Mobile Security


child smart watch

Millions of Children-Tracking Smartwatches Are At Risk Of Being Hacked

New findings by security firm Pen Test Partners reveal that 47 million devices worldwide could be exposed and tracked thanks to a strikingly insecure cloud platform.

dark twitter screen

Hackers Targeted Epilepsy Foundation With Strobe Lights Aiming to Induce Seizures

The foundation has reported at least 30 incidents that targeted their Twitter account and followers last month with GIFs and videos of harmful strobe lights.

chinese facial recognition phone

China Implements Mandatory Facial Recognition Scans For New Cell Phone Users

The government claims that the new requirement will prevent fraud for citizens, but critics see it as the furthering of invasive surveillance measures.

smart thermostat

Tips for Increasing Security in Your Smart Home

On their own, smart home devices do not protect themselves. Users must take action to protect their privacy and data security.

stalker following woman

Cybersecurity Companies Partner Up With Domestic Violence Charities to Fight Stalkerware

The Coalition Against Stalkerware hopes to be a resource for abuse victims and a pathway for security companies and advocacy organizations to work together.

Research: 5G Networks Still Vulnerable to Location Tracking, Downgrading Attacks

A group of researchers found 11 flaws, several of which would expose a device’s location and when a user calls or sends texts.

Amazon Echo

Lasers Can Take Over Voice Assistant Systems From Long Distances, Research Finds

By pointing a laser or even a flashlight into the microphone of a Google Home, Siri or Alexa system, the researchers were able to control the devices and the systems connected to them.

TikTok

U.S. Government Opens Official National Security Investigation Into TikTok

The inquiry from the Department of Commerce is looking into TikTok’s acquistion of Musical.ly in 2017.



jack o lantern

What’s Scarier Than Halloween Night? The Rise of Scammers and Security Breaches in 2019

The horror stories of scammers targeting landline phone numbers and the elderly continue to pile up. Here are the steps that phone companies and governments could take to stop the madness.

TikTok app

Senators Ask U.S. Intelligence To Investigate Potential Security Risks of TikTok and Chinese-Owned Companies

Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton sent a letter to the director of national intelligence expressing concerns about ByteDance, which owns the video app TikTok.

Capitol Hill at sunset

'Cyber Shield Act’ Aims To Establish Cybersecurity Standards for IoT Devices

The bill, introduced by Democratic legislators on Tuesday, would direct a committee to create security benchmarks and then give labels to products who meet those standards.

Amazon Echo speaker

Researchers: Google and Amazon Smart Speakers Are Vulnerable to Phishing, Eavesdropping Hacks

A group of security researchers found that applications for Google Home and Alexa could be used to obtain passwords and overhear conversations from unsuspecting users.

Delivery App DoorDash Becomes Latest Company To Suffer Data Breach Affecting Millions

Delivery App DoorDash Becomes Latest Company To Suffer Data Breach Affecting Millions

4.9 million users have been affected by the data breach, which DoorDash discovered in the past month.

London Police Partner With Facebook to Prevent Live Streaming of Terrorist and Firearm Attacks

London Police Partner With Facebook to Prevent Live Streaming of Terrorist and Firearm Attacks

The issue gained renewed attention after a mass shooter used Facebook to live stream his murder of over 50 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Report: Facebook Database Found Online Exposed Phone Numbers of Millions

Report: Facebook Database Found Online Exposed Phone Numbers of Millions

A database that was left without password protection was discovered by a security researcher, who said 419 million records of Facebook user phone numbers were exposed.

Russian Hacking Group is Targeting Corporate IoT Devices, Microsoft Researchers Say

Russian Hacking Group is Targeting Corporate IoT Devices, Microsoft Researchers Say

The state-sponsored hackers, best known as Fancy Bear, attempted to compromise popular IoT devices like office printers and a VOIP phone.

work wifi

10 Simple Steps to Take Right Now to Secure Your Business WiFi Network

Conducting regular maintenance and updates are the easiest ways to secure your corporate WiFi network

siri app

Apple Contractors Regularly Overhear ‘Confidential’ Conversations Through Siri, Whistleblower Says

An employee spoke out due to their concerns about the potential misuse of information by firms working for Apple.

faceapp screen

Viral FaceApp Draws Concerns From Users About Data Privacy

The app, which is based out of Russia, was popular for its ability to make users look older. But critics say there’s a catch.

Security App Connects Law Enforcement Institutions to Reduce Response Times

Security App Connects Law Enforcement Institutions to Reduce Response Times

IN FORCE 911 allows staff to quickly launch an emergency alert and facilitates quick communication between victims and police.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”