Right before Equifax revealed that it had failed to secure the information of some 143 million Americans, some company executives sold off nearly $2 million in Equifax stock — a move that is currently under investigation. According to a new report, the Equifax executive who approved those stock sales is also the exec in charge of the company’s cybersecurity. [More]
cybersecurity
465K People Need A Pacemaker Security Update To Protect Their Hearts From Hacking
By 8.30.17
If you need more evidence that we are living in an increasingly internet-connected world, look no further than a recent software update aimed at making sure 465,000 people with pacemakers don’t have hearts that are vulnerable to hackers. [More]
Here’s How Easy It Is To Hack A Myspace Account — And How To Delete Yours
By 7.17.17
If you still have a Myspace account sitting at the back of your virtual Internet closet, it might be time to dust it off and consider deleting it: A security researcher says it’s ridiculously easy for anyone to hack into accounts using the site’s account recovery feature. [More]
Customer Records For Millions Of Verizon Subscribers Exposed
By 7.12.17 — Updated: 7.13.17
It’s a day ending in the letter “Y,” so we’re not surprised that yet another breach of customer information is making the news: In the latest, a cyber security firm says information for at least 14 million Verizon residential and small business wireline customers was found on an unsecured web server, allowing anyone on the Internet to access it. Verizon says that figure was closer to six million customer records. [More]
Apple Fights Bill That Could Make Fixing iPhone Easier, Cheaper
By 5.22.17
When iPhones first came on the market, customers could only get their devices fixed at an actual Apple store. Now that the phones have become ubiquitous, phone repair store have popped up on nearly every block and in every mall, providing owners with a plethora of options and prices when it comes to seeking repairs for their devices. But a new report shows that Apple and other tech manufacturers and organizations are fighting against these choices, pushing to eliminate state legislation that aims to make it easier for anyone to repair electronics. [More]
Cybersecurity Startup Used Unauthorized Hospital Data To Sell Others On Its Services
By 4.19.17
Companies that provide back-end online services often use live demonstrations to woo new clients or entice investors, but they often either run a simulation using dummy information or have permission to use an existing client’s operations. That apparently wasn’t the case for one multibillion-dollar cybersecurity startup, who reportedly spent years showing off unauthorized peeks into the network of one of their healthcare clients. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Will Pay $1,500 Bug Bounties To Hackers Who Uncover Security Flaws
By 7.13.16
Nearly four months after the FBI warned carmakers that their products were “increasingly vulnerable” to hacking, Fiat Chrysler has unveiled its plan to combat any future hack attacks: launch a so-called “bug bounty” program to pay members of the public for finding security flaws in its vehicles. [More]
Government Asking People To “Hack The Pentagon” To Find Security Flaws
By 3.2.16
The Pentagon is joining a long list of companies and organizations in opening the door to hackers by asking for the public’s help in testing the cybersecurity infrastructure of some of its websites. [More]
Controversial Cybersecurity Bill Makes It Into Omnibus, Will Basically Be Law Any Minute Now
By 12.18.15
We are rapidly running out of 2015 left to spend, and so the two houses of Congress have been racing to pass an omnibus spending bill that will keep the government funded and the lights on. Because that bill is a must-pass piece of legislation, all kinds of crap has been added, taken away, and snuck back in as we come down to the wire. Among the other bills that have been tacked on is a controversial piece of cybersecurity legislation that has privacy and consumer advocates worried all around. [More]
Lawmaker Questions Airlines, Plane Manufacturers On Cybersecurity Measures
By 12.2.15
Eight months after a government report found that airplanes with WiFi connections may be vulnerable to cyber attacks and seven months after a hacker claimed to have commandeered a United Airlines flight via the plane’s in-flight entertainment system, one lawmaker wants to know just what airlines are doing to protect their computer systems — and passengers. [More]
Senators Ask Automakers For Update On Cybersecurity Protection Measures
By 9.16.15
Following a string of high-profile incidents in which researchers were able to hack into – and in some cases take control of – a vehicle through its entertainment systems, lawmakers have renewed their push to ensure car manufacturers are adequately protecting consumers from such attacks. [More]
The IRS Is Still Using Windows XP, Has A Cybersecurity Staff Of 363 People
By 5.29.15
In the last few years, tax return fraud has become a serious problem at the state and federal levels, thanks to the growth of e-filing and security holes in IRS and third-party tax software systems. Is the IRS to blame for this trend? There are really only two options: the IRS is either broke or incompetent. [More]
GAO Report Finds Airplanes With WiFi Connections May Be Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks
By 4.15.15
Just as a report found in early February that the newest models of connected cars aren’t adequately guarded from security and privacy hacks, a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the same issue currently plagues another transportation segment: flying. [More]
Hilton HHonors Site Flaw Exposed All Accounts To Potential Hijacking
By 3.23.15
Following a report of a spike in hijacked accounts, Hilton recently asked its HHonors Awards members to change their passwords — offering them 1,000 bonus points if they did so before April 1. But cybersecurity experts say that hackers didn’t actually need passwords to take control of other folks’ HHonors accounts. [More]
Anthem Hack Included Personal Information For 78.8 Million Customers & Employees
By 2.25.15
Nearly three weeks removed from the detection of a massive data breach, health insurer Anthem Inc. is releasing more details about the scope of the hack, including the fact that personal information for about 78.8 million was compromised. [More]
President Proposes New Legislation To Protect Consumers’ And Students’ Data
By 1.12.15
From hacks and data breaches to identity theft and good old-fashioned money theft, crime and privacy in the digital world are shaping up to be the big buzzwords of 2015. Protecting consumers from harms like retail and website hacks is one of the bigger, newer challenges facing the feds going forward. Today, President Obama outlined his proposals for some laws that could help protect American consumers online. [More]
Obama: Sony “Made A Mistake” Pulling ‘The Interview’ From Theaters
By 12.19.14
The FBI announced today, and President Obama confirmed during a press conference, that North Korea is indeed behind the attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. The President expressed his sympathy for Sony employees, but gave voice to what many in the United States are thinking: that hacks are inevitable, and in pulling their movie, Sony did the wrong thing. [More]
If You Own Any Of These Types Of Products, Change The Default Password Now
By 11.20.14
We told you the other day how several electronics manufacturers were shipping products with default username and password combinations that many people never think to change, leaving them open to being compromised by hackers and pranksters. To help those consumers who may not want to get into the gritty details of that story, here’s a quick guide to a number of popular types of products that people may not know they need to change the password to. [More]
