New Malware on Android 05/30/2011

New malware has appeared on Googles Android marketplace, under the guise of legitimate apps. Users are duped into downloading the malicious code, which has been found in apps with names such as iBook, iCartoon and ShakeBanger. The code is designed to send SMS messages in order to subscribe to paid services without the knowledge of the handset owner. The SMS Trojans were discovered by security company AegisLab, which released the news via its blog this week.

Great PowerPoint Presentation Tips 05/24/2011

When speaking at a conference or a seminar, it is important that your presentation convey professionalism. A PowerPoint presentation can be used to visually represent your material. The presentation should be polished and consistent throughout. The visual presentation should supplement your speech, not distract or detract from your oral presentation. Rarely should PowerPoint be used without an accompanying explanation of the slides. Here are a few tips for making your PowerPoint presentation better and more professional... Great PowerPoint Presetnation Tips

More Facebook Security 05/23/2011

Facebook added two factor authentications, anti-cross-site scripting detection, CAPTCHA prompts to stop clickjacking and safe Web link surfing to protect user accounts. Facebook rolled out three new security measures to try to prove that it cares about user privacy. The social networking site now features two-factor authentication to secure the login process, a secondary step to thwart clickjacking scams and a new surfing tool to rate the safety of links, Clement Genzmer, a Facebook security engineer, wrote on the Facebook Security blog that appeared May 12. Clickjacking refers to tricking users into clicking on links that post on the Wall to get more people to click and is one of the most common sources of spam on Facebook.

Facebook Security 05/16/2011

Facebook announced a new, two-factor authentication system whereby the social-networking site will require users to enter a code they receive via text message. The system, dubbed Login Approvals, will prevent users from signing in unless they can provide that code and authenticate their device.

Enhanced Cyber Security 05/21/2011

President Obama released his plans for protecting the security of the nations computer networks Thursday, and the striking thing about them is how little the White House actually proposes to do. That is for the best — a top-down, government-led cybersecurity initiative would probably prove clumsy, intrusive and quickly outdated. The presidents most useful contribution in this area is to encourage network operators to protect their own systems, and then get out of the way. Obama called for tougher penalties for attacks on computer systems, proposed incentives for companies to improve their security, and said the Department of Homeland Security should have the authority to review the adequacy of private network security systems.

Obama Tightens Security on Grandmother 05/20/2011

Kenya tightened its security around President Barack Obamas step-grandmother after the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces put the country on alert.

Five Things to Do Before Buying More Security Technology 05/20/2011

Companies that take a step back, review risks, identify and rank their data and develop a plan for dealing with foreseeable problems will wind up with better and more efficiently deployed defenses, he says, and outlines five steps to take: • Develop an information risk profile for the business. This includes finding out what data has what value to the company, what's acceptable loss, how loss affects partners and suppliers, what controls will be needed and the like. • Map business processes and track how data moves through those processes. Determine whether data can be handled more efficiently. For example, central databases rather than distributed databases can reduce network complexity and therefore improve security. • Asset inventory to determine where all the corporate data is. This may be surprising, Pironti says, because it can wind up on devices like employee-owned smartphones and tablets. Classify the data and establish controls for each class.

Popular Dropbox Dealing with Security and Privacy Issues 05/19/2011

Privacy issues relating to your data stored in the cloud are going to always be with us as long as we have data stored in the cloud. But then again, privacy issues when everyone had their data stored on local hard drives and networks were and are still an issue. There are many ways to look at this. You can always be shocked and amazed that what you thought was secure is not really. You can accept it as a fact of life that the cat and mouse game that is played by those who like to hack and crack systems for their own game and those who work to stop them will always go on. You can, legitimately, get upset when a company that promises secure storage does not really offer what they claim to. Dropbox, the almost ubiquitous cloud storage and sharing service, has suffered some hits of late when it comes to data security and how it markets its service.

Seal Team Security 05/18/2011

Seals hit team fears for kin safety, security  is being discussed.

Security in the Cloud 05/18/2011

Todays enterprises, in addition to buying hardware and software to build their computing environments, also carry the burden of securing them. Security vendors provide them with a patchwork of security solutions that integrate poorly, and are difficult and costly to deploy and maintain. They also rely on infrastructure and application vendors to provide patches to remediate vulnerabilities found in the wild. Now, with the ever increasing need to connect directly and digitally with customers and suppliers and the rapid pace of technical innovation, the task of maintaining the security and compliance posture of ones network has become a daunting, one could even say impossible, task.

Federal Government Recruiting Cyber Security Job Candidates 05/17/2011

While many Americans worry about terrorists attacking transportation systems or national landmarks, experts say the more likely target is at their fingertips. With more and more people, businesses, and government agencies conducting their business online, cyberspace has become especially tantalizing, and protecting it, increasingly urgent. This week, the White House released its cybersecurity plan, and Congress has been debating several bills for years. It is complex, and the debate is not likely to end soon. But supporters hope that eventually, there will be clear, standardized protocols in the event of an attack, and better strategies to reduce cyber threats. As the Department of Homeland Security seeks to broaden its authority over cybersecurity, it is set aside $24-million to train scientists, engineers and analysts, and create a diverse workforce of high tech and policy professions to help protect the nation's digital border.

UN Women Focus on Peace, Security and Women 05/16/2011

This year, a new international agency came into being that is bolstering the fight to for global gender equality, UN Women. It brings under one roof several other UN bodies that for decades had focused on improving living standards, legal rights and health care, including the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, and the Division for the Advancement of Women. Among the new agencys goals:  helping inter-governmental bodies like the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women to formulate policies and global standards; and helping member states, as well as the UN itself, to implement them.

Sharing Your Private Data 05/15/2011

You probably do not realize it, but every time you turn on your mobile phone, the device knows where you are and may be telling someone else. That situation spurred lawmakers on Capitol Hill today to asksome tough questions of Google and Apple executives. As Darren Gersh reports, senators are concerned about how you phone is sending out data and who is getting it. Your mobile phone can help you find your way, tell you where the best pizza is and it can tell an advertiser exactly where you are, even if you would rather they did not  know. Which is why Minnesota Senator Al Franken is so concerned about protecting mobile privacy.

Secure Communities 05/08/2011

A program of the Department of Homeland Securitys Immigration and Customs Enforcement division where local police agencies submit to the FBI the fingerprints of all suspects they detain. The fingerprints are then sent on to immigration officials. Some communities in California and elsewhere have expressed concerns that the program would link their police departments with immigration enforcement and undermine the trust they have built within their communities.

Sony Sued Over Security 05/07/2011

Sony are being sued in the United States, with separate cases filed in California over the last few days.  Both cases are accusing Sony of being negligent by breaking its contract with users, and are seeking damages and class-action status. Both the PlayStation network and the Qriocity music service have been turned off by Sony, following an external intrusion that managed to breach internal security and access the customer records of almost 77 million people.

Gaming the Border Fence 05/07/2011

After spending $1 billion on a virtual border fence that it does not plan to complete, the Department of Homeland Security is investing another $1.6 million to test video game technology to help improve its decisions on where to spend its border security funds. In January, citing missed deadlines and cost overruns, the Obama administration scrapped the virtual border fence project, which was a system of sensors, radar, video and other technology as a way of spotting illegal immigrants crossing over.

France In Charge of Security Counsel 05/06/2011

France took over the presidency of the UN Security Council on Sunday playing a central role in the international campaign against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and with a new crisis to handle in Syria. The 15-nation council could not agree a statement condemning the violence in Syria and is increasingly divided over Libya, with Russia, China and India blocking new sanctions against Kadafi's entourage, diplomats said.

Human Error Caused Security Breach 05/05/2011

State Comptroller Susan Combs says human error and not malicious intent lies behind her offices exposing of the personal information of 3.5 million Texans. Addresses, Social Security numbers and some birth dates and driver's license numbers have been placed on a publicly accessible comptrollers office computer server for nearly a year - and in some cases even longer.

Russia May Exercise Veto 05/04/2011

Russia has signaled that it can leverage its veto in the UN Security Council to entrap NATO in a protracted conflict in Libya. On April 26, Foreign Affairs Minister, Sergei Lavrov, told the media that Russia would not support a new Security Council resolution, if this leads to further escalation of the civil war and further interference from the outside in Libya. However, Moscow would support a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, a stop to all violence, and for the two Libyan sides to start negotiations immediately.

Cyber Worries 05/03/2011

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a report critical of the Federal Bureau of Investigations ability to address threats to national security posed by cyber intrusions. The two main objectives of the audit were to evaluate FBI efforts in developing and operating the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force ( to address the national security cyber threat, and to assess the capability of FBI field offices to investigate national security cyber cases.

Security Option For Android Smartphones Reviewed 05/03/2011

Many people do not worry much about malware infecting their smartphone. But the recent discovery of over 50 infected apps in the Android Market, which may have struck tens of thousands of users, could lead some people to consider the merits of security apps for their phone.

CCTV Surveillance Helps Restaurants, Pizzerias and other Eateries Save Money 05/02/2011

Recent statistics analysis show that the urban businesses and also eateries such as pizzerias, ice cream parlors, coffee shops and even traditional restaurants are the ones most advantaged by having surveillance cameras or security systems installed. Moreover, it seems that owning any kind of eatery business and having surveillance cameras installed is the new trend for those who want their enterprise to see the fastest growing profit rates. Entrepreneurial experts say that a business has nothing to lose, but, on the contrary, everything to gain from investing in a CCTV surveillance system. The method through which CCTV surveillance cameras help companies save money works on three flanks at once. First of all, the productivity of the employees will be maximized as they know they are not allowed to waste time even in the absence of a manager or supervisor. Secondly, the inventory losses will be minimized or completely eradicated.

Personal-Safety GPS Device is a Security Risk 05/01/2011

After thieves tried several times to steal a friend's car, Don A. Bailey bought a Zoombak personal GPS Locator device so that if the thieves ever succeeded, the cars owner would be able to track its whereabouts and get it back. He never got to try it out on a theft, but Bailey hacked the device and learned that by exploiting security weaknesses in it, he could monitor the movements of a known device, impersonate it to the Zoombak tracking system, and even look for devices in his immediate vicinity to target. The potential for abuse is not insignificant given that the device is marketed as a safety device--a way to keep track of the whereabouts of things that people might steal or harm, like cars, bikes, pets, and even children.

Russian Cyber Security Moguls Son Kidnapped 04/30/2011

The son of the founder of one of the worlds largest cyber security firms, Russias Kaspersky Lab, has been kidnapped, according to a Russian news report. The original report, published by the Russian language website Life News, said the 20-year-old Moscow University student and son of multi-millionaire software developer Evgeny Kaspersky was abducted Tuesday and kidnappers were demanding 3 million Euros for his release. In a statement on the company website, Kaspersky Lab did not deny reports of Ivan Kaspersky's kidnapping, but asked the media not to speculate on the case.

Russian Big Brother Rocked By Explosion 04/29/2011

A mysterious explosion rocked the location for filming of the hugely-popular Russian equivalent of reality television show Big Brother. The explosion wounded one security guard, local reports said. Security guards uncovered a suspicious backpack placed just inside the perimeter fence during their morning round, and the blast went off when they tried to move it, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

Current Blog

2011 Security Blog Archive
May Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive

2010 Securty Blog Archive
December Archive
November Archive
October Archive
September Archive
August Archive
July Archive
June Archive
May Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive

2009 Securty Blog Archive
December Archive
November Archive
October Archive
September Archive
August Archive
July Archive
June Archive
May Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive

2008 Security Blog Archive
December Archive
November Archive
October Archive
September Archive
July-August Archive
May-June Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive

2007 Security Blog Archive
December Archive
November Archive
October Archive
September Archive
August Archive
July Archive
June Archive
May Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive

2006 Security Blog Archive
December Archive
November Archive
October Archive
September Archive
August Archive
July Archive
June Archive
May Archive
April Archive
March Archive
February Archive
January Archive