Security

Every Major Credit Card Provider Is Potentially Hacked Right Now

Global Payments, a major credit card processing company, has reportedly been hacked. That means each of the four major credit card companies, and according to reports, as many as 10 million customers are at risk. The story has been developing throughout the morning. Right now, it goes like this: Hackers gained access to an administrative-privileged…

Privacy & Security Kyle Wagner

Four Unanswered Questions About the Cybersecurity Bills

The U.S. legislature has cybersecurity on the brain. In the coming months, Congress and the Senate will consider a confusing variety of cybersecurity bills—including H.R. 3523 (Rogers), H.R. 3674 (Lungren), S. 2105 (Lieberman), and S. 215 (McCain)—all of which purport to keep U.S. companies and infrastructure safe from “cyberattacks.” But as Congress continues to weigh…

Privacy & Security Eva Galperin - EFF

Google Finally Puts Captchas to Good Use

Captchas are the Internet’s speed bump. They perform little function beyond slowing users down—not bots, mind you, just people. But now Google’s found a way to employ the oddly-fonted phrases for a different kind of verification. https://gizmodo.com/stanford-boffins-on-the-brink-of-breaking-captcha-codes-5855069 ReCAPTCHAs are the second generation of Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart, designed…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Malicious Chrome Extensions in the Official Chrome Store Are Being Used to Hijack Facebook Accounts

This is dirty. Hackers are uploading malicious Chrome extensions to the official Google Chrome Web Store in hopes of tricking people to download them. Once downloaded, the extensions have the ability to completely hijack Facebook accounts. Even worse, those malicious Facebook-jacking extensions are advertised on Facebook! The ads claim that it’s possible to change the…

Social Media Casey Chan

Crime-Fighting Metal Detectors Could Count Stacks of Cash—and Foil Smugglers

The use of magnetic inks in currency already allows vending machines to verify the authenticity of bank notes. But new research shows that metal detectors at security checkpoints could detect and count large stacks of notes from a distance for catching smugglers. Physicists Christopher Fuller and Antao Chen, from the University of Washington in Seattle,…

Privacy & Security Andrew Liszewski

Microsoft Raids Take Botnet Stings Into Its Own Hands

Over the weekend, Microsoft teams accompanied by United States marshals raided buildings and seized hundreds of web addresses to shut down a major botnet syndicate. The sting was part of a civil suit brought by Microsoft—because it was tired of waiting for law enforcement bodies to act. The New York Times reports that the raids…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

US Intelligence Agency Pays $250,000 For iPhone Security Hole

US intelligence agencies pay hackers as much as $250,000 for iOS security exploits or $200,000 for a Chrome or Explorer vulnerability. The agencies will not tell you about it: they would use that exploit to gain access to people’s devices. These secret backdoors that nobody knows about are called zero-day exploits. When hackers find one…

Tech News Jesus Diaz

Scary Fast Surveillance System Scans 36 Million Faces a Second

A newly developed surveillance technology will help cops, spooks, and businesses review huge troves of security footage in the blink of an eye. Remember the crazy technology from The Bourne Identity? It could be here as early as next year. The new tech developed by Hitachi Kokusai Electric achieves super-fast speeds by processing video as…

Privacy & Security Mario Aguilar

Which Government Spies Are Buying These Shameless Hackers’ Secrets?

Forbes has an interesting look at French security firm Vupen, which claims to sell its zero day exploits of popular software and operating systems (including iOS) to government agencies for six figure sums. But it raised several questions for me. Vupen has publicly showed off exploits of Chrome but generally keeps its work private, preferring…

Privacy & Security Mat Honan

People Sure Do Love Stealing NASA’s Laptops

Losing a computer containing unencrypted ISS codes earned NASA a stern talking-to from a House subcommittee but apparently didn’t change many attitudes. NASA’s just lost another and this time, it contained the personal information of every NASA employee in Kansas City. https://gizmodo.com/nasa-lost-a-laptop-with-unencrypted-space-station-codes-5889677 According to an internal memo from Tracy Wetrich, NASA’s HR Director, leaked to…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

High-Voltage Briefcase Pikachus Would-Be Thieves

Still handcuffing a Samsonite to your wrist? This isn’t the ’80s and you’re no Pablo Escobar, stop it. Prison bracelets are passe, so unless you want to get downright brutal with your assailant, the Super Safety Suitcase can provide the same security with just a little jolt. https://gizmodo.com/when-anti-theft-concept-devices-were-more-brutal-5884609 The SSS, made by Kimpok is armed…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

US Nuke Stockpile Control Systems Are “Under Constant Attack”

You may never have heard of the National Nuclear Security Administration but that doesn’t mean foreign agents haven’t. The agency tasked with protecting America’s nukes and nuclear secrets has disclosed that its computer systems are attacked as many as 10 MILLION times a day. According to the department’s head, Thomas D’Agostino, the NNSA’s security systems…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Facebook’s (In)conspicuous Absence From the Do Not Track Discussions

On the heels of President Obama’s recent introduction of a Privacy Bill of Rights, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), the latest self-regulatory organization for online advertising, agreed to support widespread implementation of Do Not Track (DNT) browser headers. This is a laudable step, and in the coming months the responsibilities for how websites respond to…

Social Media MARK M. JAYCOX AND RAINEY REITMAN - Electronic Frontier Foundation

Uniquely-Attired Nutter Attempts to Force Open a Cockpit to Show Pilots His Laser Glasses

I know what you’re thinking but no, not Florida. The older gentleman above landed himself in jail Friday after rushing the cockpit of an American Airlines flight Flight 2401 to LAX. According to police reports, within 15 minutes of the flight’s departure from Dallas/Fort Worth, the unidentified suspect had apparently left his seat, rushed past…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

How the One Percent Secures Its Timepieces

How does one prevent the help from absconding with one’s fine horological collection while away, vacationing in the Maldives? With a $200,000 iPad-controlled watch safe. Come, come now Buffy, that should be obvious. Hublot, purveyor of ultra-expensive, Swiss-made watches, has teamed with Doettling, the German luxury safe makers to create the Metamorphosis Watch Safe. The…

Gadgets Andrew Tarantola

Stupid Escape Prevention System Relies On Your Dog’s Stupidity

This special harness should finally stop your tiny fashion-accessory dog from escaping through the rungs of your backyard fence. Even though it looks like it was inspired by humorous YouTube clips of dogs carrying big sticks through small openings. Believe it or not Hammacher Schlemmer is asking $30 for this setup which can probably be…

Privacy & Security Andrew Liszewski

The Average Consumer Values Data Privacy at 65 Cents

It’s amazing how little some people value digital privacy. In a recent study, given the choice between one digital service with strong privacy and one 65 cents cheaper without such promises, consumers opted for the cheaper option. The finding is right here. Admittedly, these are lab tests, but that’s fine. The test was based on…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

It Takes a 700 Per Cent Increase in Hacking to Attract Attention on Capitol Hill

Senators are often slow to react to issues that involve technology, not least because they’re hardly the youngest people in the world. When it comes to hacking, though, it seems to have taken a huge surge in activity to make them stop and take notice. The New York Times reports that senators have recently looked…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

Nearly All Lost Smart Phone Finders Will Snoop Through It, Only Half Might Return It

Well, so much for relying on the kindness of strangers. Symantec studied the reactions of average people who found a lost cell phone in public and the results are less than what you’d call “upstanding.” Symantec’s Smartphone Honey Stick Project dropped 50 smart phones in various public areas—shopping centers, bus stations, elevators—throughout New York, Washington…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

BBC News: We’ve Been Hacked by the Iranians

BBC News’ outlet BBC Persia was reportedly hacked by Iranian authorities this evening. The news group claims that the cyber-attack is part of an expanding effort by the regime to stifle coverage within the country. BBC’s director-general, Mark Thompson, reported that BBC’s London office was inundated with robo-calls and also that a group had attempted…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Every Major Credit Card Provider Is Potentially Hacked Right Now

Four Unanswered Questions About the Cybersecurity Bills

Google Finally Puts Captchas to Good Use

Malicious Chrome Extensions in the Official Chrome Store Are Being Used to Hijack Facebook Accounts

Crime-Fighting Metal Detectors Could Count Stacks of Cash—and Foil Smugglers

Microsoft Raids Take Botnet Stings Into Its Own Hands

US Intelligence Agency Pays $250,000 For iPhone Security Hole

Scary Fast Surveillance System Scans 36 Million Faces a Second

Which Government Spies Are Buying These Shameless Hackers’ Secrets?

People Sure Do Love Stealing NASA’s Laptops

High-Voltage Briefcase Pikachus Would-Be Thieves

US Nuke Stockpile Control Systems Are “Under Constant Attack”

Facebook’s (In)conspicuous Absence From the Do Not Track Discussions

Uniquely-Attired Nutter Attempts to Force Open a Cockpit to Show Pilots His Laser Glasses

How the One Percent Secures Its Timepieces

Stupid Escape Prevention System Relies On Your Dog’s Stupidity

The Average Consumer Values Data Privacy at 65 Cents

It Takes a 700 Per Cent Increase in Hacking to Attract Attention on Capitol Hill

Nearly All Lost Smart Phone Finders Will Snoop Through It, Only Half Might Return It

BBC News: We’ve Been Hacked by the Iranians

Amazon Slashes 63% Off Acer Aspire Desktop for a Limited-Time Spring Sale, With Keyboard and Mouse Included

Smart Glasses Now Have One of the Vision Pro’s Best Features

Marvel Just Put ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 in a Very Weird Place in the MCU Timeline

Trump Drops $1B to Kill 2 Wind Farms, Then Watches a Bigger One Go Online

Scientists Found a Weird New Way to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

White House’s Mysterious ‘Covfefe Moment’ Was Stupider Than We Imagined

Gym Bros Are Pushing Mystery Muscle Drugs Doctors Barely Recognize, Study Warns

The Head of HBO Explains What it Takes to Get a ‘Game of Thrones’ Spinoff Going

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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