Category: Artemus Spotlights

An Explosive Spyware Report Shows the Limits of iOS Security

Posted on by esimantiras

source: wired.com

THE SHADOWY WORLD of private spyware has long caused alarm in cybersecurity circles, as authoritarian governments have repeatedly been caught targeting the smartphones of activists, journalists, and political rivals with malware purchased from unscrupulous brokers. The surveillance tools these companies provide frequently target iOS and Android, which have seemingly been unable to keep up with the threat. But a new report suggests the scale of the problem is far greater than feared—and has placed added pressure on mobile tech makers, particularly Apple, from security researchers seeking remedies.

Continue reading “An Explosive Spyware Report Shows the Limits of iOS Security” →

New Handheld Screening Wands Could Reduce the Need for Airport Pat-Downs

Posted on by esimantiras

source: dhs.gov (contributed by FAN Steve Jones)

We’ve all walked through a metal detector at the airport, hoping we didn’t forget anything in our pockets that will set off the alarm. When security personnel can’t immediately identify what is triggering the alarm, the process is halted for a pat down. Though this slows the screening process significantly for people waiting in line and can be an uncomfortable experience for the individual being screened, it is an essential element of keeping all travelers safe.

xTo improve airport security, both for screeners and for those being screened, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) continually invests in research and development (R&D) to build solutions for the future. S&T’s Screening at Speed Program partners with government, academia, and industry to increase security effectiveness at the airport from curb to gate, while dramatically reducing screening wait times and improving the passenger experience

Continue reading “New Handheld Screening Wands Could Reduce the Need for Airport Pat-Downs” →

World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opens to pedestrians in Amsterdam

Posted on by esimantiras

source: cnet.com

The pedestrian bridge took four years of research and 4.9 tons of stainless steel to construct.

If you thought 3D-printed scooters were cool, wait till you see where you can take them if you happen to be in Amsterdam. Earlier this month, engineers installed the world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge, over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. After being dedicated by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the bridge is now open to pedestrians and cyclists (and, presumably, scooterists), according to a report from the Imperial College of London.

Physical construction of the bridge took four giant, torch-wielding robots six months to complete, layer by painstaking layer, using a net total of 4.9 tons of steel. However, before that process began, scientists at Dutch company MX3D spent four years on preliminary research and development to make sure the finished product would be sound.

Continue reading “World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opens to pedestrians in Amsterdam” →

FBI: Cybercriminals Eyeing Broadcast Disruption at Tokyo Olympics

Posted on by esimantiras

FBI: Cybercriminals Eyeing Broadcast Disruption at Tokyo Olympics

source: threatpost.com

Expected cyberattacks on Tokyo Olympics likely include attempts to hijack video feeds, the Feds warn.

The Tokyo Olympics, set to open Friday night, are already being targeted by threat actors — however, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cyber Division has issued a chilling warning the Games’ TV broadcast is likely to be plagued by attacks, since it will be the only way to view events now that spectators have been barred due to COVID-19 concerns.

“Adversaries could use social-engineering and phishing campaigns in the leadup to the event to obtain access or use previously obtained access to implant malware to disrupt affected networks during the event,” the FBI notification said. “Social-engineering and phishing campaigns continue to provide adversaries with the access needed to carry out such attacks.”

Continue reading “FBI: Cybercriminals Eyeing Broadcast Disruption at Tokyo Olympics” →

How to Make Sure Your Browser Extensions Are Safe

Posted on by esimantiras

How to Make Sure Your Browser Extensions Are Safe

source: wired.com

As useful as all those add-ons can be, don’t get complacent when it comes to making sure they’re also secure.

BROWSER EXTENSIONS CAN be hugely useful, plugging gaps in functionality, adding cool new features and options, and generally just making life on the web more convenient.

At the same time, they have the potential to be a serious security risk—many ask to see everything you see online, some change key settings inside your browser, and they can operate and communicate with their developer (or with advertisers or other parties) in the background without your knowledge.

We don’t want to discourage you from using your favorite extensions, but you should definitely make sure the ones you’re using are safe. 

Continue reading “How to Make Sure Your Browser Extensions Are Safe” →

Transient Pacemaker Harmlessly Dissolves In Body

Posted on by esimantiras

Transient pacemaker harmlessly dissolves in body

Wireless, fully implantable device gives temporary pacing without requiring removal

source: sciencedaily.com

Researchers at Northwestern and George Washington (GW) universities have developed the first-ever transient pacemaker — a wireless, battery-free, fully implantable pacing device that disappears after it’s no longer needed.

The thin, flexible, lightweight device could be used in patients who need temporary pacing after cardiac surgery or while waiting for a permanent pacemaker. All components of the pacemaker are biocompatible and naturally absorb into the body’s biofluids over the course of five to seven weeks, without needing surgical extraction.

Continue reading “Transient Pacemaker Harmlessly Dissolves In Body” →

NSA And FBI Blame Russia For Massive ‘Brute Force’ Attacks On Microsoft 365

Posted on by esimantiras

NSA And FBI Blame Russia For Massive ‘Brute Force’ Attacks On Microsoft 365

source: forbes.com

American intelligence and law enforcement agencies have pointed the finger at a Kremlin-backed hacking crew for a two-year campaign to break into Microsoft Office 365 accounts.

The NSA, FBI and DHS, in a joint report with  U.K. intelligence, placed the blame for the widespread “brute force” attacks on Fancy Bear, a group best known for its breach of the Democratic National Committee in the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Elections. Brute force attacks see repeated attempts to guess the usernames and passwords for email and cloud accounts.

Continue reading “NSA And FBI Blame Russia For Massive ‘Brute Force’ Attacks On Microsoft 365” →

‘AI’ Is Being Used to Profile People From Head Vibrations…

Posted on by esimantiras

‘AI’ is being used to profile people from their head vibrations – but is there enough evidence to support it?

source: theconversation.com

Digital video surveillance systems can’t just identify who someone is. They can also work out how someone is feeling and what kind of personality they have. They can even tell how they might behave in the future. And the key to unlocking this information about a person is the movement of their head.

That is the claim made by the company behind the VibraImage artificial intelligence (AI) system. (The term “AI” is used here in a broad sense to refer to digital systems that use algorithms and tools such as automated biometrics and computer vision). You may never have heard of it, but digital tools based on VibraImage are being used across a broad range of applications in Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.

Continue reading “‘AI’ Is Being Used to Profile People From Head Vibrations…” →

Largest Password Compilation Of All Time…

Posted on by esimantiras

 

RockYou2021: largest password compilation of all time leaked online with 8.4 billion entries

source: cybernews.com

What seems to be the largest password collection of all time has been leaked on a popular hacker forum. A forum user posted a massive 100GB TXT file that contains 8.4 billion entries of passwords, which have presumably been combined from previous data leaks and breaches. 

According to the post author, all passwords included in the leak are 6-20 characters long, with non-ASCII characters and white spaces removed. The same user also claims that the compilation contains 82 billion passwords. However, after running our own tests, the actual number turned out to be nearly ten times lower – at 8,459,060,239 unique entries.

Continue reading “Largest Password Compilation Of All Time…” →

How to Wipe Metadata From Any File

Posted on by esimantiras

 

 

 

How to Wipe Metadata From Any File

source: popsci.com

When it comes to guarding your privacy online, your first instinct might be to protect your content—by being careful what you write and choosy about what’s in the images you post. But even though you’re being careful, it may not be enough. 

Everything you upload to the internet has metadata attached to it. This is everything related to a file that’s not the content itself—format, what program it came from, its creation date, and sometimes even the name of its author. 

Continue reading “How to Wipe Metadata From Any File” →