security

Spy Car Protects Against Unscrupulous Cops [2012]

"After a couple of negative interactions with what he calls "unscrupulous cops", Rick took the initiative to outfit his ride with some cutting-edge technology. And he founded Veterans Against Police Abuse to encourage others to do the same - use technology to create a transparent record of interactions. That, he says, is the surest way to bring-about a safer society. To learn more about the technology in Rick's ride, check out this page on his site, which includes links to many of the devices housed in his car." Continue reading →

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NYPD urging people to upgrade Apple devices to iOS7 because it is ‘safer’

"New York police officers were handing out flyers to people around New York City on Saturday urging them to upgrade their devices to Apple's new iOS7 operating system. NYPD's Public Awareness Notice promotes the software as giving 'added security to your devices'. The NYPD notice also urges people to register their devices with their 'Operation Identification Program'. One of those given a flyer was Michael Hoffman, who posted a picture on his Twitter account showing the paper from the police that was given to him at his subway stop. His tweet says: 'Four uniformed NYPD officers were at my subway stop tonight asking me to upgrade to iOS 7. Not a joke!'" Continue reading →

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Data Broker Giants Hacked by ID Theft Service

"An identity theft service that sells Social Security numbers, birth records, credit and background reports on millions of Americans has infiltrated computers at some of America’s largest consumer and business data aggregators, according to a seven-month investigation by KrebsOnSecurity. All three victim companies said they are working with federal authorities and third-party forensics firms in the early stages of determining how far the breaches extend, and whether indeed any sensitive information was accessed and exfiltrated from their networks. The intrusions raise major questions about how these compromises may have aided identity thieves." Continue reading →

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Obamacare Navigators Won’t Have To Pass Background Checks

"Ben Swann takes a look at HHS navigators and the massive amounts of private and personal information they will collect and store in the Federal Data Hub under Obamacare. Plus, we ask the question, does private information even exist anymore?" Continue reading →

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30,000 people can access Ohio driver’s license database with no oversight

"Ohio allows thousands of police officers and court employees to access driver’s license images online without oversight, by far the nation’s most permissive system. A recent Cincinnati Enquirer/Gannett Ohio investigation found the state permits 30,000 law enforcement officers and others to search the image database, which Attorney General Mike DeWine admitted last month had been uploaded in June without telling the public or reviewing security protocols. The Republican attorney general said similar technology was used by law enforcement in more than half the U.S., but the Enquirer’s report showed the technology is far more limited elsewhere." Continue reading →

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iPhone 5S fingerprint reader manages to remain secure for almost 3 days

"Germany’s Chaos Computer Club says it has cracked the protection around Apple’s fingerprint sensor on its new iPhone 5S, just two days after the device went on sale worldwide. In a post on their site, the group says that their biometric hacking team took a fingerprint of the user, photographed from a glass surface, and then created a 'fake fingerprint' which could be put onto a thin film and used with a real finger to unlock the phone. The claim, which is backed up with a video, will create concerns for businesses which see users intending to use the phone to access corporate accounts." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingiPhone 5S fingerprint reader manages to remain secure for almost 3 days

Senator Asks if FBI Can Get iPhone 5S Fingerprint Data via Patriot Act

"The iPhone 5S reportedly stores fingerprint data locally 'on the chip' and in an encrypted format. It also blocks third-party apps from accessing Touch ID. Yet important questions remain about how this technology works, Apple's future plans for this technology, and the legal protections that Apple will afford it. I should add that regardless of how carefully Apple implements fingerprint technology, this decision will surely pave the way for its peers and smaller competitors to adopt biometric technology, with varying protections for privacy. I respectfully request that Apple provide answers to the following questions." Continue reading →

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Grid Down Acapulco: “There’s Nothing to Eat”

“Though the government would like us to believe there is rarely looting or panic in the aftermath of a disaster, the fact of the matter is that within 72 hours of any serious crisis people will lose it.  Case in point: Acapulco, Mexico.  … Continue reading →

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A Government Database about our Sex Lives: Gee, What Could Go Wrong?

"I don’t like the idea of government bureaucrats having my private information, but what’s probably most worrisome about this Obama Administration scheme is that the data won’t be confidential. As McCaughey writes, it’s just a matter of time before hackers or incompetent bureaucrats make that information public. By the way, everything written by McCaughey and Hatch also helps to explain why we should resist privacy-destroying schemes such as the Internet sales tax cartel being pushed by greedy politicians. I know I wouldn’t want all my online purchases in a database where state and local bureaucrats would be able to snoop for details." Continue reading →

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Gliph Raises $200,000 To Expand Secure Messaging And Bitcoin Features

"Gliph began in early 2012 as an encrypted messaging app, focused on securing communications across iPhone, Android and web users, protecting all messages with SSL and/or AES-256 encryption. The service also offers the ability to reveal only as much personal information as desired with communication partners, using symbols – or ‘artifacts’, as the company calls them – as the primary personal identifiers. More recently, Gliph has added a number of bitcoin functions to seamlessly transact in the digital currency. Users can link existing wallets from a number of popular options including BIPS, Blockchain.info, or Coinbase." Continue reading →

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