The "Spectre" vulnerability that impacts literally every Intel chip made over the last decade keeps finding new ways to make the news. In this instance, researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a new variant of the vulnerability that they have dubbed "SGX Spectre." To understand how it's different, a bit of explanation is in order. SGX stands for "Software Guard eXtensions," and is a feature only found in the latest Intel processors. It allows applications to create "data … Read more
Netflix To Release More Parental Controls To Help Parents
If you have a Netflix account and children living at home, there's a reason to cheer about the company's most recent announcement. They're rolling out some robust new parental control features that will allow you to exert much more control over what your children are watching. You can now set content-specific PINs to lock movies or TV shows. So for example, if you don't want your children watching "Zombeavers" (yes, that's a real movie, by the way), you could lock that content with a PIN. … Read more
Microsoft To Help Intel With Security Issues
By now, you've almost certainly heard of the "Spectre" and "Meltdown" security flaws that affect every Intel chip produced in the last decade. Users have been waiting for a fix for both of these since January, when the issues were first discovered. From the beginning, Microsoft agreed to include the fix for Spectre in its regular software updates but insisted that Intel and PC manufacturers would have to push the Meltdown fix on their own. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of users … Read more
Trustico CEO Leaks HTTPS Certificate Keys Through Email
The CEO of Trustico, a TLS certificate reseller based in the United Kingdom, finds himself at the center of a controversy that raises a number of disturbing questions about browser-trusted security certificates. The email in question was sent to Jeremy Rowley, an executive Vice President at DigiCert. The catalyst that prompted the fateful email was that officials at Trustico notified DigiCert that 50,000 certificates originally issued by Symantec and resold by Trustico had been compromised … Read more
Another 2.4 Million Users Hacked In Equifax Breach
It looks like it's going to be another bad month for Equifax. The company just can't seem to get out of its own way. In 2017, the company announced a massive data breach that (it initially claimed) impacted some 140 million users. Several months after the official announcement, the company was forced to revise the number of impacted users upward, as the forensic investigation into the breach continued. Now, the company has announced a further upward revision of 2.4 million, bringing the … Read more
New Android OS To Improve Lower End Phones
Google has another new product out. A slimmed down, streamlined version of the Android OS called "Go." Unfortunately, it's release didn't gather as much press as you'd expect when a new OS is released. The reason for that is simple. The new, slimmer, sleeker Android Go was designed for low-end phones with limited storage capacity, which don't typically get much press either. Despite the relative lack of fanfare, Android Go is an interesting app that deserves some attention, even if you … Read more
Mi-Cam Baby Monitor Video Feeds Vulnerable To Hacking
Do you have a Mi-Cam in your home? Even if you don't have kids, you may have one. They're a highly popular, inexpensive means of keeping tabs on the comings and goings inside your home when you're not around. As with so many such devices these days, users have the option of installing either an Android or iOS app on their phones so they can peek in remotely, any time they like, and therein lies the problem. It's no secret that the IoT is filled with "smart" devices that don't live up to … Read more
Intel Releases New Patch For Spectre Chip Issue
By now, you've probably heard more than you ever wanted to hear about the critical Intel security flaw known as "Spectre." The flaw is massive in scope and scale, impacting every chip that Intel has released over the past decade, and if exploited, would allow a hacker to take complete control over the vulnerable system. Needless to say, once discovered, the company got to work right away on a fix for the issue. Unfortunately, there were problems. Whatever form the fix ultimately took, it … Read more
High Speed Wireless Coming To Laptops Next Year
If you're in the market for a new laptop but can milk a little more life out of the one you've got, 2019 will be the year to buy. The reason? 5G. AT&T is slated to become the first carrier to offer 5G network connectivity to small segments of its customer base this year (starting in Atlanta, Dallas, and Waco, and then slowly spreading to other areas). While they'll be the first, it's not hard to imagine that their competitors will be hot on their heels, and all the major PC and laptop … Read more
Google Calls Out Microsoft For Security Issue
Depending on who you ask, Google's Project Zero is either the thing that's going to singlehandedly save the internet, or the bane of many companies' existence. It's easy to see both sides of the argument. On one hand, by uncovering previously undiscovered bugs in all manner of software and handing that information over to the authors, Google is undeniably performing a valued public service. The problem has never been with the "carrot" side of the equation, always with the stick. The … Read more
