The Zen of IT
By Evan Schuman
Apple’s latest right-to-repair trick is delightfully evil
I’ve always been impressed by how clever Apple can get when trying to protect its repair revenue. A new report from MacRumors doesn’t disappoint.
On app tracking, both Android and iOS have to do better
While Google has announced plans to reset permissions for older, rarely used Android apps, Apple’s app-tracking-transparency efforts in iOS have fallen short of the company’s grand vision.
Apple's anti-porn overreach — good intent, bad execution
Apple has unveiled plans to use its extensive powers to fight child pornography. Even though it has good intentions, the company's actual plan has given people dozens of reasons to oppose the move.
This Vultur app takes malicious to the next level
As if IT needs more reminders that apps in app stores may not be secure, a Netherlands security firm has found a new Android dropper app dubbed Vultur. It offers, and delivers, legitimate functionality, then shifts into malicious mode...
It's time, IT — set the rules of the road for mobile
When it comes to keeping everyone in the company on the same page, IT could be doing more. That's especially true when making sure mobile devices are secured.
About the Pegasus spyware, Apple's telling the full truth
When spyware from an Israeli firm was discovered on a number of iPhones used by journalists, critics hit Apple over security and privacy concerns. But in this case, it doesn't look like the company did anything wrong.
Note to IT: Google really wants its privacy settings left alone
It's deeply unsurprising that newly-released information from the Attorney General's office for Arizona — released when a judge agreed to unseal some of the data — shows Google trying to hide privacy settings and tracking users after...
When is a cybersecurity hole not a hole? Never
In cybersecurity, one of the challenging issues is figuring out when a security hole is a big deal or is trivial. Apple now has a hole that pushes the definition.
Google makes a big security change, but other companies must follow
Google is moving — slowly — to make multi-factor authentication default, pushing FIDO-compliant software embedded within the phone, and even has an iOS version. Nice touch.
Google and Apple claim their devices deliver a better sleep; not true, university says
A university study found that a frequently-heralded smartphone claim by both companies is non-existent. This raises a serious question: Don’t they have to prove something works before shouting it from the highest virtual rooftop?...
Rethinking mobile security in a post-COVID workplace
Remember all of the security corner-cutting forced on us in March 2020 as companies scrambled to deal with the pandemic? It's time now to go back and fix things.
The case of the missing laptop RAM
One of the best tech support programs in the industry has been Dell's ProSupport program, which routinely answers within 10 seconds and offers excellent techs who truly try to help. It also offers a next-day onsite repair program...
Text authentication is even worse than almost anyone thought
For years, security experts have been sounding the alarm about texting numbers for authentication. Now, due to some excellent work from Vice, it's clear the text situation is far worse than we thought.
WhatsApp's new 'privacy' policy is a gift to other messaging apps
WhatsApp does not treat all interaction data the same. For now, user-to-user/customer-to-customer/consumer-to-consumer messaging is encrypted and considered private. But when a user communicates with a business, Facebook can do...
Apple tramples on security in the name of convenience
Apple's upcoming iOS 14.5 and WatchOS 7.4 OSes will allow masked enterprise employees to access their iPhone if they happen to be wearing an Apple Watch that is unlocked. If companies don't stop workers from using this convenience, it...
When cryptographers looked at iOS and Android security, they weren’t happy
In recent years, the feds have stopped asking for a workaround to get past Apple security. Why? It turns out that iOS, along with Android, is simply not as secure as those companies suggested.
SMS: Texting numeric strings is the best holiday gift to cyberthieves
Multi-Factor Authentication has become so common a security tool that many users assume it must work well to protect data and communications. What it really does is provide false comfort.
Zoom's new encryption approach is incremental, but better
Max Krohn, Zoom's head of security engineering, detailed what users need to give up to get the better encryption protection that's coming.
How IT can use COVID-19 mobile crowdsourcing data to safeguard workers
Mobile apps galore have used crowdsourcing techniques this year to fight COVID-19. Now, a new app wants to build on those efforts by identifying communities (often down to the Zip Code) that are being aggressive or lenient in...
Dual biometrics for banking: Double trouble or super-secure?
Two European banks are looking to boost security by layering a pair of biometric authentication methods – facial recognition and palm recognition – atop one another. That could mean more security, or more headaches for users.
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