Cyber Security

Facebook is testing technology that would greatly expand the scope of data that it collects about its users, the head of the company’s analytics group said Tuesday. The social network may start collecting data on minute user interactions with its content, such as how long a user’s cursor hovers over a certain part of its Continue Reading →

The National Security Agency has secretly broken into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centers around the world, according to documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with knowledgeable officials. By tapping those links, the agency has positioned itself to collect at will from among hundreds of millions Continue Reading →

The National Security Agency monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another US government department, according to a classified document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden. The confidential memo reveals that the NSA encourages senior officials in its “customer” departments, such the White House, State and Continue Reading →

Google is introducing the ability to control what its Chrome browser will show with a new feature called supervised users. Like Windows Phone 8’s Kid’s Corner, the feature’s aimed at families, and allows the owner of a device to block websites and set permissions in Chrome that determine the parts of the internet other users Continue Reading →

Touting its commitment to user privacy in the wake of the NSA surveillance scandal earlier this year, Apple said that the end-to-end encryption protecting its iMessage instant-messenger service is so secure that even the company itself cannot decrypt it. But, on Thursday, security outfit QuarksLab disputed that claim, arguing that Apple could intercept iMessage communications Continue Reading →

Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor could extend its reach beyond the iPhone 5S and into future iPad and MacBook computers, according to a newly published patent. The company’s filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office includes language that opens the door to adding the biometric technology to its tablets, computers and “beyond,” discovered Patently Continue Reading →

The National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top-secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The collection program, which has not been disclosed before, intercepts e-mail address Continue Reading →

Like a cautious parent, Facebook is giving teen users new freedom despite risks. For the first time, users under 18 can post publicly. The logic is that other sites don’t restrict kids, teens are getting more web savvy, and young celebrities want a voice. This could let minors publicly share things they’ll regret, so they Continue Reading →

Signifyd today launches tools for online merchants to fight fraud. It helps sellers make better choices about whether to accept or deny sales by piecing together online identities that match up with offline people. Signifyd CEO Rajesh Ramanand, who formerly led risk-management divisions at FedEx and PayPal, calls this “context detection,” but really what he Continue Reading →

Snapchat is on Monday looking to clarify exactly how and when law enforcement agencies can access your “self-destructing” messages. According to a new blog post from Micah Schaffer, who handles matters pertaining to trust and safety at the company, Snapchat can only retrieve snaps that are unopened. Once a message has been viewed by its Continue Reading →