Security

Many people are still apprehensive about sending out their personal information online, for fear of having their identity stolen by a profit-seeking hacker. Hoping to reduce the amount of "cyberphobia" in America, the White House is proposing a new ... initiative that looks to improve the current state of user authentication. Authentication Method to use Multiple Confirmation Methods While initial reports are limited, many believe that the new authentication system proposed by the White House would use at least two different ID confirmation methods. One theory suggests that an encryption chip ... (view more)

The eyes of the world were set on US media sources this past weekend, as millions mourned and remembered the 10 year anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. In an effort to recreate the panic that was a decade ago, ... sick-minded hackers infiltrated the Twitter account of NBC News and sent out a handful of false tweets to followers around the world. The messages spoke of a suspected airplane hijacking and that another similar attack was planned for Sunday, with Ground Zero once again the target. NBC News correspondents intercepted the false tweets at around 6pm on ... (view more)

The theft of online security certificates by hackers thought to be from Iran may be even more serious than first thought. The stolen certificates include those for security agencies from the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. The security ... breach originates with DigiNotar, a Netherlands organization that produces Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates which are used by webites. An SSL, for example, is used when home users connect to their banking web sites. Using the SSL certificate, information to and from the home PC to a bank website is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by a third ... (view more)

With accessibility being one of the central features of almost every "smart" device, it is no wonder that social networking has become an integral part of the everyday routine. But one of the factors that takes away from this experience is the ... increasing number of virtual traps that hackers design to victimize and/or profit from social networking users. Among the most prolific attacks on Facebook members is the "likejacking" scam, a form of click hijacking whereby users are tricked into recommending a site they've never visited. In response to this malicious practice, Norton has created a new ... (view more)

While most forms of hacking are devious and malicious in nature, some hackers consider it a hobby, skill and even an art form. The sophistication of hacking is apparently the basis for a new website called "RankMyHack.com," which looks to test the ... abilities of hackers within a social forum. RankMyHack.com is the brainchild of "Solar" (the hacker name of the individual responsible for establishing the site). In an email interview, Solar did not disclose his real name or age, but did mention that he was a former computer science student who lives in Britain and still aspires to, someday, work ... (view more)

An exhibitor at this year's Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas is warning the public of flaws that could allow an attacker to remotely control insulin pumps and alter the information stored on blood-sugar monitors. Jay Radcliffe experimented ... on his own insulin equipment to establish his findings. The results send out a reminder to the tech world that medical devices synchronized with computer innovations could potentially be life-threatening if left in the wrong hands. In the past, severe attacks have been levied against pacemakers and defibrillators (though these were demonstrated in ... (view more)

Microsoft is offering a huge reward to encourage tech savvy users to come up with new security ideas for its operating system. The company is running a contest for users to create "a novel runtime mitigation technology designed to prevent the ... exploitation of memory safety vulnerabilities." Put in simple terms, that means the winning entries have to halt malware that takes advantage of exploits in computer memory. An exploit of this nature is an extremely common source of security breach. It works by taking advantage of the fact that computer memory is used to serve multiple programs, often ... (view more)

Hackers calling themselves members of the Anonymous group claim they intend to take down Facebook on November 5th, 2011. The threat was originally made in a video posted on YouTube several weeks ago, which now has more than a million viewers. Those ... who posted the video have since attempted to get other members of Anonymous to back the attack. The video clip complains about Facebook's handling of personal data and its lack of privacy controls. It also attacks the site for allegedly handing over information to governments in the Middle East and North Africa. (Source: youtube.com ) It's ... (view more)

A rather obscure aviation contraption is making headlines this week by cracking secure wireless Internet (WiFi) and a cell phone networks (GSM), and along with it, a host of personal information and sensitive data. The Wireless Aerial Surveillance ... Platform (otherwise known as the WASP) is an unmanned vehicle converted to run on batteries instead of gasoline. It has a 6-foot wingspan, a 6-foot length and weighs in at 14 pounds. WASP stores global positioning system (GPS) information that allows it to fly a predetermined course without the assistance of an operator, only requiring human ... (view more)

One of the most infamous spammers in history has turned himself in to the authorities. Sanford Wallace, known to many as the ' Spam King ' for his infiltration of thousands of Facebook accounts, has now been charged and could face a decade in prison ... if found guilty. The 43-year-old Spam King is best known for breaking into 500,000 Facebook user accounts and then spamming them all with a total of about 27 million bogus messages. Wallace carried out the attacks in 2008 and 2009, and made considerable cash off the scheme by driving Internet traffic to various marketing companies who in turn paid ... (view more)