Hear the recordings Google stores of the voice commands you've said to your phone
OK Google, Siri, and Cortana all make it possible to control a phone simply by speaking to it. In the case of Google, what you might not be aware -- it's hardly something the company shouts about -- is that recordings of every command, question, and request are stored online.
Listening back through these could well be interesting, embarrassing, perhaps even nostalgic. You can step back in time and remind yourself of trips abroad, fun nights out, and the like, but you might also be concerned about privacy. If you would rather these recordings were not stored online, you can delete them; here's how.
USB Killer can fry any computer in seconds -- watch it in action
Just as sharing floppy disks in the 1990s carried the risk of infecting your PC with a virus, so sharing USB flash drives carries the same risk today. Fortunately you can easily protect against that kind of threat by disabling autorun and also installing a decent anti-virus program.
However, a Russian security expert has created a new, far more dangerous USB stick, which doesn’t carry a virus, but rather a deadly charge of power which can fry any device with a USB port in a matter of seconds.
Time is crucial in dealing with cyber security threats
Of 430 security and risk professionals surveyed, 55 percent were dissatisfied with the length of time it takes them to contain and recover from attacks.
This is according to information security training and analysis organization SANS, which has released the results of its latest report into data center and cloud security.
IT professionals express doubts over IoT security
According to a new survey, 64 percent of consumers are confident they can control the information access of Internet of Things devices, but 78 percent of IT professionals say security standards are insufficient.
The findings come from the 2015 Risk/Reward Barometer of global cyber security association ISACA and suggest a major confidence gap about the security of connected devices between the average consumer and cyber security and information technology professionals.
FBI and GCHQ investigate Dridex malware after millions stolen from bank accounts
An investigation spanning the US and Europe is under way after tens of millions of dollars was stolen from bank accounts. The thefts are believed to have been facilitated by a strain of malware known variously as Dridex, Bugat, and Cridex, enabling a group known as Evil Corp to siphon off funds.
The malware has been known of for some time, but law enforcement agencies have only just started to make significant inroads that could thwart the activities of the botnet. An arrest has now been made in connection to the malware which hijacked online banking login pages on infected computers. After stealing usernames and passwords, taking money from accounts was a simple task.
BlackBerry Priv will be expensive
The rumor mill has put a price tag on the upcoming BlackBerry Priv handset, and this smartphone won’t be cheap.
That likely won’t come as a surprise though, given the noises that have already been made about this being a premium phone, and BlackBerry’s chief executive John Chen has even previously said that the device will have a top-end price tag.
US has no plans to impose encryption backdoors
US President Barack Obama’s administration will no longer pursue legislation which allows the government to legally spy on its citizens, Reuters reported on Monday.
A White House spokesperson confirmed the move, announcing a change in strategy for the US government, where it will go for a more patient approach.
Intelligent APIs help protect businesses from cyber threats
There are expected to be over 40 billion active wireless devices by 2020, opening up new opportunities for business. However, this rapid growth also opens up new vulnerabilities leading to operational disruption, intellectual property loss, brand reputation and financial fraud.
To help businesses protect themselves API management specialist Apigee is launching Apigee Sense, a data-driven security solution that uses a high volume of API call data and predictive analytics to continually identify bad bots.
Behavioral analysis adds protection to the cloud
Protecting data in the cloud requires companies to secure the data itself but also to guard against cyber attacks, stolen credentials and more.
Security specialist StratoKey is announcing what it calls the 'second generation' of cloud protection using behavioral analytics tied to defensive countermeasures, as part of an update to its core StratoKey Cloud Access and Security Broker (CASB) platform.
Millennials lose faith in organizations' cyber security
New research suggests that millennials in the US and UK have lost trust in the ability of enterprises and governments to protect their personal data online.
The survey comes from digital identity and credentials specialist Intercede and questioned around 2,000 16 to 35 year-olds. It indicates a widespread state of mistrust that has the potential to change the nature of online interactions with public agencies and corporations and points to a need for action to avoid a future backlash.
How to protect your network in the BYOD era
The consumerization of business technology is picking-up speed. This trend towards the introduction of consumer technology within the corporate environment for the use of work activities is best reflected in policies like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).
These policies have become prevalent in most corporate environments, and have kept many network administrators awake at night worried about the potential data breaches that could occur.
Hackers exploit serious unpatched Netgear router DNS vulnerability
Netgear is yet to patch a publicized vulnerability that affects its routers. The security hole, which is described as 'serious', has already been exploited but Netgear is yet to act. The exploit allows attackers to change the affected routers' DNS settings and it is estimated that over 10,000 routers have already been attacked.
Netgear had been informed of the vulnerability by two security companies, but is still to release a firmware update to plug the hole. The exploit was privately revealed back in July by Swiss company Compass Security, but separately discovered and publicly published by researchers at Shellshock Labs in September who explain that it allows for "full remote unauthenticated root access" of routers.
LoopPay hack does not affect Samsung Pay users
Samsung has hit a spot of trouble, with the news that LoopPay, a US-based subsidiary of the company, has been targeted by hackers.
This is particularly important because as the New York Times reports, LoopPay’s magnetic secure transmission technology is the cornerstone of Samsung’s mobile payment system.
ARCHOS announces the privacy-centric GranitePhone to take on the Blackphone
Smartphone owners will often argue over which mobile platform is the most secure, but if you're looking for the ultimate security, you need to step away from the mainstream. Silent Circle is probably the best known off-the-beaten-track company thanks to its ultra-secure Blackphone, but now there is a new contender: the GranitePhone by SIKUR.
Just as the Blackphone 2 runs the custom-made Silent OS 2.0, so the GranitePhone is driven by Graphite OS. It's a handset aimed at not only governments and businesses looking to secure their communications and data, but also individuals who are particularly concerned about their privacy.
Lastpass sold to LogMeIn -- should Linux users panic?
Cloud-based password managers are amazing solutions for keeping your login credentials safe and secure. I used to trust Google Chrome for this, but I did not want to be tied to one browser. Ultimately, I settled on Lastpass. My reason was simple -- it supports Linux, as it is entirely browser-based. The beautiful 1Password, and other alternatives, do not work on Chromebooks or my favorite open source distributions, sadly.
Today, however, Lastpass drops a bombshell, announcing it has been bought by the company LogMeIn. I am not familiar with this new owner, but many people are unhappy -- the comment section on the announcement is full of outrage. If you only use Windows, Mac, iOS or Android, there are alternatives, so you can switch if things get bad. Users of Chrome OS, Ubuntu, Fedora and other such operating systems? Not so much. Should we Linux users panic?
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