Technology - Google News

Fortnite Birthday Challenges Not Showing Up For Some After New Update
No Google Employee Has Fallen Prey To Phishing Since They Started Using These $20 Devices
Nearly 5 years after launch, we compared the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — and it's a harder decision than ever

Fortnite Birthday Challenges Not Showing Up For Some After New Update

Posted: 24 Jul 2018 07:55 AM PDT

Update: Although the new Fortnite patch is out now and the birthday event is live, the new challenges are not available for everyone as intended. Epic has confirmed issues have arisen with the rollout, causing "some" players to be unable to access the challenges. However, that should be fixed before long; Epic says everyone will get the challenges when the in-game store refreshes today, July 24, at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET (1 AM BST on July 25). The original story follows.

A new update is on the way soon for Fortnite: Battle Royale. Coinciding with the game's first anniversary, Epic is rolling out the v5.10 patch on all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS--today, July 24, which will kick off a special, limited-time birthday event and introduce other new content to the battle royale game. [Update: The servers are now back online. You can read the full Fortnite 5.10 patch notes and our Fortnite 1st Birthday challenge guide to see everything that's new and what you'll need to do to get some fresh cosmetics.]

As usual, the v5.10 update is preceded by a period of server maintenance, during which time the game will temporarily be taken offline. As with most updates, Epic hasn't revealed how long the maintenance will last, but it started at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST. In most cases maintenance lasts between an hour or two.

Full patch notes for the v5.10 update will be shared once the maintenance period begins, but among the changes coming to Fortnite: Battle Royale is a buff for the Slurp Juice. As Epic detailed on Reddit, the Slurp Juice will now provide 75 points and prioritize HP. If your HP is full when the item is consumed, then the points will go toward your Shield.

Fortnite's in-game New Updates section also hints that a new weapon, the Compact SMG, is also on the way this week. The update doesn't provide very much information about the upcoming gun, but the accompany description calls it an "Epic and Legendary rarity SMG that excels at close quarters combat."

Fortnite's v5.10 update also marks the start of the aforementioned birthday event. For a limited time, all Fortnite players will be able to take on a set of special quests to unlock birthday-themed cosmetics and an XP bonus. According to the game's official website, there will be three different quests to complete, each of which offers a different reward. Players who manage to complete all three of the quests before the event ends on August 7 will receive a Birthday Cake Back Bling.

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No Google Employee Has Fallen Prey To Phishing Since They Started Using These $20 Devices

Posted: 24 Jul 2018 04:46 AM PDT

Physical security keys, such as Yubico's YubiKey Security Key, have protected all Google employees from phishing attacks since early 2017. Here is how the $20 devices work as an alternative approach to two-factor authentication. ( Yubico )

No Google employee has fallen prey to phishing attacks since early 2017, which is when the company started requiring all its workers to use physical security keys.

Physical security keys, which are sold for as low as $20, are inexpensive USB-based devices that may be used to shore up user security. In the case of Google, it appears that investing in these devices is paying off.

Google Physical Security Key Protects Employees Against Phishing

Google told KrebsOnSecurity that none of its over 85,000 employees have been victimized by a phishing attack on their work-related accounts ever since the company started requiring them to use physical security keys in place of the traditional passwords and one-time codes.

"We have had no reported or confirmed account takeovers since implementing security keys at Google," confirmed a spokesperson for Google.

What are security keys? They are inexpensive devices that provide an alternative approach to two-factor authentication, a security model that requires users to input their password and sends another code to their mobile device when logging in to an account.

Phishing attacks come in various forms, but their end goal is to trick users into giving up sensitive information such as log-in details. Two-factor authentication seeks to prevent this, because even if hackers acquire an account's password, they will also need to acquire the second code. Unfortunately, there are already some hacks that are capable of intercepting the codes, which are usually sent through SMS.

The physical security key, however, makes it harder for hackers to acquire that second factor. It authenticates log-ins by being inserted into the computer's USB port, with the user then pressing a button on it. This means that hackers will need to have the security key in their actual possession.

Protection Against Phishing

A study conducted by Google late last year revealed that phishing is the biggest online threat for Google accounts followed by keyloggers and third-party breaches.

There are various ways to protect against phishing, including the simple way of not responding to suspicious emails and signing up for Google's own Advanced Protection program. However, companies may want to think about not only introducing two-factor authentication to their systems but also going the route of physical security keys instead of SMS-based codes.

Yubico's YubiKey Security Key, which is sold for $20, is an example of a device that will provide the necessary additional protection for employees. The initial cost might be a bit steep for companies with a significant number of employees, but there is no price for an impenetrable wall of cybersecurity in this day and age.

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Nearly 5 years after launch, we compared the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — and it's a harder decision than ever

Posted: 24 Jul 2018 06:08 AM PDT

Xbox vs Playstation Christian Petersen/Getty Images