Password no longer most popular password

The tech media is once again reporting on a list of the world’s “worst” passwords. And once again, the list has some serious inherent limitations. This particular list comes from SplashData, which not so coincidentally develops password management software. It’s put together a list of the 25 worst passwords, the criteria being how frequently they […]

“Blackphone” Promises Total Security

The makers of a smartphone launching next month claim it offers complete security from snooping on all forms of communication. But full details of the Blackphone and how it maintains privacy haven’t yet been published. The Blackphone is a joint project of Geeksphone, a Spanish smartphone manufacturer, and Silent Circle, a US firm which already […]


Rounding error robot no multi-million dollar operation

A Romanian security researcher has created a machine that can take advantage of rounding errors to make money at the expense of banks. Yes, that’s a key plot point in Office Space (among other movies), and no, it wouldn’t exactly be as profitable as in the movie. Adrian Furtuna is a penetration tester for KPMG […]

Finally: Android Gets a la Carte Permissions Control

Android devices may soon offer users far more control over what access apps have to their data and hardware. The latest release has a hidden feature that removes the all-or-nothing approach to access. A key part of the Android security system is the “permissions” system which controls dozens of settings that say whether or not […]

NSA scandal loophole: US citizen communications are compromised

The National Security Agency can gather and keep information about US citizens from online communications without a warrant for up to five years — as long as they get it by “accident”. That’s the revelation in the latest leaked documents in the NSA scandal. To date the story has largely centered on the ability of […]