The recent PRISM scandal has validated both the general public’s growing unease with federal law enforcement agencies, and many of the fringe element’s accusations about Big Brother’s online behavior. Whether or not it’s legal under the PATRIOT Act, just knowing that the government can rummage through your online life doesn’t sit well with many folks. Here are some simple and effective ways of keeping your digital identity anonymous and your data your own.
     |
Sure, there are already plenty of cool options when it comes to encrypted flash drives, but what about one that uses NFC on your Android or even Windows 8 device to unlock it? PQI showed us one such implementation at Computex. Essentially, this NFC flash drive requires an NFC-enabled device to toggle its access mode: full access, read-only, one-time access (and remains hidden afterwards) or hidden. All you have to do is choose the desired mode in the app, type in your preset password, and then tap the flash drive (even when unplugged) with your device to change the former’s setting — provided that the password matches, of course.
Since the encryption is done on the storage controller level, the computer’s drive utility wouldn’t be able to see the dongle at all if it’s hidden, so you wouldn’t even be able to format it unless you unlock it or, well, physically destroy it. And that could be anywhere from 8GB all the way up to 64GB of storage space, when the drive launches in Q4 this year.
Filed under: Storage
It turns out that the security features on the iPhone are so robust, that police are unable to decrypt them in order to gain access to possibly crucial information on suspects’ devices. This has led to federal agencies getting a hold of Apple in order to decrypt iPhones for them, but it turns out that so many devices are being requested for decryption, that Apple had to make a waiting list.
While forensics teams are known for having the technology to hack into computers for vital information, it seems that the iPhone is one device that authorities are having trouble with, according to CNET. Specifically, an agent from the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that we was added to a wait list by Apple in order to get an iPhone 4S decrypted, and it took approximately four months to finally get the device unlocked.
Apple’s iMessage service has been hailed as a “challenge” to break into, as all messages sent between iOS users are encrypted. Last month, the US Drug Enforcement Administration had trouble breaking into iMessage while trying to tap into suspects’ text messages, anad they most likely phoned Apple for help.
Of course, this is good news for anyone that’s paranoid about an outsider trying to hack into their iPhone’s deepest corners. Users can enable a password lock on their devices for added security, but we all know that doesn’t quite work all the time, as numerous loopholes have been found that give users access to devices even with a password lock enabled. While it’s highly unlikely that your phone will slip into the hands of someone who can quickly bypass a lock screen, it’s certainly something that doesn’t make us feel at ease.
Then again, iOS devices will be receiving the nod from the US Department of Defense as being secure enough to be used inside the Pentagon. As we all know, the Pentagon has some pretty confidential stuff that they deal with, so having secure devices is a must, and if forensics team can’t even break into an iPhone, that must say something about its security robustness.
SOURCE: CNET
Police iPhone decryption sees high demand, Apple makes them wait is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Software developers looking to kickstart (or simply brag about) their security have a common trick up their sleeve: give away prizes to successful crackers. Redact is trying just such a strategy with its Secure Messenger app for iOS. It’s offering £10,000 ($15,482) to anyone who can visit London and successfully intercept an encrypted message delivered through the company’s peer-based, PIN-to-PIN communication system. Entrants have until June 1st to prove that they’re worthy of making an attempt. Redact has more reason to hope we lose beyond its pride and a big fat check, however — it wants approval for handling the UK government’s secure data, and it wouldn’t hurt to have proof that the app design is airtight. If you’re convinced that it’s all just bluster, you can challenge the company yourself at the source link.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Via: The Guardian
Source: Redact
Forcing defendants to decrypt hard disks against their will has long been a thorny issue that may—or may not—violate the Fifth Amendment. The latest case has seen a federal judge refuse to insist that a Wisconsin child porn suspect decrypt the contents of his hard drive—but what do you think? More »
The FCC permitted cable providers to encrypt basic cable towards the end of last year and now Comcast has detailed its plans for moving ahead with cable encryption. Those who do not use a CableCard enabled device or a Comcast set-top box will need to install an adapter so that they can keep watching encrypted cable. That is why Comcast has already begun telling its subscribers in some markets that it is going to encrypt cable over the coming months. Boxee TV users will also have an adapter available for them.
The adapter boxes for such customers will be offered free for two years, but they have to be requested during the period in which they’re being offered. Those who receive Medicaid have the option of five years. After the relevant time passes, the boxes will bear a monthly rental fee of $.50. The company has said that it will be rolling out basic cable encryption on a market-by-market basis over the next few months. Comcast says this move will provide greater convenience for their customers and will reduce the need for scheduled in-home appointments.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Taiwan Investigating Samsung For Using Dirty Advertisement Tricks Against HTC, Star Wars Guitars Places Millennium Falcon At Your Fingertips, 
| |
If you’re a Comcast cable subscriber, be prepared for yet another television transition. Comcast has made official its plans to begin encrypting its basic cable channels. Comcast has begun notifying its customers in select markets that they will need to order a digital adapter if they want to continue to receive basic cable channels through Comcast.
Of course, the biggest concern is whether or not customers will have to pay for the digital adapter. However, Comcast says that it’s making adapters available for free in some markets, and they will have an adapter that works with third-party set-top boxes. However, some users may have to pay for their adapter if Comcast doesn’t provide one in their location or for their specific device.
However, those using a Comcast set-top box or a CableCARD-enabled device won’t need the adapter, and those who need one will be able to get one for free for up to two years. After that, you’ll have to pay $0.50 per month per TV in your household. Only two adapters are aloud per household, though, so it seems you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket if you need a third or fourth.
As for when the encryption will officially begin rolling out, Comcast says that they’ll be rolling it out on a market-by-market basis in the coming months, meaning that some subscribers will get it before others. The company says that the transition to encrypted cable will provide greater convenience for customers because the encryption will reduce the need for in-home appointments.
[via GigaOM]
Comcast to encrypt basic cable channels is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
There are about to be some very unhappy Comcast customers scattered around the country—because the cable provider has just begun to notify customers in several of its markets that it’s about to start encrypting basic cable data. In other words: time for a new box, suckers. More »
Online storage services seem like a must, especially if you’ve ever suffered from a local hard drive failure. These services will help you back up a number of items from your computers, so that you can access them from anywhere and in the event that a computer fails, you’ll have an offsite backup.
Tresorit is a new service, and it works for Windows only for now. Mac, Android and iOS apps are coming soon. The differences between Tresorit and some other services is that they locally encrypt all of your data. The program will encrypt your files and folders with AES-256 before they’re uploaded to the cloud – protecting them from prying eyes in the event of a network compromise.
Tresorit just came out of a limited beta, and you can now get 5GB of free storage space. If you’re wondering at how secure this service will be, starting April 15th, The company is inviting the world’s hackers to try and break its encryption and win $10,000. The service doesn’t yet have web-based access, so you’ll need to have the software installed in order to use it.
iMessage is a convenient way for iOS users to swap messages, and it seems that extends to those engaging in less-than-honest dealings, particularly of the drug variety in this case. The folks over at CNET got their hands on an internal Drug Enforcement Administration memo that details an investigation and the difficulty suspects who use Apple‘s messaging system pose.
Obviously this is good news for those who are hyper-conscious of their privacy and the snooping attempts of others, but not for government agencies trying to finger suspects for crimes. According to the DEA document, “it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices.” iMessage uses end-to-end encryption, and is massively popular, with the service having been used to transmit billions of chat messages.
It seems that as part of the investigation discussed, DEA agents received court permission to grab suspects’ text message logs from Verizon, only to discover blocks of obviously missing content. That content, it turns out, was because the individuals under surveillance were intermittently using iMessage. According to the DEA, those messages can’t be grabbed using Title III interceptions, trace devices, or trap devices.
This is part of an ongoing problem for law enforcement, with various government agencies having pursued and actively pursuing measures to add ways for them to access these messages. The ACLU has another view of the issue, however, with its senior policy analyst Christopher Soghoian stating, “The real issue is why the phone companies in 2013 are still delivering an unencrypted audio and text service to users. It’s disgraceful.”
[via CNET]
Apple’s iMessage encryption foils snooping, leaked DEA document reveals is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
