NEWS
The Power of the Password
The recent unraveling of the NSA snooping saga continues to shock the public, but also makes most security experts smirk. “Of course there is nothing private on the Web.” The issue of a government having access to private and specifically, encrypted information...
When sharing is not “playing well with others”
The simplest way to rob a bank is to walk through the front door (not that we’ve ever tried). The easiest way to hack a website/domain/account – is to use a username and password. This is what actually happened during the recent New York Times and Twitter domain...
Password (in)security infographic
Image: blog.instantcheckmate.com, Ashley Welter
Security is Beautiful. Data breaches are not.
Tricerion is in the business of visual security. We built the world’s most secure graphic authentication system. We believe security should be as tangible as the reality of financial losses and damages to major brands due to the widespread practice of relying on...
Text-based passwords – the dinosaurs that have not yet disappeared (but really should)
Gunnar Peterson hopes we can leave a better legacy of online security than what is currently being used to safeguard our sensitive data, finances, and infrastructure. What worked for the Pharaohs to record on papyrus and clay tablets their glorious conquests is not...
Try harder at futility, says Google
“Password1” is as good as it gets. It’s simple to remember. You’ll never forget it. That is what millions of people seem to think, in those exact words, which is why it’s a problem. We have so many passwords, that we are always tempted to choose simplicity...
Twitter Tries To Thwart Trouble – Text Tokens
A text-based communication tool adds a second layer of security – text-based, of course. Twitter is the perfect example of how a few words can have a huge impact. Use Twitter well and you join the ranks of celebrities. Use it poorly, and you join the ranks of,...
Hackers Welcome!
A study of 1,200 corporate employees in the UK revealed that only a direct and personal experience of cybercrime will trigger a change in attitude and online habits. The following statistics are telling: 55% - Number of employees who actively follow online security...
Authentication of the future
Passwords, authentication tokens, biometrics – who needs those when brain waves from an EEG are both unique to the individual and un-fakeable? Well, perhaps Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise could come up with a scenario where EEG readings are at risk from “precogs,”...
Classic . . .
Two-factor authentication gaining momentum with local governments, but why?
State, city, and county government agencies around the USA, and likely elsewhere, are adopting two-factor authentication as a means to comply with regulations for increased information security. Yet, when the consensus about such methods is largely negative, we...
How to fix a security vulnerability
Modern Robbery
South Carolina Dept. of Revenue hacked
Taxpayers expect their data to be kept confidential and safe when using government systems. In fact, they often assume that the government's systems will be protected more effectively than commercial systems. Residents of South Carolina were taken by surprise when...
What not to give this Christmas
Do you like your friends and family? Let’s assume you do. And assuming you like them, you probably don’t want them to have their identity stolen by hackers. Am I right? Well then, let’s take a look at a few products on the market this year that must have been designed...
Don’t forget that dogs are case sensitive
Facebook’s inadequate response to phishing
6% of all phishing attempts in the first quarter of the year targeted social network accounts. That isn't surprising, since so many people use social media, so many users have identical login information for their social networks and their ecommerce accounts, and so...
Study: Email filters can’t stop phishing
The scenario is all too familiar. Aunt Myrtle calls, knowing you're into "all that computer stuff." She got an email from her online book seller asking her to please verify her information. Since you've already told her not to click on things like that, she called the...
Biometrics: Faulty assurance
Fingerprints, iris scans - in the movies they're super secure. So secure that fictional crooks will kidnap or maim biometric "key holders" for the use of their fingerprint or eye. Ah, yes, if it's in a Bond movie or it gives Jason Bourne pause, it must be the top tier...
A picture worth more than a thousand words
And perhaps, some pictures are worth more than that. It would seem that some inherently foolish folks out there have posted pictures on twitter of their credit cards - numbers and expiration dates readable. Really, people? Sometimes truth really is crazier than...