Software developers are making fewer obvious security mistakes in their coding but the persistence of simple mistakes like SQL injection vulnerabilities shows that many are still failing to take even basic precautions in their coding, the newest member of the board of open-security effort OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) has warned.
David Braue | 17 Dec | Read more
The UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), which may have used the Regin malware, has released a far less menacing app that teaches students how to make and break secrets
Much of the problem with today's security environment is that it's hard to know who to trust – but the US Department of Justice believes it has the answer: companies should trust the government's efforts around cybersecurity more than they currently do, the DOJ is suggesting. The same goes in Australia, where the newly formed Australian Cyber Security Centre was soliciting reports of security breaches to inform its work
David Braue | 15 Dec | Read more
The newly-operational Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has kicked off its efforts to catalogue the incidence of cyber-security breaches, calling on businesses and government agencies to report breaches through a page on its Web site.
David Braue | 11 Dec | Read more
Malware believed to be part of a nation-state espionage campaign and reminiscent of previous attacks has been caught targeting mobile devices and PCs of executives, diplomats and military.
Adobe has released fixes for six security vulnerabilities in Flash, which includes one that is reportedly under attack, as well as fixes for 20 flaws in Reader and Acrobat.
The USB interface may have become standard for powering all kinds of devices, but anecdotal warnings are emerging about devices that arrive prepackaged with embedded malware that infects target systems as soon as they are plugged into the computer.
David Braue | 09 Dec | Read more
Microsoft has compared the warrant it’s challenging for email stored in its Irish data centre to the German state police demanding papers of a journalist stored in a Deutsche Bank branch in Manhattan.
A hack of Sony Pictures' systems led to the leaking of pre-release versions of numerous movies as well as a massive archive of sales contracts and other data. The hack led to a high-scrutiny investigation of technical evidence – including suggestions North Korea was behind the attack due to the controversial content of one of the films.
David Braue | 08 Dec | Read more
With all the focus on the security threat posed by malicious hackers, it's easy to forget about the other vulnerabilities that threaten the integrity of corporate data – particularly amongst companies that are caught up in the rollout of mobile technologies to enable their employees to work effectively from wherever they are.
David Braue | 05 Dec | Read more
Increasingly proactive hackers will design scorched-earth routines into their malware in 2015 and manipulate evidence to frame innocent parties as they increasingly work to cover their tracks in the face of redoubled enforcement efforts, security firm Fortinet has warned.
David Braue | 04 Dec | Read more
UK-based Bitcoin wallet provider Blockchain has a new .onion address and, like Facebook, it’s got itself a signed SSL certificate to validate its hidden website in an effort to combat thefts against its users.
Australians may not celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday like their American counterparts, but they have proved just as ready to drain their wallets – and, according to many security vendors' warnings, expose themselves to security risks through online and mobile shopping.
David Braue | 04 Dec | Read more
The number of malware-laden Web links clicked on by Australians has jumped significantly since the beginning of this year, according to new figures from security firm Trend Micro.
David Braue | 03 Dec | Read more
Customer demand for cloud-hosted file storage and related services has grown so rapidly that they have surpassed Barracuda Networks' core security business to become the company's most significant source of new business, according to a senior company executive.
David Braue | 03 Dec | Read more
Google’s Google Cloud Platform has gained a key payments card industry certification that will make it more straightforward for developers to store and process credit card data in its cloud.
An Australian-built, cloud-based identity-management and authentication platform from Verizon is playing a key part in moves by electronic-conveyancing provider Property Exchange Australia (PEXA) to streamline property settlements that have traditionally been a complex, paper-intensive process.
David Braue | 02 Dec | Read more
Australia is apparently setting the gold standard when it comes to aggregating personal information on its citizens, with the UK said to be using the controversial Australian data-retention regime as a model for its own legislation. There's no telling how that will be received by the US National Security Agency, which was arguing that its own online surveillance programs are legal and carefully scrutinised by other parts of the government.
David Braue | 02 Dec | Read more
Sony Pictures is reportedly exploring if its breach has links to North Korean threats over its movie The Interview. But whoever was behind the attack may have also leaked pre-release versions of new movies from the film studio.
Australian Internet service providers (ISPs) will be able to get device-level information about malware infections on their customers' computers after the Australian Internet Security Initiative (AISI) launched an online portal into its expanding malware database.
David Braue | 29 Nov | Read more