Hasta La Gadget!

Chrome does something interesting when you first run it. The other day, I was using Chrome in development for an Ember.js app. I use Safari for day-to-day browsing, but it has a habit of aggressively caching files when I least expect it, so from time to time I switch to Chrome.

Read more…

So, you think that you have got a pretty clever password that hackers would find it difficult to crack? Perhaps you might be right, but make sure that your strong password is not betrayed by “incompetent” hardware. Microsoft has just issued a warning to IT departments to ensure that their Wi-Fi networks are well secured, right after it was discovered that a security vulnerability in Windows Phones itself will leak out users’ passwords.

In other words, anyone with a malicious intent are able to set up rogue hotspots that will eventually grab from devices employees’ encrypted domain credentials, which are essential information which is required to authenticate with corporate systems and access network resources. Unfortunately, the algorithm that encrypts this sensitive data remains cryptographically weak, which enables hackers to recover the login details in a jiffy, and posing as a staff instead.

Microsoft will not issue a security update in order to fix the vulnerability, though, but rather, they have asked IT managers to distribute a special root certificate for Windows Phone 8 and 7.8 devices which happen to access their networks. This particular certificate would enable the handsets to perform a confirmation that whatever corporate Wi-Fi access points that they are hooked to are genuine, before any sensitive data is transferred. This sounds like more of a stop-gap measure, don’t you think so?

Windows Phones Devices Has Weak Crypto, Reveals Passwords Easily To Hackers original content from Ubergizmo.

Twitter for iOS and Android has been updated to support better two-factor authentication, a new way of browsing through photos, and the same “social context” functionality launched on the desktop version last week. The new apps further refine the security features initially added back in May, allowing Twitter users to validate their accounts not only […]

Welcome to the wild world of security and surveillance. From CCTV to massive government spying initiatives, there’s no escaping it. Recent high-profile leaks have served as a sobering reminder of just how present it is in all of our lives, so we figured what better time to take a deep dive? We kick things off with one of the strangest (and raciest) segments in Engadget Show history: a visit to the set of John McAfee’s latest web video. The one-time security software guru and fugitive discusses the state of antivirus, bath salts and offers some unsolicited advice to Edward Snowden, one exile to another. Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation sits down for an animated discussion of recent NSA surveillance revelations, including a breakdown of which major tech companies are doing right by their user base.

Boing Boing editor, sci-fi author and privacy activist Cory Doctorow climbs a tree in San Diego to discuss Wikileaks, the NSA, the “surveillance state” and more. “Edward Snowden is a hero,” he begins, not speaking on behalf of the EFF, mind you — and things get really good from there. Cryptographer and computer security specialist Bruce Schneier also chimes in on wiretapping, whistleblowing and “security theater.”

Next up, we pay a visit to The New Yorker‘s midtown office to talk Strong Box, the magazine’s secure deposit box for anonymous whistleblowers. The team behind Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs joins us to discuss partnering with computer security company Kaspersky to bring a realistic portrait of the world of hacking to its much anticipated title. And one-time hacker turned head of security community outreach at Microsoft, Katie Moussouris, discusses Redmond’s Bluehat bounty program and working with the hacking community to build safer software.

All that, plus the usual prognosticating from resident philosopher John Roderick in this month’s Engadget Show, just after the break.

Filed under: Cameras, Gaming, Wireless, Internet, Software, Microsoft

Comments

The development team behind the Crysis game family Crytek have suffered what appears to be a malicious attack – or at least “suspicious activity” – in the servers of several of their hero title websites. The developers from Crytek have taken down Crytek.com, Mycryengine.com, Crydev.net, and MyCrysis.com, making sure to mention that GFACE.com, Crysis.com, and […]