Hacking, Security & Privacy - Page 20

Edward Snowden remains in Moscow, Russia, unable to find a new temporary home - and afraid of serious charges awaiting him in the United States. However, Snowden has said on multiple occasions that he would like to return home in the future, but only if he's treated fairly.

"Edward loves America and he would definitely like to return home," said Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's attorney in Russia, in a statement to the media. "But it is our position, and a very simple one, that as long as his case is politicized and commented on as it is by politicians of all levels, that his return to his motherland is impossible."

Snowden is holed up in Russia, and while he didn't disclose information to the Russian government, he also didn't defect to the country. Instead, Snowden released damning data to the public "as an act of conscience," Kucherena said.

Auto manufacturers are anxious to pack as much infotainment as they can into new vehicles, but that is opening the door to potential security risks. The NCC Group recently informed the BBC they were able to use digital audio broadcasting (DAB) radio signals to launch attacks - a tactic that could be utilized to interfere with how a vehicle's brakes operate.

Chrysler had to release a patch to resolve an issue reported by security researchers, able to demonstrate remote takeover of a vehicle - by sending data to the infotainment and navigation system. Not surprisingly, Chrysler was quick to offer a statement regarding connected vehicle security:

"[Fiat Chrysler Automobiles] has a program in place to continuously test vehicle systems to identify vulnerabilities and develop solutions," a Chrysler spokesperson told Wired. "FCA is committed to providing customers with the latest software updates to secure vehicles against any potential vulnerability."

Anonymous has posted a list of accounts suspected of aiding the Islamic State, typically by spreading propaganda and opening up dialogue with possible recruits. Some members are being spammed, while others have been suspended or removed from Twitter.

In addition to Twitter, Anonymous wants to identify Facebook pages, websites, blogs, and the Web proxies used by the Islamic State. One such tactic is using images of the "ISIS-Chan" anime character and using search engine optimization to influence how the accounts are found.

The United States has struggled against the Islamic State's massive social media campaign, with Google and other companies pledging to step up. However, trying to clamp down on 50,000 accounts sending out around 100,000 daily Islamic State-themed tweets will be no easy task.

Ashley Madison has been hacked, with some 37 million accounts hacked, including financial records, private details of the users, and more. Noel Biderman, the CEO of Avid Life Media, the company which runs Ashley Madison, has confirmed the site has been hacked. Biderman said: "We're not denying this happened".

A hacker group going by the name of The Impact Team has taken responsibility behind the back, with the team holding ALM ransom with the information it has. The hacking group sayd that it will release "all customer records, including profiles with all the customers' secret sexual fantasies and matching credit card transactions, real names and addresses, and employee documents and emails". The Impact Team will keep the information it has in its possession, if ALM and the other sites it runs - Cougar Life and Established Men - is taken offline in all forms.

The Impact Team has said it's taken a high moral stance, taking a stab at ALM's business practices, and the users that are on these sites by cheating on their partners. Where things get interesting, is that The Impact Team says that the "full delete" option that Ashley Madison offers for $19 - which reportedly deletes your payment and address details from their records - is a "complete lie". The hacking group says: "Full Delete netted ALM $1.7mm in revenue in 2014. It's also a complete lie. Users almost always pay with credit card; their purchase details are not removed as promised, and include real name and address, which is of course the most important information the users want removed".

FBI Director James Comey recently spoke in front of lawmakers, again saying encryption is making things difficult for law enforcement. Silicon Valley wants to keep user data secure, and many services provide encryption and enhanced security measures - but it hasn't made the FBI and other agencies happy.

"Our job is to look at a haystack the size of this country to find needles that are increasingly invisible to us because of end-to-end encryption," Comey told the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary. "People watch TV and think the FBI as a way to break that encryption... we do not."

Of course, the federal government wants a backdoor to access private user data, while tech companies and privacy advocates argue about security and privacy issues.

Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, won't be leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in London to head to France, after President Francois Hollande refused to give him asylum. Assange's attorneys say he never requested official asylum, but was asked to visit the country by Justice Minister Chistiane Taubira and members of a French civil rights group.

"France cannot act on his request. The situation of Mr. Assange does not present an immediate danger," President Hollande's office said in an official statement. "Furthermore, he is subject to a European arrest warrant."

Assange will remain in the embassy in London, where he has been for three years, as he tries to avoid extradition to Sweden. Although he maintains his innocence in alleged rape and sexual assault cases, he fears the possibility Sweden will extradite him to the United States.

French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said it's not up to her, but she "wouldn't be surprised" if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were offered asylum in France. Ultimately, it'd be up to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and President Francois Hollande to make a final determination - however, trying to get both men to France would be a rather unique logistical challenge.

"If France decides to offer asylum to Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, I wouldn't be surprised. It's a possibility," Taubira recently told BFMTV.

Snowden is wanted by US authorities for espionage and numerous other charges after leaking NSA documents to the public. Meanwhile, Assange has taken up residence in the Ecuadorian consulate in London, in an effort to avoid extradition to Sweden on alleged sexual assault charges. He's afraid if he's extradited back to Sweden, he'd be sent to the United States.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has said multiple times he would like to return home to the United States, but has become comfortable living in Russia. Over the past two years, Snowden has adapted to his temporary home as best as he could, learning to live his life away from political scrutiny and intense media attention.

"Edward and all of us hope that, sooner or later, all absurd charges against him will be lifted and the questions for him put on the legal track, without insults and name-calling. This is when he can return home," said Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's attorney, in a statement to Interfax.

The idea that Snowden will one day be able to return to his homeland seems like nothing more than a fantasy at this point - it seems highly doubtful the Obama Administration, and other members of the government would be able to leave him alone.

Political tensions between the United States and China have been strained for a number of reasons in recent months, and things won't suddenly get better. US intelligence chief James Clapper believes China is the leading suspect in the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach, which left millions of government workers at risk of identity theft.

Here is what Clapper said while speaking at a recent Washington intelligence conference: "You have to kind of salute the Chinese for what they did," based on the sophistication of the data theft. The first two attacks stole more than 4 million records, and it's been reported that up to 18 million files could have been affected.

"It's something that we agreed needs to be addressed and hopefully it can be addressed soon," said John Kirby, US State Department spokesman, during a recent press conference.

Cybersecurity software company Malwarebytes has launched a new amnesty program that offers a free replacement key for Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium customers - people using pirated copies or customers tricked into purchasing a counterfeit copy.

To help keep your PCs and systems secure, Malwarebytes has a variety of different anti-virus and anti-malware software solutions. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium costs $24.95 for one year and can be installed on three different PCs.

"The Internet is full of pioneers and cowboys. It's also got its fair share of pirates and trolls," Malwarebytes said in a public statement. "Some of those bad guys may have duped you into purchasing a counterfeit version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. Or perhaps we've simply detected a problem with your key. Not to worry. We're here to help."

The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) suffered a devastating data breach that has impacted millions of people - and the agency is now trying to move too fast and isn't following best practices. The OPM is relying on systems that are "decades-old" and apparently has no idea what they are actually doing to prevent future cybersecurity issues.

"It may sound counterintuitive, but OPM must slow down and not continue to barrel forward with this project," said Patrick McFarland, Inspector General of the OPM, while speaking to the Senate Homeland Security Committee. "The agency must take the time to get it right the first time."

Sen. Ron Johnson (R - WI) and Sen. John McCain (R - AZ) have called into question the Obama Administration's commitment to overall cybersecurity. The "OPM has become a case study in the consequences of inadequate action and neglect," Johnson recently said. Meanwhile, McCain questioned if OPM agency director Katherine Archuleta should stay in her current role, especially after offering conflicting reports regarding OPM's breach damage.

The US government and military cannot be left alone to keep data safe from outside threat, and it's up to the private sector, security planners and citizens to lend a hand. Officials hope to create a new national cybersecurity strategy that will better protect the federal government from cyberespionage attempts.

"You do not want this to be a military approach," said Mark Troutman, director of the Center for Infrastructure Protection & Homeland Security at George Mason University, during a meeting at the US Army War College. "We are Americans. We secure ourselves at the end of the day with an active and engaged citizenry."

It's appropriate timing for the talks, as the United States and China interact with one another at the Strategic and Economic Forum, with US officials assuming China is behind the devastating Office of Personnel Management (OPM) attack.

Passwords and PIN codes remain the most popular first line of security for smartphones and tablets, but researchers continue researching biometrics.

There are some devices that use fingerprint scans to help unlock phones, but new solutions could include using a retina scan or your palm print to help unlock devices. As more devices contain sensitive data, and rising interest in mobile payments, the need for biometrics to evolve may become necessary.

The first wave of Apple products with biometrics, however, had some issues - and hopefully was a learning experience for other smartphone manufacturers.

Eugene Kaspersky is the founder of the Kaspersky Lab cybersecurity software company, and believes hackers will have plenty of opportunities when it comes to targeting connected Things.

"You call it Internet of things; I call it Internet of threats," Kaspersky recently said on NBC News. Kaspersky noted that hackers could be able to display messages on a smart TV, smartwatch and other connected devices, or be malicious and compromise personal information.

It's no secret that IoT is expected to be more disruptive, but cybersecurity experts are concerned. Even though more Things will be in our apartments and homes, consumers don't appear completely sold on the technology - so manufacturers will have to address that problem while also trying to improve security protocols.

The GCHQ British intelligence agency didn't follow protocol when it intercepted data on two non-government organizations, according to the country's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). Retaining emails for longer than it is supposed to is a violation of GCHQ internal procedures - but the IPT says the data interception was legal.

"We welcome the IPT's confirmation that any interception by GCHQ in these cases was undertaken lawfully and proportionately, and that where breaches of policies occurred they were not sufficiently serious to warrant any compensation to be paid to the bodies involved," a government spokesman said, in a statement published by the BBC.

The GCHQ intercepted communications from the Legal Resources Centre and Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, with both groups saying their data was illegally examined and retained. However, the IPT didn't offer a statement regarding claims from Amnesty International and other NGOs.

The Anonymous hacker collective targeted Canadian government websites in retribution for the recent passing of the anti-terror Bill C-51. The distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks took place on Wednesday and temporarily disrupted web sites belonging to the Canadian Senate, Justice Department and two different spy agencies.

The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) has been awarded new powers to investigate and disrupt suspected terror-related activities after Bill C-51 passed. The bill, which was heavily criticized by privacy and citizen watch groups, has angered many Canadian citizens - and Anonymous was more than willing to take aim. There is fear that the government will be able to monitor legitimate Internet activity, and then sweep it under the rug.

Here is what Anonymous said regarding the hack: "Greetings citizens of Canada, we are Anonymous. Today, this 17th of June 2015 we launched an attack against the Canadian Senate and government of Canada websites in protest against the recent passing of Bill C-51. A bill which is a clear violation of the universal declaration of human rights, as well as removing our legal protections that have stood, enshrined in the Magna Carta for 800 years."

Swann Security has announced the SwannCloud Plug & Play security camera and SwannCloud HD Pan & Tilt security camera.

Both cameras are able to record and capture 720p HD video and 1280 x 720 HD images, which can be saved to a smartphone or tablet. In addition, the Pan & Tilt camera can be remotely operated using the SwannCloud app for Google Android and Apple iOS users. Both cameras also make use of on-board infrared LEDs to provide higher quality nighttime video and image viewing.

The SwannCloud HD Plug & Play has a $129.99 MSRP, while the SwannCLoud HD Pan & Tilt is available for $179.99.

The North Korean regime didn't like news that the United States tried to launch a Stuxnet-like cyberattack against the country, and threatened it could "wage a cyber war against the US to hasten its ruin."

A report in a North Korean newspaper also said the country "can react to any forms of wars, operations and battles sought by the US imperialists," and added "the US is greatly mistaken if it thinks the DPRK will just overlook with folded arms the provocations in the cyber space."

North Korea has threatened a cyber-based apocalypse against the US in the past - and was reportedly behind the attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A union representing federal employees claims that cybercriminals were able to successfully steal Social Security numbers and other personal data of every federal employee. Following news that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was hacked, suspected by "the Chinese," it's turned out to be a bigger issue than the Obama Administration publicly stated.

Hackers were able to compromise the Central Personnel Data File, which holds records for current federal employees, retired personnel, and as many as one million former federal employee records. The data files reportedly have up to 780 data points about a federal worker - an alarming amount of personal information that wasn't properly secured.

"We believe that Social Security numbers were not encrypted, a cybersecurity failure that is absolutely indefensible and outrageous," said J. David Cox, president of the American Federal of Government Employees, in an open letter to the OPM. The group has described the OPM breach as "an abysmal failure on the part of the agency to guard data that has been entrusted to it by the federal workforce."

Unsealed federal court documents revealed almost 600 storage accounts may have been compromised as part of the infamous 'Celebgate' hacking scandal. Stolen images from Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Hope Solo and other actresses and models were posted on 4chan, and then spread elsewhere on the Internet.

Apple iCloud accounts belonging to 572 unique accounts were accessed, some of the accounts visited six times.

In other news, the FBI has traced the hacker to the South Side of Chicago, in the Brighton Park neighborhood. FBI agents seized computers and other documents from the house, but no one has been arrested. Two email addresses allegedly belonging to 30-year-old Emilio Herrera are tied to the investigation, but he hasn't been named as a suspect.