Blogroll

Everything online is hackable. This is true for Equifax's data and the federal Office of Personal Management's data, which was hacked in 2015. If information is on a computer connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable. But just because everything is hackable doesn't mean everything will be hacked. The difference between the two is complex, and filled with defensive technologies,... Bruce Schneier

Nice profile of Mordechai Guri, who researches a variety of clever ways to steal data over air-gapped computers. Guri and his fellow Ben-Gurion researchers have shown, for instance, that it's possible to trick a fully offline computer into leaking data to another nearby device via the noise its internal fan generates, by changing air temperatures in patterns that the receiving... Bruce Schneier

There are a lot: The cybersecurity company McAfee recently uncovered a cyber operation, dubbed Operation GoldDragon, attacking South Korean organizations related to the Winter Olympics. McAfee believes the attack came from a nation state that speaks Korean, although it has no definitive proof that this is a North Korean operation. The victim organizations include ice hockey teams, ski suppliers, ski... Bruce Schneier

Research shows that what a food is called affects how we think about it. Research paper. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven't covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here.... Bruce Schneier

In "The House that Spied on Me," Kashmir Hill outfits her home to be as "smart" as possible and writes about the results.... Bruce Schneier

A water utility in Europe has been infected by cryptocurrency mining software. This is a relatively new attack: hackers compromise computers and force them to mine cryptocurrency for them. This is the first time I've seen it infect SCADA systems, though. It seems that this mining software is benign, and doesn't affect the performance of the hacked computer. (A smart... Bruce Schneier

This story of leaked Australian government secrets is unlike any other I've heard: It begins at a second-hand shop in Canberra, where ex-government furniture is sold off cheaply. The deals can be even cheaper when the items in question are two heavy filing cabinets to which no-one can find the keys. They were purchased for small change and sat unopened... Bruce Schneier

The Guardian is reporting that "every NHS trust assessed for cyber security vulnerabilities has failed to meet the standard required." This is the same NHS that was debilitated by WannaCry. EDITED TO ADD (2/13): More news. And don't think that US hospitals are much better.... Bruce Schneier

A CNN reporter found some sensitive -- but, technically, not classified -- documents about Super Bowl security in the front pocket of an airplane seat.... Bruce Schneier

Pretty, but contains no actual squid ingredients. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven't covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here.... Bruce Schneier

Stuxnet famously used legitimate digital certificates to sign its malware. A research paper from last year found that the practice is much more common than previously thought. Now, researchers have presented proof that digitally signed malware is much more common than previously believed. What's more, it predated Stuxnet, with the first known instance occurring in 2003. The researchers said they... Bruce Schneier

Brian Krebs is reporting sophisticated jackpotting attacks against US ATMs. The attacker gains physical access to the ATM, plants malware using specialized electronics, and then later returns and forces the machine to dispense all the cash it has inside. The Secret Service alert explains that the attackers typically use an endoscope -- a slender, flexible instrument traditionally used in medicine... Bruce Schneier

According to this story (non-paywall English version here), Israeli scientists released some information to the public they shouldn't have. Defense establishment officials are now trying to erase any trace of the secret information from the web, but they have run into difficulties because the information was copied and is found on a number of platforms. Those officials have managed to... Bruce Schneier

For over a decade, civil libertarians have been fighting government mass surveillance of innocent Americans over the Internet. We've just lost an important battle. On January 18, President Trump signed the renewal of Section 702, domestic mass surveillance became effectively a permanent part of US law. Section 702 was initially passed in 2008, as an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence... Bruce Schneier

Local residents are opposing adding an elevator to a subway station because terrorists might use it to detonate a bomb. No, really. There's no actual threat analysis, only fear: "The idea that people can then ride in on the subway with a bomb or whatever and come straight up in an elevator is awful to me," said Claudia Ward, who... Bruce Schneier

In November, the company Strava released an anonymous data-visualization map showing all the fitness activity by everyone using the app. Over this weekend, someone realized that it could be used to locate secret military bases: just look for repeated fitness activity in the middle of nowhere. News article.... Bruce Schneier

It's really hard to estimate the cost of an insecure Internet. Studies are all over the map. A methodical study by RAND is the best work I've seen at trying to put a number on this. The results are, well, all over the map: "Estimating the Global Cost of Cyber Risk: Methodology and Examples": Abstract: There is marked variability from... Bruce Schneier

The mating and death characteristics of some squid are fascinating. Research paper. EDITED TO ADD (2/5): Additional info and photos. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven't covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here.... Bruce Schneier

On January 3, the world learned about a series of major security vulnerabilities in modern microprocessors. Called Spectre and Meltdown, these vulnerabilities were discovered by several different researchers last summer, disclosed to the microprocessors' manufacturers, and patched­ -- at least to the extent possible. This news isn't really any different from the usual endless stream of security vulnerabilities and patches,... Bruce Schneier

A new vulnerability in WhatsApp has been discovered: ...the researchers unearthed far more significant gaps in WhatsApp's security: They say that anyone who controls WhatsApp's servers could effortlessly insert new people into an otherwise private group, even without the permission of the administrator who ostensibly controls access to that conversation. Matthew Green has a good description: If all you want... Bruce Schneier