Security

A new study has found that hackers have the ability to cause real-time traffic jams, even in areas many miles from their location. The threat could affect the millions of people who rely on global positioning systems. Among the most prolific systems ... targeted by hackers is Google Maps, a service that offers turn-by-turn navigation using information from a mobile phone to analyze real-time traffic data. All location information sent to the individual is secured by a TLS (Transport Layer Security) system to protect the integrity of the data and make it impossible for a hacker to orchestrate an ... (view more)

One of Reuters' most prominent social media journalists has been accused of conspiring with 'hacktivist' group Anonymous to infiltrate a news website. According to reports, New Jersey's Matthew Keys, 26, provided Anonymous with vital login data that ... allowed Anonymous to bypass the digital security of the Tribune Company. Tribune Company owns KTXL Fox 40, a TV news station in Sacramento, California, where Keys worked. Keys was terminated by KTXL in October 2010, though it's not known why he was fired. (Source: techspot.com ) Disgruntled Employee Turns to Anonymous In December 2010 Keys ... (view more)

Users of Kaspersky Lab's Internet Security 2013 software are being told the product contains a bug that, if exploited, could cause their operating system to freeze up. According to reports, the bug can be exploited by hackers using an Internet ... Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet. If a specially-crafted packet is sent to computers running Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 software, a system can be disabled. "A fragmented packet with multiple but one large extension header leads to a complete freeze of the operating system," said security expert Marc Heuse. "No log message or warning window is ... (view more)

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged 29 people suspected of sending more than 180 million spammy text messages. An FTC spokesman said he had a simple message for anyone who receives unsolicited offers through a text message: ... "Delete them, immediately. The offers are, in a word, garbage." (Source: pcmag.com ) According to the FTC, the accused sent messages falsely claiming the recipient had won a prize, such as a $1,000 gift card from a major retailer. If a recipient followed a link placed in the message, they would be asked to supply personal information -- including ... (view more)

Hacktivist group Anonymous is preparing to wage a new and expansive war on America's major financial institutions. In what it calls "Operation Wall Street," Anonymous says it will carry out attacks designed to expose "the crimes of Goldman Sachs" ... and other, similar firms. "It should be the duty of any Anonymous, any hacker, in solidarity with Occupy, to release the Dox on the CEOs ... (view more)

A recently-discovered browser flaw could allow hackers to manipulate a site visitor's physical hard drive. At the moment, Mozilla's Firefox is the only browser not affected by the problem. The technology involved is HTML5, the latest edition of the ... standard code used to produce websites. One of the key features of HTML5 allows web developers to include code for showing multimedia -- such as animations and videos -- without the website visitor having to install special plug-in software. Web browsers have always had the ability to write some data to a computer's hard drive, usually on a ... (view more)

A newly-discovered form of malware can reportedly spread via malicious PDF documents. An infected system can then be controlled via Twitter. Called 'MiniDuke' by security experts, it appears the malware is still very active. Russian security company ... Kaspersky Lab, who recently discovered MiniDuke, said that recovered fragments of the malware had been created as recently as February 20, 2013. That has led Kaspersky researchers to suggest that MiniDuke is still being used to attack computer systems. Hackers Capitalize on Adobe Flaw The malware is reportedly being spread in the form of malicious ... (view more)

The war of words between China and the United States over alleged cyber-espionage continues. A Chinese government official has revealed data that he says shows US sources are behind more than a million annual attacks on two Chinese websites. An ... American security firm recently published a report indicating that a Chinese hacking group has carried out at least 140 security breaches of US websites in an attempt to steal sensitive information. US Firm Tracks Hacks Back to China The report said the group's attacks could be traced back to a specific building in Shanghai known to be operated by a ... (view more)

A new 'Kickstarter' project is getting a whole lot of attention from PC security experts. That's because the device attached to the project 'myIDkey' is a USB stick that effectively protects a user's passwords by using cutting-edge security ... technologies. Kickstarter is an online funding and investment service that allows everyday people to invest in ideas they like. The company behind a product establishes an investment goal and if enough people contribute and that firm reaches its goal, it gets to use the cash towards developing the new product. Those who invest get a share in the new ... (view more)

According to reports, NBC.com was hacked late last week. The hackers bypassed security and then spread malicious software designed to steal bank account information from site visitors. It wasn't just the main NBC.com site that was affected, either. ... Reports indicate that sub-sites, including sites dedicated to the Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno late night shows, were also affected by the hack. Security experts say that hackers modified the NBC.com site so that it would serve up an 'iframe,' which is a method of adding content to a site from a distant domain. In this case, the iframe effectively ... (view more)