HORNET is an encrypted, anonymous web browsing system that destroys Tor's performance
With the current concerns about surveillance and privacy, more and more people are turning to anonymizing tools. The existence of unknown numbers of spying tools means that increasing numbers of people are turning to the likes of Tor to keep their online activities private.
But encryption systems such as those used by The Onion Relay have a horrible tendency to slow things down. A new encryption system called HORNET could be a solution. Its creators say that data transfer speeds of up to 93GBps are possible, with much of the acceleration coming from a reduction in the number of hops data has to make around the network.
Mac security software on test
Not so long ago most Mac users would have told you that their systems didn't need any form of protection as they were inherently safe. But the world has become a more dangerous place and last year the iWorm malware is thought to have recruited some 18,000 Macs into a botnet.
Whilst experienced users who are careful about what they install and where they go online may still be justified in feeling safe using a Mac without additional protection, there's no doubt that non-experts need extra security. Particularly as cyber criminals have started to target Macs because they know more of them are unprotected.
New techniques to deal with data breaches [Q&A]
It's easy to think of data breaches as being someone else's problem, until you're affected by one yourself. Because breaches can involve large volumes of data, dealing with one can be a lot of work.
Can new techniques in capturing and storing data help to ease the burden on IT teams and even help prevent breaches in the first place? We spoke to Perry Dickau, director of product management from data-aware storage provider DataGravity to find out.
Anonymous destroying Islamic State propaganda with images of Anime girls
It’s fair to say Anonymous is no fan of Islamic State. The hacktivist collective has been waging an online war against the terrorist organization for a while now as part of #OpISIS. Five months ago it described Islamic State as a virus, and itself as the cure.
Now Anonymous has a new weapon which it’s using to reduce the impact of Islamic State’s presence on Twitter -- female Japanese Anime characters.
Check your computer for Hacking Team malware with these essential security tools
When Hacking Team was hacked, a massive cache of data was leaked, including the source code for government-strength surveillance tools. Hacking Team warned that the code could have fallen into terrorist hands, but then backtracked slightly to say that any code that had been obtained was incomplete and out of date.
We already know that the company managed to sneak malicious apps into Google Play, and you might be concerned that some of its malware has made its way onto your computer. To help put minds at rest -- hopefully -- Rook Software has released a tool to seek out Hacking Tool malware.
Druva helps enterprises to protect and govern data
When a company's information was held all together in a single data center it was easy to keep control, to protect it and to ensure it didn't fall into the wrong hands.
But today with data in the cloud and on mobile devices locating, tracking, monitoring and preserving sensitive details is a much harder task.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 is secure-enough for UK government
If you’re a government employee in the UK, looking for a device secure enough for you to use, you can go for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge.
The Communications and Electronics Security Group (CESG) has said that the duo of handsets meet the compliance standards for its Commercial Product Assurance requirements.
Twitter launches new Safety Center to educate and protect users
Over the years Twitter has taken various steps to help users avoid spam, trolls, abuse, and other online problems. Today the social site takes the wraps off the Twitter Safety Center. This is home to advice about staying safe on Twitter and online in general, as well as including links to the various tools that Twitter has to offer.
The Safety Center is divided into three sections -- Tools, Policies, and Enforcement -- and the idea is that users are given the information they need to keep themselves safe. Each of the sections includes advice and guides about improving security, maintaining privacy, and avoiding unwanted content.
Microsoft releases emergency security patch for all Windows versions
Microsoft has released an off-schedule patch for all currently supported versions of Windows. A serious vulnerability has been discovered in a font driver that could be exploited by a hacker to remotely execute code on a compromised machine.
The problem affects Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows RT, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012. Windows 10 is not at risk. Microsoft describes the issue as 'critical' and has pushed an emergency patch to Windows Update.
New security service helps protect the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is growing fast, according to Gartner around 4.9 billion devices will be in use this year, up 30 percent on 2014, and there could be 25 billion IoT devices by 2020.
But with all of these devices being rushed to market security can be left behind. According to managed security specialist Trustwave's 2015 Security Pressures Report, 77 percent of respondents said they had been pressured to unveil IT projects that were not security ready.
Frustration mounts as Microsoft fails to fix Skype's spoof message problem
Over on the Skype community pages there are lots of disgruntled Skype users. For a number of weeks now, many users have been plagued with spoof messages from people on their contact list, telling them to visit a Russian website. Others complain that their contacts say their own account has sent out a similar message. Despite the problem having been reported nearly a month ago, Microsoft has still to address the issue.
For now, all the company has to say is "change your password", insisting that a team is working on the issue. The spoofed message includes a shortened URL, so those clicking it have no idea where it leads until it is too late. Rather than offering a full solution, all Microsoft has to suggest is to change Skype passwords -- it seems the company is too busy focusing on Windows 10 at the moment.
Hacking Team leak shows how to sneak malicious apps into Google Play
Italian security and surveillance company Hacking Team was most famed for supplying monitoring tools to governments around the world, but a recent security breach revealed the inner workings of the outfit. Sifting through the leaked data revealed not only spying tools and Flash vulnerabilities, but also Android apps with backdoors.
Security experts from Trend Micro found that spyware from Hacking Team was released to Google Play, bypassing checks that are usually performed. BeNews was a fake news apps -- now removed from the store -- that could be used to download remote access software to Android devices running anything from Froyo to KitKat.
Download the latest update to Windows 10 Build 10240
If you've installed Windows 10 Build 10240, it's possible that you're running near-RTM code. It has been suggested that it is in fact final code, but a new update from Microsoft proves otherwise.
This is not a new build so soon after the other, but a regular, run-of-the-mill update. That’s not to say it's not important -- it is a bug-fixing update which addresses some last minute issues. KB3074665 is listed as a security update, and Microsoft's Gab Aul also describes it as "a package of fixes based on reported issues in 10240".
If iOS crashes, don't pay these scammers to get it fixed
There’s a new-old elaborate scheme going around the English-speaking world, and this one targets Apple users and their wallets.
According to a report by The Telegraph, iPhone and iPad users in the US and the UK have started getting pop-ups on their devices, telling them the iOS had crashed and that they need to call support in order to fix the problem.
Spam drops below 50 percent of email for the first time since 2003
For the first time in more than a decade the amount of spam has fallen to less than 50 percent of the total volume of email.
According to the latest Symantec Intelligence Report, the overall spam rate has dropped to 49.7 percent, the first time a figure this low has been recorded since September 2003.
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