How RFID Tags Could Be Used to Track Unsuspecting People
Key Concepts
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are embedded in a growing number of personal items and identity documents.
- Because the tags were designed to be powerful tracking devices and they typically incorporate little security, people wearing or carrying them are vulnerable to surreptitious surveillance and profiling.
- Worldwide, legislators have done little to address those risks to citizens
If you live in a state bordering Canada or Mexico, you may soon be given an opportunity to carry a very high tech item: a remotely readable driver’s license. Designed to identify U.S. citizens as they approach the nation’s borders, the cards are being promoted by the Department of Homeland Security as a way to save time and simplify border crossings. But if you care about your safety and privacy as much as convenience, you might want to think twice before signing up.
iPhone Passcode Lock Security Flaw
Well that didn’t take long…
Enabling your passcode lock and setting up a certain home key shortcut could expose your iPhone if you’ve upgraded to version 2.0.2
Separation of Duties and IT Security
Muddied responsibilities create unwanted risk. Kevin Coleman says auditors may start labeling poorly defined IT duties as a material deficiency.
By Kevin Coleman, Technolytics Institute
August 26, 2008 — CSO — Separation of duties is a key concept of internal controls and is the most difficult and sometimes the most costly one to achieve. This objective is achieved by disseminating the tasks and associated privileges for a specific security process among multiple people.
The term SoD is already well-known in financial accounting systems. Companies in all sizes understand not to combine roles such as receiving checks (payment on account) and approving write-offs, depositing cash and reconciling bank statements, approving time cards and have custody of pay checks, etc. However, SoD is fairly new to the IT organization…
Superstar 9 year old pitcher throws too hard: Opposing team forfeits game, packs gear and bails.
Commentary: Whaaaaaa!!!!! Are you kidding me? We’re gettin’ our arses kicked so let’s bail to stop the pwnage and have a good cry while we are at it…This is absolutely ridiculous. Nice way to teach values New Haven.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player — too good, it turns out.
The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.
Local councils accused of spying on residents’ sex lives
Commentary: Never saw this comin’…Who’s watchin’ the watchers?
Council have been accused of using surveillance powers to pry into residents sex lives.
By James Kirkup
Last Updated: 5:35PM BST 24 Aug 2008
The Conservatives say local government officials are monitoring couples’ sleeping arrangements for council tax purposes.
They have released documents they say shows that councils are invading households’ privacy to check on claims for council tax discounts.
More than 7.5 million people claim a 25 per cent discount on their council tax bill because they live alone
Councils are responsible for verifying that people who claim to live alone really do so.
A “surveillance dossier” used by Rotherham Council and released under freedom of information laws has shown how claims are checked.
The document suggests officials undertake “surveillance” of cars registered to addresses “to substantiate the allegation of living together”.
White House missing as many as 225 days of e-mail
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 20, 2008; 6:27 PM
WASHINGTON — The White House is missing as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003 and there is little if any likelihood a recovery effort will be completed by the time the Bush administration leaves office, according to an internal White House draft document obtained by The Associated Press.
The nine-page outline of the White House’s e-mail problems invites companies to bid on a project to recover the missing electronic messages.
The work would be carried out through April 19, 2009, according to the Office of Administration request for contractors’ proposals, which was dated June 20.
Last week, the White House declined to comment on the document.
Ok, it’s done…I have an iPhone 3G.
Coming from Windows Mobile from way back in the day, this should be interesting. Folks that know me know that I wouldn’t touch an Apple product if it was the last device of it’s kind on the planet. I’m a staunch Windows guys (early 1990’s) and plan to stay that way. So, this move to the iPhone was not taken lightly considering I passed on the first gen iPhone because it lacked 3G. Today I also have an HTC TyTN II which is a good phone but some of it’s quirks really bugged like the 2.8 inch screen. Sorry, but that is too small for an all around media device imho. Not to say that the iPhone doesn’t have it’s own quirks. Haven’t had it long enough to get a good feel for it’s capabilities but right of the bat I noticed there isn’t a lot of customization that can be done with the home screen. Also as noted, no cut and past which is kinda nuts because you have retype everything. My biggest concern though as you might have guessed is security. Stay tuned.
Russian Gang Hijacking PCs in Vast Scheme
By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: August 5, 2008
A criminal gang is using software tools normally reserved for computer network administrators to infect thousands of PCs in corporate and government networks with programs that steal passwords and other information, a security researcher has found.
The new form of attack indicates that little progress has been made in defusing the threat of botnets, networks of infected computers that criminals use to send spam, steal passwords and do other forms of damage, according to computer security investigators.
S.F. officials locked out of computer network
(07-14) 19:23 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — A disgruntled city computer engineer has virtually commandeered San Francisco’s new multimillion-dollar computer network, altering it to deny access to top administrators even as he sits in jail on $5 million bail, authorities said Monday.
Terry Childs, a 43-year-old computer network administrator who lives in Pittsburg, has been charged with four counts of computer tampering and is scheduled to be arraigned today.
