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 …
Security
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 …
Microsoft temporarily shuts down Skype password resets amid account-hacking reports
Microsoft (MSFT) isn’t taking any chances when it comes to reports that Skype users are having their accounts hijacked. Ars Technica reports that Microsoft has “temporarily …
Untold number of Twitter accounts potentially hacked [updated]
Twitter users are reporting everywhere that their accounts have been compromised, reports TechCrunch. The tech blog says many users have received emails telling them to change …
Hackers steal credit card information from 63 Barnes & Noble stores
Hackers were able to breach more than 60 Barnes & Noble (BKS) stores, including locations in New York City, Miami, San Diego and Chicago, and …
Firefox 16 adoption not hurt by security missteps
Mozilla messed up last week when it released Firefox 16 with what it described as a “serious security flaw.” But quick action on the organization’s …
iPhone hacker loses Apple internship because he forgot to reply to an email
Former iPhone hacker extraordinaire Nicholas Allegra, better known as “Comex,” is no longer an Apple (AAPL) intern. After leaving the jailbreak scene a year ago …
FBI warns that Android phones are havens for malware
A division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning to smartphone users about mobile malware and device safety, specifically regarding the Android …
Anonymous blows off WikiLeaks, calls Assange a sellout after Lady Gaga dinner
“You’ve changed, Wikileaks. You used to just be about the hacking!” That’s basically the message that hacker collective Anonymous delivered to WikiLeaks this week, as …
New malware sends your friends death threats through your email account
If your sweet old grandmother sends you an email threatening to slit your throat, don’t worry: It’s just the malware talking. NBC’s TechNewsDaily reports that …
Mozilla yanks Firefox 16 over security flaw
This is why it’s always good to wait a bit before downloading new versions of browsers. In a post on Mozilla’s official security blog, the …
Phony version of Bad Piggies installs malware; 82,000 victims so far
This could be a new low for malware developers: Using the unbridled goodness of Bad Piggies to spread ad-injecting software. Security firm Barracuda Networks has spotted …
Apple’s newly acquired fingerprint technology exposes Windows passwords
Fingerprint-reading software that comes pre-installed on laptops sold by Dell (DELL), Sony (SNE) and at least 14 other manufacturers has been independently confirmed to contain …
Taiwan asks Apple to blur images of its missile defense system in iOS 6’s Maps app
The Taiwanese government has requested that Apple (AAPL) camouflage satellite images of its “$1.4 billion early warning radar station that can detect aircraft and missiles coming from as …
Another Java exploit discovered, 1 billion PC and Mac users potentially at risk
Security firm Security Explorations released information pertaining to a new Java exploit on Tuesday that affects all of the currently supported versions of the software …
Major Galaxy S III vulnerability patched by Samsung, update now available
Samsung (005930) on Wednesday confirmed it has issued an update that fixes a major security flaw in its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone. The vulnerability, …
Relax, Facebook isn’t accidentally exposing old private messages
Facebook (FB) confirmed on Thursday that reports of users seeing old private messages displayed as public wall posts are incorrect. A Facebook spokesman told TechCrunch …
Multiple Samsung smartphones vulnerable to losing all data just by visting a website [video] [updated]
Samsung (005930) is often accused of copying Apple’s (AAPL) designs and whether or not that’s the case, the company might want to crib some lessons on …
Hackers show the world how to steal an iPhone’s pictures, address book and browser history
Hackers at the Mobile Pwn2Own hacking competition in Amsterdam this week have uncovered a security flaw that allows attackers to swipe iPhone users’ pictures, address …
Microsoft urges customers to download new security tool after discovering major IE9 vulnerability
Following the discovery of a security flaw that affects hundreds of millions of Internet Explorer users, Microsoft (MSFT) is now urging customers to download new security …
