iPhone X gets facial authentication, is the enterprise next?
This week, Apple debuted the iPhone X which kills the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in favor of a 3D facial scanning technology called FaceID. Soon, iPhone users will depend on face recognition in order to check email, send a text or call a friend. Here’s an excerpt from The Verge’s initial iPhone X review:
DHS Orders Government Agencies to Stop Using Kaspersky Products
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a binding operational directive on Wednesday ordering government departments and agencies to stop using products from Kaspersky Lab due to concerns regarding the company’s ties to Russian intelligence. The DHS told agencies that they have 30 days to identify the use or presence of products supplied directly…
Why end-to-end encryption is about more than just privacy
The question of whether regular people need end-to-end encryption will surely be debated for quite some time. But for Alan Duric, CEO and co-founder of Wire, the question can only have a positive answer. As he told the audience at the FSec security symposium in Varazdin, Croatia, end-to-end encryption is about more than just privacy…
Russian hackers used NSA’s leaked EternalBlue exploit to spy on hotel guests
A Russian government-sponsored cyberespionage group has been accused of using a leaked NSA hacking tool in attacks against one Middle Eastern and at least seven European hotels in order to spy on guests. Why reinvent the wheel, or a hacking tool, when the NSA created such an effective one? The NSA’s EternalBlue was leaked online…
UK Introduces Data Protection Bill to Replace GDPR After Brexit
The UK government has announced its plans for a new Data Protection Bill. This was foreshadowed in the Queen’s Speech of 21 June when she announced, “A new law will ensure that the United Kingdom retains its world-class regime protecting personal data.” This law is, in effect, the European General Data Protection Regulation designed to…
Man Who Hacked his Former Employer Gets 18-Month Prison Sentence
A Tennessee man also must pay restitution of nearly $172,400 to his former employer after hacking into its systems to gain an edge for his new company. A federal court sentenced a Tennessee man to an 18-month prison sentence and ordered him to pay $172,394 in restitution, following his breach into a former employer’s network…
Apple Removes Some VPN Services From Chinese App Store
Apple has removed software allowing internet users to skirt China’s “Great Firewall” from its app store in the country, the company confirmed Sunday, sparking criticism that it was bowing to Beijing’s tightening web censorship. Chinese internet users have for years sought to get around heavy internet restrictions, including blocks on Facebook and Twitter, by using…
Apple Builds Data Center in China, Promises No Backdoors
Apple on Wednesday announced the establishment of its first China-based data center in an effort to improve its services in the region and comply with recently implemented regulations, but the tech giant has promised not to build any backdoors into its systems. The new data center is located in China’s Guizhou province, which Apple selected…
Smart home device calls cops during domestic dispute
Amazon is kicking off its third annual Prime Day by slashing the cost of an Amazon Echo, cutting 50 percent off the price tag, and selling the Echo for only $89.99. Google is competing by cutting $64 from the price tag for a Google Home and Chromecast bundle, selling the two for $99.99. So, if you’ve been wanting to…
Microsoft Forces Users to Review Windows 10 Privacy Settings
Windows 10 users who haven’t installed the Creators Update will soon be notified to review their privacy settings and to install the latest feature update to remain secure, Microsoft announced. Microsoft has been criticized for its Windows 10 data collection practices, and the French National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) recently served the company a formal notice to…