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]
hacking
Hacker Broke Into Hotel Rooms Electronically, Stole Customers’ Stuff
By 8.30.17
Key cards may be a convenient way for hotels to issue room keys, but a bug in one popular model made it convenient to electronically pick the locks. An override code to open doors was programmed into the locks, making them easy to open after a quick shopping trip to RadioShack. One man took advantage of this bug and used it to gain access to rooms across the country, stealing stuff from hotels and guests alike. [More]
Great, Now Someone Can Steal Your Car Using A Laptop Computer
By 7.6.16
If car theft seems like a low-tech crime to you, you’re forgetting the extent to which computers are now standard car parts. Computer control of automobiles makes some cool features possible, but one of those features may be that thieves can start a vehicle using a portable computer. How? Police in Houston, where a culprit was caught on camera, aren’t actually sure how they did it. [More]
DOJ: Concerns About Expanded Government Hacking Much Ado About Nothing
By 5.19.16 — Updated: 10.27.16
Earlier today, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation intended to combat new rules that some critics believe gives expanded hacking authority to federal law enforcement agencies. In response, the Justice Department claims that this bill isn’t necessary to protect consumers’ privacy. [More]
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Limit Law Enforcement’s Rights To Hack Stuff
By 5.19.16
A group of Senators has announced today that they are introducing a new bill into the Senate designed to prevent mass hacking of Americans’ digital devices. But the lawmakers aren’t targeting shadowy collectives or foreign nationals with their proposed legislation; they’re seeking to limit the scope of actual Federal agencies’ powers. [More]
Copyright Office Rules: Yes, Security Researchers May Hack Cars (And A Couple Other Things) For Science
By 10.27.15
Copyright law is surprisingly pervasive. It affects everything from computers to cars (and tractors). The law says you’re not allowed to circumvent DRM on anything for any reason… except for a big pile of things you actually legally can. Those exemptions get re-evaluated every three years, and today the new list is out. [More]
Security Researcher Successfully Steals Home WiFi Passwords By Hacking Into Tea Kettles
By 10.19.15
While it might be super convenient to have everything in your home connected to the Internet, that interconnectivity can also give attackers a chance to sneak in through seemingly innocent devices. Take the humble tea kettle: a security researcher in England has been hacking into smart kettles across the country and gaining access to private WiFi networks. [More]
Jeep Cherokee Owners File Lawsuit Against Fiat Chrysler, Harman After Hackers Wirelessly Hijack Vehicle
By 8.5.15
It was inevitable: A few weeks after hackers showed that a Jeep Cherokee could be hijacked remotely, three car owners have filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status against Fiat Chrylser Automobiles and Harman International, the maker of the Uconnect onboard infotainment system. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Offers Software Patch For Some Internet-Connected Vehicles After Hackers Hijack Jeep
By 7.23.15
After a journalist’s report of being inside a 2014 Jeep Cherokee while hackers miles away took over his car as part of an experiment, Fiat Chrysler has announced it’s offering a software patch for some of its internet-connected vehicles. That being said, the company didn’t directly acknowledge the hacking event itself. [More]
What It’s Like To Be Inside A Car When Hackers Take Control From Miles Away
By 7.21.15
It sounds like a nightmare: You’re driving along, maybe whistling along to the radio, when suddenly the music changes and starts blasting, the car begins honking and won’t stop and the transmission cuts out. Nightmarish though that may sound, it could be a reality for drivers, after a team of hackers showed they’re able to get control of a vehicle from miles away. [More]
FBI, TSA Issue Warning To Airlines Over Possible Flight Hackings
By 4.22.15
A week after a government report identified security weaknesses within the airline industry including the possibility that newer airplanes with interconnected WiFi systems could be hacked, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Transportation Security Administration issued an alert warning airlines to be vigilant about monitoring for such threats. [More]
Report: Gang Of Criminals Hacking Bank ATMs Has Stolen Up To $1B
By 2.16.15
Some of the world’s banks likely had a crummy Valentine’s Day after a new report from a computer-security firm came out this weekend, saying that a group of criminals has stolen millions of dollars since late 2013 from financial institutions in Russia, Eastern Europe and the United States. And it doesn’t seem like they’re done yet. [More]
Visa, MasterCard To End Swipe-And-Sign By 2015
By 2.7.14
Goodbye credit card signatures and hello PIN numbers. In a move that could better protect consumers from massive security breaches, major credit card companies are looking to implement a chip-and-PIN system instead of the tired and true swipe-and-sign method used across the country. [More]
Did These Hackers Just Win $20K, Booze & A Dirty Book By Beating Apple’s Touch ID?
By 9.23.13
Someone — or, as it turns out, a number of someones — might be the proud new owner(s) of a couple books, a bottle of wine and another of bourbon and oh yeah, around $20,000 in cash after a hacker group claims to have beaten Apple’s new fingerprint scanner, Touch ID. This, just a few days after the iPhone 5S descended on the public. [More]
LivingSocial Hacked, 50 Million Names, Emails, Birthdates, Encrypted Passwords Accessed
April 26, 2013
LivingSocial, the daily deals site partially owned by Amazon, has been hacked, with 50 million customer names, emails, birth dates, and encrypted passwords accessed. An internal memo from CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy says both the database that stores customer credit card information and the database that stores merchants’ financial and banking information were not affected or accessed. They are advising users to update their passwords. [AllThingsD] [More]
Xbox Live Bans User For Getting Hacked
By 2.2.12
After his Xbox Live account was stolen, Josh had to file a Better Business Bureau complaint in order to make MIcrosoft pay attention to him and restore his account access. After three months, he was delighted to log back in to his account, but surprised to learn that he had been banned for a “code of conduct violation.” What did his account do to get banned? It was trying to steal other accounts. Imagine that. [More]
Detect Hardware Trojans With "Singing Rings"
By 11.10.11
Researchers have proposed a new method for detecting trojan viruses embedded into hardware chips by using voltage detectors that “sing out” in a different frequency when they’re used on a tampered circuit. [More]
