After rumors started circulating that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would maybe, possibly expand its limited in-flight electronics ban to include U.S.-bound planes from Europe, or even put domestic flights under that umbrella, some in the airline industry started to get worried. They’ll have to fret a bit longer, however, as the agency hasn’t made up its mind on that front yet. [More]
Search results for: security key
Keylogging Spyware Found On Dozens Of HP Laptop Models
By 5.12.17
Owners and users of nearly 30 different Hewlett-Packard laptop models, beware: It turns out an unknown number of computers shipped with a keylogger embedded in them, tracing and recording your every keystroke. [More]
Privacy Advocates Raise Concerns About Mattel’s Always-On ‘Aristotle’ Baby Monitor
By 5.10.17
Anyone who has watched a young child become fascinated with virtual “assistants” like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google Home could guess that it was only a matter of time until one of these “smart” devices would be created specifically for monitoring kids. With Mattel set to release an all-in-one assistant/monitor, consumer advocates are questioning how secure, beneficial, or harmful these devices actually are. [More]
In-Flight Electronics Ban Could Be Expanded To Include Flights From Europe
By 5.9.17
Transatlantic travel may soon require you to pack a few good books. The federal government may expand its limited ban on carry-on electronics to include some flights coming from airports in Europe. [More]
How To Make Sure Your PC Is Safe From Windows Defender Vulnerability
By 5.9.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Not sure whether or not your PC has been updated with a patch to fix a recently discovered Windows Defender vulnerability? Here’s what you should do. [More]
NetSpend To Pay $53M To Resolve Allegations It Misled Prepaid Card Customers
By 4.3.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
NetSpend, one of the nation’s largest providers of prepaid debit cards, will pay $53 million to resolve federal regulator’s accusations that it misled users about access to funds deposited to the cards. [More]
House Votes To Allow Internet Service Providers To Sell, Share Your Personal Information
By 3.28.17 — Updated: 3.29.17
The new Federal Communications Commission’s rules intended to limit how companies like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and Charter can use internet customers’ sensitive personal information are effectively dead in the water, thanks to a House of Representatives vote today to kill the regulations, making sure internet service providers can use and sell user data. [More]
Lawmakers Ask FCC To Seek Fixes For Phone Network Vulnerabilities
By 3.28.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you think about phone security, you’re probably thinking about the apps on your phone, who’s listening in on the call you make, or perhaps even the metadata you leave behind. You’re probably not thinking about the national and global network of fibers, cables, and businesses that makes your phone call physically possible. But that network has vulnerabilities, and two lawmakers want the FCC to protect consumers from them. [More]
Why Are So Many Tech & Telecom Companies Bad At Respecting Your Privacy?
By and 3.23.17
The 21st century world is all about data: who has it, how they use it, when they share it, and how much they make from selling it. Despite the proliferation of terms of service and privacy policies, the companies responsible for handling our data are largely doing a poor job of telling us what they do with it. [More]
DHS Bans Laptops, Other Electronic Devices From Airplane Cabins For Flights From 10 Airports
By 3.21.17
If you’re doing any travel to or from the Middle East, northern Africa, or Turkey in the coming months, you may not be able to work or watch videos on your laptop or tablet. A new Department of Homeland Security rule bans all electronic devices “larger than a smartphone” from the cabins of all flights coming to the U.S. from ten international airports. [More]
6 Things Consumers Should Know About The White House’s Proposed ‘Skinny’ Budget
By 3.16.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The Trump White House has released its first big-picture public proposal on federal spending for 2018. This initial pass — the so-called “skinny” budget — is basically an outline that doesn’t get into the finer details. However, the changes that are described in the document are nonetheless wide-sweeping, recommending significant cuts or culling of a number of programs you may currently take for granted. [More]
FCC Chair Faces Blowback Over Decision To Undo ISP Privacy Rule
By 2.27.17
Last week, FCC Chair Ajit Pai declared that he would halt the Commission’s new privacy rule before it kicks in on March 2. That last-minute decision is now under fire from within the FCC and beyond. [More]
FBI Attorney: Tech Companies Are Helping Dumb Criminals By Providing Quality Encryption
By 2.9.17
Much of the debate about encrypted devices and messaging services has been centered on more sophisticated criminal or terrorist activities, where the people involved are actively searching out ways to avoid detection by law enforcement. However, the FBI’s top attorney contends that tech companies may be inadvertently giving dimwitted crooks a leg up by making quality encryption so widely available. [More]
Dressing Marijuana Up As Fruit Is Apparently The New Trend In Illegal Drug Shipping
By 2.8.17
Drug-busting has had a particularly fruity theme in Texas lately, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have recently uncovered large loads of marijuana disguised as innocent produce. [More]
New Hacker Trick: Locking All Hotel Guests Out Of Rooms, Demanding Ransom
By 1.30.17
Ransomware is a type of malware that infects computers and smartphones, encrypting the data on them and locking up the device, making it unusable. This is pretty bad when it happens to your personal device and you have no backup, but imagine an entire hotel full of guests locked out of their rooms because the hotel staff has been locked out of the computer system. [More]
5 Things We’ve Learned About How Companies Track You Online And Off
By 1.25.17
Is there an ad that seems to be following you everywhere? Perhaps you browsed for new sneakers in a slow moment at work a week ago, and now you see ads for them on every site you view on your phone? Or maybe you clicked an ad on Facebook, and now that company’s product seems to be stalking you around the internet, asking you to buy it in every sidebar ad you see. [More]
You Don’t Care About Your Friends’ Data, And 4 Other Things We Learned From Privacy Experts
By 1.17.17
The things we buy and use every day are increasingly connected — to the internet, and to each other — and while this new level of interconnection provides a slew of benefits, it also raises a new set of privacy problems and security challenges. Yet, as we recently learned, consumers are often self-centered when it comes to protecting their data and don’t give much thought to making their friends’ info available. [More]
Ransomware Spreading Onto Smart TVs, Is A Pain To Fix
By 1.6.17 — Updated: 1.7.17
Streaming TV has been a boon for consumers. Programming is everywhere, right at our fingertips, as soon as we get our screens online. But that connectivity comes with a big risk: wherever there’s an internet connection, there’s a possibility for bad guys to show up. And now they are showing up in the real world, holding TV sets hostage with ransomware and demanding cash to let you access your own stuff. [More]
