🍪 Google's 'Privacy' Feast: Click to Arm Yourself 🛡️

Hi and welcome to another Security weekly. Where we laugh, we cry and share the latest and greatest in security and tech news.

In this week's edition:
🏖️ Introducing Google’s Trojan horse: Chrome’s ‘privacy’ sandbox
📰 Bits & Bytes
❓ Disable User explains: Third Party Cookies
🔥 meme of the week

Reading time: 02:01

Introducing Google’s Trojan horse: Chrome’s ‘Privacy’ sandbox

Hold onto your privacy shields, folks. Google's latest update to Chrome is causing a stir, and not the good cocktail-party kind.

Meet Chrome’s new feature, affectionately branded the "Privacy Sandbox" – though it's as private as shouting your passwords in a crowded elevator.

I found this entry from the Google Dictionary. Handed out to all employees working at Google.

This feature, which is built directly into Chrome, catalogues the websites you visit and hands over a neat little "topic" list to advertisers.

Previously dubbed "FLoC" it’s not exactly receiving standing ovations from the cybersecurity world - or anyone else not in advertising, for that matter.

The illusion of choice

Even though Google wraps this up as a step towards a "fundamentally more private web," let’s not kid ourselves. This is like offering someone the choice between drowning and burning - both options are bad, Google.

Apple and Firefox have long ditched third-party cookies for something less invasive, leaving Chrome as the only kid in the playground still eating dirt.

So why does Google insist on this invasive tactic? Well, they're peddling an "alternative" tracking platform, claiming you either accept their "new tracking" or stick with the "old tracking."

Frankly, this sounds like a terrible idea.

Taking back control?

Here's the kicker: You can actually turn off this sneaky feature. But brace yourself; you'll need to navigate a maze of settings.

Or you could just use Firefox/Edge and skip the labyrinth entirely. wink wink

Mark your calendars

Google says third-party cookies are getting the boot by late 2024. Why the wait? Well, they need to make sure their "Privacy Sandbox" is packed to the brim with profits before they lock the gate. No surprise there.

In a nutshell, if you ever needed a reason to consider switching browsers, Google just handed you one on a silver platter.

It's your choice: keep playing in the "Privacy Sandbox" or seek refuge in a truly private browsing space.

Bits & Bytes

• OpenAI confirms that AI writing detectors don’t work - I promise I’m still real guys. Regenerate

• Microsoft offers legal protection for AI copyright infringement challenges - this in combination with the above one, comedy gold. Truly marvelous times we live in.

• Protecting Your Microsoft IIS Servers Against Malware Attacks - like my grandma always used to say: “a good IIS server, is a disabled one”. Yes, I have a very traumatic childhood.

• Microsoft Paint in Windows 11 gets a background removal tool - FINALLY they stopped with their “Hollistic Zero Trust” bullsh*t and made something the people actually need.

• Google is enabling Chrome real-time phishing protection for everyone - for the lucratrive price of: all your data and personal information. Sweet deal Google, really.

Third-Party Cookies

Cookies stored by websites other than the one you're currently visiting, used primarily for tracking your online activities.

Think of it as your nosy neighbor who not only peeks through your window but also follows you to the mall to see which stores you visit.

Meme of the week