The government-led committee set up to vet products made by the controversial Chinese firm Huawei has warned it has found new significant issues that could pose a risk to the British telecommunications industry. The Huawei oversight board, which is chaired by the head of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said it had found further “significant technical issues in Huawei’s engineering processes leading to new risks in the UK telecommunications networks”. The watchdog said in its annual report on Huawei that the company had made “no material progress” in addressing existing security flaws identified in last year’s assessment and raised serious doubts about the Chinese company’s ability to deliver a $2bn (£1.5bn) programme to address concerns previously raised by the UK oversight board. The report said: “At present, the oversight board has not yet seen anything to give it confidence in Huawei’s capacity to … [Read more...] about Huawei issues could pose UK security risks, say authorities
Mobile phones uk review
Ofcom backs regular plurality reviews for powerful media firms
Potential concentrations of media power should be subject to regular, formal reviews, communications regulator Ofcom concluded on Tuesday in a document compiled for culture secretary Jeremy Hunt. The reviews would be designed to ensure that no one media organisation – such as the BBC or News Corporation – gradually gains too powerful a position in British media because their market shares grow as rivals struggle. However, because measuring media plurality is an inexact science, the regulator rejected the idea of proposing a specific cap on market shares. It said it was up to parliament to determine what cross-media ownership limits should exist. Ofcom was asked to produce the recommendations after delivering a public interest report into News Corporation's ill-fated attempt to takeover BSkyB in December 2010. The regulator concluded that the combination of News Corporation's newspapers and BSkyB did raise plurality questions. The regulator found that the existing conditions … [Read more...] about Ofcom backs regular plurality reviews for powerful media firms
Ditch your Windows Phone NOW as Microsoft finally pulls plug on rubbish mobiles
DITCH your Windows Phone now – Microsoft is about to kill all support for the ill-fated mobiles. From December 10, Microsoft will no longer provide any support for Windows Phones. The main downside will be that you'll no longer receive security updates. So hackers who find ways to crack into your phone will be free to do so – with zero sympathy from Microsoft. This means it's very dangerous to keep using a Window Phone, at least from a cyber-security perspective. You also won't receive any new features or changes to improve your handset.And the software won't be updated, so apps that currently work on your phone will probably eventually stop working. WhatsApp is already preparing to kill support for Windows Phones. This is the final nail in the coffin of Windows Phone, a failed project that has been running for years. Microsoft was reportedly working on Windows Phone as early as 2004, with a view to release the software in 2009.After a short delay, Windows Phone launched in … [Read more...] about Ditch your Windows Phone NOW as Microsoft finally pulls plug on rubbish mobiles
GCHQ: inside the top secret world of Britain’s biggest spy agency
Two years ago, GCHQ's annual sports day took place on Wednesday 15 June at the Civil Service Sports Club in London. A mixed six-a-side football tournament was the centrepiece of the day, with matches kicking off at 11am sharp. The event was a jolly for those routinely cooped up in the agency's distinctive doughnut-shaped headquarters in Cheltenham, and they were furnished with six pages of rules and regulations to ensure fair play. "Each team MUST field at least ONE lady player at all times," the note said. "Appropriate footwear shall be worn. No crocs, sandals or flip-flops will be allowed. The wearing of shin-pads is COMPULSORY." Of all the highly classified documents about GCHQ revealed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden, this has to be one of the least sensitive. But it offers a glimpse into the world of the 6,100 people crammed into the open-plan and underground offices at GCHQ; the fact that there is a sports day at all reveals something about the agency which most people … [Read more...] about GCHQ: inside the top secret world of Britain’s biggest spy agency
Samsung Galaxy S10 deal with 30GB data for £30 a month saves you over £700
SAVVY shoppers can save hundreds of pounds on a top Samsung smartphone just in time for Christmas. A cracking deal with O2 will shave more than £700 off your total bill on the Samsung Galaxy S10. Online retailer Mobiles.co.uk is flogging the premium blower for just £30 a month. That nets you a fairly generous 30GB of data on a 24-month O2 contract. You'll get unlimited minutes and texts to use each month too. There's a £50 upfront fee, bringing the total cost of the contract over two years to just £770. Galaxy S10 on O2 (30GB data) for £30 a month (£50 upfront) – buy here That's a healthy saving on the Samsung Galaxy S10's SIM-free price of £799.99. But the saving is actually even bigger than it first seems. If you bought the Samsung handset outright, you'd also have to invest in a SIM card. O2's closest SIM-only deal gets you a slightly lower 25GB of data for £28 a month.After two years of that SIM contract, you'd have forked out … [Read more...] about Samsung Galaxy S10 deal with 30GB data for £30 a month saves you over £700