Security

Twitter Saves Your Address Book’s Contents for 18 Months

Twitter, did you learn nothing from Path’s recent kerfuffle? Customers do not like it when you remotely store their personal information, especially without telling them. https://gizmodo.com/path-uploads-your-entire-address-book-to-its-servers-wi-5883118 The company has acknowledged that it collects and stores contact information gleaned from a user’s address book—including names, emails, and phone numbers—through its mobile apps. Every time you activate…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

When Progress Leaves Us in the Dark

The Obama administration has prosecuted more government officials for media leaks than any other before it. Combined. The New York Times notes the government’s ability to perpetually keep tabs on anyone with security clearance. This more vigorous approach can mostly be attributed to rapid advances in technology. But to what extent will this cripple the…

Privacy & Security Adrian Covert

Here Are the Crazy Things the TSA Found Last Week: Cannonballs, Grenades, Ninja Stars and More

We poke fun of the TSA for being dumb but sometimes we forget that normal people do even dumber things. Like pack a grenade launcher in their carry on. Or try to bring a cannonball on board. Here’s a list of the crazy things the TSA found just last week. In the picture above, from…

Privacy & Security Casey Chan

Boston Police Department’s Response to Anonymous is Hilarious

Earlier this month, Anonymous smashed the Boston Police Department’s website. It’s hard to retaliate against an organization of hackers, so the police department has done the next best thing: it’s made an ironic video and posted it on YouTube. https://gizmodo.com/anonymous-smashes-boston-police-departments-website-up-5881987 The original hack replaced the front page of the site with a message and, most…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

Microsoft Store India Hacked, Passwords Leaked

Another day, another technology giant hacked. This time, it’s Microsoft’s Indian web store that’s been attacked by the EvilShadow team. The big problem: Microsoft was storing passwords as plain text. WP Sauce reports that the attack happened yesterday, with the EvilShadow team replacing the front page to Microsoft’s online India store with a page called…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Travelling in Modern Day China Requires Cold War Era Secret Agent Skills

If Kenneth G. Lieberthal were anything but a China expert at the Brookings institution, his travelling-in-China security procedures would read like the product of a paranoid mind that watched too many spy movies as a kid: He leaves his cellphone and laptop at home and instead brings “loaner” devices, which he erases before he leaves…

Privacy & Security Michael Zhao

Google Wallet Hacked Again

That’s twice in two days. Yesterday, security firm Zvelo discovered a potential exploit against rooted phones. Today, tech blog TheSmartphoneChamp discovered how to accomplish the same feat on non-rooted phones. https://gizmodo.com/google-wallets-pin-system-has-been-cracked-but-dont-pan-5883585 While yesterday’s exploit required you to crack encrypted files, today’s requires you to simply clear the data in the app settings. Doing so forces…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Watch As Zoo Keepers Struggle To Contain a Deadly Rhino Pinata

Even zoos have to prepare for worst-case-scenarios, like when an animal escapes its enclosure. But I’m not so sure the paper mache rhinoceros used at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo really drives the point home of how dangerous this could be. I doubt a wall of nets is going to deter it from charging, nor…

Privacy & Security Andrew Liszewski

Foxconn Hacked, Making Its Passwords Publicly Available

Foxconn has more to worry about. As well as struggling to deal with allegations of exploitative working conditions in its factories, it’s now had the bad fortune of being hacked, having login and password information spread across the web. https://gizmodo.com/why-apple-doesnt-make-the-iphone-in-america-5878209 9to5Mac reports that a hacker group called SwaggSec gained access to Foxconn’s internal networks through…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

Google Wallet’s PIN System Has Been Cracked But Don’t Panic Just Yet

The security PIN system that Google Wallet users have to enter to verify transactions has been compromised. Thankfully, the chances of your wallet being used against you is relatively low—assuming you haven’t rooted your phone, that is. Since Wallet saves your PIN in an encrypted file on the phone itself, rather than the secured NFC…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

How a Single Student Is Transforming Facebook’s Privacy Policy in Europe

To most people that know him, Max Schrems is a typical law student from Austria. To Facebook, he is a massive pain in the ass. Outsmarting their attorneys, bombarding them with legal complaints and forming activist groups, he plans to transform Facebook’s privacy policy in Europe. https://gizmodo.com/sharing-with-friends-of-friends-on-facebook-exposes-y-5882027 https://gizmodo.com/government-forcing-facebook-to-not-suck-at-privacy-5858460 While Schrems was a visiting student at…

Social Media Jamie Condliffe

New “Man in the Browser” Attack Bypasses Banks’ Two-Factor Authentication Systems

The banking industry often employs two-step security measures—similar to Google Authenticator—as an added layer of protection against password theft and fraud. Unfortunately, those systems have just been rendered moot by a highly-advanced hack. The attack, know as the Man in the Browser method, works like this. Malicious code is first introduced onto the victim’s computer…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Hackers Demanded $50,000 to Sit on Stolen Symantec Source Code

According to email transcripts posted to Pastebin yesterday, and confirmed by the company, a group of hackers attempted to extort $50,000 from Symantec in exchange for not releasing its stolen PCAnywhere and Norton Antivirus source code. The emails between Symantec employee Sam Thomas and the hacker(s) Yamatough, began in January. Symantec confirmed in a statement…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Defendant Ordered to Decrypt Hard Drive Says She Forgot Her Password

A Colorado woman who was ordered to unlock her computer for investigators is reportedly saying she can’t remember her password. Last month U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn ordered Ramona Ficosu to decrypt the hard drive on her Toshiba laptop by February 21st. The laptop was seized in 2010 in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation.…

Privacy & Security Mario Aguilar

Scammers Use Impostor Apps to Flood the Android Marketplace With Malware

Android apps such as Jetpack Joyride, Madden NFL 12, Pinterest and Batman Arkham City Lockdown are rife with malware. But these aren’t the official apps. No, they’re merely impostor apps that have snuck past the security gates of the Android Market. According to Android Police, a scam outfit calling itself Rovio Mobile Ltd. (yes, it’s…

Tech News Adrian Covert

Refurbished Motorola Xoom Tablets Still Held Original Users’ Data

When Motorola sent a batch of refurbished Xoom tablets to Woot last year for them to sell, someone had forgotten to erase the old user data. That meant that new users had access to account information, photographs and documents of the previous owner. Users who returned tablets can get free credit monitoring from Motorola by…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

Beware the ATM Gangster of Taiwan — He Uses English as a Weapon

When you’re in Taiwan and you use the ATM, you should be wary of the English interface. Apparently the gangster will use this to cheat you. If we’ve learned anything today, let it be from the Twitter account of Felix Salmon. The gangster has infiltrated the First Bank of Taiwan and he speaks English. [Felix…

Privacy & Security Roberto Baldwin

Google’s Finally Cracking Down on Android Malware

Google’s revealed a new feature to the Android Market called Bouncer, which will scan available apps for malware without hassling developers or interfering with user experience at all. It’s one of the first signs that Google’s taking Android malware seriously, and it’s about time. Bouncer works on a few levels. As new apps come in,…

Tech News Kyle Wagner

HTC Admits Some of Its Handsets Leak Wi-Fi Passwords

HTC has acknowledged that a software flaw on some of its Android phones means that they openly offer security credentials across the Wi-Fi networks they connect to. According to The Next Web, there would be nothing to stop someone harvesting the details to use in the future. Apparently the flaw affects the following devices: Desire…

Privacy & Security Jamie Condliffe

Don’t Change Your Password

Today is Gizmodo International Change Your Password Day! Time to be responsible and come up with some 64-character string of random shit you’ll forget. Or, you could just keep the password you already have and be fine. Let’s do that. https://gizmodo.com/february-1-is-change-your-password-day-5879669 I’ve had pretty much the same password for the past twelve years. Twelve years,…

Privacy & Security Sam Biddle

Twitter Saves Your Address Book’s Contents for 18 Months

When Progress Leaves Us in the Dark

Here Are the Crazy Things the TSA Found Last Week: Cannonballs, Grenades, Ninja Stars and More

Boston Police Department’s Response to Anonymous is Hilarious

Microsoft Store India Hacked, Passwords Leaked

Travelling in Modern Day China Requires Cold War Era Secret Agent Skills

Google Wallet Hacked Again

Watch As Zoo Keepers Struggle To Contain a Deadly Rhino Pinata

Foxconn Hacked, Making Its Passwords Publicly Available

Google Wallet’s PIN System Has Been Cracked But Don’t Panic Just Yet

How a Single Student Is Transforming Facebook’s Privacy Policy in Europe

New “Man in the Browser” Attack Bypasses Banks’ Two-Factor Authentication Systems

Hackers Demanded $50,000 to Sit on Stolen Symantec Source Code

Defendant Ordered to Decrypt Hard Drive Says She Forgot Her Password

Scammers Use Impostor Apps to Flood the Android Marketplace With Malware

Refurbished Motorola Xoom Tablets Still Held Original Users’ Data

Beware the ATM Gangster of Taiwan — He Uses English as a Weapon

Google’s Finally Cracking Down on Android Malware

HTC Admits Some of Its Handsets Leak Wi-Fi Passwords

Don’t Change Your Password

‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’ Is a Genre Blending Delight

Leaked Anthropic Model Presents ‘Unprecedented Cybersecurity Risks,’ Much to Pentagon’s Pleasure

Don’t miss out: Bitdefender, One of the World’s Best Antiviruses, Is Now on Sale

The Secret to Better Sperm? It’s Probably Already on Your Schedule

Lego Is Leaning Into Your Marvel Memories With a New Helicarrier Set

Toshiba’s 65-inch Smart Fire TV Now Matches 43-Inch Pricing After 44% Drop on Amazon

Kash Patel’s Email Account Hacked, Iran-Linked Group Takes Credit

Repair Workers Accidentally Stumble Upon Lost Remains of Legendary ‘Fourth Musketeer’

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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