Security news

Computer Sciences

The end of text-based passwords? 'Transparent image moving' provides a new solution

It's past time the world moves away from text-based passwords and verifications for mobile phones and starts embracing more secure image-based solutions, say computer scientists from the University of Surrey.

Security

Researchers exploit vulnerabilities of smart device microphones and voice assistants

Guenevere Chen, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, recently published a paper on USENIX Security 2023 that demonstrates a novel inaudible voice trojan attack to exploit vulnerabilities ...

Security

Australian report cites 'datafication' of childhood

To protect privacy in our homes we may build fences, grow shrubs, hang curtains and install security cameras.

Security

Google and Microsoft are bringing AI to office apps. How it could boost productivity for us—and cybercriminals

Google and Microsoft are on a mission to remove the drudgery from computing, by bringing next-generation AI tools as add-ons to existing services.

Business

Dutch gov't staff discouraged from apps such as TikTok

The Netherlands is moving to stop central government employees having apps including popular video sharing service TikTok installed on their work phones, amid concerns over data security.

Hardware

Detecting manipulations in microchips

Attackers have the ability not only to manipulate software, but also to tamper with the hardware. A team from Bochum is devising methods to detect such tampering.

Business

BBC urges staff to ditch TikTok over data fears

The BBC said Monday that it had told staff to delete Chinese-owned video app TikTok unless it was needed for business reasons, with Western institutions increasingly taking a harder stance over data collection fears.

Business

Why TikTok's security risks keep raising fears

TikTok is once again fending off claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.

Security

'Indirect prompt injection' attacks could upend chatbots

ChatGPT's explosive growth has been breathtaking. Barely two months after its introduction last fall, 100 million users had tapped into the AI chatbot's ability to engage in playful banter, argue politics, generate compelling ...

Security

Is there an end in sight for Oakland's ransomware crisis?

A ransomware attack against Oakland that has affected city services and exposed reams of sensitive personnel data is creating a nightmare for city officials who aren't sure what it will take to resolve the crisis.

Security

Health data breach hitting Congress 'could be extraordinary'

House leaders say the impact of a hack of a health insurance marketplace used by members of Congress "could be extraordinary," exposing sensitive personal data of lawmakers, their employees and families. In all, thousands ...

Security

ECB to test banks' cyber defences as risks grow

The European Central Bank will next year test eurozone lenders' defences against cyberattacks, a top official said Thursday, as the risk of hacking attempts is seen to have increased since the pandemic and Russia's invasion ...

Computer Sciences

Breakthrough enables perfectly secure digital communications

A group of researchers has achieved a breakthrough in secure communications by developing an algorithm that conceals sensitive information so effectively that it is impossible to detect that anything has been hidden.

Business

Why is TikTok under attack from the US government?

The popular social media app TikTok is facing increased scrutiny as some government officials have declared it a security risk, with the Biden administration last week giving federal agencies 30 days to ensure that TikTok ...

Computer Sciences

Zero trust in 'zero trust'

In May 2021, the President of the United States issued an executive order, initiating a government-wide effort to sure up its cybersecurity practices. The mandate tasked agencies with implementing zero-trust architectures ...

Security

Cyberattack hits major hospital in Spanish city of Barcelona

A ransomware cyberattack on one of Barcelona' s main hospitals has crippled the center's computer system and forced the cancelation of 150 nonurgent operations and up to 3,000 patient checkups, officials said Monday.

Security

EPA mandates states report on cyber threats to water systems

The Biden administration on Friday said it would require states to report on cybersecurity threats in their audits of public water systems, a day after it released a broader plan to protect critical infrastructure against ...

Security

BetterHelp shared users' sensitive health data, FTC says

The online counseling service BetterHelp has agreed to return $7.8 million to customers to settle with the Federal Trade Commission for sharing health data it had promised to keep private—including information about mental ...

Robotics

Security vulnerabilities detected in drones made by DJI

Researchers from Bochum and Saarbrücken have detected security vulnerabilities, some of them serious, in several drones made by the manufacturer DJI. These enable users, for example, to change a drone's serial number or ...

Security

Biden administration releases new cybersecurity strategy

The U.S. government plans to expand minimum cybersecurity requirements for critical sectors and to be faster and more aggressive in preventing cyberattacks before they can occur, including by using military, law enforcement ...

Security

Dish Network still reeling from week-old ransomware attack

The TV provider Dish Network continued to recover Wednesday from a ransomware attack last week that it said disrupted operations, internet sites and call centers. It said unspecified data was stolen and it was investigating ...