A vulnerability in Snapchat, the popular photo / video IM chat app, potentially leaves iPhone users susceptible to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, which, when carried out, may cause a device to freeze up or crash.
Apple's iOS is renowned for being among the most secure platforms out there, but even with the Cupertino company’s reputation for keeping things water-tight, security issues still frequently flare up. In the latest, it has been learned that a user can, without even needing to type in a password, disable the Find My iPhone feature, which essentially renders it useless since the device is then obscured from being tracked by iCloud.com. More details to follow.
It's never great to start off the beginning of a new year shrouded in controversy and having to deal with a public relations nightmare, but that's exactly the position which Snapchat finds itself in. The company behind the photo messaging app has confirmed that the app’s user database has indeed been comprised. The news itself is quite daunting, but the situation is further compounded by the fact that the details of more than 4.6 million accounts have been posted online by those who compromised the company's infrastructure.
Just when you think that the whole NSA situation can't get a lot worse, somehow it blows up and somehow takes things to a new level. And now, we're hearing that the NSA can reportedly gain almost complete access to an iPhone remotely following installation of a software implant.
The modern day Internet world faces its biggest challenge right now, and users are affected with it - the data security nightmare. Every now and then, successful hackers manage to break through the security measures of a renowned database, exposing along the way the online identities of hundreds of thousands of users of these services. While the targeted companies manage to recover from these attacks over the course of time, users aren’t always so lucky, where most of them are often left wondering whether their critical info was a part of the leak or not. This is where Australian software architect Troy Hunt’s new project comes in.
Security and general privacy tends to be of paramount importance to most mobile device users, and with very good reason. But while the battle to steer clear of the unscrupulously-intended, non-niceties of the mobile world are well documented, one company obscures its potentially dangerous spying app under a veil of legitimacy.
Amsterdam's Hack in the Box security conference regularly offers us a fascinating insight into what can ensue when modern tech is pushed to the very limit, and today, seasoned security professional Hugo Teso has certainly done that. Drawing upon twelve years as an airline pilot before his transition to the bustling world of tech security, Teso demonstrated just how easy it could be to essentially take control of a plane remotely using little more than an Android smartphone. While infinitely cool, it's also worrying how unsecure some airline software systems currently are, and although Teso only used a virtual Boeing jet to demonstrate his achievements (hijacking planes is, after all, illegal), it's a pretty incredible bit of ingenuity.
iPhone 4S And Galaxy S III Exploited At Pwn2Own Contest; Photos, Contacts And Other Info Compromised
Most of us - when shopping for a new mobile device - look for features like a fast processor, decent display resolution, respectable battery life and a reasonable camera. However, two common interests shared by all smartphone and tablet users are privacy and security, since nobody want their private business invaded nor sensitive information such as banking or work to be compromised.
If you own an iPhone or an Android device, then the chances are high that you’re familiar with the extremely popular cross-platform messaging app, WhatsApp. The app has become insanely popular over the last couple of years due to the fact that it is a cross-platform messaging service that not only allows users to send text-based messages, but can also include photographs, videos and audio attachments that are then sent across the network to any device that has the app installed. Being able to offer a true cross-platform service that allows all different types of media to be sent and received without charge is definitely key to the success of the app.
The majority of the iOS community will more than likely be familiar with the work of French iOS security researcher Pod2g. For the better part of this year, the iOS security enthusiast has been working hard on finding and exploiting various bugs in iOS that have led to the production of jailbreaks for various iOS devices. He has also been seen out in the wild at various security conferences, including the HITBSecConf and has been nominated for a Pwnie Award for his kernel exploit that was used in the Corona jailbreak.
