Applications
AOL launches software to improve PC security
MUMBAI: American internet service provider AOL has launched Active Security Monitor. This is a free downloadable program that continuously checks the status of key security programs – including anti-virus, firewall, spyware protection, wireless security and Windows/browser updates – on a user’s home computer.
Active Security Monitor assigns a Security Score to each PC on the user’s network and it offers specific recommendations based on the scan‘s results to improve user security.
AOL’s digital services division president John McKinley said, “The secret to security is information. Most people don’t have all of the core security protections they need and, worse, don’t realize how vulnerable they are. Not having updated virus, spyware, and firewall protection is like locking your front door, but leaving your windows and back door wide open.”
“Active Security Monitor takes an entirely new approach to computer security by regularly checking to ensure that all of the core protections are active and up to date, and it extends that critical information to home networked environments,” he added.
Active Security Monitor examines each computer on a user’s home network in eight areas: firewall, virus protection, spyware protection, Windows/browser updates, wireless security, P2P software and PC utilities. In each area, Active Security Monitor checks to see if that type of program exists, and if so, whether it is currently running and has been recently updated.
Key features of Active Security Monitor:
Simple, clear display of the current security status of each computer on a user’s home network.
Unified Security Score, a single score that offers a basic summary of each computer’s risk from viruses, identity theft and network intrusion.
Separate evaluations of each networked computer, so users can tell if security risks exist on any machine that could compromise the network.
Detection of system vulnerabilities and recommendations to help users download missing security patches and free or paid products to improve their PC‘s security.
Simulations that allow users to see how much their Security Score would improve by following the recommendations.
Always-on updates and alerts inform users of security status changes, for example, if an anti-virus programme’s definitions are not up to date.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
