Items tagged with security
Since its introduction in Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft has helped keep users safe from malware and browser hijacks with SmartScreen. The company went on to introduce SmartScreen as a feature of Windows itself, able to detect malicious software, or at least warn people that software about to be installed is an...
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Over the past couple of years, we've discovered case after case that highlights the extent the US government is willing to go to spy on whoever it can. It's an interesting juxtaposition, then, to keep learning about new revelations that show how the US government itself has been spied on, while remaining completely...
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Want to feel like the ultimate hacker, like those in the 1995 cinema classic Hackers? Quick: find the nearest Linux PC, boot to the GRUB2 bootloader, and hit Backspace 28 - and only 28 - times. Yes, really.
Hector Marco & Ismael Ripoll, who are researchers for the Cybersecurity Group at the Polytechnic University...
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Late last month, toy maker VTech was hit with a debilitating attack that resulted in an incredible amount of customer data winding up in the wrong hands. Given VTech's abysmal security measures, it's hard to consider it being a "victim" in this attack. Rather, its millions of customers are the ones at risk.
This...
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Google is no stranger to accusations of invading user privacy, but the latest one comes from Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and relates to a highly sensitive market: education.
Google would like to see its Chromebooks in the hands of as many people as possible, especially in education, so it's crafted a...
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Canadian phone maker BlackBerry today announced that it's pulling out of Pakistan next month due to government requests to monitor communications of its customers. Even though BlackBerry's struggling to regain share of the global smartphone and mobile OS markets, the company said that forfeiting its commitment to...
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While many of us were seeking out the hottest deals this weekend, the US government carried out the greatest reduction of its spying efforts since they were expanded-upon following the attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Adhering to a law passed some six months ago, the National Security Agency is no long allowed to blindly...
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Some Amazon shoppers report having received an email from the online retailer to let them know that their passwords have been reset. Usually that's cause for concern, such as a security breach -- something that's become all too common as of late -- but in this case Amazon says it's simply being cautious.
If that's...
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It's no secret that a countless number of mobile apps indulge in a bit more of our data than we'd like, and many even handshake with external servers, causing us to wonder what on Earth they're doing. Well, as some researchers at MIT have found out, a huge number of the top 500 apps on Google's Play Store send data...
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Dozens of Starwood hotels around the country were hit with malware that enabled cyber thieves to access credit and debit card information from point of sale terminals. The malware affected a variety of locations on Starwood properties, including restaurants, gift shops, and other places where customers might have...
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We've talked lots in the past about vulnerabilities that hit home and enterprise routers, but not quite as much about cable modems, where the importance of good security is arguably even more paramount. The reason for that is that most often, customers do not have control over the firmware in such devices. If a...
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Let me start by saying that Siri and I have a solid relationship. If I need directions to a place I've never been before or a reminder set, she dutifully obliges every single time. I like that. But if Siri turns on me and starts sharing my personal info without my permission, as a major security firm says is possible...
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Rarely does a day pass when we don't write news about something that should reaffirm your belief that security is something to be taken seriously. Whether it's an online game, a retailer, or a bank, we've seen time and time again that no security put in place is bulletproof. That means that we need to do everything we...
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Have you ever seen a browser littered with toolbars and other junk that doesn't belong? A common trick used by malware and adware writers is to inject DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) into the browser, which bypass the built-in interfaces for settings controls. Microsoft is determined not to let that happen in its...
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In the "vast majority of cases," when the U.S. government is made aware of a software vulnerability, it discloses that information to the vendor so that it can issue a patch to the public. What constitutes a "vast majority?" Nine times out of 10, or 91 percent of the time, according to the U.S. National Security...
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Security firm Lookout has just revealed what could be one of the most hard-hitting pieces of malware to ever hit Android. It doesn't have an official name, except to be referred to as "trojanized adware", and right from the top, we can tell you that if you only stick to downloading apps through Google's Play Store...
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Apple's operating systems might be considered as some of the most secure on the planet, but as has been proven time and time again, nothing is bulletproof. Not even the company's latest iOS build, it seems. ZERODIUM, a firm that rewards those for finding unknown bugs, has just announced that a team has secured its...
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Going on a bug hunt might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but for Project Zero, the name for a team of security analysts tasked by Google with finding zero-day exploits, a good old fashioned bug hunt is both exhilarating and productive. As a result of Project Zero's efforts to root out bugs in...
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It could be argued that the "masses" didn't quite understand the importance of protecting themselves digitally until Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the unparalleled spying efforts of the NSA a few years ago. The problem, though, is that while for the experienced user, it's almost fun setting everything up to...
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It's hard to argue that "Internet of Things" (IoT) devices can enrich our lives. From making it easier to moderate temperature in our homes to securing them, IoT is going to be a big part of our future. Unfortunately, that does lead to one problem: as more and more devices get rolled out, the inevitability is that...
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The fight between the Department of Justice and mobile OS creators continues, and as it stands right now, things are not looking so great on the vendor side.
Over the past few years, and the past year especially, both Apple and Google have been battled against for allowing users of their respective OSes to encrypt...
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Another day, another high-profile security breach. This time the breach occurred across the pond at British telecom giant TalkTalk. TalkTalk is the United Kingdom’s second largest “quadruple play” service provider (offering phone, TV, broadband Internet and mobile phone service) behind Virgin Media.
Given its...
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