Google Is Now Testing Post-Quantum Crypto in Chrome
Google is beginning an experiment in Chrome to test a new post-quantum cryptographic algorithm designed to secure encrypted communications for many decades to come. The test is Google’s attempt to see how resistant the algorithm is to attacks by quantum computers, a next-generation kind of machine that uses quantum bits and the principles of quantum […]
EFF and Others Tell FBI Access to Biometric Database is Vital
The EFF and several other civil liberties groups have sent comments to the FBI, saying it’s imperative that the bureau not be allowed to keep its massive biometric database out of reach of the Privacy Act. The huge collection of fingerprints, facial recognition data, palm prints, and other identifiers has been built up by the […]
Google July Android Update Fixes Dozens of Bugs
Google has released a huge security update for Android that fixes dozens of vulnerabilities, including a number of critical flaws that allow remote code execution. In an unusual move, Google released two distinct sets of patches: July 1 and July 5. The July 5 level has many more fixes, and Google said it separated the […]
Ransomware Simulator Shows Glimpse of Damage an Infection Can Cause
Ransomware defense is emerging as one of the more important sectors of the security field, with researchers exploring many different paths. One of the key elements of defending against a threat is understanding how it operates, and researchers in the U.K. have now developed a pair of tools that emulate the behavior of ransomware to […]
Eleanor OS X Backdoor Emerges
Researchers have discovered a new backdoor for Mac OS X that gives attackers essentially complete control over an infected machine. The malware is disguised as a common file converter utility and uses Tor for some communication functions. Known as Eleanor, the backdoor has a wide range of functionality, including the ability for the attacker to […]
Android Nougat Takes on Mobile Ransomware
As Android ransomware continues to evolve, defenders are trying to keep pace. Most of the efforts to defeat ransomware have come through third-party security software and behavioral changes, but now Google is making a change to the next version of the mobile operating system to prevent a key part of some ransomware threats. One of […]
Wyden and Lieu Are the Voices the Encryption Debate Needs
It’s not a secret that most of the people we have sent to Washington to make laws and go to lunch with lobbyists aren’t, shall we say, technically savvy. Although some of them are capable of running their own mail servers, many more struggle to enable Siri or come up with a decent metaphor for […]