Evernote and LinkedIn boost security with two‑factor authentication
Evernote and LinkedIn have both added an option for two-factor authentication in the past few days - days after Twitter announced its optional two-factor security system.
Archives - May 2013
Motorola predicts passwords could be replaced by arm tattoos and “authentication pills”
Motorola has revealed plans for hi-tech authentication systems that could make accessing data faster and easier - including a “tattoo” with embedded sensors and antenna, and an “authentication pill” which turns the human body into a giant authentication token.
Drupal.org resets passwords after hack exposes usernames, email addresses
The free open-source content management system Drupal has reset all Drupal.org passwords after unknown attackers gained access to user account data including usernames, email addresses and hashed passwords.
Intellectual property protection and good badware
As an earlier article here noted, the recent report from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property shows a great deal of concern about the “scale of international theft of American intellectual property” which it estimates to be “hundreds of billions of dollars per year.” However, there’s also been a certain amount of
Phishing: the click of death
Recently we realized that from time to time when people find a live link in one of our blogs, they click on it to see where it goes, even though the context might suggest that the link could be malicious. So we thought it might be a good idea to set up a link so
Charges against cybercrime’s “bank of choice” for laundering $6 billion
U.S. prosecutors allege that virtual currency company Liberty Reserve processed 55 million transactions since 2006, becoming “the bank of choice” for cyber criminals.
Mass malware attacks “could be triggered by music”, researchers claim
Future malware attacks could be triggered by music or even lighting - allowing cybercriminals to command and control large numbers of infected devices in the same area, according to Alabama researchers.
Advanced U.S. weapons system designs are “compromised by hackers”
Designs for more than two dozen advanced weapons systems have been compromised by hackers, according to a report prepared for the Pentagon. The hackers are said to be Chinese.
Sky TV app users worry after broadcaster Google Play “hack”
Users of British broadcaster Sky’s Android apps were left worried after hackers defaced the company’s Google Play page, and simultaneously sent out a warning via a company Twitter account that the apps had been “hacked and replaced”.
Tax returns: Slovakian spyware campaign
ESET’s Security Research Lab details a malware-spreading campaign leveraging the deadline for tax returns in Slovakia and examines a case of infection where a bank's two-factor authentication prevented financial loss.
“Stronger action” urged in face of IP theft from American companies
American companies are facing an “unprecedented” onslaught of data theft, costing “hundreds of billions”, according to a report by a private group headed by high-ranking ex-government officials.
Electrical grids “woefully prepared” for cyber attacks, warns analyst
Electrical grids worldwide have become more susceptible to cyber attacks, due to the use of industrial control systems, according to market analysts ABI Research.
Syndicasec in the sin bin: targeted espionage malware in action
Technical analysis of Win32/Syndicasec.A, malware active in Nepal and China as far back as 2010, with a JavaScript payload registered in the Windows WMI subsystem and a system of fake blogs to discover its C&C servers, hosted on Tibet-related domains.
Twitter beefs up security after wave of attacks on media sites
Twitter has introduced a new two-factor security system - an optional "extra layer" of security which should help to prevent unauthorised access to accounts.
Small business cybercrime costs $6,000 a year, says British group
Cybercrime is costing small businesses an average of £4,000 ($6000) a year, according to the British Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). A report by the group found that 41 per cent of the FSB’s membership have been a victim of cybercrime in the past year. The most common threat is virus infections, with 20% of small businesses falling victim - while 8% have been victims of hacking and 5% have suffered security breaches.
Xbox One Kinect microphone “always on” security fears
The Xbox One Kinect microphone – one of the hi-tech new features of Microsoft’s new Xbox One console – has raised security concerns since it “listens” to users even when the console is turned off.
Cyber attacks on America “will get worse”, warns NSA director
Cyber attacks on America will continue to escalate, according to National Security Director Keith Alexander, speaking to the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit in Washington. “Disruptive and destructive attacks on our country will get worse," said Alexander, the leading U.S. general in charge of the nation’s cybersecurity. "Mark my words, it will get worse."
Computer viruses “are making a comeback”, says Microsoft
Computer viruses are making a comeback, according to Microsoft’s Director of Trustworthy Computing - with numbers rising globally in 2012. Tim Rains says that for several years, viruses have been “out of favour with attackers”, but points to statistics showing that they have made a comeback in 2012, at least in certain territories.
FBI shares information on cyber attacks with US banks
The FBI has offered temporary security clearances to security officers from U.S. banks in order to share information into repeated cyber attacks which have disrupted online banking websites in recent months.
Mainstream media only offer a “snapshot” of scope of cybercrime, says British intelligence head
Mainstream media reports offer a mere “snapshot” of the scope of cyber-crime, according to the head of British intelligence agency GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters).