World News: security

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Home Depot reportedly got warnings about its data security in 2008

byJon Fingas|@jonfingas|16 hours ago

Home Depot may have only recently had to cope with a massive data breach, but it reportedly knew that it had to step up its computer security much, much earlier. The New York Times claims that there had been calls for tougher safeguards as far back as 2008, and that the big-box store has been lax about protecting its network for "years" despite plenty of warnings from its security team. It didn't watch for unusual activity, infrequently scanned for weak points and ran antivirus tools from 2007. Even a network manager hired in 2012 went to prison this year for disabling systems at his previous job -- not something Home Depot would have necessarily known about at the time, but still a problem.

For its part, the retailer says it's running "robust security systems" and has closed off attack avenues by both encrypting its cash registers and embracing chip-based payments. It's also reportedly meeting credit card standards that let it safely skip certain vulnerability scans. The network updates should help prevent any future data disasters, but the real question is whether or not Home Depot will do more to thwart hackers in the future. If it simply repeats history and doesn't adapt to new threats, your payment info could still be at risk.

[Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]

Via: The Verge

Source: New York Times

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Government turns to robots for security interviews

BYTerrence O'Brien @TerrenceOBrien17 hours ago

National Center for Credibility Assessment is looking to bring the process of doling out national security clearances into the future. As it does more often than not, "the future" in this case means robots. Alright, well not robots exactly but a virtual avatar powered by a computer program. When you apply for security clearance, you first have to fill out a form that requires you to disclose all past drug use, crimes and mental health issues. Those same subjects are then revisited with an actual human, but the NCCA thinks it might be more effective to jump straight to an interview with a computer. In a study Army trainees were put through a mock interview with a racially ambiguous avatar. Turns out the pretend applicants were much more likely to admit to mental health problems or alcohol abuse when speaking to the computer than they were when filling out a form. Not only that, but at the end of the interview they simply volunteered additional info after being asked if their was anything else they'd like to talk about.

The program behind the interrogator is able to recognize responses from the subject and follow multiple branches of conversation, but it's not quite a proper artificial intelligence. It's more like a menu triggered by vocal cues. But by turning to machines, the government could reduce gender or cultural bias in interviews while also eliciting more honest responses from subjects. Though, the current system still includes connecting people up to traditional polygraph equipment and follow up interviews would need to be conducted with actual human beings. But the NCCA is still hopeful that they can save the government both time and money. We can only assume future iterations will include a proper AI and the ability to recognize human emotion. 0 Comments

Via: Motherboard

Source: NCCA

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Edward Snowden's preferred OS has a major security flaw

BYJon Fingas @jonfingas14 hours ago

Think you're safe from spies because you're using Tails, the same Linux distribution that Edward Snowden uses to remain anonymous? Unfortunately, you'll still have to be on your guard. Security firm Exodus Intelligence has revealed that the latest version of the OS, 1.1, is vulnerable to attacks that could be used to unmask your identity. The researchers say they won't publish details of the exploit until there's a patch, but the Tails team will have to wait up to a week before it gets a report it can use to whip up an emergency fix. In the meantime, the discovery is an all too blunt reminder that no software offers a complete guarantee of privacy -- even if it's built with anonymity in mind.

We're happy to see that TAILS 1.1 is being released tomorrow. Our multiple RCE/de-anonymization zero-days are still effective. #tails #tor

- Exodus Intelligence (@ExodusIntel) July 21, 2014 0 Comments

Source: Tails (1), (2), Exodus Intelligence (Twitter)

Tags: edwardsnowden, exodusintelligence, exploit, linux, opensource, privacy, security, software, tails, tor, vulnerability Next: Engadget Daily: NVIDIA's Shield Tablet, Atari's 'Pridefest' and more! .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > span.fyre-comment-reply-wrapper {top: 18px;}.fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a, .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a:hover {top: 20px;} AboutAbout EngadgetContact usAdvertiseAbout Our AdsCommunityForumsEngadget MetaCommunity guidelinesReviewsProduct reviewsWrite a reviewContributeSend us a tip!Add to our databaseWrite a reviewStart a discussionAsk a questionLive eventsEngadget ExpandEngadget LivePopular topicsMobileHDAltSoftwareAppleFollow EngadgetEngadget AppsMore Apps from Engadget

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Friday, May 23, 2014

LifeLock pulls its apps portfolio, clears the data taking into account the security aspects

Portfolio applications are usually more comfortable than trying, watching a series of identity information and payment itself. This requires, however, that the apps are secure in the first place – and unfortunately, LifeLock learns this the hard way. Protection ID from the mobile application LifeLock wallet fixed and removed tool to the payment card security standard user data after learning his "perhaps not fully compliant" (based on the recent acquisition of lemon wallet). While there is no evidence of a crime, the company says that they want to play safe and only restore applications, if people trust them "without question."

The move will follow you have great many data LifeLock wallet have flooded. You may need you could afford the cards you already have at home can be to dig, and revenue will not be restored when you're tossing their paper copies. However, it is a potentially clever step to protect of the customers who realize that their data is at risk. It may also be necessary to avoid a confrontation with the Government, also - LifeLock must meet certain security requirements, led after a FTC 2010-decision, in which the company customers with fear-based marketing to mislead and was not enough to obtain identity information. In this sense, the displacement as much about the registration of the enterprise is like your skin.

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Samsung plans to bring biometric security to its low-end phones

The Galaxy S5 was widely tipped to launch with iris-scanning capabilities. When the crunch time came, Samsung played safe with only fingerprint sensor support. According to the Wall Street Journal, the eye-centric tech is still on the company's radar and could soon debut in new high- and low-end phones alike. "We're looking at various types of biometric

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