British and American intelligence agencies have spied on anti-virus companies and probed their software for weaknesses, as the snoops sought to enhance their offensive surveillance techniques.
This was predictable given previous revelations around the extensive hacking capabilities at GCHQ and the NSA, but for reasons not outlined in the leaks or by the agencies themselves, notable US and UK anti-virus providers were seemingly left untouched, despite being used across the world. Older versions of F-Secure also used the Kaspersky signature database, which contained lists of blacklisted malware.
Read moreCyber-criminals have attacked 90 per cent of major British companies – costing the economy tens of billions of pounds, it emerged. Figures reveal that the threat from hackers trying to steal confidential data is rising steeply.
Experts warned the typical cost to big firms of the most severe information security breaches had nearly tripled. The country faces advanced and persistent threats every day, a top official at the GCHQ spy agency warned. The attacks show little sign of abating and include threats from hostile states, terror groups and malicious hackers known as hacktavists.
Read moreIt's common sense to reset an Android phone to its factory state before selling or disposing of it. But beware, security researchers recently found that this often fails to properly wipe all sensitive user data from the device.
A test on 21 second-hand smartphones running Android versions between 2.3.x and 4.3 revealed that it's possible to recover emails, text messages, Google access tokens and other sensitive data after the factory reset function had been used. The study was done by researchers Laurent Simon and Ross Anderson from the University of Cambridge in the UK on used devices bought from eBay between January and May 2014.
Read moreThe internet is heading towards a capacity crunch as it fails to keep up with our demand for ever faster data, scientists have warned. Leading engineers, physicists and telecoms firms have been summoned to a meeting to discuss what can be done to avert a web crisis.
The boom of internet television, streaming services and ever-more powerful computers has increased the strain on our communications infrastructure. In just 20 years, if usage rates continue, all of Britain's power supply could be consumed by internet use. The cables and fibre optics that send information to our laptops, smartphones and tablets will have reached their limit to send data within eight years, experts warn.
Read more72% of British adults are concerned about their private information online. According to a research, 32% of respondents would be willing to pay to protect their information online.
The findings come two years after the Edward Snowden leaks revealed that the US and UK security forces had access to and collected private data without permission, causing a backlash in the technology and security industries. The survey indicates that many of those surveyed shared personal information online when signing up for websites and services. More than half of those surveyed said they did not want to pay for online protection.
Read moreThe UK's Court of Appeal won't block a privacy lawsuit that alleges Google tracked Safari users without authorisation, so the three plaintiffs can continue their legal fight against the search company.
These claims raise serious issues which merit a trial. They concern what is alleged to have been the secret and blanket tracking and collation of information, often of an extremely private and safe nature, as specified in the confidential schedules, about and associated with the claimants' internet use, and the subsequent use of that information for about nine months.
Read moreIn classical mythology, Aquila is the eagle carrying Jupiter’s thunderbolts skyward. At Facebook, it is the code name for a high-flying drone, indicative of the social networking company’s lofty ambitions.
The V-shaped unmanned vehicle weighs less than a small car, is the centerpiece of Facebook’s plans to connect with the five billion or so people it has yet to reach. Taking to the skies to beam Internet access down from solar-powered drones may seem like a stretch for a tech company that sells ads to make money. Facebook is under pressure to show that it can pursue projects that are more speculative than product.
Read moreAnyone who banks online will know how difficult it can sometimes be to remember multiple passwords and pin numbers on a daily basis. Halifax believes it could have a solution: a wristband that identifies customers by their heartbeat.
Apparently everyone has a unique heart rhythm, which can be used to identify us much in the same way as fingerprints. Customers would put the band on their wrists, which measures their electrocardiogram or ECG. The ECG data is read when a customer wears the band on one wrist and touches the top sensor with a finger on the other hand.
Read moreThe government has unveiled the driverless cars that will be tested on the roads of the United Kingdom, but admits that changes in the Highway Code and MOT will be needed before any full rollout.
It could be a while before driverless cars make it to the roads for consumers. Any trials conducted in the UK will also require drivers on hand to takeover in the case of emergencies. It also remains to be seen how the government will address criminal liability if a driverless car accidentally kills someone. Security groups have warned that big changes will be needed across the car industry before the benefits will be seen by the public - who themselves aren’t convinced.
Read moreTop secret documents previously provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have revealed that the US and Britain broke into the network of the world’s largest SIM card maker to compromise global communications.
According to the documents, founded by Snowden collaborator Glenn Greenwald, the US National Security Agency and its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters, stole the encryption keys used to secure voice calls and texts from Gemalto, the largest manufacturer of SIM cards in the world. Gemalto makes two billion SIM cards every day. They are used by many wireless network providers around the world.
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