security

Security analysts are warning that a new iOS 6.1 hack could allow someone to bypass the security of an iPhone 5 and covertly spy on a user's private messages and conversations. The majority of Apple iPhone owners currently have some kind of password ... lock screen protecting their device. However, a YouTube video (aptly named "How to Bypass iPhone 5 Passcode on iOS 6.1") provides step-by-step instructions for getting around this security wall. Once a device has been compromised, hackers have complete access to the emails, photos, etc. stored on the phone. When attempting to delve deeper into the ... (view more)

As part of its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, yesterday Microsoft released several fixes for its various software products. At the top of the list: fixes for five security flaws that could allow hackers to bypass system security and take ... remote control of a computer. Microsoft has rated five of the security vulnerabilities 'critical,' which is the firm's highest security rating. Two of these updates address flaws in the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser, including versions IE6 through IE10 (the latter being available for Windows 8- and Windows RT-based machines exclusively). IE ... (view more)

Kim Dotcom, founder of file-sharing site Megaupload and the new, allegedly legal 'Mega', has thrown down a challenge to hackers. Dotcom says he'll give any hacker who can crack Mega's code a reward of 10,000 euros. Dotcom is the embattled founder of ... Megaupload, a controversial file-sharing site accused of encouraging users to swap copyright-protected files without authorization. In recent weeks he's started a new site , Mega, which he says is completely legal and discourages the unauthorized sharing of copyright-protected materials. Mega Hype Surrounding 'Mega' Given Dotcom's global ... (view more)

The group behind a collection of 'premium' hacking tools is apparently charging hackers $10,000 a month for permission to use their product. The proceeds are helping fund rewards for anyone who shares information with the hackers about previously ... unknown software vulnerabilities. According to security firm Sophos, the 'premium' hacking kit is the work of a group called 'Paunch.' This is the same group that previously offered hackers a set of tools known as the Blackhole kit, which users could access only after paying a $1,500 per year rental fee. (Source: sophos.com ) The Blackhole kit was ( ... (view more)

Internet users are now being warned about a new zero-day security vulnerability in Java software that could allow a hacker to gain unauthorized access to their computers. The vulnerability is related to a recently-discovered flaw in the popular Java ... software system, which is used all over the web to create a great many applications and associated plug-ins. Security experts say even fully-updated installations of Java are vulnerable to this new round of attacks. Only by completely disabling the Java browser plug-in can Internet users be sure their computers are safe from hackers attempting to ... (view more)

Password Security Scanner 1.1 This program for Windows computers scans the passwords stored for applications like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Outlook. It then provides you with useful information about those passwords, ... including their length and style. It's a great way to help you track your passwords and construct better ones. http://www.nirsoft.net Pretty Run 6.7.0.133 Pretty Run is a special tool designed to help you navigate the Start Menu on your Windows computer. For example, if you think you've got a program installed on your PC, but don't want to sift through all ... (view more)

Microsoft's January 8, 2013 Patch Tuesday includes a total of seven patches, two of which Microsoft is labeling 'critical,' the firm's highest security rating. Notably absent from the lineup of fixes will be a patch for a recently-outed Internet ... Explorer security flaw. This Patch Tuesday's critical fixes address security vulnerabilities that, like so many other previously patched vulnerabilities, could potentially allow a hacker to remotely execute malicious files and take control of an unpatched computer. As usual, hackers could do this by convincing a computer user to visit a malicious ... (view more)

A newly-discovered flaw in Microsoft's popular Internet Explorer (IE) web browser could allow hackers to take control of a Windows-based computer. The Redmond, Washington-based firm has acknowledged that the problem exists and that it affects older ... versions of IE. The firm has also released a temporary fix for the problem. Microsoft Advises: Avoid Suspicious Links "Microsoft is aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer 8," Microsoft said in a security advisory issued on Sunday, December 30, 2012. Microsoft says the remote code ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a series of updates designed to fix several 'critical' security vulnerabilities in its software. Adobe has also released a new security patch for its Flash Player software. Both Adobe and Microsoft are urging their users to ... make sure their computers have installed these repair modules, and if not, to install them manually as soon as possible. Microsoft says most of the ten vulnerabilities addressed by this week's Patch Tuesday updates have been rated 'critical,' the firm's highest security threat level. Adobe has also rated its patch as 'critical.' Internet Explorer ... (view more)

A security researcher says he's found a major vulnerability in Samsung's new high-definition Smart televisions that could transfer control of a TV from the person with the remote control to an unknown, distant hacker. Smart TVs are, arguably, the ... most advanced HDTVs on the market right now. They provide viewers with a high-resolution Light Emitting Diode (LED) screen capable of displaying two- and three-dimensional video, and they also give users access to downloadable applications, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google Maps. These capabilities have made Smart TVs hot items with the deep ... (view more)