Security

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday launched a smartphone security checker website to help consumers ensure their devices are as secure as possible. The page lists various mobile operating systems and also points to a general checklist of actions users can take to secure their smartpho...

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced final amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule, which governs the online collection of personal information under the age of 13. This is the culmination of a review that began in 2010 to ensure that the COPPA Rule keeps pace ...

Instagram appears to be backtracking on plans to update its privacy policy and terms of service following an uproar from users. The proposed updates were scheduled to come into effect Jan. 16. Provisions that stirred users' wrath apparently let the company use posted images in advertisements without...

While Google is poised to agree to changes in the way it displays search results and skirt an antitrust investigation in the U.S., things are still unresolved with the European Commission. Google is reportedly still negotiating with European Commission antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia. The EC is app...

Instagram is rolling out an update of its terms of service that gives it more control over users' photos. The changes have unleashed a storm of criticism on various social networks. The new policies are privacy measures that will help Instagram integrate more easily with its parent company, Faceboo...

A new security flaw has been discovered in Samsung's vulnerability-plagued Galaxy S III. This time, the problem lies in the company's Exynos 4 series of chips. The flaw was discovered by a hacker with the handle "Alephzain," who posted the information on the XDA Developers Forum. Three hackers have ...

Gary McKinnon, the British man who hacked into U.S. government files to search for evidence of UFOs, will not face prosecution in the United Kingdom. In October, UK officials rejected the United States' extradition request in the decade-old case. The UK's most recent decision will apparently end the...

SPOTLIGHT ON SECURITY

Study: Nefarious Apps Easily Slip Past Jelly Bean Security

The findings weren't very sweet when researchers tested Android 4.2 Jelly Bean's beefed-up security. Of the 1,260 malware samples the team at North Carolina State University tossed at the OS, only 15 percent of them were detected by Google's app verification service. By contrast, Android anti-malwar...

OPINION

The World Needs More Magical Thinking

Dell World 2012 was fascinating this year for a number of reasons. First, Bill Clinton was the big keynote and he didn't disappoint. I think he took an interesting Libertarian view on how the U.S. government could fix the financial problem. Unfortunately, he implied that the first step would be to g...

TECH TREK

Pope Gives New Meaning to 'Followers'

Pope Benedict XVI made his Twitter debut on Wednesday in front of a congregation of more than 1 million faithful. Benedict has eight separate accounts to deliver messages in various languages, including Polish, Portuguese, Arabic and English. His inaugural tweet: "Dear friends, I am pleased to get...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested 10 individuals from around the world, including the United States, which it alleges are part of an international cybercrime ring linked to the Yahos malware. Yahos is associated with the notorious Butterfly botnet, which compromised more than 11 milli...

Facebook has introduced a number of changes to its privacy controls, positioning them as easier for users to manage. For example, a new icon on the toolbar will allow users to ask three questions: Who can see my stuff? Who can contact me? and How do I stop someone from bothering me? For further info...

Apple's new map system on iOS 6, which replaced Google Maps, has drawn plenty of criticism from pundits. Now, it's the subject of a warning by Australian police. Officers in Mildura are warning drivers to be wary of Apple's new maps system, which shows their fair town as being in the middle of Murra...

SPOTLIGHT ON SECURITY

Cops Seek Law Requiring 2-Year SMS Storage

A number of law enforcement groups are lobbying Congress to add provisions to a bill revamping the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act that would require wireless carriers to archive text messages for as long as two years. There may be reasons for companies to archive messages -- but simply f...

Foreign telecommunications companies, including China-based Huawei, have helped Iran collect incredibly detailed data on its citizens' telephone and Internet use, Reuters reported. According to an investigative report, a partner of Huawei offered to sell the Huawei-developed "Lawful Interception Sol...

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