The U.S. Senate and Congress voted recently to repeal recent restrictions on what user data ISPs can sell, following it with rules attempting to prevent future regulation. Minnesota, however, isn't having any of that. The Minnesota state senate has voted to "bar internet service providers from selling their users' personal data without express written consent," according to the Twin...
The United States senate voted last week to repeal FCC privacy rules that would require internet service providers to obtain our explicit consent before selling data they collect about our internet usage. We'd been holding out some hope that the House of Representatives would have our backs, but that's not the case. Private no more and never again Congress voted yesterday, 215 to 205...
The US Senate isn't very interested in our privacy. Yesterday, our elected representatives voted 50 to 48 to overturn rules set in place in October of last year that would've required ISPs to obtain our permission before selling our data to advertisers or anyone else. The vote was entirely along party lines. "Every American should be alarmed by the very real violation of privacy that...
Once upon a time, we talked on the phone in a scant few spaces. The home, the office, and the relative safety of phone booths. These days, a call can come in anywhere, and while it might not always be considered good manners to take the call, sometimes you can't get around it. The just-announced gadget Hushme wants to solve that problem, but I'm not sure it's going to catch on. The...
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was recently tapped the head President-Elect Trump's cyber-security team. Trump had originally said Giuliani would not play a role in his administration. The cyber-security team will be important for a number of reasons, primarily following evidence that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Committee ahead of the election. As of Wednesday...
Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Windows and Devices Terry Myerson recently revealed several of the company’s major security and privacy initiatives. Two highlights include a new web dashboard for Windows users and a brand new privacy configuration tool coming to Windows 10. The web-based dashboard is similar to a set of tools offered by Google and allows users of Microsoft’s...
Another month another exploit. This one can ruin your day pretty quick and, sadly, anyone can use it to pretty much shut down someone's iMessages. The affected iPhone may not even be fixed until it's completely reset (unless you follow the link below.) Yikes! Gizmodo said the flaw was first noticed by a hacker named vincedes3. It's relatively simple in its execution and, as with most...
Three Chinese citizens were recently charged with hacking into U.S. law firms in an effort to place trades using insider knowledge on tech companies including Pitney Bowes and Intel. It's almost straight out of a Hollywood Hacker-action flick. The attacks seem to be relatively straightforward: hackers broke into two law firms seeking data on future deals, like acquisitions, and then...
Remember the ADUPS malware that was discovered on Blu smartphones shipped by Amazon last month? Turns out that malware is also included on Barnes & Noble's latest $50 7″ "NOOK tablet." If you bought one for someone as a gift this season, you might want to return it while you still can. Linux Journal uncovered the ugly surprise this week, noting that the tablet sends data back to a...
If you needed yet another reminder not to install untrusted applications without fully knowing where they come from, here it is: researchers with Check Point Software Technologies recently published details on new Android malware named “Gooligan” that has compromised more than 1 million Google Accounts. Check Point said that figure is increasing by an additional 13,000 accounts as users...