Huawei’s flagship smartphones more often than not receive fantastic reviews, prompting many to look ahead towards the release of the P30 next month. This could be marred by another episode of Huawei versus the world, as the company has once again been accused of tactically thieving Apple’s trade secrets. The …
Read More »US Judge grants WannaCry stopper $30,000 bail
At the end of last week, we learned that the 23 year old security researcher responsible for halting WannaCry had been arrested by the FBI, with the feds claiming that he wrote and sold a piece of banking malware on the dark web. Since then, some new details surrounding the …
Read More »The FBI’s iPhone hack ended up costing $900,000
One of the biggest stories of 2016 was the Apple V FBI encryption and privacy battle. At the time, the FBI wanted to force Apple into cracking an iPhone 5c used by a criminal but by doing so, Apple would be forced into creating a backdoor to its software, which …
Read More »LeakedSource owner reportedly raided, servers seized
LeakedSource, a for-profit database of hacks and security breaches has been taken down this week, leading to reports of an FBI raid, during which all servers are said to have been seized. News of the raid first broke last night and while the US authorities have yet to confirm or …
Read More »Updated: FIFA 14 coin thief convicted of fraud
Anthony Clarke, one of four individuals arrested as part of an investigation into FIFA 14 Coin hacking, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He now has a few months to wait until sentencing, but potentially faces as long as 20 years in a federal prison for his …
Read More »FBI lets Clinton off in email investigation… again
Never fear guys, we're almost there. Just a few more days and U.S. election coverage can rest easy for another 2.5 years or so. Still, the lead up to this one has been quite unbelievable in many ways, like how the FBI investigated candidate Hilary Clinton's email server, not once, …
Read More »Yahoo said to be complicit in email scanning for U.S. intelligence
If you're a Yahoo email user, you should be aware that in 2015 the web giant built a specialised piece of software to scan all incoming emails to all Yahoo mail accounts, searching for certain phrases and statements related to U.S. intelligence. Three former employees have claimed to have seen the …
Read More »FBI recommends against charging Hilary Clinton over email server
The FBI has announced that at the conclusion of its investigation into U.S. presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, over her use of an unsecured private email server while Secretary of State, that they it would not recommend indictment. Although the justice department may pursue a conviction any way, it seems quite …
Read More »Twitter blocks sale of mass user data to FBI, CIA
Most companies strictly control the data that they put out there into the world and that includes what goes to intelligence and law enforcement agencies, especially if they don't have a warrant. Twitter has just entrenched that ideal, by blocking a loophole that the FBI and CIA had been using …
Read More »The FBI may soon be able to hack any device in any jurisdiction
In the wake of the FBI not being able to force Apple to weaken the security of an iPhone related to a criminal case, the Supreme Court in the U.S. has ruled that judges can give the federal agency the power to access any computer they want, regardless of jurisdiction. Pro-privacy …
Read More »Bill Gates clarifies privacy stance: no one is an ‘absolutist’
Bill Gates drew some condemnation when he voiced support for the FBI's desire to break into the iPhone of the San Bernardino attacker. However he has now clarified his position, saying nobody is in just one camp when it comes to privacy vs. security and that if the government ever …
Read More »US Department of Justice still wants Apple’s help unlocking iPhones
Over the last few weeks, Apple and the FBI have been butting heads over the unlocking of an iPhone 5c owned by a criminal. So far, Apple has refused to create a back door into its software for the authorities and while the FBI did eventually find another way into …
Read More »It was never just one iPhone: FBI to crack more handsets
The big argument from the FBI and its proponents in its case vs. Apple in recent months, was that it was ‘just one iPhone,' and that weakening its security wouldn't affect any others. Just days after it cracked the phone without Apple's help, it's now set to aid the Arkansas …
Read More »Encryption finds ally in form of U.S. senator Ron Wyden
Often it seems that politicians are either wilfully ignorant, or unconsciously so, about encryption, with the legislative changes they propose almost always railing against the obfuscating technology. Not so with all of them though, as U.S. senator Ron Wyden has promised to protect it by fighting against a push to …
Read More »Apple wants FBI to reveal how it hacked the iPhone
The FBI has been trying to force Apple to do something it doesn't want to for the past few months and now the shoe is on the other foot. Following the FBI calling off its legal demands and announcing it had used a third party to break into the San …
Read More »FBI unlocks San Bernardino attacker’s iPhone without Apple
Despite making claims for months that it required Apple's help to crack open the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers, the FBI has now managed to get into it using a third party's help. Although it hasn't come forward to say how it was done, it has now …
Read More »FBI reportedly enlists Israeli firm to help crack iPhone
Earlier this week, we got news that the FBI had filed a motion to delay its court hearing with Apple . The FBI was hoping to force Apple into assisting with the unlocking of an iPhone owned by a criminal but now, it looks like the Bureau won't need Apple …
Read More »FBI backs out of Apple hearing, says crack may be possible
Apple and the FBI were set to start hashing things out in court today after the company refused to comply with an order to help the FBI access an iPhone owned by a criminal. This sparked quite a debate over encryption but it looks like the FBI may no longer …
Read More »Snowden claims the FBI can hack iPhone without Apple’s help
Edward Snowden has made quite a name for himself over the last couple of years after turning into an NSA whistleblower. As you would expect, he is pretty interested in the on-goings with the US government these days so this week, Snowden took the opportunity to weigh in on the …
Read More »Apple’s VP of software supports Tim Cook in FBI iPhone unlocking case
Apple's Vice President of Software engineering, Craig Federighi has spoken out in support of Tim Cook's decision to fight the FBI over a request to break the security protection of an iPhone. Over the last few weeks, quite a few major names have spoken out in support of Apple's decision and …
Read More »Apple receives further court support from Lavabit
Once upon-a-time encrypted email service, Lavabit, has thrown its lot in to support Apple in its ongoing legal dispute with the FBI and American government over weakening iPhone security. Although not called on by the court to do so, it submitted an amicus brief, explaining just why it believes the authorities should …
Read More »FBI, authorities admit they would use iPhone hack again
In the case of Apple vs the FBI over hacking the San Bernardino attacker's iPhone, the authorities have made the case that this is about one device. However countering that claim, the FBI and the Manhattan district attorney, have now both admitted that they would use an Apple back door …
Read More »Apple protected by Judge in separate phone cracking case
A judge has ruled that the American government is not legally entitled to force Apple to unlock an iPhone in a drug case, currently taking place in New York. Although entirely unrelated to the ongoing FBI demands of Apple with regards to the San Bernardino attacker's phone, this case is …
Read More »Apple may use fifth amendment to block iPhone hack request
Apple is bringing out the big guns in its dispute with the FBI and U.S. court system over a request to hack the iPhone of one of those behind the San Bernardino attacks last year. It's now citing the first amendment, claiming that forcing Apple to write code was akin …
Read More »Bill Gates ‘disappointed’ in reports that he sides with FBI in iPhone case
Over the last 24 hours or so, plenty of reports have been floating around stating that Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, has sided with the FBI when it comes to asking Apple to help them crack into a criminal's iPhone. This topic has sparked much debate over the last week but …
Read More »Gates, Zuckerberg stand with FBI in Apple phone hack case
More tech firms are picking sides in the ongoing battle between Tim Cook's Apple and the FBI over cracking iPhone security for the handset of one of the San Bernardino attackers. This time around though they're siding with the FBI, with both Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill …
Read More »U.S. government has 12 other iPhones it wants Apple to crack
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) is said to have as many as 12 other iPhones it wants Apple to crack open once it's finished with the FBI's device that currently has all parties involved in a legal dispute. Those smartphones are said to be unrelated and are not linked with …
Read More »Apple wants a government commission to settle encryption debate
Last week, Apple decided that it was going to take on the FBI and oppose a court order to decrypt a criminal's iPhone. This has sparked up the encryption debate once again, a debate that Apple would like to see settled by a government commission of experts. Tim Cook has also …
Read More »Police request DNA data from Ancestry and 23andMe databases
Both Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com are services designed to help you trace your relatives or ancestors. Customer data is sometimes requested by police to test it against crime scene evidence. Although this is par for the course with technology firms, these are two of only a few companies which store large collections …
Read More »Apple to fight US order to build iPhone encryption backdoor
Earlier this morning, news spread that the FBI has given Apple a court order to help them break the security on the iPhone previously owned by the deceased gunman behind the San Bernardino attacks last year. Now, Apple is formally contesting the order and has said that it will fight the …
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