Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

Apple’s Not Digging Itself Out of This One: scanning your pictures is dangerous and flawed

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Online researchers say they have found flaws in Apple’s new child abuse detection tool that could allow bad actors to target iOS users. However, Apple has denied these claims, arguing that it has intentionally built safeguards against such exploitation. It’s just the latest bump in the road for the rollout of the company’s new features, Read more about Apple’s Not Digging Itself Out of This One: scanning your pictures is dangerous and flawed[…]

Your Credit Score Should Be Based On Your Web History, IMF Says

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a new blog post for the International Monetary Fund, four researchers presented their findings from a working paper that examines the current relationship between finance and tech as well as its potential future. Gazing into their crystal ball, the researchers see the possibility of using the data from your browsing, search, and purchase history Read more about Your Credit Score Should Be Based On Your Web History, IMF Says[…]

How to Stop Apple From Scanning Your iPhone Photos Before iOS 15 Arrives – disable photo backups. No alternative offered, sorry.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Photos that are sent in messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram aren’t scanned by Apple. Still, if you don’t want Apple to do this scanning at all, your only option is to disable iCloud Photos. To do that, open the “Settings” app on your iPhone or iPad, go to the “Photos” section, and disable the Read more about How to Stop Apple From Scanning Your iPhone Photos Before iOS 15 Arrives – disable photo backups. No alternative offered, sorry.[…]

OK, so you stole $600m-plus from us, how about you be our Chief Security Advisor, Poly Network asks thief

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The mysterious thief who stole $600m-plus in cryptocurrencies from Poly Network has been offered the role of Chief Security Advisor at the Chinese blockchain biz. It’s been a rollercoaster ride lately for Poly Network. The outfit builds software that handles the exchange of crypto-currencies and other assests between various blockchains. Last week, it confirmed a Read more about OK, so you stole $600m-plus from us, how about you be our Chief Security Advisor, Poly Network asks thief[…]

Zoom to pay $85M for lying about encryption and sending data to Facebook and Google

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Zoom has agreed to pay $85 million to settle claims that it lied about offering end-to-end encryption and gave user data to Facebook and Google without the consent of users. The settlement between Zoom and the filers of a class-action lawsuit also covers security problems that led to rampant “Zoombombings.” The proposed settlement would generally give Read more about Zoom to pay $85M for lying about encryption and sending data to Facebook and Google[…]

>83 million Web Cams, Baby Monitor Feeds and other IoT devices using Kalay backend Exposed

Posted on by Robin Edgar

a vulnerability is lurking in numerous types of smart devices—including security cameras, DVRs, and even baby monitors—that could allow an attacker to access live video and audio streams over the internet and even take full control of the gadgets remotely. What’s worse, it’s not limited to a single manufacturer; it shows up in a software Read more about >83 million Web Cams, Baby Monitor Feeds and other IoT devices using Kalay backend Exposed[…]

TCP Firewalls and middleboxes can be weaponized for gigantic DDoS attacks

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Authored by computer scientists from the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado Boulder, the research is the first of its kind to describe a method to carry out DDoS reflective amplification attacks via the TCP protocol, previously thought to be unusable for such operations. Making matters worse, researchers said the amplification factor for Read more about TCP Firewalls and middleboxes can be weaponized for gigantic DDoS attacks[…]

The Humanity Globe: World Population Density per 30km^2

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This visualization was created in **R** using the **rayrender** and **rayshader** packages to render the 3D image, and **ffmpeg** to combine the images into a video and add text. You can see close-ups of 6 continents in the following tweet thread: https://twitter.com/tylermorganwall/status/1427642504082599942 The data source is the GPW-v4 population density dataset, at 15 minute (30km) Read more about The Humanity Globe: World Population Density per 30km^2[…]

Posted in Art

Game Dev Turns Down $500k Exploitative Contract, explains why – looks like music industry contracts

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Receiving a publishing deal from an indie publisher can be a turning point for an independent developer. But when one-man team Jakefriend was approached with an offer to invest half a million Canadian dollars into his hand-drawn action-adventure game Scrabdackle, he discovered the contract’s terms could see him signing himself into a lifetime of debt, Read more about Game Dev Turns Down $500k Exploitative Contract, explains why – looks like music industry contracts[…]

How to Control Your Android With Just Your Facial Expressions

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Android is implementing this option as part of the accessibility feature, Switch Access. Switch Access adds a blue selection window to your display, and lets you use external switches, a keyboard, or the buttons on your Android to move that selection window through the many different items on your screen until you land on the Read more about How to Control Your Android With Just Your Facial Expressions[…]

Stop using Zoom, Hamburg’s DPA warns state government – The US does not safeguard EU citizen data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hamburg’s state government has been formally warned against using Zoom over data protection concerns. The German state’s data protection agency (DPA) took the step of issuing a public warning yesterday, writing in a press release that the Senate Chancellory’s use of the popular videoconferencing tool violates the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) since Read more about Stop using Zoom, Hamburg’s DPA warns state government – The US does not safeguard EU citizen data[…]

How to Limit Spotify From Tracking You, Because It Knows Too Much – and sells it

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Most Spotify users are likely aware the streaming service tracks their listening activity, search history, playlists, and the songs they like or skip—that’s all part of helping the algorithm figure out what you like, right? However, some users may be less OK with how much other data Spotify and its partners are logging. According to Spotify’s Read more about How to Limit Spotify From Tracking You, Because It Knows Too Much – and sells it[…]

China orders annual security reviews for all critical information infrastructure operators

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An announcement by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that cyber attacks are currently frequent in the Middle Kingdom, and the security challenges facing critical information infrastructure are severe. The announcement therefore defines infosec regulations and and responsibilities. The CAC referred to critical infrastructure as “the nerve center of economic and social operations and Read more about China orders annual security reviews for all critical information infrastructure operators[…]

MIT developed a low-cost prosthetic hand that can help amputees feel again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a joint project with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the school designed a neuroprosthetic that costs about $500 in components. It’s an inflatable hand made from an elastomer called EcoFlex and looks a bit like Baymax from Big Hero 6. The device foregoes electric motors in favor of a pneumatic system that inflates and bends Read more about MIT developed a low-cost prosthetic hand that can help amputees feel again[…]

Facebook says Russia-linked ad agency tried to smear Covid vaccines

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facebook said Tuesday that it has removed hundreds of accounts linked to a mysterious advertising agency operating out of Russia that sought to pay social media influencers to smear Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca. A network of 65 Facebook accounts and 243 Instagram accounts was traced back to Fazze, an advertising and marketing Read more about Facebook says Russia-linked ad agency tried to smear Covid vaccines[…]

‘Easy money’: How international scam artists pulled off an epic theft of Covid benefits

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Russian mobsters, Chinese hackers and Nigerian scammers have used stolen identities to plunder tens of billions of dollars in Covid benefits, spiriting the money overseas in a massive transfer of wealth from U.S. taxpayers, officials and experts say. And they say it is still happening. Among the ripest targets for the cybertheft have been Read more about ‘Easy money’: How international scam artists pulled off an epic theft of Covid benefits[…]

Secret terrorist watchlist with 2 million records exposed online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

July this year, Security Discovery researcher Bob Diachenko came across a plethora of JSON records in an exposed Elasticsearch cluster that piqued his interest. The 1.9 million-strong recordset contained sensitive information on people, including their names, country citizenship, gender, date of birth, passport details, and no-fly status. The exposed server was indexed by search engines Censys and ZoomEye, Read more about Secret terrorist watchlist with 2 million records exposed online[…]

T-Mobile Confirms It Was Hacked, lost full subscriber info for USA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

T-Mobile confirmed hackers gained access to the telecom giant’s systems in an announcement published Monday. The move comes after Motherboard reported that T-Mobile was investigating a post on an underground forum offering for sale Social Security Numbers and other private data. The forum post at the time didn’t name T-Mobile, but the seller told Motherboard Read more about T-Mobile Confirms It Was Hacked, lost full subscriber info for USA[…]

Apple’s iPhone computer vision has the potential to preserve privacy but also break it completely

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] an AI on your phone will scan all those you have sent and will send to iPhotos. It will generate fingerprints that purportedly identify pictures, even if highly modified, that will be checked against fingerprints of known CSAM material. Too many of these – there’s a threshold – and Apple’s systems will let Apple Read more about Apple’s iPhone computer vision has the potential to preserve privacy but also break it completely[…]

Etherium gets rid of miners and electricity costs in 2022 update

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ethereum is making big changes. Perhaps the most important is the jettisoning of the “miners” who track and validate transactions on the world’s most-used blockchain network. Miners are the heart of a system known as proof of work. It was pioneered by Bitcoin and adopted by Ethereum, and has come under increasing criticism for its Read more about Etherium gets rid of miners and electricity costs in 2022 update[…]

Lamborghini Countach LPI800-4 Hybrid v12

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Lamborghini Countach LPI800-4 is a futuristic limited edition that pays homage to the original and recreated for the 21st century. Head of design a Lamborghini Mitja Borkert took cues from the various iterations of the Countach to inspire his latest creation. The Countach’s distinctive wedge-shapes silhouette has been retained, with a single line from the Read more about Lamborghini Countach LPI800-4 Hybrid v12[…]

Rockstar Begins A War On Modders For ‘GTA’ Games For Totally Unclear Reasons

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…]Rockstar Games has previously had its own run-in with its modding community, banning modders who attempted to shift GTA5’s online gameplay to dedicated servers that would allow mods to be used, since Rockstar’s servers don’t allow mods. What it’s now doing in issuing copyright notices on modders who have been forklifting older Rockstar assets into Read more about Rockstar Begins A War On Modders For ‘GTA’ Games For Totally Unclear Reasons[…]

Senators ask Amazon how it will use palm print data from its stores

Posted on by Robin Edgar

If you’re concerned that Amazon might misuse palm print data from its One service, you’re not alone. TechCrunch reports that Senators Amy Klobuchar, Bill Cassidy and Jon Ossoff have sent a letter to new Amazon chief Andy Jassy asking him to explain how the company might expand use of One’s palm print system beyond stores Read more about Senators ask Amazon how it will use palm print data from its stores[…]

Poly Network Offers $500k Reward to Hacker Who Stole $611 Million and then returned it

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A cryptocurrency platform that was hacked and had hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from it has now offered the thief a “reward” of $500,000 after the criminal returned almost all of the money. A few days ago a hacker exploited a vulnerability in the blockchain technology of decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Poly Network, pilfering Read more about Poly Network Offers $500k Reward to Hacker Who Stole $611 Million and then returned it[…]