Security News

For the past five years, every FBI secret spy court request to snoop on Americans has sucked, says watchdog
2020-04-01 21:24

The FBI has not followed internal rules when applying to spy on US citizens for at least five years, according to an extraordinary report [PDF] by the Department of Justice's inspector general. The failure to follow so-called Woods Procedures, designed to make sure the FBI's submissions for secret spying are correct, puts a question mark over more than 700 approved applications to intercept and log every phone call and email made by named individuals.

Coronavirus-related digital fraud: 22% of Americans targeted
2020-03-25 02:58

Social distancing has affected consumer shopping patterns, and a TransUnion survey found that 22% of Americans said they've been targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19. Consumers are greatly reliant on online retailers during the coronavirus pandemic, and businesses must be armed to combat fraud, while making sure the company's web and mobile platforms are bug-free.

American cases added to 3D map showing the spread of COVID-19
2020-03-06 19:31

As of March 5, the map lists 176 cases in the US. A United Nations aviation agency built the 3DFX Dispersion map, which shows the movement of the coronavirus around the world via air traffic routes from its origin in Wuhan, China. The geographic information system map displays multiple layers of data, including deaths, confirmed cases, and cases by country.

Americans worry more about identity theft than being murdered
2020-03-05 18:43

A report from Atlas VPN finds that one in three Americans worries about identity theft, while only 20% are concerned about becoming a murder victim. Along with being concerned about identity theft, 72% say they are worried about having personal information stolen by hackers.

After blowing $100m to snoop on Americans' phone call logs for four years, what did the NSA get? Just one lead
2020-02-26 22:29

The controversial surveillance program that gave the NSA access to the phone call records of millions of Americans has cost US taxpayers $100m - and resulted in just one useful lead over four years. It is perhaps no wonder that the NSA and the FBI has spent years stalling and refusing to hand over any information about the program.

92% of Americans would delete an app that sold their personal information
2020-02-21 19:30

Most Americans are worried about how companies and governments will use technology like facial recognition and encryption, and how it will affect their data and security, according to a new survey from VPN provider ExpressVPN. The survey of 1,200 adults revealed Americans' deep concern for online privacy, and who do not support the encryption backdoors required by the US government. If they found out their personal information had been sold to a third party, 92% of Americans would delete a regularly used app.

Chinese Military Stole Masses of Americans’ Data, US Says
2020-02-10 20:42

Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans, the Justice Department said Monday, blaming Beijing for one of the largest hacks in history to target consumer data. The case is the latest Justice Department accusation against Chinese hackers suspected of breaching networks of American corporations.

US govt accuses four Chinese Army soldiers of hacking Equifax and stealing 145 million Americans' data
2020-02-10 18:41

The United States today announced criminal charges against four Chinese Army soldiers who, it is claimed, are the hackers who stole 145 million Americans' personal data from credit scorer Equifax. Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke, and Liu Lei, are all said to have been members of the People's Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute hacking team, and are accused of illegally accessed Equifax's customer databases.

US govt accuses four Chinese army soldiers of hacking Equifax and siphoning 145m Americans' personal info
2020-02-10 18:41

The United States today announced criminal charges against four Chinese Army soldiers who, it is claimed, are the hackers who stole 145 million Americans' personal data from credit scorer Equifax. Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke, and Liu Lei, are all said to have been members of the People's Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute hacking team, and are accused of illegally accessed Equifax's customer databases.

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Reform NSA Surveillance of Americans
2020-01-24 15:53

U.S. lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill that aims to reform the National Security Agency's surveillance programs in an effort to protect citizens' rights. The senator, a vocal critic of the NSA's surveillance programs, last year introduced a bill that sought to put an end to the mass collection of Americans' phone records.