Google’s online advertising business has been ruled a monopoly, as determined by a United States federal judge at the tail end of a long antitrust case. And just like the Department of Justice wants Google to get rid of the Chrome browser, it officially wants Google to break off its advertising business as punishment, specifically its DoubleClick for Publishers and AdX products. The DOJ recommending that Google be forced to sell or otherwise divest itself of its advertising divisions doesn’t automatically mean that’ll happen. The judge in the case would need to approve the Department’s recommendation (which also bars Google from running an ad exchange for 10 years) over Google’s or their own solution. Then there’s the possibility of appeals that will certainly be exhausted by Google’s lawyers, to say nothing of the X factor that is the Trump administration, which has shown a tendency to try to exert its own will on federal procedures in unpredictable ways. But the worst case scenario at the end of both of these cases—for Google anyway—is that the company could be forced to sell or otherwise get rid of both the Chrome browser (and its associated products, Chromium and ChromeOS for Chromebook laptops, etc.) and its advertising business. That wouldn’t completely destroy Google, but it would effectively mean the end of its two-decade dominance as a tech giant. It seems likely that the cases, appeals, etc. will drag on for months at least, possibly into 2026 before everything shakes out. We’ll be keeping a close eye on them, naturally. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros File- and image-based backup Powerful online (web) management Console Local and online backup Pro-level features abound Cons Doesn’t support Consumer-grade online storage Costs add up Our Verdict MSP360 Managed Backup and its fully featured online Console let you control all your computer backups for a decently low fee. Local and online, file-based and imaging, along with disaster recovery are all provided via manageable local clients. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSP360 Managed Backup Retailer Price MSP360 $30 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you have more than one computer to back up, you might want to consider the option- and feature-rich MSP360 Managed Backup. Its online console allows you to easily keep tabs on all your machines, perform various related functions, and track their backup status. You can also opt for remote control and management if you really have a lot of PCs to worry about. Local and online backup are supported, though the latter lacks hooks to consumer-grade storage services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best backup software for comparison. What are MSP360 Managed Backup’s features? MSP360 Managed Backup, nee Cloudberry Backup, supports both file- and image-based replication of your data. The client (shown below) is almost identical to the standalone desktop version of MSP360 Backup that I recently reviewed, but connects with the online management console so you can manage it remotely. Upgrades are of course available. Granular scheduling is one of MSP360’s strengths. Of which it has many. This is the desktop client. The list of the online storage services that MSP360 Managed Backup supports is extensive, but doesn’t include consumer favorites such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. What it does support are: Wasabi (default), Amazon AWS S3, Microsoft Azure/Azure VM, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud, and Minio. You may also employ S3-compatible services, many of which are very affordable. The online storage service destination definition dialog from MSP360’s local client. Local disaster recovery is implemented via the usual WinPE (Linux is also common) boot disc, as shown below. Bare metal recovery basically means you can restore to dissimilar hardware without having to worry about hunting down drivers. The MSP360 disaster recovery boot disc. As for the online management console, which is the whole reason you might want MSP360 Managed Backup versus its standalone variant, it is slick, full-featured, and very efficient once you are up to speed. It does, however, take a bit of getting used to. There’s a lot there and it will only be intuitive if you’re used to remote management. You can of course manage all the local clients, install agents remotely (as long as there’s something connected already), and even control them remotely (extra charge). There are also reports and analysis aplenty of both the clients and whatever storage service you are using. If you aren’t using one, you can stick with backups to local media if you so desire. There’s also the remote control and management (the RMM in the graphic below), the latter of which is used to roll out updates and set the policies (update permissions, installation privileges, etc.) for groups of PCs. While I’ll say that RMM is of little interest to most end-users, I know of at least one guy who manages his entire trans-continental family’s computer network using RMM. The two computers I used to test MSP360 Managed Backup’s online console. One of my favorite features is object lock, aka immutability. This means no one can change the data, including legitimate users, until you remove the lock. Having suffered a ransomware attack once when I foolishly hosted my website on my own NAS box, I can readily appreciate the utility of this. MSP360 Management console email and downloads sections. Other online features include the ability to purchase and manage licenses, set up notification options, managing storage and billing, etc. Below you’ll see some iOS captures of the MSP360 app. While it can’t manage backups like the online management console, it can tell you plenty about the status. It’s also used in 2FA when you login online. In fact, it’s required. Industrial strength security here, though you can disable the 2FA. Having once managed several SMB computer fleets (using Kaseya) remotely, I found MSP360 Managed Backup more than adequate to the task. I didn’t take the RMM for a spin, but I wish I’d had this service back in the day. Good stuff. How much is MSP360 Managed Backup? While I’m reviewing MSP360 Manage Backup as a consumer product, and there are certainly users and small businesses who it would benefit, it’s just a wee bit of a stretch for the average user due to the overall price. The MSP360 service is $2.50 a month, or $30 a year per computer. That’s not bad at all, but then you’ll probably want to add online storage — which is where the lack of support for consumer-oriented storage services you might already have could hurt. Of course, you can work around this limitation and use virtually any online storage service by mounting it locally using cloud manager software. It’s an extra step, but hey. MSP360 defaults to Wasabi, which is $6 a month per TB, or $72 a year. That’s competitive with most other services, but shop around for the best deal. When you check pricing, remember that this is purely for backup, and not working online or syncing between computers. Those that are pure storage tend to be a bit cheaper. Using MSP360’s default pricing, a household of five computers, backing up only essential data to a single 1TB Wasabi account would cost you around $222 a year. What kind of bargain you consider that, only you will know. It might be a bit much for a family, but I’d call it insignificant for a small business. Note that the Connect and RMM services incur additional costs: $90 per year for the former and $60 a month for the latter. Also, it’s difficult to find pricing on the MSP360 website. I’m going off what the media relations folks told me. Per-computer pricing could make MSP360 Manage Backup a bit pricey for a family or totally reasonable for a small business. How does MSP360 Managed Backup perform? The local client was flawless in my hands-on, as long as there was enough room on the destination. The program actually warned me that there wasn’t enough space (our previous look at the client saw no warning) — then promptly let me try to fit 1.2TB of data into 450GB of space. I understand compression can reduce size, but not by 750GB. Just say no! The MSP360 Desktop client utilized by the managed system. To be fair, I experienced issues of the same ilk with an old faithful favorite — R-Drive Image. Trusting the intelligence and diligence of your users is great, but every once in a while guardrails are appropriate. Beyond the attempt at bliveting (trying to stuff 10 pounds of “stuff” into a 5 pound bag), local, network (mounted drives), and online backups all went off without a hitch and in what I consider a sprightly fashion — i.e., roughly in line with the speed of the operating system, connection, and media involved. The disaster recovery disk booted fine and restore operations all succeeded. Can’t ask for more than that. The management console connected successfully and in short order with the clients I had installed, and there wasn’t a lot of lag in updating information. Is MSP360 Managed Backup worth it? If you have multiple PCs to back up and monitor, and aren’t committed to an online storage vendor that’s not supported, then yes. Even if you are committed to one online service, there are roundabout ways to still utilize it. Also, redundancy isn’t a bad thing when it comes to backup. Read...

The RSAC Conference is a unique opportunity for speaking with worldwide cybersecurity experts. Many folks are so deep in the trenches that they casually toss out great tips whenever you chat with them. A great example: This acronym I picked up from Kelly Bissell, corporate vice president of fraud within Microsoft’s Security division. It focuses on how to avoid job scams—that is, phony listings and opportunities that might cross your path. But you can take away the general principles and apply them to other types of scams, too. Stay S-A-F-E Bissell says you should be: Sure of the company you’re applying with Able to apply for free Finding the job listing elsewhere online Examining job offers carefully and confirming the legitimacy of the companies Look into a company to be sure of them, especially if the offer is unsolicited. Is there a company website with contact info? How long has it been in business? Can you find employees on LinkedIn, and what do their backgrounds look like? Do you know anyone in your network who works there that you can speak to? Or at the very least, what’s the good word on Reddit and job forums? Job applications should never cost you a cent. That’s standard practice, no matter the industry and job level. Perhaps you may pay for necessary education (where you get to select the school or certification program) or a certification, but not to apply. A legitimate place does not ask for money—times haven’t changed on this point. Legitimate job offerings can be found on company sites or job listing sites—and usually more than one at a time.Monster.com / PCWorld The work opportunity should be findable elsewhere, not just in the message you were sent. Depending on the field and position, you may be able to verify online through job listing websites and the company’s official website. Or, you may instead have to go through walking in the business and speaking with an official contact, like a manager or the owner. Once you start finding info on the job and the company, also do a gut check, especially if you’re made an offer. Examine the facts you have for any red flags—do the hours seem strange? Does the wage match the usual industry standard for pay? In general, you want to confirm that the type of employment, schedule, wage or salary, location, and the manager you report to sound appropriate and fair. And again, be sure that you’re speaking to the actual company, not an impersonator. Dodge all the scams This advice is geared toward job scams, but you should check out other scams with this kind of thoroughness, too. Are you talking with a potential romantic partner or someone else online who is interested in getting to know you better? Is your kid on the phone or messaging you, begging you for help with a crashed car or posting bail? Has your bank texted you, saying your account has been frozen? In these sample scenarios, stop and ask yourself, How well do I trust that this contact is legitimate? Are they asking for money? Does this inquiry involve my financial accounts, or could they eventually lead up to requesting cash? Have I verified this situation, or is this person who they say they are? What do I really know about this situation they’ve outlined? Nope. Don’t respond to this person.Celia Ong Scammers want you to be emotionally off-balance so they can take advantage. Don’t let them play off the fully human need to be gainfully employed, seek companionship, protect your family, keep your bank accounts safe, and the like. Take inspiration from Bissell’s grandmother: When warned not to fall for any distressed child scams, she told Bissell she’d let him sit in jail. Her reasoning? He wouldn’t be there unless he’d been up to no good. Harsh, ma’am. But not a bad default while you’re verifying the situation independently. Read...

Forrester names AI, synthetic data, agentic AI and humanoid robots as top emerging technologies for 2025, highlighting a shift to strategic business adoption. Read...

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A Gartner survey finds just 44% of CIOs deemed `AI-savvy` by CEOs, who stress urgent upskilling to harness AI`s business-transforming power. Read...

The west Indian state of Gujarat`s proximity to the coast and its inhabitants` business acumen provided perfect conditions for migrants to thrive in their adopted homeland. Read...