Cyberattacks supposedly originating from China have raised alarms in recent weeks, but U.S. businesses and government agencies should worry as much about Iran and North Korea, a group of cybersecurity experts said. China and Russia have significantly more sophisticated cyberthreat capabilities than do Iran and North Korea, but the two smaller countries are in international cybersecurity discussions, the experts told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee last wek. While China and Russia maintain active diplomatic ties with the U.S., which should major attacks on the U.S., Iran and North Korea may be driven to attack the U.S. out of desperation to maintain their political regimes in the face of global isolation, said Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute and co-director of the Cyber Center for National and Economic Security at George Washington University. Iran still lacks the capabilities of Russia and China, but it has been testing its cyberattack abilities in recent months, Cilluffo said. "The bad news is ... what they lack in capability, they more than make up for in intent," he said. "Whatever [capability] they don't have, they can turn to their proxies or buy or rent."
U.S. advocates for a free global Internet need to reach out to other nations to encourage their participation in open governance bodies like the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization's president and CEO said. Defenders of a free and open Internet are "facing a pretty dangerous time right now," as countries that want of the Internet push their agendas at the International Telecommunications Union and other forums, ICANN leader Fadi Chehadé said last week. "I want to lean into this community," Chehadé said. "This is a time of engagement." During December's World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), members of the ITU were that would have given the ITU ICANN's duties and giving nations calling for censorship a greater voice in the coordination of the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), Chehadé said.
After a sluggish 2013 start, Microsoft's Window 8 App Store appears to be attracting new titles again. The online outlet vaulted the 50,000 app mark Saturday, , a website that unofficially monitors app activity at the Microsoft outlet. That's a global number, so all those apps may not be available to U.S. users. Since the high-profile launch of the on March 13, only 49 new apps have hit the US version of the Windows Store. However, Metrostore Scanner—the tracking service this report is based on—shows that 3000-plus new apps have appeared globally during the same time frame.
A new piece of custom malware sold on the underground Internet market is being used to siphon payment card data from point-of-sale (POS) systems, according to security researchers from antivirus vendor McAfee. Dubbed vSkimmer, the Trojan-like malware is designed to infect Windows-based computers that have . The malware was first detected by McAfee's sensor network on February 13 and is currently being advertised on cybercriminal forums as being better than Dexter, a different POS malware program that was . Once installed on a computer, vSkimmer gathers information about the OS, including its version, unique GUID identifier, default language, hostname, and active username. This information is sent back to the control and command server in encoded format as part of all HTTP requests and is used by the attackers to keep track of individually infected machines. The malware waits for the server to respond with a "dlx" (download and execute) or "upd" (update) command.
A group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to get court-ordered search warrants before obtaining a suspect's mobile phone location or GPS data, instead of using prosecution-issued subpoenas. Senators Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, and Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, introduced the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance (GPS) Act in the Senate last week, while Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, and eight other congressmembers introduced the same bill in the House of Representatives. Several privacy and civil liberties groups praised the introduction of the bill. Wyden and Chaffetz introduced similar bills in 2011, but that legislation did not pass. Another bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last week The Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2013 would require search warrants in order to search email or other electronic communications. Currently, law enforcement can make warrantless inspection of email or other online communications that are more than 180 days old after showing "reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing."
Security experts are commending Apple for following the lead of rivals like Facebook, Google and Microsoft by offering two-step authentication to help customers secure their Apple IDs against hacking. The new feature rolled out this week is designed to block unauthorized changes to iCloud or iTunes accounts, and keep hackers who steal Apple IDs from purchasing digital content or hardware using the credit cards stored in customers' iTunes and Apple Store accounts. about security so lax that hackers have easily hijacked their accounts to run up big bills. "Always exciting to see a major consumer-oriented service roll out some sort of two-factor authentication," said Jon Oberheide, co-founder and CTO of Duo Security, a developer of authentication software, in an email. "Rolling your own two-factor definitely isn't a trivial task, both from an upfront engineering cost and continued support and maintenance, despite the perceived ease from an external view."
Facebook is helping people know how to dress for an event, a new feature in its seemingly unending evolution that is puzzling because it offers users the chance to hop off the social networking site. Now when you set up an event on Facebook you can let guests know whether they should wear a jacket, sunglasses or snow boots thanks to an integration with the online weather service Weather Underground, a property of The Weather Channel located at wunderground.com. You might wonder why Facebook is doing this, since it makes big bucks by keeping users on its own site and looking at and clicking on ads. Is it merely a generous addition in the spirit of simply making its site more helpful and useful? It’s doubtful. reports. A hackathon, which is a big tradition at Facebook, involves computer programmers and others in the field collaborating on software projects.
Microsoft has had a busy week, judging from the breadth of the buzz about the company’s next ventures. Windows 8 is shipping on all its myriad platforms; now what? Plenty, say a mix of official and clandestine sources. Microsoft has more in store for Windows 8, including technology to help make next-generation ultrabooks blazing fast and super connected. The first Windows 8 updates are approaching, as well as some new apps and development efforts. Oh, and company executives are doggedly insisting that the company is sticking with the RT operating system, like it or not. Here’s what you should know about what's new in Redmond. .
The attackers who unleashed devastating executed at least part of the attack by hijacking the firms' patch management admin accounts, the software vendor involved has said. According to South Korean antivirus company AhnLab, the 20 March attacks used stolen IDs and passwords for its Patch Manager software to distribute the malware to an unknown number of the 32,000 PCs affected inside the victim firms, including the Munhwa, YTN, Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) TV stations, and the Shinhan, Jeju and Nonghyup banks. These systems were under the control of the organisations involved and not AhnLab itself, the company emphasised. "Contrary to early reports, no security hole in any AhnLab server or product was used by the attackers to deliver the malicious code," AhnLab said in a statement.
Blackstone Group has reportedly sent a preliminary counterbid to buy out Dell, which would rival the current proposed offer of US$24.4 billion from Silver Lake Partners and Michael Dell made in early February. Blackstone, an equity firm, submitted its offer to Dell on Friday, the , citing unnamed sources. The offer sets the stage for Dell to hold discussions with Blackstone about a possible buyout, and Dell has until Tuesday to respond to the offer, according to media reports. Blackstone's proposed counterbid is in the price range of between $13.65 and $15 per share, according to a in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday. That either matches or exceeds the $13.65 per share offered by Michael Dell and equity investor Silver Lake to take the company private. In a letter sent to Dell, Blackstone envisions shedding Dell's financial services division as part of the buyout deal. Blackstone has already discussed selling that division to GE Financial Services, the Journal reported, citing anonymous sources.
Japan plant den kommerziellen Abbau von Methaneis im Meer. Ohne exakte Kenntnisse des Untergrunds ist das ein gefährliches Unterfangen – es drohen unterseeische Hangrutsche.
Ein Hightech-Silo aus Stahl und Glas. Ein Roboter, der die Autos parkiert: So sieht Frido Stutz' Garage der Zukunft aus. Das erste dieser intelligenten Parkhäuser wird bald in Betrieb gehen.
Am Unispital Basel können Frauen ihr Risiko für eine vorzeitige Unfruchtbarkeit testen lassen. Fortpflanzungsmediziner kritisieren die angebotene Genanalyse als viel zu teuer und völlig unausgereift.
Jeden Tag sterben 2000 Kinder durch schmutziges Trinkwasser. Diese Todesfälle wären vermeidbar. Doch noch immer mangelt es weltweit an Brunnensystemen.
Die Gemeinde Lungern sowie der Kanton Obwalden haben beim Bund ein Projekt für eine Heli-Trainingsanlage eingereicht. Kostenpunkt: 16 Millionen. Anwendung: Rettungseinsätze wie Seilbahnevakuationen.
28'000 Verkehrstote in einem Jahr – und doch stimmt die stattliche Zahl die EU optimistisch: Sie ist nämlich so tief wie noch nie seit Messbeginn. In einem Land in Osteuropa ist es auf den Strassen besonders gefährlich.
Gentechnik ist gesünder als Bioanbau – zumindest in gewissen Fällen. Zu diesem Schluss kommt eine Studie der Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz.
Manche Menschen wünschen sich nichts sehnlicher, als behindert zu sein. Die Störung spricht weder auf Medikamente noch Therapie an. Ein Zürcher Neuropsychologe hat das Phänomen erforscht.
Melbourne plant den Bau eines Wolkenkratzers mit 108 Stockwerken. Ein Sechs-Sterne-Hotel, Wohnungen und Büros sollen darin Platz finden. Für Bedenken sorgte der Schattenwurf des Turms.
In der Nähe von Städten tauchen immer öfters Wildschweine auf. Ein Experte nennt die drei Gründe.
Es ist so gross wie 285 Fussballstadien: In den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten wurde das grösste Sonnenwärmekraftwerk der Welt in Betrieb genommen. Die Anlage Shams 1 versorgt 20'000 Haushalte mit Strom.
Das Tessin ist unter einer weissen Decke erwacht. Bis zu 35 Zentimeter Schnee sind gefallen. Für die Region ein ungewöhnliches Wetterereignis, sagt ein Meteorologe. Auch im Norden sind weitere Flocken möglich.
Seit Dezember 2011 ist im Bündner Safiental der erste Solar-Skilift der Welt in Betrieb. Das Fazit ist mehr als positiv: Der 450 Meter lange Lift produziert rund 13-mal so viel Energie, wie er verbraucht.
Die Kreiszahl Pi beschäftigte die besten Mathematiker und ist auf Billionen Dezimalstellen genau berechnet.
Gülle stinkt grässlich. Mit Holzkohle, Sirup und Sauerkrautsaft könnten die Bauern den Anteil des miefenden Ammoniaks vermindern. Felder, die so gedüngt werden, binden darüber hinaus CO2.
Das Porträt einer Bärin: Wie Jurka aus Slowenien über Italien in den Schwarzwald gelangte.
Kevin Schawinski erforscht an der ETH die Geheimnisse von Galaxien und schwarzen Löchern. Der Sohn von Medienmann Roger Schawinski gewinnt mit seiner Begeisterung auch Laien für die Wissenschaft.
Die Grippe grassiert in der Schweiz. Mona Neidhart vom Bundesamt für Gesundheit sagt, dass die Erkrankung in diesem Jahr mehr Menschen zu einem Arztbesuch gezwungen hat als in den Vorjahren.
Erstmals startet in Europa ein kommerzieller Flug, währenddessen die Passagiere Schwerelosigkeit erleben. Wer sich wie ein Astronaut fühlen möchte, zahlt knapp 6000 Euro.
Die Schweizer leben laut jüngstem WHO-Bericht länger als alle andern Europäer. Dies, obwohl die Eidgenossen beim Alkoholkonsum keine Musterschüler sind. Experte Holger Schmid erklärt die Zusammenhänge.