Security

For most Internet users, passwords are just a part of life. We enter them to access our desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, email programs, and cloud storage accounts. But managing all of those passwords can be a major hassle. That's why many ... firms are devising systems that allow us to ditch the traditional password. Recently, Canadian firm Bionym showed off the Nymi , which uses an individual's unique heart rate to skip the typical login process. Now, one of Google's most prominent security executives says traditional "passwords are dead." Google Exec: "Game is Over" for ... (view more)

A seller of Internet-based home security cameras and baby monitors has settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after private video content was accessed by hackers. TRENDnet sells a range of "SecurView" cameras that allow customers to monitor ... activity in their homes through the Internet. Suggested uses include monitoring a baby or checking a home's security while away on vacation. The company repeatedly used the word "secure" when marketing its products. Unfortunately, the security had three major shortcomings. First, there was a design flaw that allowed hackers to bypass a login ... (view more)

Hackers thought to be loyal to the Assad Syrian government have seized control of The New York Times website and have disrupted Twitter service. It seems they've adopted a new hacking tactic that requires advanced technical skills. The hacking ... appears to be the work of the Syrian Electronic Army hacking group, which supports the Assad regime. Analysts are split over whether the group is officially working on behalf of the government or is simply made up of sympathetic members. (Source: slate.com ) In the past the group has attacked media sites by using phishing tactics, which involve sending ... (view more)

Ever get the feeling you're being watched? Those people involved in the transportation industry get that feeling a lot, primarily because their vehicles are often tracked by employers using global positioning system (GPS) devices. To avoid this ... eerie feeling, a New Jersey-based engineer began using a GPS 'jammer'. The only problem: every time he went near New Jersey's Newark Liberty Airport, his jammer screwed up the facility's critical satellite systems. Cheap Jammer Throws Off Airport's GPS Guidance System Until recently Greg Bojczak was an employee for Wharton, New Jersey-based engineering ... (view more)

Those people who paid more than $5,000 for a high-tech 'smart' toilet could be in for a shock. A major design flaw means it's easy for hackers to cause annoyance, irritation -- even financial loss. The Satis toilet boasts a wide range of ... computerized features, such as an automated bidet and air drier and built-in speakers that play a personalized selection of music. The toilet can even be programmed to release a soothing fragrance. Owners control these features using a special app for Android devices (though it can also be controlled through buttons on the toilet itself). The app offers ... (view more)

It's hard to imagine seeing internationally-renowned actor Will Smith at a conference for hackers. But the star of 'Independence Day' and 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air' made a splash at the recent Defcon hacking event held this past weekend. The ... Defcon hacker conference was started two decades ago. Originally, it was little more than a party for a network of hackers who got to know one another through BBS, or Bulletin Board Systems. (Source: defcon.org ) In the years since, Defcon has become a friendly meeting ground for computer security professionals, journalists, lawyers, government workers ... (view more)

Edward Snowden, the former technical contractor for the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) who leaked critical details about NSA surveillance, has been granted asylum by the Russian government. He's also been offered a job. Snowden leaked ... information about NSA surveillance earlier this year. That prompted a media firestorm focusing on the ultra-secretive NSA and resulted in U.S. federal prosecutors charging Snowden with espionage and theft of government property. Snowden then fled the United States and until recently he was living in a Moscow airport. However, the U.S. ... (view more)

A prominent security firm says browser vendors like Mozilla, Microsoft, and Google aren't doing enough to protect your privacy. In a recent report, NSS Labs suggested that features like "Do Not Track" represent half-hearted efforts to keep users' ... personal data safe. Do Not Track is designed to protect browser users' privacy by requesting that websites avoid tracking them through cookies, the small pieces of data sent from a website and stored in a user's web browser. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, and Safari currently offer some form of Do Not Track. ... (view more)

A newly-published report says that more than four in five of the most popular smartphone and tablet applications put users' personal data at risk. The problem: these apps send critical user information to app developers. The study comes to us from ... Appthority, a company that specializes in monitoring mobile applications. It looked at 400 apps, including 100 of the most-purchased and 100 of the most-downloaded apps for iOS and Android. (Source: appthority.com ) Overall, the firm found that 83 per cent of apps (including 93 per cent of free apps and 78 per cent of paid apps) displayed "risky ... (view more)

Security researchers at the University of Texas have reportedly used global positioning system (GPS) technology to remotely take control of a ship. Shockingly, they pulled off the scheme without being detected by the ship's crew. Fortunately, the ... attack was part of a controlled experiment carried out with the permission of the ship's owners. The researchers were able to use bogus GPS data to control the ship's navigation. It's the first time researchers have been able to successfully alter GPS data rather than simply blocking or "jamming" a signal. The researchers say they were able to change ... (view more)