Cybersecurity

Open Source Ammo for the SMB Security Arsenal
October 20, 2012

Technology professionals who work in and around SMBs know that sometimes bringing up information security in a smaller IT shop can be a tough sell. In many cases, SMBs feel that they don't present an attractive or large enough target for hackers to be interested in them.

Red Alert: Chinese Telecoms and Cyberattack Jitters
October 17, 2012

The House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE climaxed last week, concluding, essentially, that the Chinese firms aren't to be trusted. That set off a spate of stories, including on-the-record denials from Huawei and reports that, for the last year, U.S. telecoms have waged a campaign against their Chinese competitors.

Apple Saves Swiss Clock Face
October 15, 2012

Apple has negotiated an agreement with Swiss railway operator SBB that will allow Apple to use the company's patented clock face design. SBB "politely complained" to Apple last month after noticing that a clock design on iOS 6 was lifted from SBB's design. SBB released a statement Friday saying that the two sides had struck a deal, but added that terms would not be divulged.

Panetta Sounds Clarion Call for Cybersecurity Action
October 15, 2012

While U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta did some silicon saber-rattling last week by raising the prospect of a preemptive strike against cyberattacks, he also delivered a wake-up call to Wall Street and Congress about cybersecurity. Panetta's message to the business leaders gathered at a meeting in New York of the Business Executives for National Security was very clear.

Panetta Rattles Cybersword
October 12, 2012

In a wide-ranging speech on cybersecurity, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Thursday warned about a cyber Pearl Harbor, indicated the Department of Defense would respond in such a situation, called for greater public-private cooperation in cybersecurity, and talked about the need for a presidential executive order on cybersecurity.

Silicon Valley Goes to Washington for Anti-Huawei Campaign
October 12, 2012

Cisco Systems was among the "array" of American tech firms lobbying against Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE. Huawei and ZTE -- which were recently dubbed security threats by the House Intelligence Committee -- were targeted in a lengthy "marketing campaign" designed to discredit Chinese firms by insinuating -- or outright saying -- that they are engaged in overseas spying on behalf of the Chinese government.

Walmart's Chinese E-Commerce Buy Comes With a Catch
October 11, 2012

China's Ministry of Commerce is forcing Yihaodian, China's biggest food e-commerce site, to reorganize in the wake of Walmart's purchase of a 51.3 percent stake in the company. The anti-monopoly ruling will require that Yihaodian separate its business-to-consumer services at yihaodian.com from its third-party offerings, which will be moved to a separate, thus far nonexistent site.

Sweden: Pirate Haven No More?
October 10, 2012

The recent events surrounding the raid of a Web hosting firm in Sweden have spilled over to the outside world, triggering an attack by Anonymous on several bank, university and government websites in Sweden. The events trace back to the Oct. 1 arrest of Pirate Bay cofounder Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, which happened the same day police raided PRQ, a controversial Web host that is home to several torrent sites.

Big Businesses Walloped With Climbing Cybercrime Costs
October 08, 2012

Cybercrime costs continued to climb in 2012 according to a report released Monday by the Ponemon Institute. The study of 56 large organizations showed that the average annualized cost of cybercrime for the businesses was $8.9 million a year compared to $8.4 million a year ago. Losses for the firms ranged from one $1.4 million to $46 million. Cyberattacks have become common occurrences, said the study.

EU's Virtual Cyberattackers Lack Real-World Hacker Chops
October 05, 2012

The European Union on Thursday launched a massive multinational security exercise to simulate a distributed denial of service attack on online services in all participating countries. A total of 25 EU countries are actively participating in the exercise and another four are observing it. About 400 cybersecurity experts from the private and public sectors will fight off more than 1,000 simulated cyberincidents by the end of the Cyber Europe 2012 exercise.

Anonymous Promises Major Retaliation for Swedish Raids
October 05, 2012

The hacker group Anonymous posted a YouTube video vowing that Friday, Oct. 5, will be "the biggest thing we have ever done." The video does not get into specifics, but the threat comes amid several DDoS attacks against various Swedish agencies, including the National Board of Health and Welfare, which went down Tuesday, and the Swedish Riksbank, which was down on Wednesday.

Google Pockets Viewdle in Brewing Facial Recognition Face-off
October 04, 2012

Google-owned Motorola Mobility is acquiring Viewdle, a Ukrainian firm that makes facial recognition technology. Motorola had been in talks with Viewdle before it was acquired by Google. The acquisition of Viewdle, a pioneer in technology that recognizes and tags people in photos, figures to be a boon for Google+, Android and other Google services.

FTC Slams Door on Tech Support Scammers
October 03, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission has put a stop to a handful of tech-support scams based mainly in India that promised to remove viruses or other malware from users' computers. The scams primarily involved telemarketers contacting people in the United States and other English-speaking countries, falsely telling them that their computers were infected with malware and offering costly solutions to the nonexistent problems.

Apple Starts iPad Mini Production on the Sly
October 03, 2012

Apple's Asian component suppliers reportedly have begun mass-producing parts for a new tablet, which is believed to be smaller, and with a lower resolution, than the latest iPad that went on sale last March. Last month, South Korean LG Display and Taiwanese AU Optronics reportedly began mass-producing LCD screens to be used on the new devices

Federal Grants Wed Public-Private Cybersecurity Efforts
October 02, 2012

The debate in the U.S. Congress over a comprehensive national cybersecurity program is wearing on, largely because of differences over the roles of government and business in protecting information technology. Elsewhere, however, cybersecurity awareness and research projects are being launched through cooperative efforts.

Iran Blocks Google Ahead of National Intranet Launch
September 24, 2012

The Iranian government announced on Sunday that Gmail and Google would be filtered nationwide until further notice, and it also sent out the notice as a text message to citizens' mobile phones. Google Search is accessible but isn't functioning properly, Google services which need a secure SSL connection can't be accessed, and Gmail is out of reach.

Feds Back Projects to Bolster Online ID Verification
September 24, 2012

When Paul Steiner published his 1993 cartoon in The New Yorker with the caption, "On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog," little did he know it would become a mantra among security professionals, especially those concerned about authenticating identities on the Net. The job of finding ways to identify dogs in cyberspace has been assigned to the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, better known as NSTIC.

White House May Try Cybersecurity End Run
September 21, 2012

The White House is close to completing an executive order on cybersecurity, Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano has reportedly stated. This order aims to protect the United States' critical infrastructure -- our electric grid, water systems and transportation networks -- from cyberattacks. More than 90 percent of the United States' critical infrastructure is in the hands of the private sector.

Cyberattack Warning Throws US Banks' Security Into High Gear
September 21, 2012

Citing recent threats of cyberattacks, the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry body set up by the financial services industry, has raised its cyberthreat level from "elevated" to "high." It points to credible intelligence indicating the potential for distributed denial of service and other cyberattacks against financial institutions.

PayPal Blocks Argentine Peso-to-Dollar Conversions
September 18, 2012

Online payment service PayPal will prevent users in Argentina from making domestic transfers. PayPal users in Argentina will only be able to send and receive "international payments" starting on Oct. 9. The move is apparently linked to the Argentine government's 2011 decision to restrict the purchase of U.S. dollars, a move implemented either to prevent tax evasion and money laundering, or to prop up the value of the peso, depending on whom you ask.