Month: October 2018

Are the Police Using Smart-Home IoT Devices to Spy on People?

Posted on By infossl
datacollection, internetofthings, police, privacy, Security technology, surveillance

IoT devices are surveillance devices, and manufacturers generally use them to collect data on their customers. Surveillance is still the business model of the Internet, and this data is used against the customers’ interests: either by the device manufacturer or by some third party the manufacturer sells the data to. Of course, this data can … Read More “Are the Police Using Smart-Home IoT Devices to Spy on People?” »

Privacy for Tigers

Posted on By infossl
datacollection, naturalsecurity, privacy, Security technology

Ross Anderson has some new work: As mobile phone masts went up across the world’s jungles, savannas and mountains, so did poaching. Wildlife crime syndicates can not only coordinate better but can mine growing public data sets, often of geotagged images. Privacy matters for tigers, for snow leopards, for elephants and rhinos ­ and even … Read More “Privacy for Tigers” »

How DNA Databases Violate Everyone’s Privacy

Posted on By infossl
academicpapers, databases, dna, privacy, Security technology

If you’re an American of European descent, there’s a 60% you can be uniquely identified by public information in DNA databases. This is not information that you have made public; this is information your relatives have made public. Research paper: “Identity inference of genomic data using long-range familial searches.” Abstract: Consumer genomics databases have reached … Read More “How DNA Databases Violate Everyone’s Privacy” »

Security in a World of Physically Capable Computers

Posted on By infossl
Security technology

It’s no secret that computers are insecure. Stories like the recent Facebook hack, the Equifax hack and the hacking of government agencies are remarkable for how unremarkable they really are. They might make headlines for a few days, but they’re just the newsworthy tip of a very large iceberg. The risks are about to get … Read More “Security in a World of Physically Capable Computers” »

Another Bloomberg Story about Supply-Chain Hardware Attacks from China

Posted on By infossl
china, hacking, hardware, implants, Security technology, surveillance

Bloomberg has another story about hardware surveillance implants in equipment made in China. This implant is different from the one Bloomberg reported on last week. That story has been denied by pretty much everyone else, but Bloomberg is sticking by its story and its sources. (I linked to other commentary and analysis here.) Again, I … Read More “Another Bloomberg Story about Supply-Chain Hardware Attacks from China” »

Security Vulnerabilities in US Weapons Systems

Posted on By infossl
control, cybersecurity, departmentofdefense, encryption, nationalsecuritypolicy, operationalsecurity, passwords, reports, Security technology, vulnerabilities, weapons

The US Government Accounting Office just published a new report: “Weapons Systems Cyber Security: DOD Just Beginning to Grapple with Scale of Vulnerabilities” (summary here). The upshot won’t be a surprise to any of my regular readers: they’re vulnerable. From the summary: Automation and connectivity are fundamental enablers of DOD’s modern military capabilities. However, they … Read More “Security Vulnerabilities in US Weapons Systems” »