January 2011
8 posts
3 tags
Brits in two minds about data security
Some 80% of people in the UK are “concerned about protecting their personal information online”, says the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). An even bigger proportion (96%) feels that organisations are not to be trusted with this information, because they’re not up to the job of keeping it safe.
Not much grey area there, then. Brits are clearly worried about what...
3 tags
Situational awareness for protestors
Avoiding being ‘kettled’ is now easier for students and other protestors in London. And it’s all to do with a smart way of sharing intelligence.
In the military world, there’s a lot of talk about ‘data fusion’ and ‘situational awareness’. This is where data from all kinds of systems - surveillance drones, fighter aircraft targeting pods, satellite...
4 tags
Facebook SSL security upgrade: why?
Facebook is now making it possible for users to access the site via SSL (ie, using ‘https’ rather than ‘http’). But is the timing significant?
Two things suggest it might be. The first is the hijacking of Facebook logins by the Tunisian Government. But the cynic in me says that a more likely reason is the ‘hacking’ of Mark Zuckerberg’s own Facebook page.
...
5 tags
FBI acts against 40 Anons
The execution of 40 search warrants by the FBI against alleged members of Anonymous is part of a co-ordinated operation with the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service, which made five arrests yesterday.
The FBI hasn’t announced any arrests yet and isn’t giving up much information about its targets. Its press release is pretty clear, however, that it is treating the DDoS attacks...
5 tags
Anonymous arrests
Five young men have been arrested in the UK in connection with DDoS attacks mounted by the Anonymous group, according to a report by the BBC. The five range in age from 15 to 26.
This was predictable - up to a point. Anonymous takes a fairly callous ‘cannon fodder’ attitude to its ‘members’ (if you can call them that).
The Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC) software - the weapon...
6 tags
The year ahead
At the turn of the year, it’s practically a tradition that security and anti-malware vendors make their prognostications for what lies ahead for us over the next 12 months. Most of the predictions are, as it were, predictable. More malware, more Stuxnet-like cyberwar disguised as malware, more targeted phishing and a greater focus on mobile and Apple platforms as they become increasingly...
4 tags
A positive approach to the social media problem
Like it or not, social networking is a part of your organisation. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and all those other time-wasting pastimes — or effective communications channels, if you prefer — are occupying at least a part of your workers’ time.
The dangers are familiar, including data leaks and reputational damage. And the countermeasures are equally varied, including banning the use of social...
2 tags
Who is Anonymous?
Reports that members of the Anonymous hacktivist movement have defaced the website of Irish opposition party Fine Gael are being denied by … well, members of Anonymous.
The hack exposed details of 2,000 members of the party. But chatter within Anonymous IRC channels suggests that most people who identify themselves with Anonymous want to distance themselves from this action.
It’s a...