Tag: Security
Second worm hits jailbroken iPhones
It would appear that worms are like busses; it is ages before you see one, then two come along nearly at once. It was a little over a week ago that we reported on the annoying-though-mostly-harmless Rick-rolling worm. It's now…
Google's Chrome OS: Can we trust the web based operating system?
Google's Chrome OS asks just one simple question of its prospective users; do I really need a desktop space on my computer? According to Google, the answer to that question is no; you just need a feature rich web browser that can do everything that your desktop and applications can do, and do them much faster.
KidZui launch kid-friendly web browser
Features over 2 million websites, games, photographs and videos suitable for children, jointly approved by parents and teachers.
Government blocked in bid to stop paedophiles using social networking sites
A government plan to stop paedophiles from accessing social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook has been withdrawn for fear of breaching laws pertaining to human rights infringement.
Google Dashboard service unveiled
Rather than a brand new service, Dashboard instead consolidates data already available within the different programs that it tracks.
Nav-Mat: the latest superhero?
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s….the Nav-Mat – the latest “crime-fighting device”.
This is one of the strangest satnav accessories that I’ve come across. Its makers claim that “tell-tale sucker marks on windscreens” are one of the major reasons for satnav theft.
So they’ve come up with the Nav-Mat, which basically looks like a beanbag for your satnav. It sits on the dashboard, therefore preventing those “tell-tale sucker marks”. Apparently “the contoured and weighted, anti-skid underside stops the device from sliding and, unlike traditional window mountings, leaves no suction marks on the windscreen”.
It’s available here for a bargain £19.99 (plus £5 p&p). Alternatively, buy some window wipes here for 99p.
Wireless keyboards: gateway to your life?
Quick, go and grab your wireless keyboard and snap it in two, Chuck Norris stylee, using your knee. It’s a security threat and destroying it is your only chance of salvation.
Well, maybe I’m being a little bit dramatic but I’m leaving nothing to chance following Symantec’s announcement today that wireless keyboards could be susceptible to cyber badies.
It all follows the release of a software project named Keykeriki which was developed by Remote-Exploit.org. The purpose of it was to help “every person verify the security level of their own keyboard transmissions, and/or demonstrate the sniffing attacks” and was intended “for educational purpose(s) only” according to their website.
The only problem is that the nasty criminals can use these keyboard sniffers to record what users are typing (cleverly, it has to be said) by analysing the electromagnetic signals produced by each keystroke.
Basically it means that, in theory, criminal masterminds could prey on you without having to install anything on your computer. Scary stuff, eh?
Symantec are saying that this could lead to encrypted signals being sent from wireless keyboards in the future. For now, they are urging wireless keyboard users to go back to using wired keyboards.
Lost and Naked: A tale of hacking in World of Warcraft
What would you do if you woke up half-way across the world with no clothes on, and just a mining pick in your possession? That was the virtual reality that faced Luke Maskell when he logged into his World of Warcraft character, Häwk, one morning. His character had been hacked into and everything of value had been removed and sold.
“They must have stolen around ten to fifteen thousand gold worth of goods and cash,” says Luke, “they probably would have earned around £50-£80”. That might not sound like much, but for his character it represents months and months of play in the massively-multiplayer online world where one of the most controversial topics is that of gold farmers and selling equipment for real cash.
Selling gold and virtual items in World of Warcraft is very strictly against the rules set by developer Blizzard. The terms of use for the game state, quite firmly, that “you may not sell in-game items or currency for “real” money, or exchange those items or currency for value outside of the Game”.
But is it a crime? Well, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told us that it was a very tricky one – it would need a test case to be determined, and it would depend on many factors. Complicating the matter is the fact that the virtual thief might not be resident in the UK, and Blizzard’s servers might be sitting in yet another country again. I put this to the Police spokesperson who sucked his teeth and told me that a court-case spanning three countries would be “absolute madness”.
“I certainly see it as a crime,” states Luke, defiantly, “the online assets are in the end, property of Blizzard, and someone is selling this property for real-world money without permission, they should be treated as any other criminal.”
It’s not completely clear how the attacker managed to gain access to Luke’s characters: “Virus scanners and anti malware software found a few stray cookies from websites I was unsure about, but nothing major like a trojan or virus. I don’t think I’ll ever find out how my details were stolen.”
Blizzard, for their part, offer plenty of advice on how to keep accounts secure. On their compromised accounts page they recommend you change passwords regularly and warn against installing dodgy-looking game modifications or using power-levelling services.
They also sell a device called an ‘authenticator’, which hooks up with your account and generates a second password that operates alongside your main one. This password changes every five minutes, so it’s impossible to log in if the authenticator isn’t in your possession.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending for Luke: “Blizzard were great with the issue. I went through both the in-game ticketing system and their online support site to get my items and account back under my control, and they responded quickly and professionally.”
“They advised me on steps to take to prevent any further hacks, fully restored all my items and gold, and even gave everything that was taken from the guild bank back, all within 3 days of the hack occuring. I was very impressed.”
His guild – a group of players that he plays with on a regular basis – were also very supportive, too: “From my guild, I got a general response of sympathy and people wishing me luck in getting all my items and money back from the game moderators. I had a lot of people in the guild offering me some cash to get me back on my feet and replace my items”
If you’re a player of World of Warcraft, or any other online game, put yourself in Luke’s shoes for a minute. Think about how long it took you to acquire the items that you’re using in-game, and how long it would take to replace them. Then go change your account password and buy an authenticator – in the long run, you’ll be very pleased you did.
Top ten things we wish the Conficker worm would do (but it won't)
On April 1st, the infamous Conficker worm will unveil the full extent of its power. The virus, which has squirrelled away inside something like 15 million PCs, will ‘activate’ by receiving instructions from a mysterious central server.
It could spam, begin DDOS attacks, or just access all your files for identity theft purposes. But those are boring. Let’s have a look at what else it could do. Click through to the full post to begin.
Internet Explorer 8 hacked within 24 hours
If you’re going to announce that your new browser is the safest on the market, you’d best be damned sure you’re right. It seems Microsoft releasing Internet Explorer 8 out of open beta yesterday was a red flag to a bull (or a challenge to a hacker), because within 24 hours a new exploit has been found in the browser.
The feat occurred at the annual CanSecWest security conference, which hosted its PWN2OWN hacking contest, where the exploit was found. A German hacker going by the name of Nils found it and claims a prize of $5000 in cash and a Sony Vaio laptop as a prize.
It’s only fair to mention that the same hacker managed to claim an additional $10,000 for successfully hacking Safari and Firefox. There’s still two days left for more browsers to succumb to the hacker’s codey wiles – perhaps Chrome and Opera will let their guard slip as well.
