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Shooting at Michigan splash pad leaves 'nine, maybe 10 victims': authorities
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, leaving as many as 10 people wounded, authorities said.
On Saturday, Twitter users were alerted that the social media app will be disabling a major security feature for those who do not subscribe to Twitter Blue by March 19. The platform’s new premium service comes with a price tag of US$8 per month, and allows users to pay for verification.
But one cybersecurity expert said he thinks this initiative is part of a larger push to change how digital accounts are protected.
“What they are removing is the SMS or text-based authentication,” Ritesh Kotak, a tech and cybersecurity expert, told CTV News Channel on Sunday, referring to the one-time codes users receive via text message to access accounts. “What they’re really promoting here is using authentication apps or security keys.”
Kotak said other mobile verification programs are generally more secure than SMS-based two-factor authentication.
The other component behind Twitter’s decision to abandon two-factor authentication via text, he said, “comes down to dollars and cents.
“Every time that code gets sent via text message, Twitter actually ends up getting charged,” he explained. “Elon Musk and Twitter are claiming there’s actually fraud involved in that, where Twitter has lost about $60 million. So it’s two-fold.”
But will these changes make users more vulnerable? The answer, Kotak said, is yes.
“Where this becomes problematic is if you’re reusing passwords or if there’s a breach, there’s that level of protection that comes with two-factor [authentication which] won’t be there,” Kotak said. “Post-March 19, there are going to be individuals and accounts that are going to get hacked.”
But properly securing digital accounts goes beyond just using the two-factor authentication feature, Kotak said, which may already expose users to security risks.
“There has been a huge push within the tech industry to move away from text-based SMS verification,” he said. “The reason for that is there are vulnerabilities, SIM swapping being one of them, numbers could be forwarded. It’s not 100 per cent secure. These authentication apps and security keys are much more secure.”
Kotak said the tech industry is moving towards what’s called a “passwordless world,” where authenticator apps will replace the need to remember numerous passwords.
“A lot of tech companies, Microsoft included, have been pushing the fact that they want you to use authentication apps, not SMS. It’s economical for them. But it’s also more secure for the user,” he explained.
The best security measure, Kotak added, is to not reuse passwords. He also recommended enabling authentication apps such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
In terms of future shifts in digital security measures, Kotak warns that this is just the start.
“We will see more of this,” he said.
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, leaving as many as 10 people wounded, authorities said.
The Edmonton Oilers' offence exploded in Game 4 to beat the Florida Panthers 8-1.
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
The City of Calgary declared a local state of emergency Saturday morning in response to the latest developments in a major water main break that is impacting the city.
Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has concerns with how conclusions were gathered in a spy watchdog report.
London put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ' first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
Fancy Pokket owner Mike Timani has decided to create a 220-foot long flat bread to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
If certain goals that are in the Paris Climate Accord aren't met, the existence of polar bears in the Hudson Bay may come to an end.
In an attempt to invite one of the most popular recording artists in the world to the land of living skies – the City of Swift Current has offered to rename itself in honour of Taylor Swift.
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Peggy's Cove, N.S., is one of the most famous locations in the Maritimes. Recent visitors were treated to more than just the iconic landmark.
Hundreds of fans lined up to meet the Trailer Park Boys in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday, as Ricky, Bubbles and Julian promoted their new brand of potato chips.
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
Members of a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta have potentially built the world's tallest structure made of Popsicle sticks.
A dog who spent the first three-and-a-half years of his life suffering and almost a year at a shelter has found his forever home, according to the BC SPCA.