The legal tug-of-war over whether or not Apple can be forced to unlock a secure iPhone continued last night, with the U.S. Justice Department filing a sharp rebuke to Apple’s claims that it can’t legally be compelled to rewrite its software, and with Apple responding by accusing federal prosecutors of operating a “smear” campaign through the court system. [More]
privacy
FCC To Consider Rules That Would Make ISPs Get Permission To Share Your Personal Info
By 3.10.16
There’s a reason they call this century the information age: everything is data, data, data. And today, the FCC announced a proposal that would regulate how ISPs — over which all that data flows — have to get your permission to collect and share all that juicy, valuable information. [More]
Identity Theft Victim Confronts Alleged Scammer
By 3.8.16
There’s an episode of Friends in which Monica’s identity is stolen and she goes on to become best friends with the woman posing as Monica Geller, you know, before she goes to jail. Things didn’t so quite the same for a Los Angeles woman who says she confronted a couple she alleges used her identity to open credit card accounts and file income tax returns. [More]
Verizon, FCC Settle “Supercookie” Investigation With $1.35M Fine And Opt-Out Ability
By 3.7.16
In 2014 and 2015, Verizon caught a lot of attention for doing a couple of very sneaky things. One, they were inserting a little piece of code into all the web traffic on your phone to track your every digital move for advertising purposes. And two, they weren’t letting you opt-out of the tracking, even if you opted out of the ads. [More]
Apple Users Targeted With Widescale Ransomware Campaign For First Time
By 3.7.16
For decades, many Apple users have bragged about their computers not being targeted by viruses and malware in the way that Windows-based computers were. But over the weekend, hackers launched what is believed to be the first widespread ransomware campaign against Mac computers. [More]
Dozens Of Tech Experts Ask Court To Not Force Apple To Unlock iPhone
By 3.3.16
The day after Apple filed its formal objection to a Feb. 16 court order compelling the company to assist the FBI in unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the terrorists who killed 14 people last December in California, a group of nearly four dozen tech industry experts have asked the court to rethink its decision. [More]
Apple “Formally Objects” To Court Order To Unlock San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone
By 3.2.16
Hours after Apple and the FBI faced off before a Congressional panel on the matters of encryption, privacy, and law enforcement, the company officially filed its objection to a court order directing it to assist the FBI in unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the terrorists who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, CA, on Dec. 2, 2015. [More]
Apple, FBI Testify About Encryption And Privacy In Congressional Hearing
By 3.1.16
The angriest battle in tech right now is taking place between Apple and the FBI. Two weeks in to a very public fight, the argument is only heating up. Today, the debate went over to Capitol Hill. [More]
Apple Working On iPhone That Even It Wouldn’t Be Able To Hack
By 2.25.16
While Apple and federal law enforcement officials argue over whether or not the company should aid in the hacking of a terrorist’s locked iPhone, the company has reportedly begun work on a version of the device that even its creators would not be able to unlock. [More]
Class Action Claims Wendy’s Negligently Exposed Customer Payment Info In January Breach
By 2.23.16
Back in January, Wendy’s confirmed that it was looking into a data breach, adding later that it had found malicious software designed to steal customer information on computers that operate its payment processing system. As one might imagine, that didn’t go over well with some customers: a new class action claims the fast food chain was negligent in exposing its customers’ credit and debit card information to attackers. [More]
Apple Suggests New Commission Be Formed To Resolve FBI Privacy Standoff
By 2.22.16
Most folks don’t get to say “no” to the FBI. But Apple did just that last week, when they very publicly took a stand and, in an open letter to consumers, refused to create new code that could allow the feds to hack into an iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters. The spat has only deepened over the last few days, and brought issues of consumer privacy and encryption straight into mainstream conversation. [More]
Verizon’s “Hum” Device For Your Car Will Rat Out Speeding Teens, Wandering Spouses
By 2.17.16
Do you have a teen driver in your household and want to know every time they get a little overzealous with the accelerator? Or maybe you’re pretty sure your spouse’s frequent trips to “the office” are not so innocent? If so, then an upcoming update for Verizon’s “hum” in-car smart device might be just what you’re looking for. [More]
Apple To FBI: Keep Your Hands Off Our iPhone Encryption
By 2.17.16
One of the biggest stories in tech these days has its beginning in tragedy: the mass shooting in San Bernardino late last year. The FBI’s investigation includes the iPhone 5C one of the shooters used, but they can’t access all the data on it because of the phone’s built-in encryption. Two months in to the investigation, the feds have ordered Apple to alter the phone so that law enforcement can crack it with brute force password attacks. However, in an unusually bold move for business, Apple’s answer to the FBI is a big fat “no.” [More]
ID Thieves Attack IRS Website Using 460,000 Stolen Social Security Numbers
By 2.10.16
One of the worst things an identity thief can do with a stolen Social Security number is use it to then claim that person’s tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service has revealed that ID thieves recently tried to attack IRS.gov in an effort to cash in on 460,000 stolen SSNs. [More]
Want Wired.com Without Ads? That’ll Be $3.99/Month
By 2.8.16
With billions and billions of ad dollars going unearned by websites each year because of the increase use of ad-blocking technology, it’s no wonder that some publishers are fighting back. Last year, magazine giant Conde Nast started erecting virtual walls to prevent ad-block users from visiting some of its sites, and now the company is going to try to give these anti-ad readers the option of a monthly access model for Wired.com. [More]
College Students Sue Google For Scanning School-Issued Gmail Accounts
By 2.3.16
Nearly two years after Google agreed to stop data-mining email accounts provided through its Google Apps For Education (GAFE) program, a group of current and former college students have sued the Internet giant for the snooping that did occur for years on the Gmail accounts provided by their university. [More]
Report: Wendy’s May Be Latest Victim Of Credit Card Data Breach
By 1.27.16
A burger and some chili or a baked potato seems like a great meal idea in this miserably snowy winter weather so many of us are having. Unfortunately, reports are saying that if you bought that tasty treat from Wendy’s with a credit or debit card recently, it may come with an unwanted side of fraud. [More]
How Social Engineering Fooled Amazon Customer Service Reps Into Sharing A Customer’s Data
By 1.25.16
You generally expect that a company that has your personal information — like your address, recent orders, and billing information — is going to treat that data with some level of care. While you know their privacy policy might still allow some sharing for marketing reasons, you don’t expect their customer service agents to divulge it to anyone who happens to call up and pretend to be you. [More]
