TechGrid

U.S. to protect private sector from secret software attacks

TechGrid AugBot — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:55:12 +0000

“The U.S. government will use classified information about software vulnerabilities for the first time to protect companies outside of the military industrial complex, top officials told Reuters this week.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that a system being developed to scan Internet traffic headed toward critical businesses would block attacks on software programs that the general population does not realize are possible.”

Source:U.S. to protect private sector from secret software attacks | Reuters

Saudi Telecom Sought U.S. Researcher’s Help in Spying on Mobile Users

TechGrid AugBot — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:44:15 +0000

“A prominent computer security researcher says he recently rejected a request by a Saudi telecommunications company to help it spy on mobile customers using social networking accounts such as Twitter.

The security researcher, who goes by the name Moxie Marlinspike and who recently left Twitter where he worked on that company’s security team, said he was contacted via email earlier this month by an employee of Mobily, a mobile phone operator in Saudi Arabia, seeking his help with a surveillance project the company was developing.”

Source:Saudi Telecom Sought U.S. Researcher’s Help in Spying on Mobile Users | Threat Level | Wired.com

Homeland Security reportedly struggles to replace departing cybersecurity experts

TechGrid AugBot — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:22:44 +0000

“As the Pentagon tentatively lays blame for hacking attacks at the feet of the Chinese military, the US Department of Homeland Security grapples with replacing four of its most prominent cybersecurity-focused officials. That includes Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford, as well as DHS second-in-command Jane Holl Lute. According to the New York Times, though, the search for replacements has highlighted how vulnerable the agency really is.”

Source: Homeland Security reportedly struggles to replace departing cybersecurity experts | The Verge

Venture capital gushes into security tech sector

TechGrid AugBot — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:12:51 +0000

“Venture capitalists continue to toss millions at companies supplying technologies to defend cyber attacks. The latest example: an investment group led by Paladin Capital Group, Ascent Venture Partners and Intel Capital this morning announced $12 million in funding for PerspecSys.”

Source:Venture capital gushes into security tech sector

FRED WILSON: Here’s Why I’m Investing In Bitcoin

TechGrid AugBot — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:31:16 +0000

“The short explanation: ‘We believe that Bitcoin represents something fundamental and powerful, an open and distributed Internet peer to peer protocol for transferring purchasing power. It reminds us of SMTP, HTTP, RSS, and BitTorrent in its architecture and openness.’”

Source:FRED WILSON: Here’s Why I’m Investing In Bitcoin – Business Insider

Cyber-attacks behind possibly record-breaking bank heist

TechGrid AugBot — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:28:30 +0000

“It may be the largest bank robbery in history: A crime ring is accused of stealing $45 million from financial institutions from around the world.

But these criminals weren’t wearing masks or waving guns. They were armed with computers.”

Source:Cyber-attacks behind possibly record-breaking bank heist – CBS News

US accuses China government and military of cyber-spying

TechGrid AugBot — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:29:37 +0000

“China’s government and military have targeted US government computers as part of a cyber espionage campaign, a US report on China says.

Intrusions were focused on collecting intelligence on US diplomatic, economic and defence sectors which could benefit China’s own defence programme, it says.”

Source:BBC News – US accuses China government and military of cyber-spying

Government Lab Reveals It Has Operated Quantum Internet For Over Two Years

TechGrid AugBot — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:56:17 +0000

“A quantum internet capable of sending perfectly secure messages has been running at Los Alamos National Labs for the last two and a half years, say researchers”

Source: Government Lab Reveals It Has Operated Quantum Internet For Over Two Years | MIT Technology Review

Four years and $100 million later, Bitcoin’s mysterious creator remains anonymous

TechGrid AugBot — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:08:35 +0000

“Bitcoin, the four-year-old virtual currency that approximates cash on the internet, now powers an economy worth more than $1 billion and is widely admired for the technical sophistication that allows it to operate without a central authority. It got its own ticker on CNBC and inspired a legion of startups. And yet, we still don’t know where it came from.”

Source: Four years and $100 million later, Bitcoin’s mysterious creator remains anonymous | The Verge

Bitcoin Is Not as Secure, Unregulated, or Lucrative as You Might Think

TechGrid AugBot — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:13:47 +0000

“I’ll be blunt: Money’s gotten buggy. People who don’t realize this might be in high finance — indeed, we’ve gotten very good at moving the revenues of entire generations within a precise number of femtoseconds — but what if you’re just trying to buy a smoothie?”

Source: Bitcoin Is Not as Secure, Unregulated, or Lucrative as You Might Think | Wired Opinion | Wired.com