The Department of Defense has challenged computer experts to hack the Pentagon. However, you’ll have to register first or face serious consequences. The idea is to run a more crowdsourced versions of programs where businesses and government agencies ask “white hat” hackers to test their cyberdefenses. Whereas those often involve a flat fee, the DoD […]
Google is offering to protect news sites large and small from DDos attacks. It’s extending Project Shield, which was originally only for selected websites. The free service launched a few years ago for around 100 sites which had limited tech resources but were at particular risk of such attacks, including those highlighting human rights and […]
Here’s a quick deal for you geeks. This deal will only be good for a limited time: The Ultimate Guide to Creating, Managing and Securing Your Passwords, a value of $5, is now free for a limited time! Find practical solutions for your everyday security needs. Password hacks are becoming increasingly common and making sure […]
You’d think delegates at Mobile World Congress would be security conscious with their phones. However, one security firm says it found more than 2,000 users who fell for a pretty basic trick. Avast researchers went to Barcelona, host city for the event, and set up three Wi-Fi networks in the airport at a peak time […]
Apple has vowed to defy a court order to give the FBI access to files on a phone owned by one of the San Bernadino shooters. Tim Cook says that the move would threaten the security of all customers. The order involves the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, which the FBI believes could house information […]
Attempts by two states to weaken the encryption available on smartphones could be blocked by a federal law. The measure would stop laws which could mean a major redesign of many high-profile handsets As we’ve previously covered, state legislators in New York and California are both considering suspiciously similarly worded bills on the matter. Both […]
80s and 90s computer nostalgia is usually about floppy disks and waggling joysticks, but one virtual “museum” is celebrating a less savory aspect of the era: early MS-DOS malware. The collection is part of the Internet Archive, which aims to preserve web pages and other computer media for posterity. Archivist Jason Scott has selected 79 […]
Google is to start warning users when a “download” button on a website might be a malware trick. Let’s hope it means less work for those of us who act as IT support, for work, friends or family. Bogus download buttons will be particularly familiar to anyone who has searched for software download sites, often […]
A website that searches the “Internet of Things” has added a search facility for unsecured webcams. The operators say its designed to highlight security risks rather than enable voyeurs or would-be criminals. Shodan is designed for searching for details of devices, both computers and other devices from smart TVs to power plants, that are connected […]
Proposed laws in California and New York would ban phones with unbreakable encryption. California state representative Jim Cooper says the move is needed to prevent human trafficking. The California bill was introduced this week and its introduction explains that it “would require a smartphone that is manufactured on or after January 1, 2017, and sold […]