Millions of student & educators personal data solen Instructure the company that runs Canvas learning management systems

 Canvas is used by 7000+ universities, K-12 school districts world wide. The parent company Instructure disclosed the data breach May 5, 2026. Data included names, email addresses, student ID numbers and private messages between users.
 The criminal extorsion group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for the attack. The private messages could contain medical and mental health information to advisors.

Google Chrome 4GB AI LLM file

 Many stories on the Internet concerning Google Chrome downloading a large file to support AI with a local LLM model. This can improve security and privacy.
If you are low on disk space and want to remove this file AND disable Google from reloading it:

✅ Step 1: Check if the AI file is even on your computer

First, don’t assume it’s there.

On Windows

Press Windows + R

Paste this and hit Enter: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data

Look for a folder named something like:

OptimizationGuideModelStore

OptGuideOnDeviceModel

Inside those folders, look for a large file:

Often named weights.bin

✅ If you see it and it’s several GB → that’s the AI model
❌ If you don’t see it → nothing to worry about


On Mac

Open Finder

Press Command + Shift + G

Paste: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome

Look for the same folders mentioned above


✅ Step 2: Turn OFF Chrome AI features (very important)

Do this FIRST—otherwise the file may come back.

In Chrome:

Go to: chrome://settings

Search for**“AI” or “Gemini”**

Turn OFF:

Gemini / AI assistant

Writing help (“Help me write”)

Page content sharing

👉 These features are what trigger the model download


Also remove the AI sidebar/button

If you see a Gemini icon:

Right‑click → Unpin

Or go to: chrome://settings/ai/gemini → turn everything OFF


✅ Step 3: Disable AI Mode (search/chat button)

In Chrome, open: chrome://flags

Search for: ai mode

Set these to Disabled:

AI Mode Omnibox entrypoint

Omnibox Allow AI Mode Matches

Restart Chrome

👉 This prevents Chrome pushing AI features again


✅ Step 4: Delete the AI file (if present)

Once AI features are OFF:

Go back to the folder from Step 1

Delete:

weights.bin

Or the entire AI model folder

👉 If AI is disabled, Chrome should not re-download it


✅ Step 5: (Optional) Verify it stays gone

Restart your computer

Reopen Chrome

Check if the folder/file is gone


⚠️ Important notes

Chrome may try to reinstall the file if:

AI features get re-enabled

Chrome updates reset settings

“chrome://flags” settings are temporary and may revert after updates [oilprice.com]


🧠 Simple summary

You’re doing 3 things:

Turn OFF AI features ✅

Disable hidden AI switches ✅

Delete the file ✅


✔ After this, Chrome should:

Stop using AI features

Stop downloading the large model

Free up that storage space

Most Windows 11 machines are updating automatically

 

What is happening now

Microsoft is actively forcing feature updates on unmanaged Windows 11 PCs (Home and most Pro machines not controlled by IT):

• Windows 11 24H2 → 25H2
  Devices on 24H2 are being automatically upgraded to 25H2 as part of a staged rollout tied to end‑of‑support timelines [pureinfotech.com], [hothardware.com], [techpowerup.com]

• Windows 11 22H2 / 23H2 → newer versions earlier (24H2, then 25H2)
  Microsoft already made earlier feature updates mandatory once versions reached or neared end of support [learn.microsoft.com], [windowsforum.com]

• These upgrades cannot be permanently refused on unmanaged machines — users can only:

  • Pause temporarily
  • Choose restart timing
    (eventually the update installs) [pureinfotech.com], [notebookcheck.net]

---

What is not happening

Managed / work devices are NOT all updating automatically:

• Enterprise‑managed PCs (Intune, Autopatch, Group Policy, SCCM, etc.) do not get forced feature upgrades
• IT controls:
  • Which version
  • When it deploys
  • Whether it’s phased, blocked, or delayed
    using Windows Update rings and feature update policies [learn.microsoft.com]

So if your Windows 11 machine is:

• Enrolled in Intune
• Part of a corporate domain
• Managed by Autopatch or update rings

…then it only updates when IT allows it, not because Microsoft says “now.”

---

Why it feels like “everything is updating”

A few things are overlapping right now:

• Multiple Windows 11 versions hitting end‑of‑service windows
• A mandatory April 2026 security update (KB5083769) that installs on supported versions [cybersecur...tynews.com]
• Microsoft expanding automatic upgrades to “all unmanaged Home + Pro devices” in April–May 2026 [pureinfotech.com], [notebookcheck.net]

That combination makes it look like every Windows 11 PC is updating — but the split is really unmanaged vs. managed.

---

Quick rule of thumb

• Personal / home PC → ✅ likely updating or will soon
• Company‑owned / IT‑managed PC → ❌ only updates per IT policy

Chrome and Firefox Browser Updates to address security issues

Chrome version 147 has 30 fixes for security issues.
The latest version of Chrome is 147.0.7727.138
Firefox version 150.0.1 fixes 4 security issues.
Chromium based browsers should follow these fixes soon.

ADT Confirms Data Breach

  ADT confirmed a data breach detected on April 20, 2026, involving unauthorized access to certain cloud‑based environments. The incident has been publicly linked to the ShinyHunters extortion group, which threatened to leak stolen data unless a ransom was paid.

About 5.5 million individuals had data exposed, according to analysis by Have I Been Pwned after reviewing the leaked data.

• Names
• Phone numbers
• Physical addresses

In a small percentage of cases:

• Dates of birth
• Last four digits of Social Security numbers or Tax IDs

Not accessed:

• Credit card or bank information
• Customer alarm or monitoring systems

Based on standard guidance cited in coverage of the breach:

• Watch for phishing calls, texts, or emails referencing ADT
• Monitor credit reports and accounts for unusual activity
• Take advantage of ADT’s identity‑protection services if offered
• Check whether your email appears in this breach via Have I Been Pwned

Microsoft Patch Tuesday statistics

 

The April 14, 2026 Patch Tuesday addressed 167 flaws, including 2 zero‑day vulnerabilities (one actively exploited). 

It’s widely reported as one of Microsoft’s largest Patch Tuesday releases to date.

Maryland bans Surveillance pricing

 

Maryland banned using your personal data to secretly charge you more for groceries than someone else — a first in the U.S.

Under the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act, Maryland will become the first U.S. state to outlaw this practice in the grocery sector. The law:

Prohibits

• Using personal or surveillance data to set individualized grocery prices
• Charging different people different prices for the same grocery item based on who they are
• Real‑time price changes driven by consumer profiling

Requires

• Grocery prices generally remain fixed for at least one business day, limiting sudden price spikes from digital tag