PC. This service went into beta testing last year and rolled out after passing the testing, attracting PC users to the gaming platform. The new features rolling out to the platform include support for more gaming hardware, display improvements, and easier access.
Users will be able to utilize these new features to help improve their gaming experience on the platform. For the gaming hardware side of the upgrade, users will be able to use more game controllers and microphones. This will not only improve their play but also enable them to engage with other players through streaming games or playing online.
Gamers using a 4K resolution monitor will be able to play in better resolutions using the new dynamic display options. Lastly, accessing games directly from the Google Play Games on PC homepage is now easier. If you play Android games on your PC or if you’re planning to start playing, then you’ll find these new features impressive.
Users can now benefit from the three new features rolling out to the Google Play Games on PC platform
Google is rolling out three new features to the Google Play Games on PC platform. These features will help improve the gaming experience while playing on this platform for users. The new features bring support for game accessories, improvement to display quality, and easy access to games.
If you aren’t already aware, Google Play Games on PC is a platform that lets users experience Android games on a PC. With this feature, users can play their favourite Android games on a laptop or a PC by just accessing the Play Game on the PC platform via their browser. From here they can install games to play and enjoy from their laptop or PC.
With over 3,000 gaming titles on this platform, there is something for everybody. The catalogue is always growing with developers bringing more games to the platform. For this reason, there is a need to add controller support for users to help make gaming more enjoyable.
In addition to this new feature, players on the Google Play Games on PC platform can enjoy 4K content on their screens. Lastly, the previous struggle to find PC-optimized games is a thing of the past. This is because Google is bringing PC-optimized games to the homepage for easy access when searching for games to download and play.
The Google Play Games on PC platform is available in 120+ countries. Developers can also benefit from the new in-game ads feature that Google is making available to them. There is something for everyone with the addition of these new features to the gaming platform.
Oppo had a pretty major event this week, during which the Chinese company introduced the global version of ColorOS 14, its own take on Android 14, and provided timelines for the delivery of the beta iteration of the update.
In addition, Oppo and Microsoft confirmed they have teamed up to bring Phone Link and Link to Windows support to a trio of brands: Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme (via MSPU).
Under the agreement, the OnePlus series, Oppo Find and Reno series, as well as Realme series will be getting support for Microsoft Phone Link and Link to Windows in the coming months.
It’s important to mention that the Link to Windows app will come pre-installed on select Oppo smartphones powered by ColorOS 14 or OxygenOS 14 and above. This means that none of the current phones have the feature until they’re updated to Android 14.
With Microsoft Phone Link, Oppo, OnePlus and Realme smartphone users will be able to handle their Android app (and any other content on the phone) directly from the PC via Wi-Fi connection. The app allows users to take advantage of a PCs mouse or keyboard to interact with any of the Android app installed on the phone.
Additionally, compatible phones from this trio of brands will support instant hotspot, so when these devices are near a Windows 11 PC, they will pop up in the Wi-Fi network list on the PC allowing users to connect to it instantly.
In an alarming development, Denmark faced its most extensive cyber attack in May 2023, targeting crucial components of its energy infrastructure.
A total of 22 companies fell victim to a meticulously coordinated attack, breaching their industrial control systems and prompting some to activate island mode operation.
This cyber onslaught marks an unprecedented scale of attack on Danish critical infrastructure, signaling a new level of threat.
The assailants exhibited a deep understanding of their targets, successfully infiltrating 22 companies within a short timeframe, indicating a level of preparation rarely witnessed.
The sophistication of the attack prompts speculation about state involvement, with indications suggesting a possible connection to one or more nation-states.
This revelation adds a layer of complexity to the incident, requiring careful examination of geopolitical implications.
SektorCERT’s sensor network and collaborative efforts with members, suppliers, and authorities made rapid detection and response to the attacks possible.
Cyber Kill Chain of the overall attack
Without this proactive approach, the consequences for Denmark’s infrastructure could have been severe.
SektorCERT’s post-attack recommendations emphasize the importance of implementing all 25 of their proposed measures for those operating critical infrastructure in Denmark.
The focus extends beyond the specific attack techniques, addressing systemic vulnerabilities and enhancing overall cybersecurity resilience.
Detailed Analysis and Objective Timeline
The report provides a comprehensive cyber attack analysis, distinguishing between subjective analysis and objective timelines.
This division ensures a nuanced understanding of the events, enabling readers to delve into technical details or opt for a broader perspective.
SektorCERT’s sensor network was pivotal in detecting and responding to attack patterns across multiple companies.
The ability to analyze data collectively enabled the identification of attackers and their methods, preventing potential damage to critical infrastructure.
The report acknowledges the difficulty in attributing the attack to specific actors, highlighting the intricate nature of cybersecurity.
While indicators may point to entities like Sandworm, definitive conclusions remain elusive, emphasizing the need for vigilant monitoring and advanced analysis.
Systemic Vulnerabilities and Societal Impact
The attack exposed systemic vulnerabilities within Denmark’s decentralized energy system.
The report underscores the potential societal impact when a common vulnerability exists across multiple companies, urging a collective focus on addressing these vulnerabilities.
Highlighting the perpetual threat to Denmark’s critical infrastructure, the report urges heightened attention and proactive measures to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber-attacks.
SektorCERT’s role in swiftly shutting down attackers’ access averted potentially severe consequences.
The successful cooperation between SektorCERT, members, suppliers, and authorities minimized the consequences of the attacks on critical infrastructure.
The report acknowledges the collaborative efforts that played a crucial role in mitigating the impact.
While indications suggest state actor involvement, the report refrains from delving into geopolitical consequences, focusing on technical aspects.
SektorCERT’s analysis concludes with recommendations, emphasizing the need for a collective effort to secure Denmark’s critical infrastructure.
Patch Manager Plus, the one-stop solution for automated updates of over 850 third-party applications: Try Free Trial.
Researchers claim that the Chinese Ddostf botnet is specifically designed for launching DDoS attacks and that the threat actors are operating a DDoS-for-hire service.
AhnLab Security Emergency Response Center (ASEC) researchers have shared alarming detailsof a new campaign targeting MySQL servers and Docker hosts with DDoS malware.
AhnLab noted that attacks targeting MySQL servers on Windows systems have increased sharply, and vulnerable servers are infected with the Chinese botnet Ddostf, discoveredin 2016.
Researchers claim that this malware is specifically designed for launching DDoS attacks and that the threat actor is operating a DDoS-for-hire service.
According to the AESC blog post, threat actors scan for exploitable MySQL servers. After compromising the servers, threat actors install the Ddostf DDoS botnet to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against other servers.
MySQL servers are a common target in such campaigns because of their widespread use in Windows and Linux environments. Although MS-SQL is a preferred database service for Windows users, MySQL servers are also commonly used on Windows, which makes the systems running them a prime target for cybercriminals.
Based on data from AhnLab’s Smart Defense (ASD) logs, most malware targeting vulnerable MySQL servers were Gh0st RAT variants, but instances of AsyncRAT were also observed and recently, there’s been an uptick in the use of the Ddostf botnet.
Ddostf is a powerful malware that copies itself with a random name in the %SystemRoot% directory and registers as a service before decrypting the encrypted C2 server URL string to connect to the attackers’ server. It can collect system data and transfer it to the C2 server. Then it waits for specific commands (e.g., SYN, UDP, and HTTP GET/POST floods) to launch the DDoS attacks.
The botnet is unique because it can connect to a new address from the C2 server and execute commands there for a limited time. This helps the Ddostf botnet operator to infect multiple systems and sell DDoS attacks as a service. Ddostf can target Linux and Windows systems because of supports both ELF and PE formats and can achieve persistence.
Attackers first scan for publicly accessible systems using port 3306/TCP and after accessing the server (those with known vulnerabilities or weak credentials), they use brute-force or dictionary attacks on the system.
If the system has signs of poor credential management, attackers can gain access to administrator account credentials. If the system runs an unpatched version with vulnerabilities, attackers can exploit them to execute commands without needing these processes. Unlike MS-SQL, which entails direct OS command execution methods, MySQL relies on UDFs (User-Defined Functions) that can allow threat actors to execute commands.
They can also install malicious UDF DLLS on infected MySQL servers and execute commands. Like CLR Stored Procedure WebShell work, these DLLs can provide threat actors complete control of the infected system. In the case of the Ddostf DDoS bot, attackers use the UDF malware as a tool to install it on poorly managed MySQL servers.
Database servers get frequently targeted because of poorly managed account credentials. Administrators must use strong passwords apart from applying the latest patches to protect their servers. Firewalls can be used to restrict access to external actors, and a DDoS mitigation service can help protect against large-scale attacks.
As reported earlier, the Google vs DOJ antitrust trial is now over. Yesterday was the last day of actual court appearances. Up until now, we were aware that the decision is coming in 2024, but we did not know when. Well, the Judge on the case, Amit Mehta, has announced that the Google vs DOJ decision will be made in early May 2024.
Judge will make a decision on Google vs DOJ antitrust case in May 2024
To be more precise, the Judge set closings for May 1-3 next year. Needless to say, that’s quite a long wait for a decision, basically over half a year. It’s not unusual considering the size of this case, actually.
This antitrust case was going on for a little over two months, as it started on September 12 and ended on November 16. We have a rather lengthy article in which we covered this trial since it began, in case you’re interested.
During the trial, the DOJ tried to prove that Google took advantage of its position, and illegally kept its place in the market. Google has a huge market share percentage when it comes to search, close to 90%.
The company had deals with various companies over the years, including both Google and Apple, amongst others. It paid Apple, for example, a staggering amount of $18 billion to stay the default search engine on Safari… and that was just in 2021.
The company paid out over $26 billion to partners in 2021
Overall that same year, Google paid out over $26 billion to partners, as it was revealed during the trial. The DOJ did its best to prove Google’s wrongdoings, and during the trial, various other info popped up.
Do note that the trial itself was semi-private, so we did not get access to all the information, just some tidbits. Plenty of documents passed through the courtroom, though.
Chances are we won’t hear much about this trial since May next year, if at all. It remains to be seen what will the decision be.
