Infosecurity News
EFF launches web browser entropy tool
A new tool released by privacy advocacy group EFF is designed to help users find out how identifiable their web browsers are online.
Facebook users plagued by rogue application
Facebook was plagued by security and privacy issues both real and imagined in the last week, as a real-life worm battled with an imaginary one in a competition to see which could petrify the service's users the most.
PricewaterhouseCoopers loses personal records of Alaska public employees
PricewaterhouseCoopers has lost the personal records of 77 000 former and current public employees of the state of Alaska, it emerged this week.
iPhone cracker repeats exploit on Playstation 3
George Hotz, the first iPhone cracker – and who reportedly spent more than 500 hours developing the first jailbreak application for the Apple's iPhone back in 2007 – has apparently cracked the Sony Playstation 3.
Oil and gas companies hit hardest by cyberwarfare
The oil and gas sector has been the hardest hit by stealthy infiltration, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The sector was hit by stealth attacks 17% more than the cross-sector average, with almost three oil companies in four having had hackers fly under their radar.
PlainsCapital bank sues customer in liability over account security
A legal case filed by a bank against a customer in the US promises to test the liability of customers in the event of security breaches. Dallas, Texas-based PlainsCapital bank is suing a business customer, Hillary Machinery, for not taking adequate measures to protect its banking details.
All is not OK in Oklahoma: State tax website victim of hack
The website of the Oklahoma Tax Commission was the apparent victim of a hack yesterday, one in which visitors to the website were prompted to accept an Adobe license agreement and download software. The hack could not come a worse time for the Commission, whose site is undoubtedly experiencing an uptick in visitors as tax season approaches.
Security and malware threats to Mac and Apple products are on the rise
An annual report from security software provider Intego acknowledges it was a busy year for security threats to Apple devices, including the Mac OS X and iPhones. And while the Mac OS may be a less frequent target of malware authors, security threats to Apple products are proliferating as these devices land in the hands of more and more users.
Many voice encryption systems are hackable says anonymous researcher
Many voice encryption products currently available are hackable through the use of a trojan being planted on the host PC, an IT security researcher has claimed.
Technology site TechCrunch hacked
Technology pundit site TechCrunch was victim of a hack over the weekend by attackers who defaced it, just days before Apple's release of its tablet device – arguably the most anticipated product in recent history.
Mixed predictions on anticipated IT spending for 2010
Recent reports indicate that IT spending is set to increase in 2010. This comes on the heels of 2009, which saw negative IT spending growth worldwide and may have been the worst year on record for IT spending.
Google Adsense trips a false positive from Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab has posted an advisory on its site about a false positive with its anti-virus software, apparently being tripped by Google's Adsense software.
Office of Fair Trading Scamnesty campaign begins next week
Next week the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is kicking off a month-long campaign to increase awareness of online and offline fraud amongst businesses and consumers.
Kaspersky inadvertently blocks Google ads
Kaspersky provoked a flurry of complaints from irate users after its anti-malware tool began blocking sites with Google advertisements yesterday.
Pogoplug may be the answer to small business' cloud security
Cloud Engines has developed a device that turns up to four USB-connected external hard drives into a cloud-accessible data storage resource, allowing anyone with the right credentials to access the data on the drive.
Prank malware spreads across internet
Anti-virus company ESET has discovered what it thinks is a prank gone wrong. The company suspects that Win32/Zimuse, which has swept the US, was originally intended as a localized malware attack against a group of Slovakian bikers.
More details emerge on Hydraq trojan
Hydraq, the trojan delivered by the Operation Aurora attackers, uses VNC techniques to stream live video from victims' machines, said Symantec in an analysis of the malware.
GPS security vulnerability discovered in Novatel MiFi unit
Users of the Novatel MiFi 2352 are being recommended to reflash the firmware on the mobile broadband/WiFi units, as hackers have apparently discovered a way of gaining access to the GPS (global positioning system) co-ordinates on the device.
Tor IP anonymising internet service hacked
The developers behind the Tor Project, a voluntary IP anonymising project that allows internet users to proxy through to destination websites using a variety of free-to-use servers around the world, appears to have been hacked.
RockYou users display poor password skills
Social media site RockYou may be the subject of a lawsuit from disgruntled customers after it allowed 32 million of their accounts to be compromised, but new data suggest that many of its users are equally unsavvy when it comes to security, especially password security.
