MacNN | security News

Briefly: Logitech Wired iPad Keyboard announced, GPGMail on OS X 10.6

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Logitech has announced a new iPad keyboard designed specifically for classroom use. Featuring a spill-resistant design and full sized keys, the <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wired-keyboard-ipad?wt.mc_id=global_news_wiredkeyboardforiPad">Wired Keyboard for iPad</a> requires users to simply plug in either the Lighting or 30-pin connector to begi...

Dashlane 2.0 manages passwords, notes, security with UI overhaul

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:50:00 GMT

Multi-device password management and e-wallet platform <A href="https://www.dashlane.com/">Dashlane</a> has deployed a v2.0 upgrade. This includes overhauled designs for the desktop clients, particularly on the Mac. which is now said to be "cutting edge" in its visual elements. The platform as a whole now sports a new Security Dashboard with a secu...

Samsung to add LoJack theft recovery software to Galaxy S4 firmware

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:09:00 GMT

Samsung will soon be providing a theft recovery service for its devices, starting with the flagship <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/286158==http://www.macnn.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s-4.html" rel='nofollow'>Galaxy S4</a>. <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/286159==http://www3.absolute.com/lojackforlaptops/android" rel='nofollow'>LoJack<...

Mozilla delays plans to block third-party tracking cookies in Firefox

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:48:00 GMT

Mozilla is delaying plans to start blocking third-party tracking cookies in Firefox by default, according to an announcement. The company states that more work is needed for the anti-tracking feature. "The idea is that if you have not visited a site (including the one to which you are navigating currently) and it wants to put a cookie on your computer, the site is likely not one you have he...

Apple devices officially OK'd for secure government networks

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Apple's iPhones, iPads and other devices running iOS 6 or higher are <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285855==http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-17/apple-mobile-devices-cleared-for-use-on-u-s-military-networks.html" rel='nofollow'>officially cleared for use</a> on the US government's secure networks, the Department of Defence announced on Friday. The final appr...

FTC starts sending COPPA letters to app developers

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:51:00 GMT

The US Federal Trade Commission has started sending out two letters to app developers, preparing them for <a href="http://www.macnn.com/articles/12/12/19/apps.websites.to.require.consent.before.obtaining.data/">changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act</a> taking effect July 1st, according to an announcement. The letters warn developers that res...

New OS X 'KitM.A' malware discovered, mostly impotent

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:01:00 GMT

A new semi-functional malware has been found for OSX. Discovered on a computer at the Oslo Freedom Forum by researcher <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285783==http://appelbaum.net" rel='nofollow'>Jacob Appelbaum</a>, the OSX/KitM.A is a backdoor application which launches on boot and captures screenshots on a regular basis, which are then dumped in a folder.&...

Apple updates iTunes to 11.0.3, improves Songs view, MiniPlayer

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

On Thursday, Apple updated its flagship program <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285778==http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/" rel='nofollow'>iTunes</a> to version <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285779==http://support.apple.com/downloads/" rel='nofollow'>11.0.3</a>, which brings some new features as well as addresses a number o...

Studies: Android's malware, piracy problem growing

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:44:00 GMT

<a href="http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Q1-2013-Game-Changer-for-Android-Malware-1790298.htm">New research</a> from F-Secure Labs on the <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/03/07/blackberry.ios.windows.mobile.have.fewest.and.most.innocuous.threats/#5XYtfLy3pgtsu4yE.99">prevalence of malware</a> on sma...

Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox suffers Dwolla access revocation by DHS

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:02:00 GMT

According to OKCupid founder Chris Coyne, Bitcoin exchange site <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285592==https://mtgox.com" rel='nofollow'>Mt. Gox</a> has seen its access to payment service <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285593==https://www.dwolla.com" rel='nofollow'>Dwolla</a> shut down by the Department of Homeland Security (D...

Rumor: next iPhone to replace home button with 'touch' surface

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:30:00 GMT

Rumors that Apple was going to incorporate a <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285552==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/04/22/device.originally.expect.to.start.production.in.june/" rel='nofollow'>fingerprint sensor</a> in the home button of the next iPhone still have no evidence to support them behind Apple's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285553==...

New York attorney general asks phone makers to share anti-theft plans

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:31:00 GMT

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent letters to several smartphone makers asking them to explain what they're doing to deter thefts, Bloomberg reports. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung are said to have been contacted on May 10th. "I seek to understand why companies that can develop sophisticated handheld electronics, such as the prod...

Twitterific, 1Password iOS apps get updates

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:07:00 GMT

Two iOS apps, <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitterrific-5-for-twitter/id580311103?mt=8">Twitterific</a> and <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/1password/id568903335?mt=8">1Password</a>, have today received significant updates. Twitterific 5.2.2 adds support for bookmarking service Readability and image s...

US DoD to allow Apple, Samsung devices on Pentagon network next week

Sat, 11 May 2013 05:20:00 GMT

A spokesperson for the Pentagon has told Bloomberg that mobile devices using Apple's iOS 6 as well as Samsung devices supplemented with the company's Knox security lockdown as well as BlackBerry devices running BB10 are expected to be allowed onto the Defense Department's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285402==http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-10/...

Apple maintaining waiting list for police iPhone decryption requests

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:55:00 GMT

Apple is receiving so many requests from police agencies looking to decrypt seized iPhones that the company has started a waiting list, CNET reports. In an example exposed by court documents, the ATF is said to have wanted to break through the encryption of an iPhone 4S owned by a Kentucky man accused of distributing crack cocaine. The agency "contacted ...

New bill seeks cellphone unlocking legalization in DMCA amendment

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:22:00 GMT

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has come under attack by a newly-proposed legislation. The Unlocking Technology Act of 2013 seeks to legalize the unlocking of <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285365==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/02/21/white.house.to.respond.to.petition.in.near.future/" rel='nofollow'>cellphones</a>, as well as clarifying tha...

Apple extends two-step ID verification to Canada, other countries

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:51:00 GMT

Apple is extending its two-step verification option for Apple IDs to a wider range of countries, users <A href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/05/10/apples-two-step-verification-for-apple-ids-rolling-out-to-canada-and-additional-countries/#more-270971">say</a>. When the feature <a href="http://www.macnn.com/articles/13/03/21/sends.codes.to.findy.my.iphon...

Huawei founder refutes US security claims in rare public appearance

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:00 GMT

The founder and president of Huawei has made a rare appearance in front of reporters to defend his company. Ren Zhengfei spoke out against claims made by the US government that it is a national security risk, due to apparent close ties with the Chinese government, and allegations that Huawei equipment could have allowed sensitive details to be passed to Chinese agencies....

Absolute Software unveils iOS Computrace Mobile Theft Management

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:47:00 GMT

Electronic device security and management solutions provider <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285200==http://www.absolute.com/en" rel='nofollow'>Absolute Software</a> has announced the launch of <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285201==http://www.absolute.com/en/products/mobile-theft-management" rel='nofollow'>Computrace Mobile Theft Management...

Syrian Internet restored, cut fiber optic cable alleged at fault

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:28:00 GMT

Following yesterday's unexpected disappearance of Syria from the Internet, service to the war-torn country seems to be completely restored with no feared large-scale attack by the Syrian government against the rebels. Both the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency and Google's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285198==http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/traffic/explorer/?r=SY&l=EVE...

Spotify web player exploited for free downloads by Chrome extension

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:01:00 GMT

A vulnerability found in <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285168==http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/12/06/streaming.service.breaks.1.million.us.subscriber.barrier/" rel='nofollow'>Spotify's web player</a> has been exploited, allowing users to download permanent copies of songs from the service. A Chrome extension by the name of Downloadify used the exploit t...

BitTorrent shows new transfer protocol, enables paid content

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:30:00 GMT

File-sharing network <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285132==http://blog.bittorrent.com/2013/05/07/the-bittorrent-bundle-alpha-a-direct-to-fan-collaboration-with-ultra-music/" rel='nofollow'>BitTorrent</a> has revealed a "direct-to-fan" collaboration with music label Ultra. Using a new protocol called the BitTorrent Bundle, an interaction by the downloa...

iOS 6 security gets FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certification

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:33:00 GMT

A cryptographic component in iOS 6 has received FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 Level 1 security certification from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, says TUAW. In particular, the NIST says that when running in FIPS mode, iOS 6's CoreCrypto Kernel Module 3.0 "generates cryptographic keys whose strengths are modifi...

German court rules against Apple data privacy terms

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:07:00 GMT

A Berlin court has struck down eight provisions in Apple's terms of use for data because they violate German law, Bloomberg reports, citing local consumer group Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV). The ruling states that Apple can't ask for "global consent" to use personal data, including location information. Previous to the decision, Apple ha...

Report: iOS app has accidental malware, but not a threat to users

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:04:00 GMT

A bit of malware -- a Trojan horse file that tries to redirect to a website -- has been found <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/2037099/ios-app-contains-potential-malware.html#tk.nl_mwbest">inside an iOS app</a>, but the code has turned out to be harmless. The app in question is called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simply-find-it/...

US Radiation health site involved in Chinese 'watering hole' attack

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:58:00 GMT

A US Department of Labor website tailored for nuclear weapons researchers has been compromised, redirecting visitors to a series of alternative websites. If the accessor was using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 8, the culmination of the attack inserted the "Poison Ivy" malware onto the computer, giving access to the user's data by "DeepPanda", a group of hackers believed to ...

NYT: Phone vendors profiting off turning blind eye to thefts

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:04:00 GMT

The cellphone industry -- including both carriers and phone makers -- is turning a blind eye toward the problem of smartphone theft, to its own benefit, a New York Times piece claims. The paper, for instance, quotes District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier as saying that "the carriers are not innocent in this whole game. They are making profit off [s...

Facebook introduces 'Trusted Contacts' for extra account security

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:12:00 GMT

Facebook has announced plans to roll out a new security feature for accounts, dubbed Trusted Contacts. Under the scheme, an account owner will be able to pick three to five people to whom they can give special PINs. Should the owner have trouble getting into their account, three PIN holders will be able to help them log back in. It's not clear how quickly Trusted Contacts will become available ...

Hackers compromise 110 websites in attempt at Apple ID phishing scam

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:44:00 GMT

The people responsible for a new Apple ID phishing scam have compromised 110 websites, says security firm Trend Micro. All of the sites are hosted on a specific IP address, 70.86.13.17, which is registered with an ISP based in Houston, Texas. "Almost all of these sites have not been cleaned," Trend Micro remarks....

EFF report slams Apple, Verizon, MySpace for not protecting users

Wed, 01 May 2013 16:14:00 GMT

An annual <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284710==https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2013?support_whyb=1&social=1" rel='nofollow'>report</a> by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has declared that Twitter and Sonic.net are the best tech companies for protecting its users from government snooping and requests from courts and law enforcement. Out o...

Twitter advises news organizations to tighten security after attacks

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:14:00 GMT

<a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284615==http://www.twitter.com/" rel='nofollow'>Twitter</a> has written to news organizations in order to help prevent their highly-followed accounts being hijacked. The memo comes in the wake of a number of high-profile attacks on media Twitter accounts, with the micro-blogging service expecting the compromising of high-profile ac...

New report details SFPD approach to fighting iPhone thefts

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:30:00 GMT

The San Francisco Police Department is pursuing a "fear and distrust" strategy in an attempt to wreck the city's black market for mobile devices, particularly iPhones, the Huffington Post writes. Sting operations are targeting both the buyers and sellers of stolen devices, the idea being to deter people from going the illegal route. The SFPD has rep...

Cyberattack exposes 50M LivingSocial users' data

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Daily deals coupon site LivingSocial has issued a warning to its customers that their user data may have been breached in a recent cyberattack. The company last week reported an attack on its systems that gave malicious parties access to as many as 50 million users' names, email addresses, dates of birth, and "encrypted passwords," <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013...

Hacker successfully 'jailbreaks' Google Glass within two hours

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:17:00 GMT

The <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284440==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/04/16/first.google.glass.headsets.leave.manufacturing/" rel='nofollow'>Google Glass</a> headset has been rooted, shortly after it has started being issued by the search giant <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284441==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/04/11/first.regis...

Briefly: iPhone used to track Boston Bombers, Pantone iPad cases

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:36:00 GMT

According to several recent news reports, an iPhone's GPS chip was used to help track the Boston Bombers to Watertown. <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284391==http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/21/give-thanks-for-dumb-terrorists/" rel='nofollow'>Time</a>, the <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284392==http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/officers-killing-spu...

Google updates Play developer policy, bans non-Play app updates

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:01:00 GMT

Google has updated its Play store with a small change to its developer program <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284341==https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html" rel='nofollow'>policies</a>, to prevent malicious code appearing on devices. The small change now forbids applications supplied through the Google Play store from receiving updates usin...

Huawei 'not interested in US market,' cuts enterprise sales estimates

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:59:00 GMT

Citing a new "deeper understanding of the market," telecommunications equipment manufacturer <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284104==http://www.electronista.com/search/huawei/" rel='nofollow'>Huawei</a> has cut its previous estimate of $15 billion in annual sales by 2017 to $10 billion. As part of the reduction of expectations, Huawei CEO Eric Xu said t...

AP Twitter account hacked, message affects Dow Jones

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:02:00 GMT

The <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284044==http://www.twitter.com/" rel='nofollow'>Twitter</a> account of the Associated Press news agency falsely declared an attack on the White House, after hackers took control of the account. The message, appearing on the AP's main Twitter feed, has since been confirmed as "bogus"...

Google fined $189,000 in Germany over Street View Wi-Fi data

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:58:00 GMT

Google has been fined 145,000 euros ($189,230) by a government regulator in Germany for collecting data from Wi-Fi connections in the country. The fine stems from when the company's Street View cars were in operation between 2008 and 2010, <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283932==http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/05/14/google.admits.collecting.wi.fi.info.with.map.team/" rel='nof...

Siri data stored for up to two years, Apple says

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:25:00 GMT

All the requests people have made through Siri are being stored on Apple servers for a period of up to two years, says Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller. The statement comes in response to Wired inquiries about ambiguity in Siri's privacy policies, initially pointed out by American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Nicole Ozer. Muller insists that Apple is anonymizin...

Briefly: Microsoft two-step security, Novatel MiFi 2 updates

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:22:00 GMT

Microsoft has enabled two-factor authentication for Microsoft Accounts. <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283619==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/04/09/microsoft.accounts.can.be.linked.to.authenticator.windows.phone.app/" rel='nofollow'>Leaked earlier</a> this month, users will see the option to add the extra security measure through the account management ...

Apple adds site-specific controls to Java, updates Safari

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:45:00 GMT

Apple on Tuesday updated both <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283535==http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1573" rel='nofollow'>Java</a> and its web browser <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283536==http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5678" rel='nofollow'>Safari</a> for users of OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) and higher. The updates now allow user...

Flaw in latest 'patch Tuesday' package renders some PCs unbootable

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:22:00 GMT

Microsoft declared that it has revised the "patch Tuesday" package from April 9, removing a fix that was causing some PCs to fail to blue screen, and not boot thereafter. The problem is being blamed on incompatibility with some third-party security software, and Microsoft is recommending that affected users uninstall the patch. All editions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 are affect...

UK government investigates in-app purchases in games

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:44:00 GMT

A United Kingdom government department has launched an <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283238==http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/consumer-enforcement/consumer-enforcement-current/direct-exhortations/#.UWfk2rXvt8E" rel='nofollow'>investigation</a> into <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283239==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/03/22/may.be.in.response.to....

White House statement suggests it will veto new CISPA bill

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:17:00 GMT

The White House has responded to the 2013 version of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) bill <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283179==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/04/10/changes.to.bill.limited.to.personal.information.restrictions/" rel='nofollow'>heading to the House floor</a> for a vote. National Security Council (NSC) spokespers...

2013 CISPA passes Intelligence Committee, headed to House for vote

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:08:00 GMT

A slightly modified version of last year's failed <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283076==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/02/14/circular.language.in.previous.bill.address.labels.pirates.as.terrorists/" rel='nofollow'>Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act</a> (CISPA) has been voted through the House Intelligence Committee, with an 18-2 victory. The...

Video streamer Vudu reports physical break-in, customer data stolen

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:50:00 GMT

According to <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/282974==http://www.vudu.com/" rel='nofollow'>Vudu</a>, unknown perpetrators broke into the video streamer's office on March 24 and stole a number of items, including hard drives that contained customer information with names, email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers, account activity, dates of birth, and the la...

Report: Microsoft to introduce two-factor authentication

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:31:00 GMT

Microsoft is preparing to add a two-factor system for account authentication, according to a report. The new system, aimed at improving account security overall by adding a number-based token to the <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/282919==http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/05/02/microsoft.cloud.services.remade.for.windows.8.and.windows.phone/" rel='nofollow'>Microsoft Acc...

Google updates AdMob SDK for iOS to drop UDID support

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:52:00 GMT

Google has finally released an update for its <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/282887==http://googleadsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2013/04/admob-sdk-for-ios-v640.html" rel='nofollow'>AdMob advertising SDK for iOS developers</a> that leaves those reliant on it just three weeks to update affected apps before Apple's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/282888==http:/...

DPRK propaganda site's Twitter, Flickr sites seized by Anonymous

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:55:00 GMT

In the latest phase of hacker collective <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/282675==http://www.electronista.com/tag/Anonymous" rel='nofollow'>Anonymous</a>' attack against the bellicose North Korean regime, the Twitter and Flickr accounts associated with a North Korean propaganda site have been seized. The accounts taken over belonged to Uriminzokkiri, a web site wh...