FCC releases 'smartphone security checker' to help newbies

The FCC is looking out for you, and wants you to be safe and understand how to do some basic things with your smartphone. With that in mind, the FCC has released the 'smartphone security checker' to help newbies to understand some basic things like password security, and backing up data from your smartphone.

The FCC starts out by scaring you, and explaining why you may need this info, by saying there has been a 350% increase in "mobile security threats" since 2010. With that in mind, the new checker is intended to "help consumers protect their mobile devices this holiday season." The checker allows users to select their OS of choice, and gives a bullet-point list of tips for important things that many casual users may not know, like setting PINs and passwords, installing apps from "trusted sources," installing patches, and what to be wary of when "on open Wi-Fi networks."

There is some good info on the site. We don't expect that many of our readers will need it, but it could be a good link to have ready for friends and family.

source: FCC

View the original article here

Nokia engineer speaks up about Windows 8 security flaws and how to exploit them

Aw, Nokia! The company recently known for its close embrace with Microsoft probably did not know about Justin Angel, one of its engineers, posting a full on explanation (it’s almost a tutorial) on how to pirate Windows 8 games, but it’s a funny incident. The Nokia engineer is likely to add ‘former’ to his job title as publicly explaining all the holes in the Windows 8 system and the ways one could exploit them is probably not what the company hired him for.

Still, it’s an eye-opener. Angel took the Soulcraft Windows 8 as an example for how one could easily edit the game to avoid paying for in-app purchases.

The engineer stresses that "storing encrypted data locally, alongside with the algorithm and the algorithm key/hash is a recipe for security incidents."

Not just that, Angel also shows how easy it is to mod trial apps for full-time use and to get rid of ads in apps.

Security has historically been one of Microsoft’s weakest sides, but the company has invested huge effort to make the Windows operating system safer. Still, looking back at it starting its #droidrage hatemongering campaign against Android for its alleged (often mythical) ‘security’ problem, now seems more than ironic.

Update: And just like that, while we were writing this article, Justin Angel's blog post and actually entire blog went down.

View the original article here