Rob Waugh

A hidden backdoor in the modified version of Android run by nine Samsung Galaxy models could allow attackers to spy remotely on user data - and even snoop on users using hardware such as the GPS system, camera and microphone.

Two-thirds of top e-commerce sites still accept the weakest passwords, such as “123456” and “password” without warning users that these are the very first passwords hackers will use in attempts to breach their accounts, according to a new survey.

The emerging ‘internet of things’ raises big security questions, and vulnerabilities in connected devices such as ‘smart’ fridges may force companies to work together in a way never previously seen, according to Microsoft’s Jan Neutze.

Hit messaging app Whatsapp may not be as secure as its 450 million users believe - after an independent security consultant revealed a loophole which rogue app developers could use to steal Android users’ entire Whatsapp history.

Smartphones such as iPhone 5S rely on buttons to scan fingerprints - but the CEO of biometrics firm CrucialTec says that smartphones with a new hi-tech bezel-free screen which scans fingerprints will go on sale this summer.

Twitter has removed a bug that allowed site users to spy on protected accounts, reading supposedly protected Tweets via SMS or push notifications, regardless of whether users had approved them as followers.

A futuristic app uses Google Glass to add an extra layer of privacy for users withdrawing cash from ATM machines - by displaying a one-time personal identification number (PIN) which only the Glass user can see.

A file of material purporting to include detailed information on trades at the Bitcoin exchange Mt Gox, has surfaced online, after attackers targeted the personal blog and Reddit account of CEO Mark Karpeles.

Befriending the wrong person on Facebook can hand a criminal the tools for an identity theft attack - and on LinkedIn, talking to the wrong ‘recruiter’ can lead to disaster.