Yahoo a victim of a state-sponsored hack
Hacks releasing personal data are far too common, but the scale of the one carried out on Yahoo may be the catalyst for organisations and government to instigate real, significant change. This data leak has been dubbed the biggest release of personal information since the internet began.US Senator Mark Warner said its scale ‘puts it among the largest on record’. Details released included names, passwords, email addresses, phone numbers and security questions. The hack actuall
Cabinet Office Slammed For Lack of InfoSec Leadership
A fresh report from the National Audit Office says the Cabinet Office has failed to get to grips with information security across government departments. The NAO has issued a report this morning criticising UK government and the Cabinet Office in particular for failing to coordinate and lead departmental cyber-security efforts. The National Audit Office report, running to 41 pages, stated that despite an ambition to set the agenda for cyber-security across government, the Cab
FBI Director Wants a Serious Encryption Chat
FBI DIRECTOR James Comey is expecting technology companies to wake up and finally listen to his demand for changes to encryption that would essentially make his job easier and the technology security landscape more baggy. Comey is not a fan of technology companies and their habit of making a feature of encryption, and has often suggested that this is one of those situations when less is more. Unfortunately for him, the technology firms think otherwise and would rather offer t
EU Ministers Look to Tighten up Privacy – JUST KIDDING – Surveillance Laws
European ministers are debating a clampdown on encryption and a further increase in surveillance in response to mounting terrorist threats. Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s interior minister is due to meet his German counterpart, Thomas de Maizere, to discuss possible regulations to limit the use of encrypted communications across the EU. “It’s a central issue in the fight against terrorism,” Cazeneuve told reporters, the FT reports. France has tabled surveillance laws that incurr
Canada’s police chiefs: “We need laws that force cybercriminals to reveal their passwords”
The news that Canada’s police chiefs are advocating for federal laws that would compel individuals to provide electronic passwords with a judge’s consent isn’t sitting well with some members of Canada’s IT community. Earlier this week at its annual conference in Ottawa, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) passed a resolution that formally requests legal measures to lawfully unlock digital evidence, citing the rise of cybercriminals who are using encryption too
Is the EU to Blame For Further Prompting Privacy Issues?
The European Commission to looking to tighten its regulatory grip on US-based tech companies which are slowly replacing traditional telcos in the services they provide. According to documents seen by the Financial Times (FT), the EUwill further tighten its grip on over-the-top services. Under the new regime, companies like Facebook owned Whatsapp and Skype owner Microsoft will be forced to comply with requests for data from law enforcement agencies. The documents seen by the
Dota 2 Gaming Sensation Hit, 2 Million Accounts Compromised
Hard on the heels of the Clash of Kings hack, an attacker has reportedly hit the popular online multiplayer game Dota 2, managing to compromise almost two million accounts. The heist was carried out on a Dota 2 member forum on July 10, with the perps making off with user names, emails and IP addresses. The hit has just come to light thanks to a copy of the leaked database showing up on breach notification site LeakedSource.com. The data also includes hashed passwords that use
WhatsApp Chats Aren't Getting Deleted Completely
Deleted WhatsApp chat messages may be easy to recover, according to a security researcher. Jonathan Zdziarski said in a blog post that a flaw in the messaging app could leave forensic traces of chat messages after they have been deleted, cleared or archived. “The latest version of the app tested leaves forensic trace of all of your chats, even after you've deleted, cleared, or archived them… even if you ‘Clear All Chats',” said Jonathan Zdziarski. “In fact, the only way to ge
Expect Less Scrutiny Now Theresa May is Prime Minister
Experts predict Theresa May's rise to PM will give the Snooper's Charter an easier ride. With Theresa May becoming Prime Minister, the Investigatory Powers Bill (IP Bill), which she championed as Home Secretary, raises serious questions as it heads to becoming law. The controversial plan to put surveillance on a stronger legal footing would compel internet service providers to store people's web browsing histories for up to one year, and force software providers to build back
Cyber-security Awareness: A Battle Between the Rational and Impulsive Brains
Since the dawn of information technology, when computers were the size of rooms and held hardly any information, they have required a human to operate them. Since the dawn of information technology, when computers were the size of rooms and held hardly any information, they have required a human to operate them. Much research has been done on the effects of computers on us as people, a society and where the relationship is headed. But what is the impact on us today, now that
