Safety Security & Privacy

Apple has just pushed out software updates that fix security vulnerabilities on the iPhone and iPad and certain versions of Mac OS X Mountain Lion and Mavericks. It has also circulated a second update that patches a vulnerability that exposes the most recent model of AirPort Extreme to the Heartbleed bug. First the Heartbleed issue: Continue Reading →

OpenBSD founder Theo de Raadt has created a fork of OpenSSL, the widely used open source cryptographic software library that contained the notorious Heartbleed security vulnerability. OpenSSL has suffered from a lack of funding and code contributions despite being used in websites and products by many of the world’s biggest and richest corporations. The decision Continue Reading →

People who have accounts on the enrollment website for President Barack Obama’s signature health care law are being told to change their passwords following an administration-wide review of the government’s vulnerability to the confounding Heartbleed Internet security flaw. Senior administration officials said there is no indication that the HealthCare.gov site has been compromised and the Continue Reading →

The Heartbleed bug is one of the worst threats to online security and privacy in recent memory. Worse yet, the bug isn’t limited to computers – there’s also a chance your Android device is at risk, too. Google knows about Heartbleed and is working on a software patch, but your device could be at risk. Continue Reading →

The “Heartbleed” bug, an encryption flaw that could expose usernames and passwords stored on about two-thirds of Internet servers, has given the Web-surfing world cause for concern and plenty of password changes. But there’s another step you should always take where possible to keep yourself safe online: two-step verification. Two-step verification is offered by just Continue Reading →

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday published two Apple patent applications (1, 2), both titled “Gesture entry techniques,” that together form the basis of a device unlocking feature in which a user draws a pattern on screen with the help of illuminated discs. One patent filing deals with the system as a whole, Continue Reading →

Police have charged a 19-year-old man from London, Ont., in connection with the loss of taxpayer data from the Canada Revenue Agency website. Stephen Arthuro Solis-Reyes was arrested at his residence Tuesday and is charged with unauthorized use of a computer and mischief in relation to data, the RCMP said Wednesday. A search of the Continue Reading →

With several states and municipalities considering various mandatory “kill-switch” laws for mobile devices, the wireless industry announced a voluntary commitment to include new anti-theft technology on phones starting next year. The commitment, announced Tuesday, has the backing of the five largest U.S. cellular carriers as well as the key players in the smartphone device and Continue Reading →

Computer hardware company LaCie is warning customers who have made transactions between March 27th, 2013 and March 10th, 2014 that their personal data may have been compromised. According to a statement released by the company, customer names, addresses, email addresses, payment card numbers, card expiration numbers and passwords could be at risk. LaCie’s disclosure of Continue Reading →

Google Inc updated its terms of service on Monday, informing users that their incoming and outgoing emails are automatically analyzed by software to create targeted ads. The revisions more explicitly spell out the manner in which Google software scans users’ emails, both when messages are stored on Google’s servers and when they are in transit, Continue Reading →