Proprietary Software and Linux Foundation

• New ransomware targeting Asian nations using malvertising: Kaspersky

  Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a very sophisticated Exploit Kit that is targeting countries in the Asia-Pacific region to deliver ransomware via malvertising, which is the spread of malware through online advertisements.

  Exploit kits are automated threats that utilise compromised websites to divert web traffic, scan for vulnerable browser-based applications, and run malware.

  Called 'Magnitude EK', the constantly evolving Exploit Kit uses its own ransomware as its final payload.

• Millions of web surfers are being targeted by a single malvertising group

  [Crackers] have compromised more than 120 ad servers over the past year in an ongoing campaign that displays malicious advertisements on tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of devices as they visit sites that, by all outward appearances, are benign.

  Malvertising is the practice of delivering ads to people as they visit trusted websites. The ads embed JavaScript that surreptitiously exploits software flaws or tries to trick visitors into installing an unsafe app, paying fraudulent computer support fees, or taking other harmful actions. Typically, the scammers behind this Internet scourge pose as buyers and pay ad-delivery networks to display the malicious ads on individual sites.

• 10 Best Rufus Alternatives For Windows, Linux, And MacOS

• Telegram Launched Telegram WebZ & Telegram WebK

  Telegram is a popular instant messaging app known for protecting users’ privacy while providing the same features as WhatsApp. Telegram apps are available for all major platforms. The company also has a web version of the app that one can open in any web browser. The Telegram web version is available on web.telegram.org. But Telegram recently launched two more versions of the web app called Telegram WebZ and Telegram WebK. [...] Besides this, you can notice very minor differences in the color palettes of the two apps. The search box’s background in WebZ is grey whereas in WebK it’s white. When a user does not set a profile picture, Telegram creates a profile picture out of the user’s full name. It takes the first letter of first name & last name and creates the profile picture by combining the two letters. I noticed the WebZ version creates more accurate profile pictures than WebK. In some cases, WebK just added a random letter instead of the first letter of the last name.

• ELISA Project Welcomes Codethink, Horizon Robotics, Huawei Technologies, NVIDIA and Red Hat to its Global Ecosystem

• ELISA Project Welcomes Codethink, Horizon Robotics, Huawei Technologies, NVIDIA and Red Hat to its Global Ecosystem

• ELISA Project Welcomes Codethink, Horizon Robotics, Huawei Technologies, NVIDIA and Red Hat to its Global Ecosystem

  Today, the ELISA (Enabling Linux in Safety Applications) Project, an open source initiative that aims to create a shared set of tools and processes to help companies build and certify Linux-based safety-critical applications and systems, announced that Codethink, Horizon Robotics, Huawei Technologies, NVIDIA and Red Hat has joined its global ecosystem. Linux is used in safety-critical applications with all major industries because it can enable faster time to market for new features and take advantage of the quality of the code development processes which decreases the issues that could result in loss of human life, significant property damage, or environmental damage. Launched in February 2019 by the Linux Foundation, ELISA will work with certification authorities and standardization bodies across industries to document how Linux can be used in safety-critical systems.

• Linux Foundation, AAIS Launch openIDL Project

  The Linux Foundation and the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) have announced openIDL, the Open Insurance Data Link platform and project. The platform will help reduce the cost of regulatory reporting for insurance carriers, provide a standardized data repository for analytics and a connection point for third parties to deliver new applications to members.

Phoronix on KFence and Phoronix Taking 'Free' Stuff From Microsoft to Promote Proprietary Software and Surveillance

• KFence Memory Safety Error Checking Is Looking Good For Minimal Overhead On Linux 5.12 - Phoronix

  Of the many new features coming with Linux 5.12 is KFence, short for the Kernel Electric Fence. KFence is a low-overhead memory safety error detector/validator for the kernel with lower expected overhead costs than say the Kernel Address Sanitizer. I just wrapped up some benchmarks looking out for any overhead impact of KFence on Linux 5.12 in its near-final state. KFence is a memory safety error detector/validator designed for use within production environments and thus is optimized for low overhead. KFence aims to be more efficient than the robust Kernel Address Sanitizer (KASAN) and that it's low overhead enough to be used on production systems where KASAN is generally avoided.

• Microsoft Adding Azure "MANA" Driver To Linux [Ed: Contributing to Linux bloat for things you absolutely do not need]

  Microsoft is preparing the Linux kernel for some yet-to-debut Azure network functionality.

• AMD EPYC 7003 Series Performance In The Cloud With Microsoft Azure HBv3 HPC VMs [Ed: Is Microsoft paying (or giving 'free' stuff) to Phoronix now?]

  Thanks to Microsoft for allowing us to run these benchmarks as we wish in the Azure cloud.

Devices and Hardware With Linux Leanings

• Dual Ethernet SigmaStar SSD201/SSD202 SBC supports 4-inch or 7-inch displays

  SigmaStar SSD201/SSD202 are low-cost, highly integrated SoC’s with a dual Cortex-A7 processor, 64MB to 128MB on-chip RAM designed for Full HD smart displays, but we’ve also found SSD201 in a 4G LTE industrial gateway. There’s now a different type of board based on the SigmaStar processors with Wireless Tag/Industio IDO-SBC2D06-V1B-12W and IDO-SBC2D06-V1B-22W SBC’s powered respectively by SSD201 and SSD202, and both equipped with dual Ethernet and a connector for a 4-inch or 7-inch display.

• Tough Tiger Lake system boasts quad displays and quad Ethernet

  MiTac’s fanless, rugged “MP1-11TGS” computer combines an 11th Gen Core CPU with 2.5GbE and up to 3x GbE ports, quadruple displays, 4x USB 3.1 Gen2, hot-swap SATA, and 2x M.2 slots. ICP Germany announced an industrial computer from its partner MiTac that features Intel’s 10nm, 11th Gen Tiger Lake-ULP3 platform. Like Avalue’s 240 x 150 x 48mm EMS-TGL and Vecow’s 150.4 x 106.2 x 48.1mm SPC-7000/7100 embedded PCs, MiTac’s 210 x 150 x 63mm MP1-11TGS supports the more embedded “E” Tiger Lake models that were announced after the initial launch. However, it does not provide the functional safety enabled “GRE” options supported by the Avalue system.

• Pi-sized SBCs run Linux on RK3328 and Allwinner H3

  SmartBoardHome has announced two 85 x 56mm SBCs that run Linux: a “Pi-R2S3328-B” with an RK3328 and dual GbE ports and a “Pi-PC-H3 PK” with an Allwinner H3, HDMI, CSI, LAN, 2x USB, WiFi, and 40-pin GPIO. Shenzhen-based embedded computing vendor Shenzhen Pumpb Techical Co., Ltd has made us aware of its SmartBoardHome unit/brand. The 10-year old company, which is associated with “brother company” Xihai Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd, sent us a notice about several new products, two of which run Linux: a “Smart Route Board Dual 1000M Ethernet Port 1GB DDR4 OpenWrt Pi-R2S3328-B” with a quad -A53 Rockchip RK3328 and a “Single Board Computer Mini PC embedded computer H3 Quad-Core micro circuit board Pi-PC-H3 PK Raspberry Pi.”

• UK to investigate ARM-NVIDIA deal on national security grounds

  The United Kingdom has announced that it is looking afresh at the proposed deal between GPU vendor NVIDIA and CPU specialist ARM, with the former to buy the latter for US$40 billion (A$51.5 billion), on the grounds of national security.

• ARM in the Datacenter

  All the major server suppliers have either announced, or are already selling, ARM servers. We are also seeing companies that are solely focused on Arm-based servers.