Security & Privacy
School's starting. Please stop doxxing your kids
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. A single photo on the open web can share a lot of info with strangers. Some of them want to do harm to children. Kids having their very first day of school are absolutely adorable. As school starts, my social feeds have exploded with "first day of school" signboards photos.
Microsoft Defender is falsely flagging Google links as malicious
PCWorld reports that Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is incorrectly flagging legitimate Google search URLs as malicious, causing false security alerts for users. The issue stems from the Safe Links feature, which is mistakenly blocking valid Google URLs instead of protecting against genuine threats. Microsoft has identified the cause and is working on a fix, though no timeline for an official patch has been confirmed yet. Even though Microsoft Defender is more than enough security on its own, its reputation has taken a bit of a hit this year. Over the last few months, vulnerabilities like RedSun and RoguePlanet were discovered (and later patched), while just last month Defender was showing false warnings that it was disabled even when it wasn't .
IT-department specs without the IT budget -- this HP EliteBook is just 389.99
Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Trending Now Say More Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List All Series IT-department specs without the IT budget -- this HP EliteBook is just $389.99 Windows 11 Pro and HP security are already onboard. The following content is brought to you by Mashable partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation. Get this HP EliteBook business laptop for just $389.99
Get lifetime ad blocking for your whole family for 11 -- sale ends today
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Get lifetime access to an AdGuard Family Plan for up to nine devices for $11 (MSRP $169.99). It blocks ads and trackers, helps protect against malware and phishing, and includes parental controls. The deal ends today, September 3, at 11:59pm Pacific. The internet is already noisy enough without every website throwing pop-ups, banners, trackers, and autoplay ads at you.
Is Meta finally backing a federal kids safety bill, or is it all PR?
Creator Playbook Trending Now Say More Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List In My Bag All Series Is Meta finally backing a federal kids safety bill, or is it all PR? Some say the company is sending mixed messages about kids' safety. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. A group of parents called out comments by a Meta official backing industry regulation. In the aftermath of Meta's recent $17 billion settlement, the culmination of a litigious debate over its alleged role in social media addiction and youth mental health, all attention was on the platform's promises.
Windows 11 will now only make you restart once a month for updates
PCWorld reports that Microsoft has changed how Windows 11 handles updates, now bundling drivers and firmware together with monthly security patches. This means users will likely only need to restart their PC once a month during the regular Patch Tuesday cycle, reducing interruptions. The change applies to versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1, though critical Microsoft Defender security fixes may still trigger immediate restarts when necessary. Microsoft now bundles updates for drivers, the .NET Framework, and firmware together with the regular security updates that go out on Patch Tuesday every month. This consolidation brings one huge advantage to Windows users: your Windows 11 PC now only needs to be restarted once a month to remain up-to-date and secure.
How to reorder PDF pages quickly and easily
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. You can reorder PDF pages with this free drag-and-drop tool--no online service required! Need to rearrange the pages in a PDF without uploading the file to an online service? PDF Arranger lets you do exactly that. With multi-page PDF files, you may sometimes need to rearrange the pages.