Tag: security

US Army’s smart earplugs spare soldiers from loud noises

As you might imagine, soldiers can’t just use garden variety earplugs to protect their ears. It might tone down the sounds of explosions and gunshots, but it’ll also prevent them from hearing a crucial command or an enemy on the other side of a doorway. It’s less of an issue for the US Army these days, though. The military branch has been gradually rolling out a smart earplug, TCAPS (Tactical Communication and Protective System), that adapts to the audio realities of war. The smartphone-linked device softens louder noises, but amplifies quieter ones; if your squad leader needs to issue a command, you’ll hear it over the din of battle. It’s a relatively simple system, but it’s very flexible. Some versions link to a soldier’s existing communications, and it’ll play nicely with hearing aids . TCAPS is far from ubiquitous. Only 20, 000 of the earplugs are in the field, and it’s doubtful that every single person in the infantry will get one when they cost around $2, 000 a pop. However, it stands a relatively good shot of catching on. More than anything, the technology provides confidence — you know you’ll get crucial audio cues without going deaf. Source: NPR

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US Army’s smart earplugs spare soldiers from loud noises

Microsoft Warns of ZCryptor Ransomware With Self-Propagation Features

An anonymous reader writes from a report issued by Softpedia on May 27: Microsoft and several other security researchers have detected the first ransomware versions that appears to have self-propagation features, being able to spread to other machines on its own by copying itself to shared network drives or portable storage devices automatically. Called ZCryptor, this ransomware seems to enjoy quite the attention from crooks, who are actively distributing today via Flash malvertising and boobytrapped Office files that infect the victim if he enables macro support when opening the file. This just seems to be the latest addition to the ransomware family, one which recently received the ability to launch DDoS attacks while locking the user’s computer. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Microsoft Warns of ZCryptor Ransomware With Self-Propagation Features

The TSA Is So Bad That Delta Has Had to Install Its Own Ultra-Efficient Security Checkpoints

To help alleviate long lines at Atlanta’s airport, Delta spent more than a million dollars to install a pair of new high-tech security lanes that can handle more passengers simultaneously. When even the airlines, who are happy to charge passengers extra to sit next to their family members , thinks the TSA is doing a bad job, you know there’s a problem. Read more…

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The TSA Is So Bad That Delta Has Had to Install Its Own Ultra-Efficient Security Checkpoints

FCC Formalizes Massive Fines For Selling, Using Cell-Phone Jammers

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Network World: Two years ago the FCC announced its intention to fine a Chinese electronics maker $34.9 million and a Florida man $48, 000 for respectively selling and using illegal cell-phone jammers. Today the agency has issued press releases telling us that those fines have finally been made official, without either of the offending parties having bothered to mount a formal defense of their actions. From the press release announcing the fine against CTS. Technology: ” The company’s website falsely claimed that some jammers had been approved by the FCC, and advertised that the company could ship signal jammers to consumers in the United States.” The company did not respond to the FCC’s allegations, although the agency does report that changes were made to its website that appear to be aimed at complying with U.S. law. Next up is Florida man, Jason R. Humphreys, who is alleged to have used a jammer on his commute: “Mr. Humphreys’ illegal operation of the jammer continued for up to two years, caused interference to cellular service along Interstate 4, and disrupted police communications.” Last Fall, a Chicagoan was arrested for using a cell-phone jammer to make his subway commute more tolerable. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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FCC Formalizes Massive Fines For Selling, Using Cell-Phone Jammers

Makers of uncrackable ransomware hand over the key

The creators of a virus that forces users to pay to recover their own files seem to have turned over a new leaf. Security researchers at ESET are reporting that TeslaCrypt’s developers posted the master encryption key, enabling ESET to develop a free fix. According to the firm, the creators of the virus were “wrapping up” their activities, and when a researcher asked for the master key, it was simply handed over. ESET has subsequently been able to produce a decryption tool (available here ) that’ll enable anyone affected to get their files back. ESET has gone to great pains to point out that ransomware is still one of the largest threats to people’s data online. It advises that everyone should keep their operating system updated and use a good anti-virus, as well as making regular backups of anything they wouldn’t want to lose. There’s also the question as to why TeslaCrypt’s developers were so willing to hand over the keys, but let’s hope that they decided to do the right thing. The alternative is just too horrible to contemplate. Via: Bleeping Computer Source: ESET

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Makers of uncrackable ransomware hand over the key

Ethical Hackers Donate 1,000,000 Air Miles To Charity

An anonymous reader writes:Certified ethical hackers at Offensi.com identified a bug allowing remote code execution on one of United Airlines’ sites, and submitted their findings to the airline’s “bug bounty” program. After a fix was placed into production, their team was awarded 1, 000, 000 Mileage Plus air miles, which they say was accompanied by an email informing them that the IRS would consider their award as $20, 000 of taxable income. “If after evaluating the taxable amount you choose not to accept your award, you are also able to donate your award to charity, ” the e-mail explained. The hackers ultimately chose to distribute their air miles among three charities — the Ronald McDonald house, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos Organization. Another security researcher complained in November that United failed to close a serious vulnerability he’d identified for almost six months. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Ethical Hackers Donate 1,000,000 Air Miles To Charity

Fitness App Runkeeper Secretly Tracks Users At All Times, Sends Data to Advertisers

An anonymous reader writes: FitnessKeeper, the company behind running app Runkeeper, is in hot water in Europe. The company has received a formal complaint from the Norwegian Consumer Council for breaching European data protection laws. But why? Runkeeper tracks its users’ location at all times — not just when the app is active — and sends that data to advertisers. The NCC, a consumer rights watchdog, is conducting an investigation into 20 apps’ terms and conditions to see if the apps do what their permissions say they do and to monitor data flows. Tinder has already been reported to the Norwegian data protection authority for similar breaches of privacy laws. The NCC’s investigation into Runkeeper discovered that user location data is tracked around the clock and gets transmitted to a third party advertiser in the U.S. called Kiip.me.Finn Myrstad, the council’s digital policy director, said: We checked the apps technically, to see the data flows and to see if the apps actually do what they say they do. Everyone understands that Runkeeper tracks users while they exercise, but to continue after the training has ended is not okay. Not only is it a breach of privacy laws, we are also convinced that users do not want to be tracked in this way, or for information to be shared with third party advertisers. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Fitness App Runkeeper Secretly Tracks Users At All Times, Sends Data to Advertisers

Over one million people swiped right for premium Tinder

According to Match Group, more than one million people have ponied up the $9.99 per month (or more, if you’re over 30 ) for Tinder’s premium service level in the first quarter of 2016. That figure is a relatively small portion of Tinder’s 50 million global users, but there are still more than a million people out there whose app-based dating experience includes unlimited swipes, extra Super Likes and the ability to change their location to swipe from afar. If you want a robotic meat-swiper , however, you’ll have to build one yourself. Like the ups and downs of dating life, Tinder has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride in the past six months. Earlier this year, police in the UK said reports of crime related to dating apps like Tinder and Grindr rose 700 percent since 2014. In November, Tinder CEO Sean Rad also gave an ill-advised interview in which he drastically misunderstood the word “sodomy” and simultaneously ran afoul of SEC rules right before parent company Match Group filed for IPO . And yet, Rad’s comments don’t seem to have hurt the business at all. In total, Match Group now claims around 5.1 million monthly paid members across all its dating sites, which include Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid and the recently acquired PlentyOfFish.

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Over one million people swiped right for premium Tinder

‘Largest Recall In American History’: Takata To Recall Nearly 70 Million Airbags

An anonymous reader writes: Federal regulators are ordering Japanese supplier Takata to recall as many as 40 million additional airbags linked to a defect already blamed for at least 11 deaths, bringing the total number of faulty airbags in the U.S. to 69 million. Previously, the recall involved about 24 million vehicles sold in the U.S. over roughly the last decade, with 14 manufacturers impacted. With the latest recall, almost every other major carmaker will now be pulled. “This is the largest recall in American history, ” National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Mark Rosekind told reporters on Wednesday. Initial estimates said 35-40 million airbags were to be recalled. And because some vehicles use more than one Takata airbag, the total number of vehicles will likely be smaller. Now it’s considered highly likely that the total number of cars, trucks and crossovers will now top the 50 million mark, and as many as a quarter of all vehicles on U.S. roads could be covered. The NHTSA has reported that just over 8 million vehicles had been fixed as of April 22. The airbags have so far been tied to at least 10 U.S. deaths and more than 100 injuries — two more fatalities in Malaysia were confirmed Wednesday. “The exploding airbags can send shrapnel into the faces and necks of victims, leaving them looking as if they had been shot or stabbed, ” according to Fox 59. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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‘Largest Recall In American History’: Takata To Recall Nearly 70 Million Airbags

Graphene e-paper is brighter and bendier

Who said that e-paper was old stuff ? Certainly not China — the country’s Guangzhou OED Technologies has created what it says is the world’s first graphene -based e-paper. The extremely strong yet light material promises very thin screens that are both brighter and more flexible. You could get e-readers that are easier to read on a sunny day, for instance, or activity trackers that can put up with more abuse. It should even be less expensive, as graphene’s carbon is much easier to find than the exotic indium metal you see in conventional e-paper. The main question is simply availability. The company expects to start production of graphene e-paper in a year, and it’s not clear just who’s lined up. You shouldn’t count on Amazon making a graphene Kindle, unfortunately. If the technology takes off, though, it could give e-paper some relevance in an era when it’s being crowded out by LCD- and OLED-based devices. Via: DNA India Source: Xinhua

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Graphene e-paper is brighter and bendier