iOSecurit9

June 15, 2015 — Leave a comment

What is the use of the new OS, if there are no security improvements? This is a golden, and yet unwritten rule, in the mobile world. With this shiny thought in mind, what can we expect from the new iOS 9? Well, for what is worth we are going to make a few wild guesses, based on some serious rumors.

For the time being, we have a fingerprint scanner and a four-characters-code at our disposal. These 10,000 possible combinations are obviously not enough for the busy little bees in Apple. How about a million of potential combinations of a new six-character-code? This sounds like a plan.

Sometimes is good to have your reputation at stake. Why? Because, you will work really hard to create one hell of a tough system for hackers to crack. Yes, you care about your users, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to your shiny logo, which you need to protect at all costs.

OK Apple, you have certainly caught our attention. You want us to feel safe and invulnerable. Then, we have no other choice than to put your name to the rigorous tests. We will see what was this, an intriguing ad or a serious decision to set new standards in the cyber security field.

Capture The DARPA’s Flag

June 10, 2015 — Leave a comment

The DARPA stands for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), or in plain English, one of Fox Mulder’s most favorite non-secret government agencies. You dream about it, they make it. The most unimaginable and crazy weapons among other things.

However, this time the DARPA’s men in black have decided to borrow some of Defcon’s strategies. If you want to earn two million dollars in two days, here is what you have to do. You or your team have to come up with a software, which has mastered the skill of superior self defense.

The intention is more than clear with this one. No price is too big to pay for the state-of-the-art software, which can withstand the most sophisticated cyber attacks. In addition, the DARPA is aiming high with this one. How high you may ask? Let us put it in this more understandable way.

The perfect software according to DARPA’s rigorous criteria is supposed not only to successfully defend itself, but also to strike back with all the power of a cyber vengeance. This is a true win-win the busy little bees in the DARPA are trying to achieve with this challenging contest.

Don’t Apple Watch And Drive

June 7, 2015 — Leave a comment

One driver had to pay a $120 ticket. What for? He was using his Apple Watch while driving. Obviously, the police does not like to see you look for a favorite song while being stuck in traffic. So, what is the moral of this story? New technologies brought us new troubles?

One of the police officers was a little bit more thoughtful in this matter. His word of advice is that we have to catch up with the new devices in terms of appropriate laws and regulations. We do not want reckless drivers on our streets. However, we also do not want to pay a huge price for our precious cyber-pets.

For the time being there is no acceptable middle ground for both parties. We are pretty much convinced that the authorities are exaggerating. On the other hand, the police officers on the field believe that the new smart devices strongly contribute to the reckless and dangerous behavior behind the wheel.

It seems that we have to come up with a new series of smart devices, which will be safe-drive-friendly. Until then, we should think twice before pressing shining buttons while driving. We do not want for smart devices put us in the dumb situations, do we? Do not Apple Watch and drive!

Mozilla’s Suggest A Privacy Unrest

May 31, 2015 — Leave a comment

Sooner or later, this way or another, you are going to be ad-stabbed-back by all those shiny, friendly and colorful service providers. This has already happened with Google, and the history repeats itself with Mozilla. We have to admit, we are a little bit heartbroken. All great ideas have greedy endings.

Mozilla is about to introduce the thing called Suggested Tiles. So, what is the big deal about it? Well, this is a new kind of advertisement. You are going to search, and Mozilla is going to suggest. If you do not like it, you do not have to use it. As simple as that. When you put it this way, it sounds like a fair deal.

However, there is a catch. Mozilla’s suggestions are actually based on your browsing history. Now, it does not sound so fair, does it? We do not care about the things you advertise. Nevertheless, we have a right to ask, how did you create your offer? Based on what data?

Somehow, we have a feeling that this particular corporate greed is going to hit back Mozilla like a boomerang. Mozilla’s power is directly derived, or even better to say, borrowed from us, the users. No users. No trade. You have to maintain a careful balance. Otherwise, we will have to migrate to some other ad-free place.

Ericsson Connecting People

May 29, 2015 — Leave a comment

It is not a secret nor a surprise that for quite some time the busy little bees in the IT industry have been looking for a way to use our own body as a legitimate cyber tool. This is how, we have ended up with an unprecedented and overwhelming body implants invasion. Yet, that was not enough.

We have witnessed first-hand in both Hollywood and laboratories how the scientists are trying to find a new machine package for our brain and mind. The same result again. That is also not enough. Now, Ericsson plans to go even further with its groundbreaking Print Connected concept.

To make the long story short, Ericsson wants to use our bodies as the legitimate cyber tools. In other words, our body will serve as a conductor and connector at the same time. By touching the devices around us, we will be able to surf the Internet and communicate.

All of these sound lovely. Just as if it has been borrowed from some SF movie. On the other side, now it is the right moment to raise some eyebrows and ask questions about endangered privacy. We have every reason to believe that a little bit later is going to be too late.

Google Maps Privacy Traps

May 28, 2015 — Leave a comment

Here is a simple experiment, which can make you consider your privacy more seriously. It comes without saying that you have already tried to type your own name in Google search engines more than once. How about Google Maps? How about that for a change? You will be surprised.

However, there is a catch about the way you do it. Do not type your full name. You should try with an email, or a username associated with your social network account. Oh boy, you are going to be blown away, when you see how much is there in Google Maps about you and your movement.

Now, you see how crucial the location can be for your privacy. Do you have to disclose it so easily each time you use some service or install a new app. On the other side, it would be wrong to think that you should hide away from Google Maps and its associated location services.

However, you should invest at least a couple of additional invaluable seconds before making a final decision about sharing your location with a service or an app. You are not a secret agent nor on the FBI most wanted list, but you can think twice about your reckless behavior.

How YouTube Reveals Your Passwords

May 27, 2015 — Leave a comment

Every now and then, you stumble across something, which can be best described as the cyber-security-for-dummies. In some cases, the advice you can hear is unreliable and even a ridiculous one. However, the video we had a chance to see on YouTube was a little bit disturbing for our taste.

If you want to check it out yourself, all you have to do is type: “How to reveal a hidden password in the logging page”, or something similar. It really looks convincing, and this is something that worries us the most. So, how does it work? Here it is, if you are too lazy to look for a video.

You should use the right click on your mouse and choose inspect element option in the empty password field. Then, in the developer’s menu, you should replace “password” with “text”. According to what we have seen, this is supposed to work. We will try it ourselves, that is for sure.

What are the possible solutions for this surprising bug, if we could describe it as such? The very first thought that crosses our minds is to make sure your computer does not end up in the wrong hands. On the other side, should we cancel the inspect element option from our browsers?

NSA Plays With Google Play

May 27, 2015 — Leave a comment

To tell you the truth, we are not quite sure if this is one more of those crazy urban legends or a lost page from Edward Snowden’s diary. However, for what is worth, at some point in time the NSA planed or still plans to get its cyber hands on Google Play. What for? What is there to gain for them, in the first place?

Well, you do not have to be a rocket scientist nor a notorious NSA man in black to know for sure, do you? Instead of paying the countless malicious visits to mobile devices all over the world, it is a much smarter thing to get yourself a nice seat in Google Play and wait for the potential victims. Right?

Google is more or less surprisingly silent on this one. On the other side, it would be ridiculous to think that a users’ exodus is going to take place, if this information proves itself to be true, after all. We are all aware that our cyber privacy is nothing more than a huge and powerful illusion, aren’t we?

In addition, why bother with an expensive, complex and above all a compromising Google Play invasion? We have every reason to believe that for quite some time Google has been giving everything and anything the NSA asked for on a silver plate. We sure hope that Google Play is not a foul play.

Rombertik – The AI Malware

May 23, 2015 — Leave a comment

Oh dear, you have been so naive. For some childish reason, you thought that the modern day viruses are not going to develop and evolve. You really need to be one hell of a brainiac to come up with a successful malicious software solution. The call of the dark-cyber-side can be a huge temptation.

Meet the latest, brightest and deadliest member of the growing malicious family called – Rombertik. This fellow has a remarkable AI potential. Some even dare to classify it as a self-aware malware. So, what does it do? What is so special and dangerous about it? Are you ready for some bad news?

Well, while at “work” this malware is in a “regular” mode for any malicious software. It steals away your financial data, while doing its best to keep a low profile. On the other side, as soon as you run an antivirus software, Rombertik strikes back in an unprecedented way.

This malware would rather destroy itself including your precious device. Now, you get it. This is a genuine and a deadly Kamikaze virus. Unfortunately, there is no much you can do about it. If lucky enough, you can reinstall your computer. Otherwise, Rombertik will make you buy a new one.

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