week 9

2013: A Perilous Year on the Internet

            John Mello’s article talks about how the world of internet isn’t getting any safer. Mello states that the internet cybercrime has increased significantly, especially last year and uses Target’s recent credit card breach as a case study. He looks at the McAfee’s threat report for the last quarter which claims that McAfee labs collect about 200 samples of malicious every minute. The last section of Mello’s article talks about that the growing security threat from mobile phone apps, and he quotes Adam Wosotowsky, McAfee messaging data architect, who claims that getting apps from official sites such as Apple and Google Play is pretty safe. I believe that it is dangerous to make this type of claim, especially when there are studies out that suggest the mobile apps are becoming very attractive targets for cybercriminal. I believe that it’s important to educate the public about the potential mobile apps cyber theft and encourage them to be extra caution.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/80120.html

week 8

Target Reels From Customer Data Breach

            In his article, “Target Reels From Customer Data Breach,” Kris Holt discusses Target’s recent data breach and consequences associated with it. Holt writes that the high-profile data breach had impact on Target’s financial results. He reports that “in the three months ending Feb. 1, net earnings dropped by 46 percent compared with the year-ago fourth quarter, from US$961 million to $520 million.” He also reports that Target’s profit dropped by more than 40 percent. These numbers reveal that the data breach has affected Target’s revenue which is expected given the scale of the breach. Anyway, what this means is that Target is losing most of its customers’ truth which is so detrimental. I agree with the experts that Target should take a lead on the consumer protection initiatives and prove to the general public that it’s committed in protecting its customers’ personal information. 


http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/80050.html

week 7

Why is Facebook Paying $19 Billion for WhatsApp

            First of all, I just wanted to share my reactions and state that I was stunned by Facebook’s recent $19 billion WhatsApp acquisition. I think this deal is probably one of the biggest transactions in the history of tech world and I’ve been wondering ever since what this means for the future of Facebook and WhatsApp. So I really enjoyed reading this article as it addresses of some of my questions which are similar to that of the article. The article essentially looks at the reasons why Facebook bought the WhatsApp, and it suggests that Facebook did this for two reasons. The primary reason is Facebook’s commitment to remain attractive for the younger market and the second is Facebook’s desire to increase its reach outside of Facebook. Social media has revolutionized how we see the world today and as we see more and more social media sites emerge, the market will get even more competitive for Facebook. Therefore, I think it is smart of Mark Zuckerberg to make this transition in effort to remain competitive in the world of social media.

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/37086/why-is-facebook-paying-19-billion-for-whatsapp

Week 6

New Malware Records Everything You Do on your iPhone 

            This short article points out that how Apple iOS is not entirely far from security risk. Neal Hindocha, a Malware security searcher, built a proof-of-concept ‘screenlogging’ malware that monitors finger swipes on smart devices. This malware has a great potential in collecting confidential and sensitive personal data such as screen lock pins and passwords. The article states that the Malware works on Android and jailbreak iOS devices. On the other hand, it doesn’t work on some Apple devices if users install their devices with walled-garden software system. The downside of the walled-garden program is that it enables apple to have control over its user’s device which leaves the users with no privacy. I believe that Apple and its competitors should priority security protection over the rush to get products to market.  

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/36731/new-malware-records-everything-you-do-on-your-iphone

week 5

92% of Top 500 Android Apps Carry Security or Privacy Risk

            The main point of this article is to highlight the security risk associated with downloading the Android mobile applications and how users are educated about this mater. A new research done by Metalntell found that460 of top 500 Android applications used non-secure communication protocols. In other words, what means is that 92% of the Android applications create a security or privacy risk. In addition, the study states that users are willing to share their personal information for free apps in return. When talking a closer look at the data, security experts suggested that 42% of the applications should not be available for consumers due to high security risks associated with these apps. I agree that users should educate themselves about the potential apps security risk and that people should be caution about downloading apps.

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/36612/92-of-top-500-android-apps-carry-security-or-privacy-risk

Week 4

91% of mobile apps expose personal information

            This article discusses the mobile cyber-threats, specifically the mobile applications and how these applications expose user’s confidential and personal data on the phone to unknown parties. The article cites a study done by Veracode which claims that 91% of the most popular mobile apps reveal user’s sensitive personal information. It comes as no surprise to me that the mobile apps are putting its user’s information out there. However, what is alarming about this mobile cyber-threat is its scale, because if you think about it 91% is a huge percentage. I see this issue as a major potential national security issue now that companies are encouraging their employees to use personal apps for work. I believe that this issue should be treated as a pressing national security concern and mobile apps providers such as Apple should be pressured to design mobile devices and applications with security as a priority.

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/32861/91-of-mobile-apps-expose-personal-information

Post week 3

Malware-Lobbing Hackers Seize 300,000 Routers

            “More than 300,000 home and small-office (SOHO) routers have been compromised by hackers and are being used to distribute massive quantities of spam and malware.”   This is really a scary thought. If router manufacturers aren't proactively hardening equipment they sell to the SOHO market, it's hard to imagine that the Internet of Things products in the pipeline will be any more secure. According to article the hackers are achieved how to access our router home, so we have to update new firmware to D-link router. ‘The attackers appear to have gained access to the routers by exploiting known flaws in the devices to gain administrative access and change their DNS settings.”

 

http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks-and-breaches/malware-lobbing-hackers-seize-300000-routers/d/d-id/1114109