Security technology – Page 264 – SSL and internet security news

Cell Phones Leak Location Information through Power Usage

February 23, 2015 infossl

academicpapers, cellphones, Security technology, sidechannelattacks, tracking

New research on tracking the location of smart phone users by monitoring power consumption: PowerSpy takes advantage of the fact that a phone’s cellular transmissions use more power to reach a given cell tower the farther it travels from that tower, or when obstacles like buildings or mountains block its signal. That correlation between battery … Read More “Cell Phones Leak Location Information through Power Usage” »

Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Can Recode Their Genetic Makeup

February 20, 2015 infossl

Security technology, squid

This is freaky: A new study showcases the first example of an animal editing its own genetic makeup on-the-fly to modify most of its proteins, enabling adjustments to its immediate surroundings. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered. Powered by … Read More “Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Can Recode Their Genetic Makeup” »

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks on Lenovo Computers

February 20, 2015 infossl

adware, computersecurity, lenovo, maninthemiddleattacks, Security technology

It’s not just national intelligence agencies that break your https security through man-in-the-middle attacks. Corporations do it, too. For the past few months, Lenovo PCs have shipped with an adware app called Superfish that man-in-the-middles TLS connections. Here’s how it works, and here’s how to get rid of it. And you should get rid of … Read More “Man-in-the-Middle Attacks on Lenovo Computers” »

NSA/GCHQ Hacks SIM Card Database and Steals Billions of Keys

February 20, 2015 infossl

cellphones, databases, eavesdropping, edwardsnowden, gchq, hacking, nsa, phones, privacy, Security technology, simcards, surveillance

The Intercept has an extraordinary story: the NSA and/or GCHQ hacked into the Dutch SIM card manufacturer Gemalto, stealing the encryption keys for billions of cell phones. People are still trying to figure out exactly what this means, but it seems to mean that the intelligence agencies have access to both voice and data from … Read More “NSA/GCHQ Hacks SIM Card Database and Steals Billions of Keys” »

Database of Ten Million Passwords

February 19, 2015 infossl

databases, hacking, passwords, Security technology

Earlier this month, Mark Burnett released a database of ten million usernames and passwords. He collected this data from already-public dumps from hackers who had stolen the information; hopefully everyone affected has changed their passwords by now. News articles. Powered by WPeMatico

The Obsolescence of Submarines

February 19, 2015 infossl

concealment, costbenefitanalysis, defense, nationalsecuritypolicy, Security technology

Interesting article on the submarine arms race between remaining hidden and detection. It seems that it is much more expensive for a submarine to hide than it is to detect it. And this changing balance will affect the long-term viability of submarines. Powered by WPeMatico

IRS Encourages Poor Cryptography

February 18, 2015 infossl

aes, cryptography, encryption, irs, Security technology

I’m not sure what to make of this, or even what it means. The IRS has a standard called IDES: International Data Exchange Service: “The International Data Exchange Service (IDES) is an electronic delivery point where Financial Institutions (FI) and Host Country Tax Authorities (HCTA) can transmit and exchange FATCA data with the United States.” … Read More “IRS Encourages Poor Cryptography” »

The Equation Group's Sophisticated Hacking and Exploitation Tools

February 17, 2015 infossl

edwardsnowden, exploits, hacking, implants, kaspersky, nsa, Security technology, vulnerabilities

This week, Kaspersky Labs published detailed information on what it calls the Equation Group — almost certainly the NSA — and its abilities to embed spyware deep inside computers, gaining pretty much total control of those computers while maintaining persistence in the face of reboots, operating system reinstalls, and commercial anti-virus products. The details are … Read More “The Equation Group's Sophisticated Hacking and Exploitation Tools” »

Co3 Systems Changes Its Name to Resilient Systems

February 17, 2015 infossl

co3systems, resilientsystems, Security technology

Today my company, Co3 Systems, is changing its name to Resilient Systems. The new name better reflects who we are and what we do. Plus, the old name was kind of dumb. I have long liked the term “resilience.” If you look around, you’ll see it a lot. It’s used in human psychology, in organizational … Read More “Co3 Systems Changes Its Name to Resilient Systems” »

Ford Proud that "Mustang" Is a Common Password

February 16, 2015 infossl

cars, computersecurity, passwords, Security technology

This is what happens when a PR person gets hold of information he really doesn’t understand. “Mustang” is the 16th most common password on the Internet according to a recent study by SplashData, besting both “superman” in 21st place and “batman” in 24th Mustang is the only car to appear in the top 25 most … Read More “Ford Proud that "Mustang" Is a Common Password” »