Global IT Outage Disrupts Microsoft Machines, Including Pakistan:
A faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike caused a significant global IT outage, impacting thousands of Windows machines worldwide. This outage also affected consumers of Microsoft in Pakistan according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA). The fault forced affected PCs and servers into a recovery boot loop, preventing proper startup. Some internet services are also affected because of this, it added.
CCP Decision Upheld to Impose Rs. 15 Million Fine on DHA Lahore and ISP:
In a significant ruling, the Competition Appellate Tribunal has dismissed the appeals filed by Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Lahore, and ISP, upholding the Competition Commission of Pakistan’s (CCP) decision to impose substantial penalties of Rs. 15 million for engaging in prohibited agreements that restricted consumer choice. The Competition Appellate Tribunal has maintained the penalties levied by the CCP on DHA Lahore and Internet Service Provider Telecom. DHA Lahore was fined Rs. 10 million and ISP Rs. 5 million for entering into an exclusive arrangement of limiting the provision of telecommunication and media services within DHA Lahore to ISP alone.
Prices for the Hottest Selling realme 12 Series Set to Increase – Buy Now!:
The realme 12 series has been a sensational hit, and now is the time to secure yours before prices go up. As the Pakistani government is imposing an 18% tax on smartphones, prices are set to increase starting next week. This is your golden opportunity to grab the realme 12 and the realme 12+ 5G at their current low price! Our top recommendation is the realme 12, a perfect blend of performance, style, and value for money. With advanced photography features, powerful chipset capabilities, and exceptional performance optimization, the realme 12 stands out as the best choice in its segment.
Key Network Management Tools for Enhancing IT Operations in 2024:
Network Management is something that can never be understated. In the growing competition and evolving business landscape, you must cope with change and enhance your capabilities to succeed. There is a grave need to leverage a sophisticated Network management tool that could help you keep track of your network operations as well as the overall performance. Remember that is not a luxury, it is the need of the hour. In this article, we have listed 5 of the most popular network management tools that most IT companies will be using in 2024.
PTA Website Temporarily Goes Down:
The official website of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was down across multiple internet service providers. For the past hour, the regulator’s website showing an error that displays “Attack ID: 20000001” and “The page cannot be displayed. Please contact the administrator for additional information”. A few users have reported that the website is working normally with VPNs.
PTA Launches Tender to Control Internet in Pakistan Using Advanced Firewalls:
In order to control the spread of false propaganda on social media and to increase cyber security, the Government of Pakistan has announced the installation of advanced firewalls on internet service providers. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has invited bids for the installation of next-generation firewalls and web application firewalls (WAF), set to be implemented over the next five years.The PTA has specified that the next-generation firewalls, designated as Lot A, will be from China to ensure high security and reliability standards.
Airlines, Media, Banks Affected by Worldwide Microsoft Windows Outage:
A BSoD (blue screen of death) error has currently taken the world by storm after the latest update by US-based cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, causing Microsoft Windows servers to crash for millions of users worldwide.Users across the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Canada, the Czech Republic, and many other countries have been affected by the issue. People have taken to social media platforms like X and Reddit to report a BSoD error on the platform.
Nothing Phone (2a) is Getting a Plus Model This Month:
Following the recent launch of its sub-brand CMF’s first smartphone, Nothing is gearing up to release an upgraded version of its popular mid-range device. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is set to debut on July 31st. While the company has teased the phone with the tagline “Plus. More. Extra,” the exact nature of the improvements remains shrouded in mystery.One area where the Nothing Phone (2a) could benefit from an upgrade is wider availability. The original 2a model has yet to launch in the US market and is currently only accessible through a developer program. Expanded accessibility for the Plus model would be a welcomed change for many consumers.
Google Pixel Phones Are Harder to Breach Than Other Androids:
Android phones are known to be less secure than iPhones, but this is not true for every single Android out there. Google’s latest Pixel phones are much harder to breach compared to other Androids, and even some iPhones. This news comes from a leaked company document, which shows how easy it is to break into different smartphones. The company in question is Cellebrite, a well-known mobile forensics company that specializes in breaching phones to discover vulnerabilities.
Microsoft Launches Canva Rival for Phones and PC:
Microsoft has officially launched its AI image creation tool, Designer. After a lengthy testing period, the platform is now accessible to the public via a Microsoft account. Users can harness the power of Designer across various devices, including web browsers in over 80 languages, iOS and Android mobile apps, and Windows applications.Designer offers a versatile platform for both novice and experienced creatives. Beginners can leverage pre-designed templates for creating greeting cards, phone wallpapers, profile pictures, etc. More skilled users can take full control, crafting templates and building unique artwork from scratch. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining existing images, Designer empowers users to bring their creative visions to life.
HMD Global’s Most Powerful Phone is Here, Also Highly Repairable:
HMD just launched their most powerful phone to date, the Skyline. This phone echoes the design of the classic Nokia N9. It boasts a clever feature called Gen 2 repairability, allowing you to fix a cracked screen or replace a dying battery in under 10 minutes. Skyline features a large 6.5-inch OLED screen with super smooth visuals thanks to its high 144Hz refresh rate. It also boasts a high-resolution front-facing camera inside its punch-hole cutout, but we’ll get to that later.
Samsung Phones Can Now Live Translate Calls on Any App:
Forget fumbling for a translator app. Samsung’s built-in Live Translate feature just got a major upgrade. This handy tool, powered by Galaxy AI, can now translate conversations in real-time across popular calling apps. The update, rolling out with One UI 6.1.1, lets you use Live Translate on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Google Meet, Signal, KakaoTalk, LINE, and WeChat.
Crowdstrike says IT problems will take time to fix:
The boss of cyber-security firm Crowdstrike has admitted it could be “some time” before all systems are back up and running after an update from the company triggered a global IT outage. Experts are warning that it could take days for big organisations to get back to normal. Although there is now a software fix for the issue, the manual process required will take a huge amount of work, they said. The global outage has led to thousands of flights being cancelled, while banking, healthcare and shops have all been affected.The issue was caused when an update from Crowdstrike caused Microsoft systems to “blue screen” and crash.
Mass It outage impacts some train services and GPs:
Some train services and GP surgeries in Cambridgeshire have been affected by the mass IT outage that has hit services across the world.
In the UK, banks, broadcasters and rail operators are reporting issues including Great Northern which runs trains through Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough. Greater Anglia said it has had no impact on its train services but some tickets were not working on the electronic gates at stations and this was “being investigated with high importance”. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (CPICB) said six GP surgeries across the region had problems as a result of the IT outage.
More UK flight delays expected after IT outages:
Disruption to flights is expected to continue across the UK after massive outages hit computer systems globally on Friday. Airports have said their systems are working again but that journeys could still be affected by delays and cancellations into the weekend. A number of airports have said passengers should continue to check for potential disruption affecting their flights before they travel. The outages came on one of the busiest days of the year, with many schools in England and Wales having broken up for summer this week. GPs, pharmacies, banks, payment systems, and train services were also affected.
City council rules against ban on face coverings:
Calls to ban face coverings in a city in an effort to reduce anti-social behaviour were rejected over concerns the proposals would be “unenforceable”. A motion put forward to Southend-on-Sea City Council at a full council meeting sought to ban the wearing of face coverings on the high street and seafront by groups of youths. The ban would have been part of an update to the city’s public space protection order, but wearing them for health, safety and religious reasons would be allowed. Jack Warren, a Conservative councillor who put forward the motion to the Labour-led authority, said: “No-one needs to wear a ski mask or balaclava in the height of summer. This is about protecting our public spaces for the law abiding majority.”
Global services slowly recovering after bug causes IT chaos:
Businesses and services around the world are slowly recovering after a massive IT outage affected computer systems for hours on Thursday and Friday.
Businesses, banks, hospitals and airlines were among the worst-hit after cyber-security firm CrowdStrike issued a faulty software update which affected Microsoft Windows. CrowdStrike’s CEO apologised for the disruption and said a fix had been issued, but admitted it could be “some time” before all systems were back up and running. While some airline services are beginning to return to normal after thousands of flights were cancelled, operators expect some delays and cancellations to persist through the weekend.
IT outage exposes fragility of tech infrastructure:
As the global chaos subsides and systems continue to return online, the enormous IT outage which caused havoc around the world on Friday reveals a few uncomfortable truths about the foundations of our digital lives – and how fragile they might be. The outage showed that even the platform of an enormous firm like Microsoft, with its deep pockets and huge investment in robust system security, could be knocked sideways by an accidental error in a software update issued by an independent cybersecurity company. And with catastrophic impact because Microsoft-powered computers are at the heart of so much of our tech infrastructure. It shines a light on just how reliant we have become on that infrastructure, and how helpless we are as a result when something goes wrong that is beyond our control.
GP surgeries and public services hit by IT outage:
GP surgeries and public services in Northamptonshire have been hit by the mass IT outage which affected services across the world.
Some surgeries, including Greenview in Northampton, were unable to access the electronic prescribing system, so patients had to collect paper prescriptions. Corby Urgent Care Centre said some of its systems had been affected by the outage. Council services such as libraries, social care and country parks were also disrupted. North Northamptonshire Council said some of its services were affected, including adult social care, school admissions and the processing of blue badge applications.
GPs, airports and banks in UK hit by IT outage:
The global IT outage has caused disruption across the UK, including to healthcare, transport and banking. GPs have been struggling to access their records systems, which include online bookings. Pharmacy services, such as access to prescriptions, have also been affected. The disruption has led to long queues at UK airports and knocked some TV channels off air. Cyber security firm Crowdstrike said the global IT problems were caused by a defect in a content update and were not due to a security incident or cyberattack.
The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery:
Concrete is perhaps the most commonly used building material in the world. With a bit of tweaking, it could help to power our homes too. On a laboratory bench in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a stack of polished cylinders of black-coloured concrete sit bathed in liquid and entwined in cables. To a casual observer, they aren’t doing much. But then Damian Stefaniuk flicks a switch. The blocks of human-made rock are wired up to an LED – and the bulb flickers into life. “At first I didn’t believe it,” says Stefaniuk, describing the first time the LED lit up. “I thought that I hadn’t disconnected the external power source, and that was why the LED was on. “It was a wonderful day. We invited students, and I invited professors to see, because at first they didn’t believe that it worked either.”
Crowdstrike says IT problems will take time to fix:
The boss of cyber-security firm Crowdstrike has admitted it could be “some time” before all systems are back up and running after an update from the company triggered a global IT outage. Experts are warning that it could take days for big organisations to get back to normal. Although there is now a software fix for the issue, the manual process required will take a huge amount of work, they said. The global outage has led to thousands of flights being cancelled, while banking, healthcare and shops have all been affected.
Mass It outage impacts some train services and GPs:
Some train services and GP surgeries in Cambridgeshire have been affected by the mass IT outage that has hit services across the world. In the UK, banks, broadcasters and rail operators are reporting issues including Great Northern which runs trains through Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough. Greater Anglia said it has had no impact on its train services but some tickets were not working on the electronic gates at stations and this was “being investigated with high importance”. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (CPICB) said six GP surgeries across the region had problems as a result of the IT outage.