SMARTPHONE SECURITY MEASURES have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years, evolving from passcodes to thumbprints to face recognition and advanced encryption. A new report from the Washington, DC-based research nonprofit Upturn uncovers how police have maintained access to suspects’ phones even as these defenses grow more complex: by contracting with digital forensic firms that specialize in bypassing locks and accessing and copying encrypted data.
Tag Archives: security
Credit Card Skimmers Can Hide in an Icon’s Metadata
In the midst of a news cycle filled with stories of the chaotic global pandemicand mass civil unrest raging around us right now, I personally find solace in stories about the constants we can rely on: Stories of brands continuing to show their ass on social media. Stories about budged art restorations continuing to be borked. And, of course, stories of scammers continuing to find new ways to scam. Continue reading Credit Card Skimmers Can Hide in an Icon’s Metadata
Supercomputers across Europe have fallen to cryptomining hacks
Cryptomining hacks aren’t new by any stretch, but a string of recent incidents is raising eyebrows. ZDNet reports that culprits infected multiple European supercomputers with Monero mining malware in the past week, including the University of Edinburgh’s ARCHER, five of bwHPC’scomputer clusters and most recently a cluster at Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University. That’s unusual by itself, but there appears to be a common thread between the hacks. Continue reading Supercomputers across Europe have fallen to cryptomining hacks
Marriott faces $123 million UK fine over data breach
Marriott might soon face a stiff penalty for the massive November 2018 data breach. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office plans to fine the hotel chain £99,200,396 (about $123.7 million) for allegedly violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation through the incident. Marriott didn’t conduct “sufficient due diligence” when it bought Starwood, according to the regulator, and “should also have done more” to improve security.
Continue reading Marriott faces $123 million UK fine over data breach
Researchers find 36 security flaws in LTE
Security experts aren’t done poking holes in LTE’s armor — not by a long shot. South Korean researchers have found 36 vulnerabilities in LTE that enable a range of attacks, some more sinister than others. They include temporary inconveniences like disconnecting someone from the cell network through to eavesdropping and controlling the data itself. The team found the abundance of exploits by using a custom “fuzzing” (feeding large chunks of random data to look for irregularities) tool.
US prisons are reportedly creating ‘voice print’ databases
Prisons across the United States are reportedly building biometric databases that include voice recordings of incarcerated people, according to The Intercept. The report cites contracting documents for the state of New York’s prison system, as well as statements from officials in Texas, Florida, Arkansas and Arizona confirming that prisons are actively using voice recognition technology that can extract and digitize voices to create unique and identifiable biometric signatures known as voice prints.
Continue reading US prisons are reportedly creating ‘voice print’ databases
TSA will install 40 luggage CT scanners in airports this year
The TSA has been using CT scanners to screen airline passengers’ luggage since last year — early tests of the technology have been taking place in Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport and Boston’s Logan International Airport. But now, the agency has shared its plans for CT technology going forward, including expansions into additional airports. American Airlines announced earlier this month that a CT scanner was being set up in New York’s JFK airport and the TSA says Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport are among those that will have CT scanners in the near future.
Continue reading TSA will install 40 luggage CT scanners in airports this year
The Fat Cat Collective 