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Chicago-based Forward Technologies delivers IT support and cyber security to businesses in the Chicago area and nationwide.

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AWS Outage Shows How Fragile the Cloud Really Is

October 21, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration of a dimly lit office with computer screens showing Venmo, Delta, McDonald’s, and Alexa logos, and a sign on the door reading “Gone to reboot — AWS US-EAST-1,” humorously symbolizing an internet outage.On October 20th, 2025, a disruption in a single AWS service rippled through the backbone of the internet. What started as elevated error rates in Amazon’s DynamoDB service in the US-EAST-1 region quickly escalated into a full-blown outage across dozens of AWS products. For anyone who relies on Amazon Web Services, and that’s nearly everyone, this was a stark reminder of just how fragile cloud infrastructure can be. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Tech In General, WebDev Tagged With: Amazon Web Services, AWS outage, cloud infrastructure, cloud resilience, Delta app, DNS failure, DynamoDB, internet outage, Venmo outage

Android Exploit Can Steal 2FA Codes Without Permissions

October 16, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration of an Android smartphone glowing in green and blue tones, with pixel fragments peeling off the screen to reveal a two-factor authentication code, symbolizing the Pixnapping attack stealing visual data.A new attack called Pixnapping can steal sensitive data from Android devices, without needing a single permission. The exploit targets visual data on-screen, including two-factor authentication codes, private messages, and location histories. It works by quietly measuring how long it takes to render specific pixels. If that sounds like science fiction, it’s not. Researchers have already tested it on Pixel and Samsung devices with unsettling results. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Cybersecurity Tagged With: 2fa, 2FA code theft, alan linghao wang, Android, android security, CVE-2025-48561, cybersecurity, cybersecurity research, galaxy s25, google authenticator, google security patch, gpu.zip, malware, mobile hacking, pixel 6, pixel 7, pixel 8, pixel 9, Pixel devices, pixnapping, ricardo paccagnella, smartphone vulnerabilities, timing attack

Windows 10 Is Dead. Long Live Windows 10!

October 14, 2025 by Edward Silha

A cartoon-style illustration showing an old desktop PC holding a shield labeled "Windows 10" while standing defiantly. Around it, sleek new laptops and tablets wave flags with the Windows 11 logo. The background hints at a battlefield, symbolizing the ongoing fight for relevance and support in the Windows ecosystem.After nearly a decade, Microsoft is finally closing the book on Windows 10. As of today, free support and regular security patches have officially ended. But despite the headlines, your computer is not about to implode. If you plan wisely, or even just use decent security software, you can keep running Windows 10 safely for a quite a bit longer. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Cybersecurity, Tech In General Tagged With: cybersecurity, ESU program, extended security updates, Microsoft, operating systems, PC upgrades, Windows 10, Windows 11

Meta Makes AI Chats Fuel Ads; And You Can’t Opt Out (in the U.S.)

October 3, 2025 by Edward Silha

Meta is rolling out a sweeping change to how it handles user data. Beginning December 16, interactions with its AI chat tools, whether text or voice, will feed into content recommendations and ad targeting across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And in the U.S., users will have no way to opt out.

On October 7, Meta will begin notifying users that their AI interactions will influence recommendations. But the initial notice is vague, saying only, “Learn how Meta will use your info in new ways to personalize your experience.” Users must click through to see the part about AI. Meta says the omission is not deliberate. A spokesperson insists the AI connection becomes clear immediately after the notice opens. [Read more…]

Filed Under: AI, Blog, Tech In General Tagged With: ad personalization, AI chat data, digital surveillance, Facebook, Instagram, Meta, privacy rights, targeted ads, WhatsApp

Google Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: The Open Web Is Dying

September 8, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration of a crumbling web browser window with Google’s logo fading, symbolizing the decline of the open webIn a legal filing meant to defend its advertising empire, Google may have inadvertently said what many in the industry have long suspected: the open web is in serious decline. That’s the phrase the company used in its September 5 court response as it fights against a proposed breakup of its ad business. At stake is whether Google must divest its AdX advertising exchange—an engine that has helped it dominate online display advertising for years.

But in trying to save itself from being carved up by the Department of Justice, Google made an unexpected pivot. After years of insisting that traffic from search is strong and the web is flourishing, the company is now warning that forced divestment could speed up what it calls the “rapid decline” of the open web.

So which is it? A healthy ecosystem driving billions of dollars in value—or a fragile economy on the brink of collapse?  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Tech In General Tagged With: AI search, digital economy, DOJ antitrust case, Google, online advertising, open web, web traffic

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