Computer forensics expert

Experts have attacked Yahoo’s weak security after the revelation it suffered a hack in 2013, which exposed the personal data of 1 billion users, just months after revealing a 500-million-user data breach from 2014. The hack saw the potential theft of login details, personal details and any confidential or sensitive information contained within email correspondences. Yahoo provided the email services for BT and Sky customers, as well as other services. Bruce Schneier, a cryptologist and one of the world’s most respected security experts, said: “Yahoo badly screwed up. They weren’t taking security seriously and that’s now very clear. I would have trouble trusting Yahoo going forward.” Not only did Yahoo fail to prevent the breach, it also failed to detect the breach when it happened in 2013, only realising the intrusion and data theft after recently being notified by a third party. That left users unknowingly compromised for at least three years, … [Read more...] about Security experts: ‘No one should have faith in Yahoo at this point’

Scientists have created pieces of 'smart' glass that they say can recognise images without requiring any sensors, circuits or power sources. Tiny strategically placed bubbles and impurities embedded within the glass bend light in specific ways to differentiate among different images, experts say. To test out the idea, researchers created glass squares that can differentiate between lit up numeric figures from 1 to 9. The breakthrough could lead to a number of new frontiers in the field of low-power electronics, they claim. That includes facial and other image recognition technologies being built into the materials used to make smartphones and other gadgets. Scroll down for video  Scientists have created pieces of 'smart' glass they say can recognise images without requiring any sensors, circuits or power sources. Light enters from the left of the glass and concentrates on the right Pictured: A light scattering pattern from the numerical digit 2 Tiny strategically placed … [Read more...] about ‘Smart glass’ that acts like an AI can tell images apart without needing a computer or even electricity by detecting changes in light

With a rise in the number of shops offering Black Friday bargains, security experts say scammers are capitalising on the trend in the hope of conning shoppers. Experts say fraudsters are becoming 'more sophisticated' in their attempts to con people out of their hard earned cash, making it harder to spot scams. Nearly a quarter of people aged 18 to 34 in the UK say they have fallen for a scam linked to online shopping with some losing thousands of pounds. Cyber-security researchers say scammers are using multiple avenues to convince people to part with their money, including fake emails and false social media posts that link to websites that steal their credit card information.  Scams include emails that promise 'unmissable Black Friday deals' and cheap TVs, laptops and designer goods, say researchers.  Security experts from Proofpoint found that only 15 per cent of the top 20 Europe wide online retailers are actively blocking fraud emails from reaching customers (stock … [Read more...] about Shoppers hoping to cash in on Black Friday deals are warned to watch out for ‘too good to be true’ deals for TVs, laptops and designer goods as security experts find people lose an average of £661 from retail scams

For every benefit of the internet of things, such as being able to unlock a garage door with your mobile phone, or find your car keys by sending them a text message, there’s a downside. From web-connected smoke-alarms that can be “unintentionally deactivated” with the wave of a hand to smart light fixtures that, after a software update, refuse to work with lightbulbs made by other brands, it sometimes seems like the internet of things is just an abbreviation “the internet of things that should not have been connected to the internet”. This week, technology site Ars Technica highlighted one more reason to keep the world resolutely unconnected: a search engine that allows users to find live video of anything from an internet-connected webcam which lacks proper security precautions. This ranges from banal feeds of back gardens, offices and shops – to intrusive videos of sleeping babies whose parents use webcams as a monitoring device. The search engine … [Read more...] about Search engine lets users find live video of sleeping babies

Two men have been arrested in connection with online attacks by hacking gangs Anonymous and LulzSec, Scotland Yard said. The men, aged 24 and 20, were arrested on Thursday in Mexborough, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and Warminster, Wiltshire, for conspiring to commit offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Scotland Yard said the arrests were part of a continuing investigation in collaboration with the FBI, South Yorkshire Police and other law enforcement bodies, into activities of Anonymous and LulzSec, especially in connection with suspected offences under the cover of online identity "Kayla". A spokesman said the men were arrested separately. He said the Doncaster address was searched by police and computer equipment was removed for forensic examination. Detective Inspector Mark Raymond from the Metropolitan Police's Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU), said: "The arrests relate to our inquiries into a series of serious computer intrusions and online denial-of-service attacks … [Read more...] about LulzSec and Anonymous police and FBI investigation sees two more arrested