Posts Categorized: Cybersecurity

How the street light has been given a hi-tech makeover

Posted by & filed under Civil Liberties, Cloud Computing, Consumer Technology, Cybersecurity, Emerging Technologies.

Not only are light bulbs getting sharper and more energy efficient as they are upgraded to LEDs, but they increasingly help fight crime, promote safe cycling and even protect turtles.  That’s because street lights are also becoming the eyes and ears of “smart” cities.  Lamp posts double as data collectors, communicating with a central control… Read more »

Is that app you’re using for work a security threat?

Posted by & filed under App Economy, Civil Liberties, Cybersecurity, Ethical Issues.

When cybersecurity firm Imperva asked one of its banking clients how many apps it thought its staff were using, the firm estimated between 75 and 100 in total. The figure was actually closer to 800.  Why does this matter? Source: BBC Technology News Date: October 18th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37541594 Discussion 1) “Cloud-based apps often gain access to the… Read more »

Yahoo scanned millions of its users’ emails on behalf of the US government.

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity, Ethical Issues, IS ethics, IT and the law.

Yahoo has downplayed a report that said it had scanned millions of its users’ emails on behalf of the US government.  Reuters made the allegation recently, saying Yahoo had created special software to comply with a classified directive. Source: BBC Technology News Date: October 11th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37568106 Discussion 1) Every email was scanned.  “Sources had told said… Read more »

Meeting Cellebrite – Israel’s master phone crackers

Posted by & filed under Business Intelligence, Civil Liberties, Cybersecurity, Ethical Issues.

Cellebrite is an Israeli company that helps police forces gain access to data on the mobile phones of suspected criminals.  Cellebrite was in the headlines earlier this year when it was rumoured to have helped the FBI to crack an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter. Source: BBC Technology News Date: October 4th, 2016 Link to… Read more »

How tech is helping a casino catch the cheats

Posted by & filed under Competitive advantage, Cybersecurity, Electronic Surveillance, Ethical Issues.

  In the past, casinos would employ agents to observe gamblers’ behaviour and watch out for cheats, but now technology is playing a role. Source: BBC Technology News Date: September 28th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37095120 Discussion 1) What other businesses could use this sort of technology? 2) What sort of disclosures should a casino, or other business using this… Read more »

Canadian tech company Netsweeper helped Bahrain censor websites

Posted by & filed under Censorship, Cyberforensics, Cybersecurity, Ethical Issues.

Canadian technology company Netsweeper helped the Bahraini government block opposition party websites, various news websites and content critical of Islam, according to a new report by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. Source: CBC News Date: September 27th, 2016 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/netsweeper-bahrain-government-internet-censorship-1.3769803 Discussion 1) The article says that Netsweeper is” raising the alarm because they found… Read more »

Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS) explained

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity, Denial of service.

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to take a website offline by overwhelming it with internet traffic. The tactic is often used in protest against companies and organisations to make their websites unavailable. Source: BBC Technology News Date: September 22nd, 2016 Link to video: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35731734 Discussion 1) Have you seen a completely non-tech version… Read more »

How I caught my online scammer – and Facebooked his mum

Posted by & filed under App Economy, bitcoin, Cybersecurity.

A cybersecurity researcher living in Austria who was scammed out of $500 says his money was returned after he tracked down the scammer’s family and contacted them on Facebook. Source: BBC Technology Date: September 14th, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37348014 Discussion 1) “He had decided to accept payment in the digital currency as he thought it would be less of… Read more »

Thailand’s students reveal their vice — cheating by device

Posted by & filed under Competitive advantage, Cybersecurity, Ethical Issues, fraud.

  This is a confiscated smartwatch showing a student’s math data.  In Thailand, being brought up to be polite, tolerant, and respectful hasn’t prevented rampant cheating on university entrance exams, now aided by embedded cameras, smartwatches and all other manner of high tech gear. Source: Toronto Star Date: September 1st, 2016 Link: https://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2016/05/11/thailands-students-reveal-their-vice-cheating-by-device.html 1) How might you prevent… Read more »

Who are the hackers who cracked the iPhone?

Posted by & filed under Civil Liberties, Competitive advantage, Cybersecurity.

  The cyber arms NSO Group was founded in 2010 and is based in Herzliya, an attractive city north of Tel Aviv that is known as being a cluster of tech start-ups. The group was likely funded by the elite 8200 Intelligence Unit, an Israeli military-funded scheme for start-ups. Source: BBC Technology Date: September 1st, 2016 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37192670… Read more »