Android malware infections found to have tripled in 2012
Anyone developing malicious software for mobile devices has set his or her sights almost exclusively on Android at this point. Mobile security vendor NQ has …
Security
Facebook responds to privacy concerns, says Home shouldn’t be a concern
Facebook (FB) unveiled Home last week, an Android software suite that transforms a handset’s home screen into a real-time graphical representation of users’ Facebook timelines. …
Spat between two Dutch companies sparks record-breaking 300Gbps DDoS attack
Insulting the honor of alleged Dutch spammers may not be the smartest idea. The New York Times reports that a fight between Dutch anti-spam group …
Apple security hole allows unauthorized access to iCloud account [updated]
A new security vulnerability has been discovered that allows unauthorized users to gain access to Apple (AAPL) accounts that have not yet upgraded to the …
BlackBerry CEO says Samsung’s smartphone security will never be ‘top-notch’ [updated]
Samsung (005930) unveiled its Knox security solution last month during the annual Mobile World Congress trade show, but smartphones sold by the world’s top vendor …
Samsung working to patch flaw that allows total bypass of Galaxy lock screens
Samsung (005930) says it’s working hard to patch a security flaw in its Galaxy phones that could let people completely bypass the devices’ lock screens. …
BlackBerry 10 may have strayed too far from its roots [updated]
BlackBerry 10 is a stark departure from BlackBerry 7 and other aging versions of the BlackBerry (BBRY) operating system, which is a very good thing …
New BlackBerry Work Space service separates work, personal data on iOS and Android
There’s apparently a new slogan at BlackBerry (BBRY): If you can’t beat ’em, integrate ’em. BlackBerry on Thursday announced Work Space, a new feature for …
Study: Free iOS apps leak more user data than free Android apps
If there’s one thing that iPhone fans love to tease Android fans about, it’s the perceived lack of security on Android devices. But AppleInsider points …
Smartphones’ malware-free glory days may soon be over
One downside of shifting to a post-PC world is the inevitable development and refinement of post-PC malware. Technology Review this week spoke with security researchers who say …
What goes around, comes around: U.S. hackers attack China
Dozens of reports of cyber-attacks on U.S. companies originating in China have emerged over the past few years. But as these attacks were taking place, …
Canadian government warns BBM PIN-to-PIN messaging is ‘most vulnerable method of communicating on a BlackBerry’
Canadian government agency Public Safety Canada, which is tasked with overseeing cyber-security across all federal departments, has issued a memo warning government workers that communicating using BlackBerry …
‘Anonymous’ becomes latest victim in Twitter hacking spree
Anyone who’s ever had their website hacked and defaced by hacker collective Anonymous can have a good laugh at their expense, because it looks as …
Apple admits ‘widespread cyber-security breach’ by Chinese hackers
In a move that Reuters calls “an unprecedented admission of a widespread cyber-security breach,” Apple (AAPL) on Tuesday admitted that it was the victim of several attacks …
Apple releases iOS 6.1.2 to patch battery-draining Exchange bug [updated]
As we expected to happen this week, Apple (AAPL) has released iOS 6.1.2 to patch a bug related to the Microsoft (MSFT) Exchange Calendar that …
Apple to release iOS 6.1.2 ‘early next week’ to patch major security hole
Apple (AAPL) fans worried about someone breaking into their iPhones may only have to sweat it out for a few more days. Unnamed sources have …
Huge iPhone security vulnerability discovered in iOS 6.1 [updated]
Apple’s (AAPL) latest iOS update is doing little to renew confidence in the company after a series of software snafus including the premature launch of …
First iOS 6.1.1 beta fails to patch holes exposed by iOS 6.1 jailbreak
Good news for everyone who downloaded the iOS 6.1 jailbreak — it seems that Apple (AAPL) hasn’t yet figured out how to patch the holes opened …
Microsoft plans to spend a seven-figure sum to convince you that Gmail is scary
Microsoft (MSFT) is not giving up its quest to scare customers away from Google (GOOG) services. Despite the fact that its previous efforts haven’t exactly …
Google, Apple no longer among the ‘most trusted’ companies for privacy protection
Consumers don’t think the world’s two largest tech companies are as trustworthy as they used to be. The Ponemon Institute this week released its annual survey of …
Google wants to replace the password with an electronic ring that grants access to all web content
This is one of the better ideas that Google’s (GOOG) engineering team has concocted lately: a smartcard-embedded finger ring that uniquely identifies users on the web …
Microsoft ‘Security Essentials’ flunks independent anti-virus certification test
It’s hard for a security program to be considered essential when it can’t win independent antivirus certifications. The Verge reports that Microsoft’s (MSFT) Security Essentials …
McAfee’s 2013 predictions: Mobile malware threats will grow, Anonymous will fade
Security firm McAfee Labs released its annual Threat Predictions report this week, highlighting the potential malware, viruses and other security concerns we may see in …
Buying your own botnet costs as little as $250
Botnets used to be the exclusive domain of high-powered hackers looking to rake in cash from spam operations or to conduct highly effective DDoS attacks. …
2013 dubbed ‘the year of mobile malware’ for Android users
The old phrase often credited to the late P.T. Barnum, “there’s a sucker born every minute,” can definitely be used to describe some aspects of …
Windows 8 games can easily be pirated through simple hacks
It was bound to happen. Nokia (NOK) engineer Justin Angel outlined on his blog various tactics that can be used to pirate Windows 8 games distributed …
Apple hires ex-Microsoft hacker to beef up operating system security
When Apple (AAPL) needs talent, it knows exactly where to look first: the sea of hackers. Kristin Paget, a former Microsoft (MSFT) hacker now officially …
BlackBerry 10 won’t let you use dumb passwords such as ‘123456’ or ‘password’
In October, SplashData revealed the 25 worst passwords of 2012 and to nobody’s surprise, “password” and “123456” took the top two slots. In a rather …
Research shows tweeting through text message is a surefire way to get your account hijacked [updated]
You don’t need an Internet-connected smartphone to send out a tweet. In fact, very few people know that tweets can be sent out through a …
Hacker may go to jail after warning AT&T of a massive iPad security hole
Back in 2010, a pair of hackers from Goatse Security found a simple way to harvest user emails and other data from the Apple (AAPL) iPad using …
