This hack targets the firmware on modern power supplies. (Yes, power supplies are also computers.) Normally, when a phone is connected to a power brick with support for fast charging, the phone and the power adapter communicate with each other to determine the proper amount of electricity that can be sent to the phone without … Read More “Hacking a Power Supply” »
Month: July 2020
Twitter was hacked this week. Not a few people’s Twitter accounts, but all of Twitter. Someone compromised the entire Twitter network, probably by stealing the log-in credentials of one of Twitter’s system administrators. Those are the people trusted to ensure that Twitter functions smoothly. The hacker used that access to send tweets from a variety … Read More “On the Twitter Hack” »
Headline: “Dozens of squid found on Provincetown sandbar.” Slow news day. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here. Powered by WPeMatico
Motherboard is reporting that this week’s Twitter hack involved a bribed insider. Twitter has denied it. I have been taking press calls all day about this. And while I know everyone wants to speculate about the details of the hack, we just don’t know — and probably won’t for a couple of weeks. Powered by … Read More “Twitter Hackers May Have Bribed an Insider” »
The NSA’s Central Security Service — that’s the part that’s supposed to work on defense — has released two documents (a full and an abridged version) on securing virtual private networks. Some of it is basic, but it contains good information. Maintaining a secure VPN tunnel can be complex and requires regular maintenance. To maintain … Read More “NSA on Securing VPNs” »
A four-rotor Enigma machine — with rotors — is up for auction. Powered by WPeMatico
A personal account of someone who was paid to buy products on Amazon and leave fake reviews. Fake reviews are one of the problems that everyone knows about, and no one knows what to do about — so we all try to pretend doesn’t exist. Powered by WPeMatico
China is prohibiting squid fishing in two areas — both in international waters — for two seasons, to give squid time to recover and reproduce. This is the first time China has voluntarily imposed a closed season on the high seas. Some experts regard it as an important step forward in China’s management of distant-water … Read More “China Closing Its Squid Spawning Grounds” »
It’s the EFF’s 30th birthday, and the organization is having a celebratory livestream today from 3:00 to 10:00 pm PDT. There are a lot of interesting discussions and things. I am having a fireside chat at 4:10 pm PDT to talk about the Crypto Wars and more. Stop by. And thank you for supporting EFF. … Read More “EFF’s 30th Anniversary Livestream” »
A criminal group called Cosmic Lynx seems to be based in Russia: Dubbed Cosmic Lynx, the group has carried out more than 200 BEC campaigns since July 2019, according to researchers from the email security firm Agari, particularly targeting senior executives at large organizations and corporations in 46 countries. Cosmic Lynx specializes in topical, tailored … Read More “Business Email Compromise (BEC) Criminal Ring” »