Tag: cyber crime

Security of IoT Devices to Be Rated for First Time

Dianne Jacobs

IoT standards groups are emerging to address issues of inter operability, communication protocols and security. Consumer Reports will begin considering the cybersecurity and privacy safeguards of products when rating them – a long overdue move perhaps, given Internet of Things device manufacturers have previously been accused of doing the barest minimum to protect consumers. The firm will steadily implement the methodologies across its reviews, starting with test projects evaluating a small number of products. The move follows a surge in cyberattacks which have exploited vulnerabilities in Internet of Things devices such as webcams, routers, digital video…

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Security Concerns Rising in the Age of IoT

IoT has gone mainstream. Home refrigerators are chattier than ever, and emerging virtual home assistants can order wings for dinner, turn on lawn sprinklers, start the car and purchase pounds of cookies. Yet behind the headlines of these gee-whiz cyber technologies lurks a shortcoming. It is one that poses significant threats to national security but could be remedied fairly easily, some experts offer. The mobile device and sensor industries lack uniform security standards and a system of checks and balances—something akin to the safety standards for electrical devices and components…

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Old Windows malware may have tampered with 132 Android apps

Google has removed 132 apps from its Play store following a malicious coding flaw that was found possibly because the developers were using infected computers with malware, according to security researchers. The 132 apps were found generating hidden iframes, or an HTML document embedded inside a webpage, linking to two domains that have hosted malware, according to security firm Palo Alto Networks. Google investigation indicates that the developers of these infected apps are not to blame, but are more likely victims themselves. “We believe it is most likely that the…

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Amid cyberattacks, ISPs try to clean up the internet

Antivirus software is not what it used to be. The sneaky, sophisticated security threats your PC faces now have gone far beyond what traditional software can do. The future of protecting your PC will require a multi-pronged approach involving vigilant updates, bug bounties, and artificial intelligence. If your computer’s been hacked, Dale Drew might actually know something about that. Dale Drew, the chief security officer at a major internet backbone provider that’s routinely on the lookout for cyberattacks on the network level has led the company to linked more than…

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Tech devices in your home could be spying on you

tech

We’re living in a digital world where being connected is critical to almost everything we do. Some of the tech devices inside  homes could be spying on you and tracking every move you make, but there are some things you can do to stop it. Tech experts say technology today is watching, copying, and even sharing that information and you may not realize it. From teapots to toasters to refrigerators, is your technology spying on you? Jerry Irvine, a member of Homeland Security’s Cyber Task Force says home technology is…

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New York unveils final cybersecurity regulations

Cybercriminals can cause significant financial losses for business entities as well as for  consumers whose private information may be revealed and/or stolen for illicit purposes. The financial services industry is a significant target of cybersecurity threats. The New York Department of Financial Services unveiled the final cybersecurity regulations, which includes certain regulatory minimum standards while encouraging firms to keep pace with technological advances. New York is the financial capital of the world, and it’s critical that we do everything in our power to protect consumers and our financial system from the…

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Smart TV company accused for massive privacy violation

Safaricom

A top smart TV manufacturer will pay state and federal authorities $2.5 million to settle claims it illegally tracked and sold data on customer’s viewing habits without their consent,  reports IT News. Vizio, which was acquired by Chinese electronics maker LeEco last year, has agreed to pay the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the New Jersey Divsion of Consumer Affairs a total of US$2.5 million (A$3.27 million) for the privacy violation, US$300,000 of which was suspended. Authorities claim that the company sold televisions loaded with software that, by default,…

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Use of Ad-Blocking Software Rises by 30% Worldwide

ad blocker

People are increasingly using the technology on their mobile devices and computers to block intrusive advertisements while surfing the web. Facebook has tried to ban it. Google has attempted to outsmart it. But no matter what these tech giants do, people’s use of software to block digital advertising — often the lifeblood of companies’ online business models — keeps gaining traction worldwide. According to New York Times, roughly 11 percent of internet users globally relied on ad blockers to avoid some form of digital advertising last year when surfing the…

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Google Gets Rid of 1.7 Billion Bad Ads

Dianne Jacobs
Google

Google has reported that it removed 1.7 billion bad advertisements from its various sites in 2016, more than double the prior year’s totals. The firm took several steps to crack down on the deceptive advertising, including updating its policies to protect users from “misleading and predatory offers.” It also beefed up its technology to help identify misleading ads and remove them, according to Scott Spencer, Google’s director of product management, sustainable ads. The director noted that free and open Web is a vital resource for individuals and businesses around the…

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Big data can drive the future of cyber security

Data

Data science experts and big data enthusiasts are excited and prepared for a future that’s becoming increasingly connected to the web. Some techniques used to harness this raw information, such as data mining, help give us an insight into the future of cybersecurity and what areas may pique interest moving forward. A major benefit that big data provides in the realm of cybersecurity is the ability to monitor and track systems, usually contained within the cloud, for irregularities and potential breaches. Cloud Security Information and Event Management (CSIEM) allows users…

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