Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 4-22-2023

Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 4-22-2023

Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 4-22-2023, a week where anti-Twitter themes, new macOS ransomware threats, sideloading on iOS 17, and other emerging security threats captivated our readers the most. Today, we look back at this week’s ten most engaging stories from the Tech Help Knowledgebase social media feeds. We order the story summaries below by user engagement — the stories our users interacted with the most. Stories are in descending order with the most engaging story first. Our human-curated social media feeds include links to technology news, how-to and help articles, and video tutorials for common issues.

Stories curated for our feeds are from our staff writers or culled from third-party sources that produce content related to the categories covered by our site. See the summaries and links below for this week’s top stories by user engagement. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to interact with our feeds.

Top 10 Most Engaging Stories This Week

1. Bluesky for Android is now available (as an invite-only beta at the moment) (9 to 5 Google)

Bluesky, a decentralized Twitter competitor, has released an invite-only beta version of its Android app. The app is based on the Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol and aims to support “large-scale distributed social applications,” including account portability, algorithmic choice, interoperation, and performance. The app is available on the Play Store but is still invite-only.

2. Apple’s Macs Have Long Escaped Ransomware. That May Be Changing (Wired)

Security researchers are examining newly discovered Mac ransomware samples from the notorious gang LockBit, marking the first known example of a prominent ransomware group toying with macOS versions of its malware. Apple security expert Patrick Wardle analyzed the macOS version of LockBit and found that while it can run on Macs and it is capable of encrypting files, it currently doesn’t pose any real risk.

3. Google has released another emergency security update for Chrome to fix a new zero-day (Tech Help Knowledgebase)

Google has released a security update for the Chrome web browser to fix the second zero-day vulnerability found so far this year. The flaw is a high-severity integer overflow vulnerability in Skia, a Google-owned open-source multi-platform 2D graphics library written in C++. We encourage readers to always keep Chrome up to date.

4. Microsoft drops Twitter from its advertising platform (Mashable)

Beginning on April 25, users of Microsoft’s Digital Marketing Center’s social media management tool will no longer be able to access their Twitter accounts. Users currently use the platform to schedule, create, and manage tweets and tweet drafts, and to review past tweets and user engagement. Microsoft will continue to support Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

5. LockBit ransomware gang appears to be targeting Macs for the first time (9 to 5 Mac)

LockBit ransomware has recently begun targeting Mac computers for the first time. Until now, LockBit ransomware has focused on infecting Windows and Linux machines. A new build named “locker_Apple_M1_64” suggests macOS infections are imminent. This new version of LockBit ransomware targets Apple’s Mac computers for the first time and is showing up for PowerPC Macs as well.

6. Protecting Yourself from Malicious Browser Extensions Is Easier Than You Think (Security Boulevard)

Here’s how to protect yourself from malicious browser extensions. Security Boulevard suggests only installing extensions from trusted sources, regularly checking your browser’s extension list to ensure that you are not using any malicious extensions, and using a browser extension that blocks ads and trackers to help protect your privacy. The article also suggests that you should use a password manager to help protect your passwords and other sensitive information.

7. iPhone market share increases, but Samsung retakes first place (9 to 5 Mac)

On a quarterly basis, iPhone market share dropped to 21% in the first quarter of 2023. In the same period, Samsung’s market share increased to number one with a 22% market share. The drop in iPhone market share is normal in the quarter following the holiday fourth quarter of 2022.

8. Chrome, Edge browsers targeted in Zaraza bot malware attacks (SC Magazine)

A new variant of the credential-stealing Zaraza malware is targeting users of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave browsers. Threat actors are using Telegram servers to exfiltrate stolen login credentials and cryptocurrency from infected computers. The Zaraza bot appears to be part of an organized criminal enterprise, with threat actors able to purchase access to the bot from a centralized malware distributor.

9. If sideloading is allowed in iOS 17, someone will pay for it–and it won’t be Apple (Macworld)

Apple is reportedly planning to allow users to sideload apps on iOS 17 without having to pay a commission to the App Store. This would be a major change for Apple, which has long required developers to submit their apps to the App Store and pay a 30% commission on all in-app purchases. Sideloading would allow users to install apps from outside of the App Store, which could open up a new world of possibilities for developers and users alike. It’s important to note that sideloading could also pose some security risks, as users would be installing apps from sources that they may not be familiar with.

10. ActivityPub is the next big thing in social networks (The Verge)

ActivityPub is a protocol that allows social networks to interoperate with each other. It is based on open standards, not closed platforms, and aims to give control back to users. ActivityPub is seen as a potential alternative to the current social media landscape, which is dominated by a few large companies.

Thank you for visiting Tech Help Knowledgebase to read the Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 4-22-2023, a summary of this week’s ten most engaging stories. If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @techhelpkb and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep in the loop.