Twitter has long had a reputation for being at the mercy of bots that have been used to sway public discourse and opinion. Often, these bots are controlled via Twitter API apps that allow the authors to automate most of their actions, such as tweets, follows, and likes. In the face of Facebook's recent grilling before congress, Twitter has decided to take a more proactive stance, and has recently announced major changes to their policies. The first part of the company's statement to … Read more
Bluetooth Vulnerability Allows Hackers To Access Devices
There's a new Bluetooth security vulnerability to be aware of, tracked as CVE-2018-5383, and it's a nasty one. It's a cryptographic vulnerability that affects firmware or operating system software drivers from a number of major vendors, including Qualcomm, Broadcom, Intel and Apple. At this point, the implication of the bug on Linux, Android, and Google are unknown. The flaw is related to two important Bluetooth features: BR/EDR implementations of Secure Simple Pairing in device firmware … Read more
Hackers May Set Their Sights On Your GPS Next
If you're like most people, you probably rely heavily on the GPS function of your phone. Type in an address and your phone helpfully guides you, turn by turn, to your destination. It's one of the most often utilized features of a smartphone, and of course, the hackers are very interested in interfering with it. Until now though, hackers have been unable to fool humans into driving to the wrong destination by hacking their GPS, because their instructions often make no sense given the … Read more
iOS Adds New Restricted Mode In Latest Update
Apple recently released an updated version of iOS, 11.4.1. They did so quietly, and without much fanfare, but the update includes one very powerful and exciting security update that's deserving of special attention. Specifically, the new version of iOS introduces what the company is calling "Restricted Mode." It was created to protect iPhones against USB devices used by law enforcement to crack your password and get around the encryption used to keep your data secure. The new feature … Read more
Apps In Gmail Have Full Access To Read Your Emails
File this one away under "watch your permissions." It's recently come to light that an unknown number of third party apps have access to read emails sitting in your Gmail account. While the practice is not new, things like this are coming under increased scrutiny in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica incident. Here are the important details to bear in mind: Apps that can read your email DO require explicit user permissions. You have to agree to allow these apps access to your … Read more
Microsoft Edge Mobile Browser Blocks Android And iOS Ads
As most people know, Microsoft Edge was the company's "reboot." After trying for years to patch and update their beleaguered Internet Explorer, Microsoft ultimately decided to scrap it and start fresh. Since Edge's launch, it has struggled to gain traction with users. Recently, Microsoft has upped the ante, at least where Edge for iOS and Android devices are concerned. A recent update sees the browser outfitted with a built-in ad blocker. Prior to the update, if you wanted an ad blocking … Read more
Mobile Users Gain Privacy Protection In Supreme Court Ruling
There's some good news from a recent Supreme Court ruling where privacy is concerned, but take it with a grain of salt. In a recent 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement agencies must obtain a warrant before they can get access to data collected and stored on mobile devices. Of special significance, the court rejected the "third party rule," which dates back to the 1970's and asserts that any data collected by third-parties is automatically devoid of Constitutional … Read more
Apple Users Are Getting Group Facetime
Apple's Legions of users love FaceTime, but there's a problem with the highly popular app. It only allows you to see and talk to one person at a time. Apple fans have been clamoring for Group FaceTime for almost as long as the app has existed, and soon, they'll get their wish. Beginning with iOS 12, Group FaceTime will finally be "a thing," allowing you to simultaneously talk with up to 31 of your contacts. Even better, the new functionality will allow you to turn any iMessage group chat … Read more
T-Mobile Site Leaked Data On Millions Of Customers
ZDNet Researcher Ryan Stevenson recently found a big problem on T-Mobile's website regarding an unprotected API. As a result of the flaw, untold millions of T-Mobile's customers' account information was left exposed and completely unprotected. Literally anyone who stumbled across the site and tried to abuse it could access a wide range of customer information with no password required. This includes, but is not limited to: Customer name Phone number Mailing Address Account … Read more
Latest IPhone Update Syncs Messages Across All Devices
If you use Apple products, you may have noticed an annoying "feature". If you're using the messaging app on your phone and texting someone and then you move to your Mac and access the same program there, the conversation you were having on your phone isn't present. The two devices are messaging islands that can't reliably communicate with each other. Since they can't, you can't start a conversation on one device and then pick it up later on another. True, Apple fans have found workarounds … Read more
