Hasta La Gadget!

Not that we necessarily needed a report to tell us this, but the fewer privileges you afford yourself as a Windows user, the more secure your operating system becomes. Such is the conclusion of a new report from BeyondTrust, a company that — surprise, surprise — sells software for “privileged access management.” The only way we use Windows 7 is as admins and we’ve never had a moment’s bother, but some of you like stats, and others among you might be involved in business, which tends to make people a little more antsy about these things. So for your collective sake, let there be pie charts! The report looks into vulnerabilities disclosed by Microsoft during 2009 and concludes that all 55 reported Microsoft Office issues and 94 percent of the 33 listed for IE could be prevented by simply running a standard user account. Or using better software, presumably. Hit the PDF source for more info — go on, it’s not like you have anything better to do while waiting for the Large Hadron Collider to go boom.

Windows 7 is safer when the admin isn’t around originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Victorinox Secure Pro USB drive is ‘un-hackable,’ can file your nails originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Say, Charles — it’s been awhile! But we’re pleased as punch to see that you’re back to your old ways, poking around within OS X’s mainframe just looking for ways to remotely control the system, snag credit card data and download a few interoffice love letters that are carefully stashed 15 folders down within ‘Documents.’ The famed Apple security expert is planning yet another slam on OS X at CanSecWest, where he’ll reveal no fewer than 20 zero day security holes within OS X. According to Miller, “OS X has a large attack surface consisting of open source components, closed source third-party components and closed source Apple components; bugs in any of these types of components can lead to remote compromise.” He also goes on to reemphasize something he’s been screaming for years: “Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town.” In other words, Apple users are “safer” (due to the lack of work that goes into hacking them), “but less secure.” So, is this a weird way of applying for a security job in Cupertino, or what?

Charlie Miller to reveal 20 zero day security holes in Mac OS X originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the years, a number of optional technologies have allowed new auto buyers to remotely disable and / or recover their vehicles after purchase, but these devices aren’t always optional, and it might not even be the buyer who activates them. According to Threat Level, a man has been charged in Austin, Texas for allegedly hacking into the computer of his employer, Texas Auto Center, and activating WebTeck remote horn triggers and kill devices installed in over 100 cars owned by the company’s customers — all from the comfort of home. After Texas Auto Center reset the offending software’s passwords and figured out what’s what, the Austin High Tech Crime Unit quickly traced access back to one Omar Ramos-Lopez and made an arrest — but for many, the damage (in terms of missed work, school and tow-truck calls) had already been done. Care to form an opinion? Read more about the crime, and WebTeck, at our source links.

Disgruntled auto salesman bricks cars with remote kill-switch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Cloak Bag is a camera bag that lets you take pictures whilst your camera is still inside. It also doesn’t look anything like a normal camera bag, making it doubly secure if you’re a vulnerable traveler on vacation.

Like all the best niche products, the shoot-through bag was born of specific need. After two near misses in Buenos Aires, co-inventor Robert Merrill was afraid to take his DSLR out for fear of theft, so when he got back to Florida, he went to work. The Cloak Bag is designed to keep the camera protected and out of site, yet you can quickly flip it open and shoot with the camera still inside. A strap replaces your actual camera strap, and then the case itself hooks onto it with Velcro and a screw in the tripod-mount. The bottom of the bag zips open and folds inside when you want to shoot. In this mode, it looks like any other shoulder bag.

To shoot, you flip open the top (held in place with magnets) and your fingers slot inside through a gap to reach the dials and shutter release. If you need to zoom of focus manually, there is another zipper to gain access to the lens from the side.

Even if not fearing pickpockets and scam-artists, I like that you can have the camera ready to go but still protected from bumps (just don’t forget the front is open and put the camera down on wet ground). And at $50, it’s not much more than other day bags. The Cloak Bag is for DSLRs-only, and will fit cameras as big as Canon’s 5D MkII and Nikon’s D700 – in short, anything smaller than a bulky pro camera.

Cloak Bag [Cloak Bags via Photography Bay]

See Also:

• Make It: Stealth Camera Bag
• Gadget Lab Reader Makes Stealth Camera and Netbook Bag
• Hands On With Lowepro's 'Stealth' Camera Bag