Best Antivirus Software for Mac OS X, According To Tests

If you think that Mac OS X is impregnable then rethink. Many people switch over to Mac from Windows just because the number of viruses that exist against the security of Windows out number antivirus software with tens of folds of margin.

Well, the same might apply to Mac OS X, but it does not necessarily conclude that MAC OS X does not have any security loopholes. Yes! it has. Just that we need some higher level of penetration testing which was very well done by AV-Test, a german company expert in antivirus software and antimalware reviews.


Av-Test is a German company expert in antivirus software and anti-malware reviews. This company’s basic model of working involves antivirus and antimalware testing reviews of different platforms like Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.

AV-Test performed the testing review for Mac OS X with a total of thirteen antivirus programs. After the antivirus testing on Mac OS X, there were some results drawn in a list of best to not-so-best (we cannot call an antivirus the worst antivirus in this case) antiviruses for Mac OS X.

Here are the results:

Out of the 13 antivirus tested, only 8 of them were able to identify and block cent percent of the malware.
- These antiviruses software were Avast, Avira, Bitdefender, ESET, Kaspersky, SentinelOne, Sophos, and Norton Security.
- Panda Antivirus 10.7 detected only 95.2 percent of the threats.
- Intego Mac Premium Bundle X8 followed Panda Antivirus 10.7 with 92.9 percent.
- Three antivirus products failed to receive the certification because they dropped below the 90 percent threshold. These antivirus software were ClamXav, Webroot SecureAnywhere, and F-Secure Anti-Virus.

Besides the percentage of malware blocked, another major criterion put was the impact of system performance of the Mac device. And here are the results of those:


Four antivirus software which do not hamper the system performance are Reference, ClamXav, Panda, Symantec, and Bitdefender
- AV-Test claims that Avast, one of the most secure antivirus for Mac, also degrades the system performance on Mac OS X.
- Overall, only four security products slow down Mac OS X devices by 10 percent.
- While rest of the other antiviruses software hamper the system performance by a great deal.
- However, Avast was still the champion antivirus among all.

Source: fossbytes

New LASER Technology Lets Camera Detect Objects Even At The Corners

If someone asks you how can you see an object around a blind corner, the most spontaneous reply that you could come up with would be “with the help of a mirror!”. Well, a group of scientists led by Genevieve Gariepy has taken a similar approach as well.

The working of a mirror: the shiny surface of a mirror reflects scattered light from an object/light source at a well-defined angle towards our eye. This is because that light scattered from different points on the object, in the case of a mirror, is reflected at the same angle, and so, our eye sees a clear image of the object. In contrast to this, in the case of a non-reflective surface light gets scattered randomly in all directions, and hence, creates no clear image.

Scientists are inspired from the same. What they did – they developed a state-of-the-art detector which, with smart data processing techniques, can turn walls and floors into a “virtual mirror”, thus being able to locate and track moving objects, even one that are out of direct line of sight. The laser range-finding technology further helps assist in the same.

So, how does the laser technology assisted camera work?

LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The type of laser we are talking about over here is mainly infrared, semiconductor, GaAs laser diode. The generated light energy has a wavelength of approximately 900 nanometers, with a beam divergence of 3 milliradians – equal to a beam width of roughly 0.3 m at 100 m or likewise, 3 ft at 1000 ft. Laser Technology helps to calculate the distance by measuring the time of flight of very short pulses of infrared light.

This, however, differs from the traditional surveying instrument method of measuring phase shifts by comparing the incoming wavelength with the phase of the outgoing light. Any solid object will reflect back a certain percentage of the emitted light energy. This only needs to be a small percentage for the sensitive detector to pick it up. The time it takes a laser pulse to travel to the target and back with a precision, is thus measured by a crystal-controlled time base. Knowing the constant speed of light, it is then the distance traveled is then easily calculated. Also, For increased accuracy, the laser process as many as sixty pulses in a single measurement period. Target acquisition times range from 0.3 to 0.7 seconds. Sophisticated accuracy validation algorithms are in place to ensure a reliable reading. LTI lasers are completely eye-safe, meeting FDA Class 1 specifications.

A laser pulse is made to strike on the floor, which scatters in all directions. A small fraction of the laser light strikes the object, and the backscattered light is recorded on a patch of floor, which acts as the “virtual mirror”. This is explained in the image given below. We know that the speed of light is constant and is known to us(3*10^8m/s). Thus, by measuring the time interval between the start of the laser pulse and the scattered light reaching the patch of floor, the position of the object can be calculated.

Also Read: MIT Researchers Use Wi-Fi To See People Through Walls
Also, why the timing measurement needs to be accurate, is because of the fact that light levels that must be detected are extremely low. To overcome this obstacle demands the use advanced laser and detector technology. The laser pulses used for the timing measurement are just ten femtoseconds (100,000 billionths of a second, or 10-15) Long. Also, each pixel in the ultra-sensitive “camera” (known as a single-pixel avalanche diode array) used to image the patch of the floor is essentially an ultra fast stopwatch that records the arrival time of the scattered light pulse to within a few hundred billionths of a second.
Besides, light scattered from the object of interest reaches the virtual mirror of the floor, but the problem lies in the fact that light scattered from every other object in the vicinity does the same. Hence, it becomes essential that the two be separated, the “signal” of the hidden object from the background noise of everything else.

So how is that achieved? Well, the logic applied here is that the hidden object the device is trying to detect is mobile, while other nearby objects are not. Because the moving object generates a signal in the virtual mirror that changes with time, it can be filtered from the constant background signal produced by the stationary objects of the surroundings.

The final stage being the timing measurement for scattered light arriving at a single point on the virtual mirror. This is recorded by a single pixel in the detector. A similar time delay could result from objects located at any number of different positions located an appropriate distance from the virtual mirror. While the timing data from a single pixel only locates the object to a range of positions, the range is different for each pixel. However, it turns out that there is only a single position at which the timing condition is satisfied simultaneously for all pixels, and this allows the object to be unambiguously identified from the background signals.

Take a look at the video below:


What’s more is that the prototype camera system allows the object’s position behind the wall to be localized within a centimeter or two. Also, the camera makes measurements every few seconds and hence can detect the speed of a moving object. Over the former method that demanded long data processing times, the new method can track moving objects in real time.

While currently, it’s limited to locating objects up to 60cm away from the virtual mirror on the floor, scientists are optimistic of extending the same to approximately ten meters, as well as to more closely detect the shapes of hidden objects as well as their positions. The future applications seem to be promising in areas such as surveillance or for security purposes.

Tell us about your opinions/suggestions in the comment below.

Source: fossbytes

Juniper Networks discovers "unauthorized" code that decrypts encrypted VPN traffic

Networking provider Juniper Networks has released an emergency patch to remedy what appears to be an intentional backdoor into many of its products.

Juniper Chief Information Officer Bob Worrall said that during a recent internal code review, they found "unauthorized code" in ScreenOS that could allow a knowledgeable attacker to gain admin access to NetScreen devices and to decrypt VPN connections.

The company said NetScreen devices using ScreenOS 6.2.0r15 through 6.2.0r18 and 6.3.0r12 through 6.3.0r20 are affected and require immediate patching. Worrall said that once they identified the issue, they launched an investigation and set about developing and issuing a patched version of ScreenOS.

Juniper Networks added that they have not received any reports of the vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild (nor should they expect to). The obvious question is, how did the nefarious code get into the software to begin with? Was it a rogue employee on a power trip or did a government agency have something to do with it?

As Ars Technica points out, an article a few years back published by Der Spiegel references an NSA operation targeting Juniper firewalls that gave them backdoor access. Said operation, dubbed FEEDTHROUGH, was described as malware that could get into Juniper firewalls and even survive software upgrades.

Conveniently enough, Juniper doesn't mention how it thinks the code might have come into play.

Source: techspot

The First iPhone Hacker Builds A Self-driving Car Within A Month In His Garage

eorge Hotz is often regarded as a pioneer in the field of iPhone hacking. Better known as “Geohot”, in the past he has said that he hacks because he gets bored. Probably this boredom and a desire to make calls from his own network on the newly released iPhone in 2007, inspired him to jailbreak the phone. But, these days he is onto something much bigger.

His new hobby pertains to taking on Google, Tesla, and Apple – all by himself. He spends his days perfecting his autonomous car based on an Acura ILX sedan. He started to work on his project in his garage this October, and the car actually works.


This prodigy took a 2015 Acura ILX with AcuraWatch Plus package and added some cameras and a laser-based radar (LIDAR). Talking about his system, he calls it substantially different from those in the market as his system doesn’t follow the programmed driving rules. Instead, his car learns using intelligent deep learning and by watching the iPhone hacker drive.

Normally, the preinstalled Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) in Acura warns the driver if it doesn’t detect steering input and disables it to force a restart. In Hotz’s system, a computer coupled with GPS sensors and cables is used to sneak into car’s internal bus to take control. This computer runs Linux and car’s glovebox is replaced by its 21.5-inch LCD.


To engage the self-driving system, there’s a gaming joystick installed in the center console of ILX. Just with a single pull, the self-driving system of Acura ILX sedan engages.

In the past, Hotz has turned down many fancy job offers and is currently working on to take down Mobileye, a driving assistance systems supplier that plays an important role in Tesla’s Autopilot system. Notably, Mr. Elon Musk himself offered him a job at Tesla and emailed him, but Hotz declined due to Musk’s uncertain deal terms.

If you look inside his autonomous car, it looks like a mess of wires and sensors with a joystick and an LCD screen in the middle. Even though there are no immediate plans of commercializing his work, he wishes to sell this system in future to the car makers or as a kit to the consumers for about $1,000.

Check out the full story of the electronics hacker on Bloomberg and watch the video below:


Source: fossbytes

Pirates Earn Up To $70 Million/year As A Pirate, Shows Study

The dusts from the unabating tussle between the pirates and the copyright holders is still befouling the digital atmosphere, and a new study has come into light which claims the annual earnings of pirates to be around $70 million in a year. And it also empowers the argument made by the copyright holders.


RiskIQ, a San Francisco-based cybersecurity company, was authorized by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) to conduct the study titled as “Digital Bait”, which was out of a sample of about 800 websites hosting pirated content. It was realized, one out of every three websites were indulged in transmitting malware that was found attached with their digital content downloaded by the users.

Another mode of malware spreading is “drive-by download” which involves installing a malicious software on a device without user’s consent. Such download processes are usually expedited by adware acting as the front face, or as a background process, users being completely unaware of any potential threat to his device.

It’s clear that the criminals who exploit stolen content have diversified to make more money by baiting consumers to view videos and songs and then stealing their IDs and financial information.

— a statement made by Tom Galvin, Executive Director of DCA.



The malware installed on these devices are then used to purloin payment credentials which are then sold in the Underground Darknet for $2-$135 per credential, and to deploy Remote Access Trojans (RTA) to nab photos, videos and control the webcam. The infected device can be locked down and used for demanding ransom. “Botnets can make a user’s PC behave like a ‘zombie’ that performs operator’s bidding such as distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS)”, says the report.
Jacob Siegel writes for BGR.com,

It’s a terrifying (and lucrative) industry, but you can effectively protect yourself from it by simply avoiding malicious sites. One of the most interesting claims in the study is that content theft sites are 28x more likely to contain malware than a legitimate site.

On a conclusive note, you need to “stop” your habit of taking these websites as, ‘for granted’. Prepare yourself to shell put some cash and subscribe authentic streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to watch your favorite Movies and TV Shows. Anyways, the choice is yours, make it large.

Source: fossbytes

6 Amazing Things You Probably didn’t know about Your Computer

It’s a ritual across the globe: somewhere between sticking the kettle on and complaining about last night’s match, you’ll probably hit the button on your ageing company PC and wait while it slowly thinks about turning on. Rather than take it for granted, though, it’s worth taking a couple minutes to realize a few of the things that your poor robot slave does without you ever knowing.

1. Bits, Bytes, and Size

Next time you complain about the pitiful memory capacity of your old 8GB iPod Touch, it’s worth remember what makes up eight whole gigabytes. Computer science grads will know that in every gigabyte, there’s 1024 megabytes; 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte, and 1024 bytes in a kilobyte. Breaking it down to the lowest level, you’ve got 8 bits in a byte.

Why does that matter? Because on a flash drive, each bit of data is made up of eight separate floating gates, each comprising two physical transistors, which can basically record themselves as either a ‘1’ or a ‘0’. (Want to be impressed ever further? Each floating gate actually relies on quantum mechanics to work.) That means that an 8GB iPod Touch – the one you were laughing at a minute ago for being puny – has, according to my back-of-the-napkin maths, 549,755,813,888 individual gates arrayed inside that svelte aluminium body. Mighty clever engineering indeed.

2. Everything you see or hear on the internet is actually on your computer

All your computer-whizz friends probably delight in telling you how having a ‘library’ of videos is so 2008, that no-one torrents any more, it’s all Netflix and iPlayer and ‘The Cloud’, whatever that means. But, you might want to remind them: every time you stream a video or the week’s latest Top 40 off the web, it’s actually, technically playing off your computer.See, every internet media file has to make a local copy of itself on your machine, first. Ever wondered what that white buffering bar means on YouTube or Netflix? It’s the amount of video that’s been copied to the local cache, a.k.a. the amount you can still watch if your internet decides to up and die.

3. The distance data travels

A quick experiment for you: click this link, which should take you to Wikipedia. With one click, you’ve just fetched a bunch of data from servers in Ashburn, Virginia, about 6000km away. Your request has travelled from your computer, through a local Wi-Fi router or a modem, up to a local data centre, from there onwards (under the Atlantic Ocean, if you’re in the UK), all the way to Virginia, and back again – in around 0.1 of a second, depending on how good your internet connection is.

By comparison, your body takes around 0.15 of a second for a signal to pass from your fingers, up your spinal cord to the brain, and back down again.

4. Counting Starts at Zero

At a base level, every computer’s just a really big, complicated calculator. But thanks to the way its intrinsic circuitry works – with lots of little logic gates that are either ‘on’ or ‘off’ – every action that takes place at a base level is happening in binary, where things are either a 1 or a 0, with no shades of grey in between.

This actually translates up to a neat bit of programming trivia – in the computer science world, all counting (with the rather notable exceptions of Fortran and Visual Basic) starts at zero, not one.

It actually makes a lot more sense – ever thought about why the 20th century refers to the 1900s? It’s because when historians decided on the dating system, they weren’t clever enough to call the very first century (0-99AD) the 0th century. If they had, we’d probably have far fewer confused school children the world over.

5. The work that goes into a Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V

One rather under-appreciated fact about solid state drives (SSDs), regarded as the gold standard for fast, reliable storage, is the amount of copying they have to do. When you want to copy some data from one bit to another, it’s not just a matter of shuffling the data from one part of the drive to another.

Because of the complicated way a SSD works, over-writing a block of old data with some shiny new data isn’t as simple as just writing the new stuff in with a bigger, thicker Sharpie. Rather, the storage drive has to do some complicated shuffling around.

In practice, this can mean that writing a tiny 4KB file can require the drive to read 2MB (that’s thousands of times more data that the 4KB file you’re trying to write), store that temporarily, erase a whole tonne of blocks, then re-write all the data. It’s rather labour-intensive, so think before you juggle your files around next time.

6. Code isn’t as clean as you think

The majority of us put faith in bits of technology you don’t quite understand – be it committing your life to a 747, or your dirty pics to Snapchat’s auto-delete. When you do you generally tend to assume that the code’s been scrupulously examined by teams of caffeine-fuelled programmers, with most of the niggling little bugs found and nixed.

The truth seems to be quite the opposite. One Quora user pointed out that buried within the source code for Java, one of the internet’s fundamental bits of code, is this gem:

/**
* This method returns the Nth bit that is set in the bit array. The
* current position is cached in the following 4 variables and will
* help speed up a sequence of next() call in an index iterator. This
* method is a mess, but it is fast and it works, so don’t f*ck with it.
*/
private int _pos = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
It just goes to show that even programmers rush things to get home for the next installment of Game of Thrones sometimes.

Source: technotification

10 Reasons To Switch Over To Linux OS Right Now

Linux has been around for years and so as the other operating systems. The evidences, rumors and even frustrations from the tech world suggest that Linux still leads the way at personal as well as enterprise level.
Here are 10 reasons to switch over to Linux from other operating systems right now:

1. Linux is free:

Leave aside Apple, we all know how things and software at professional level work in Apple. Even Windows charges for upgrades. However, if you want to switch over to the Linux, you do not have to pay any extra cost. Yes, it’s completely free.

2. More Secure:

Ask people who use Windows. Ask how much they do not want unwanted things playing around their computers. Basically, you cannot survive without an antivirus.

On the other hand, Linux is unknown to a virus and so, antivirus as well. You do not have to pay much attention towards security and programs doing unwanted things in the background.

3. It’s easy to use:

Well, it might sound like a stupid statement but gone are those days when you needed to be a computer expert to use the Linux operating system. With time, the Linux has evolved and these days, Linux also offers great user interface like other operating systems. It just takes to come out of your closet and try your hands on this beautiful OS. Once acquainted with it, you might very well start enjoying playing around with the Linux.

4. It runs Free and Open Source Software (FOSS):

Not to be denied, you can pretty much install many of the proprietary titled software to your Windows. However, when it comes to running FOSS on Windows, its same as India building a dam in Pakistan on a river originated in China. You know what I mean. What’s so special about FOSS? Well, it’s free, easy to use, usually stable, and secure and versatile — the same things that make Linux special.

5. It’s Versatile:

Most of the popular operating system run on ‘One size fits all’ benchmark. When we talk about Linux, there are literally different versions that you can further customize to suit your needs. For example, if you are a gamer, you can simply install/ uninstall some packages to move from a DJ to a gamer level in Linux. This kind of flexibility is not offered in other OS. That’s why Linux is Versatile.

6. Compatibility:

Ah! when upgraded from lower versions to higher versions, many software need further up gradation. On top of that, there are compatibility issues with the hardware and drivers. Well, that’s not a regular case with the Linux. You can literally survive on a machine from even 90s.

7. Software repository:

Well, you do not have a particular store called app store or Android store or Windows store, where you might have to buy a professional version of a software. The Linux world has its own store and there, everything is for free. Linux recommends a compatible software automatically for you and also, you keep on getting automatic updates for free.

8. Regular Linux updates:

You do not have to wait every one year or every eighteen months for an upgraded software roll out and in the meantime keep struggling with the lacuna of your operating system, or trying to find a fix temporarily. Yes, in the Linux, you get regular updates along with the provision of short-short updates and that too for a particular package. Moreover, you do not need to restart your machine in all cases. It just happens like a fluke.

9. Drivers already included in Linux:

We have seen those times, when after installing an operating system, the next step we had to go for will be the long process of installation of drivers like wifi driver, Bluetooth driver, touchpad driver, graphics card driver, audio driver and much more. Well, that’s not the case with the Linux. Most of the drivers are supported by the Linux Kernel. That means you do not have to hunt around to find a driver. It’s more like plug n play.

10. Big Linux Community Support:

Linux community is probably the best thing Linux has seen. You are never alone. There are a plethora of forum where you will find the answers for your problem. If you think you can resolve the issue, you can also contribute towards it. Such support is still missing in other OS.

Source: fossbytes

20 Facts About Microsoft That You Probably Don’t Know

Microsoft has been in the computer business since the mid-70s and they’ve been the pioneer in the software industry since then. Co-founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, the company has been synonymous with the word Operating System as many of us used our first computer that was powered by Windows operating system.

Here are some facts which you might not know about your Redmond-based Company:

1. MS-DOS was not their first Operating System:

The very first operating system they coded was XENIX, not MS-DOS. In fact, MS-DOS was a modified license version of the 86-DOS, which was also known as Quirky and Dirty DOS, created by Seattle Computer Products in 1980. Furthermore, XENIX was also a version of the UNIX operating system but was differently named.

2. Microsoft started with another name:

Microsoft started their journey with a hyphen, I mean they were titled as Micro-Soft in their initial days. The hyphen was deleted in 1976. The term Microsoft is a combination of microcomputer and software.

3. $16000 for the first year:

The company whose ex-CEO was the world’s richest man for years had only $16,000 as the revenue for the first year.

4. The wannabe Casanova:

Bill Gates coded the class scheduling program for his high school. He wrote the code in such a way that he was allotted a seat next to girl students.

5. Mac before Windows:

Microsoft’s Office has been praised for its huge portfolio of awesome features, but you’ll be amazed to know that Office for Macintosh was released a year before (in 1989) it was released for Windows.

6. The first Virus for Windows:

WinVer 1.4 was the first virus program coded for Microsoft Windows and it was released in 1992.

7. All about Patents:

Microsoft holds more than 10,000 patents and they’ve successfully made to the list of top-five patent holders in the USA. Microsoft files around 3,000 patent requests per year.

8. The folder you can’t create:

One of the easiest tasks on Windows in creating folders and you make many of them on a daily basis. But you can’t create a folder named “CON” in Windows.

And I can bet you gave it a try and didn’t succeed, this is because Windows doesn’t allow some special characters to be a part of the folder name.

9. They like Code-names:

Microsoft has their legacy of giving code-names to their products since the time of Windows 3.1x family. For example, Windows 8.1 is called Blue and Windows Phone 8 is known as Apollo. Check out the complete list here.

10. The Dash Trash email addresses:

Microsoft employees who work on a temporary basis are assigned email addresses with a dash before the ‘@’ symbol ( -@) and are referred to as Dash Trash by permanent workers.

11. Why is manhole cover round?

These are the kind of questions asked in the interviews, probably to judge the creativity of the person.

12. Billionaire by 31:

Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates was a billionaire by the time he turned 31. In 2005, he was awarded Knighthood by the Queen of England.

13. They love M&Ms:

Microsoft loves to celebrate events with M&M candies, in fact, its kind of a tradition in the company since a long time. If you are an employee celebrating your birthday, you need to give 1 pound of M&Ms for every year you’ve worked at Microsoft.

14. They had a tablet long ago:

Microsoft introduced their first Windows XP-based tablet in 2001, but only contributed to the biggest blunders in their history. It was a touchscreen tablet with a stylus and a keyboard.

15. Call me “Softie”:

The Microsoft employees have a usual age 38 with an average pay of $100,000 for a developer. They like to call themselves “Softie”.

16. The Art Fans:

Microsoft has one of the biggest art collection at around 150 of their office locations, as they believe art in the workplace reduces tension and enhances productivity. The Microsoft Art Collection showcases 4,728 pieces, including work from Cindy Sherman, Chuck Close, and Takashi Murakami.

17. The Interface Manager:

The very famous Windows operating system was initially titled as Interface Manager. Thank god, someone intervened and saved Microsoft from the disastrous path.

18. The “Microsoft Rescued Apple in the summer of 1997” myth:

Apple had its dark days in the 1990s when Jobs was not there for the company. One myth that has been floating around since the time Jobs was re-appointed as the CEO of Apple, that Bill Gates promised Steve Jobs that he would invest $150 million in Apple, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.

19. Far reached out:

More than 1.5 billion people use Windows every day, and 1.2 billion people use Microsoft Office – this is around “1 in every 7” people on earth. Microsoft’s Outlook has 400 million active users and around 3 billion minutes of Skype calls are made every day.

20. The Charity:
Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates donated his whole wealth to charity for two times. He also started the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, engaged for the upliftment of people in poor and developing nations.

Source: fossbytes

Company Offers ‘Troll Insurance’ Policy Against Cyberbullying

Chubb Offers Insurance Policy Against Internet Trolls To Britons

In what could be a first, you can now take insure yourself against cyber bullying. With the increase in online harassment and cyberbullying, an UK based insurance company has started offering its first cyber-bullying policy from cyber-bullying, claiming to cover the cost of professional help, time off work and even relocation for those who have fallen victims to online harassment. Cyberbullying is defined by the insurer as ‘three or more acts by the same person or group to harass, threaten or intimidate [paywalled]a customer.’

Chubb Insurance is offering Internet troll coverage, which will accept claims up to £50,000 coverage. The insurance policy that is aimed at wealthy policy holders seems extensive.

Chubb introduced the new policy following a survey conducted among its target audience and brokers. Tara Parchment, private clients manager for the UK and Ireland, explained that the troll insurance would aim to help customers re-establish their lives after suffering a cyber incident that has caused physical harm to their home or person.

“We wanted our policies to reflect the changing nature of the risks that policyholders may face, often against themselves rather than their possessions […] So we still help to restore homes, cars and belongings that have suffered physical harm or damage, but increasingly it’s about the person and how they cope,” she added.

While the new insurance policy is targeted at parents who are worried about their children’s online activities, adults who suffer harassment online will also be covered. For example, if an internet bullying campaign leads to the victim losing their job or their wrongful arrest. Chubb said that the money offered by the policy could be used to hire a reputation management team to clean up any online smears, or pay for a digital forensic specialist to trace the abuse.

The company has also rejigged its personal insurance policies to cover losses from mugging, and will also reimburse tuition fees if a student in the household withdraws from a course because of injury or death.

Recently a study by Vodafone/YouGov indicated that one in five teenagers had been a victim of cyberbullying. While one fifth of those affected missed school, an equal number experienced suicidal thoughts.

While there is no crime of cyber-bullying in UK, there have been numerous convictions for online harassment, including jail sentences last year for two Twitter users who barraged Caroline Criado-Perez with abuse over her campaign to keep famous women on British banknotes.

Some US insurers have started to offer homeowner insurance that would help the customer if someone in their house is sued for online harassment. However, Chubb’s insurance to support the victims, rather than alleged perpetrators, of cyber-bullying is thought to be the first of its kind.

Chubb customers will be able to opt in to the new troll insurance when renewing their policy from the 1st January 2016.
Source: techworm.net

Twitter warns of government 'hacking'

Twitter has sent warnings to a number of users that their accounts may have been hacked by "state-sponsored actors".

It is the first time that the social media company has issued such a warning.

Twitter emailed users to say that the hackers may have sought their email or IP addresses, or phone numbers, which it recently began collecting.

The number of accounts affected by the suspected hack is unclear.

Coldhak, a Canadian non-profit organisation, said it had received a warning from Twitter.

"We believe that these actors (possibly associated with a government) may have been trying to obtain information such as email addresses, IP addresses, and/or phone numbers," the email stated.

"At this time, we have no evidence they obtained your account information, but we're actively investigating this matter. We wish we had more we could share, but we don't have any additional information we can provide at this time."

The Chinese and North Korean governments are thought to be responsible for some cyber hacking of western companies and governments.

Some IT experts say the hackers who breached Sony's computer network late last year and leaked huge amounts of confidential information were backed by the North Korean state.

Pyongyang has consistently denied involvement in the security breach.

James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, said that government-backed attackers have far greater resources at their disposal than criminal hacker gangs.

They may be able to use other measures such as human agents or communications intercepts to successfully bypass any security measures, he said.

Source: bbc.com

FBI Chief: High-Tech Firms Need to Rethink Encryption Stance

FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday told members of a U.S. Senate committee that high-tech companies may need to adopt a new business model regarding encryption in order to get on the same page with law enforcement.

"Encryption is getting in the way of our ability to have court orders effective to gather information we need in our most important work," he told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"There are lots of folks who've said over the last year or so we're going to break the Internet or we'll have unacceptable insecurity if we try to get to a place where court orders are complied with," he said. "I actually think it's not a technical issue."

Companies are designing their products so court orders can't be complied with, Comey said. "I'm not questioning their motivations. The question we should ask is, Should they change their business model?"

No Backdoors

That new model presumably would allow companies to unscramble the data on a user's phone or other device if a court ordered them to do so.

"There are plenty of folks who make good phones and are able to unlock them in response to a court order," Comey said. "In fact, the makers of phones that today can't be unlocked, a year ago they could be unlocked."

"Backdoors" into encrypted data need not be part of this new business model, he added.

"People also, I think, better understand today the government doesn't want a backdoor," Comey said. "The government hopes to get to a place where if a judge issues an order, the company figures out how to supply that information to the judge and figures out on its own what would be the best way to do that," he continued.

"The government shouldn't be telling people how to operate their systems," Comey added.

Competitive Advantage

To some minds, however, he is indeed telling companies how to run their businesses.

"What Director Comey is asking for is for people to stop using encryption," Matthew Green, a professor specializing in cryptography at Johns Hopkins University, told TechNewsWorld.

"He wants companies to stop offering good security for their customers," Bruce Schneier, CTO of Resilient Systems and a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, told TechNewsWorld.

Good security for customer data has become a competitive issue for many American companies since Edward Snowden revealed the massive snooping efforts of some U.S. government agencies.

"The competitors to Apple, Google, Microsoft and some other companies are claiming they can protect data from U.S. eavesdroppers," said Leo Taddeo, chief security officer of Cryptzone.

"If you're trying to sell in Europe and you're an American company, it makes you more appealing if you can say, 'Your data can't be retrieved by the U.S. government because, even if we wanted to, our technology doesn't allow us or them to see your data," he told TechNewsWorld.

"As a result, there's no distinction between us and a local company that's storing your data," continued Taddeo, former special agent in charge of the special operations/cyber division of the FBI's New York Office.

Tiered Encryption

It's unnecessary for everyone to have unbreakable encryption, he argued.

"The idea that every single person out there has to have unbreakable encryption just because spies and cybercriminals are going after banks and credit card companies is ridiculous," Taddeo said.

"You can give the banks and credit card companies very powerful encryption technology, and you can maintain reasonable encryption on individual phones," he explained.

Nevertheless, watering down encryption would have a negative impact on U.S. companies. "There would be a lot of lost revenue," said Ryan Hagemann, a technology and civil liberties policy analyst at the Niskanen Center.

However, the ramifications of weaker encryption reach beyond the bottom line of domestic companies.

"It's pretty startling how much of the online economy depends on encryption as a way of fomenting trust between users online," Hagemann told TechNewsWorld.

Benefits Outweigh Costs

"It's not only online retailers. Literally every commercial transaction that is done these days is some way or another going to depend on encryption because of the digital economy we now live in," he continued.

"If we were to weaken encryption, I think it would have pretty serious consequences for the global economy," Hagemann added.

With terrorist acts making headlines, though, is strong encryption something even free societies can afford to continue to cultivate?

"Sometimes technologies that benefit society will also be used by those who wish to do us harm, but we always have to compare the cost and the benefits," Hagemann said.

"If we're looking at the costs associated with weakening encryption or getting rid of it altogether versus the benefits of strong encryption," he said, "I think it's pretty clear that the benefits outweigh the costs by many, many orders of magnitude."

Source: technewsworld.com

Researcher says Microsoft Edge has inherited many of Internet Explorer’s security holes

Microsoft Edge is filled with many Internet Explorer’s security holes says researcher

Microsoft presented Edge as its latest hack proof and secure browser with Windows 10. It was supposed to take on Google’s Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox as the most secure browser of them all. This has not happened yet and Infoworld journalist and researcher, Woody Leonhard says that Microsoft Edge has inherited many of old Internet Explorer security holes.


Back in May, Microsoft Edge senior program manager Crispin Cowan made some bold predictions in the blog post Microsoft Edge: Building a safer browser. In the blog, Cowan assured us that:

With Microsoft Edge, we want to fundamentally improve security over existing browsers and enable users to confidently experience the web from Windows. We have designed Microsoft Edge to defend users from increasingly sophisticated and prevalent attacks.

The article goes on at length to describe how Edge will be better than the bad, old IE, “including industry-leading sandboxing, compiler, and memory management techniques developed in close partnership with Windows.”

Leonhard argues that nothing of that sort happened. In fact, he says that with edge we were promised that Edge will do a better job defending against malicious websites and fake sites; will bid farewell to ActiveX, VB Script, Toolbars, BHOs and VMLs; and will have secure extensions, app container sandboxing, MemGC garbage collection to protect against user-after-free attacks, Visual Studio’s Control Flow Guard, and many other advanced technologies.

Leohard writes that Patch Tuesday released by Microsoft yesterday and last month confirms his belief that Edge is carrying forward the IE vulnerabilities.

“The reason for my skepticism: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Each CVE entry is supposed to identify a unique security hole. The overlap between Internet Explorer CVEs and Edge CVEs shows that many security problems in IE have been inherited by Edge.”

In yesterdays Patch Tuesday, Microsoft claims to have plugged 15 CVE holes.

Leonhard says that, “I took a look at the official CVE list for Edge and compared it with the similar list for Internet Explorer. There are 14 identified CVEs for Microsoft Edge. Of those, 13 are also identified security holes for Internet Explorer.”

He rounds up with his article stating that Edge seems to improve on certain areas but is far from being the most secure browser of them all.

Source: techworm.net

16 Futuristic Predictions Made By Microsoft For 2016

Here is the list of 16 Futuristic Technological predictions made by Microsoft for 2016:<br>

1. Get aware of your health in 2016:

Plethora of Health monitoring mobile apps coming inbuilt with mobile phones will come closer to your heart and veins than you think. These mobile apps will somewhat behave more like your personal assistant monitoring and guiding you always about your sugar level, heart beats, the number of floors you took and how many calories you infused while having nice romantic time last night on the bed. Well, that’s too private but as long as you keep your app private, it’s okay.

2. Health technology will take a big leap:

Let’s relate to the point number one made above. Now if you decide to share your health data with mobile app company, they might be able to devise a conglomerate health plan on what percentage of people are suffering from what kind of diseases. Based on the upcoming trends in unhealthiness of health and more personalized data, the days won’t be too far when they might predict and suggest you the best-flavoured chocolates for a dark dinner based on your personal health behavior.

3. People will get more aware of data collection:

As far as you are normal human being you are still on the safer side. You are born unknown and die little known. However, if you think you are soon going to be a known personality in near future, better turn the privacy of your data off. Once they have access to your data, they will be able to predict your future based on the evidence from the past. Looking at these scenarios, it looks like people who have been ignoring the data collection policy for long will get up to take some action against it and it might happen that million-dollar industries which are making billions out of it might have to come up with another secretive plan.

4. Technology will monitor the environment better:

Annual fight over carbon emissions among developed and developing nations is not going to end sooner. Technology will have to jump in between for betterment of the society and environment. How? Sensors, IOT, smaller chip designs and faster computing will all combine together to sense, learn and predict the futuristic behaviour of the environment. Technology could go as deeper as sensing the amount of Ozone, moisture and even photo-sensitive bacterias in your room.

5. We will talk with the computers:

Remember the movie “Her” from 2013 where a man falls in love with a computer? Well, those times are not so far when busy working life will make humans more secluded, the concept of society might just exist in history. To kill the aloofness and wipe away the boredom, we will have technology with us. Like Siri or Cortana, we will have a virtual assistant speaking in opposite gender’s voice. Artificial intelligence and machine learning with more pouring of data might even be able to predict your mood before you even speak up anything. Yes! it’s possible in near future.

6. New Silicon architecture will take off:

In today’s world, every new gadget is being powered by a faster and smarter chip. Thanks to the new Silicon architecture which are making gadgets smaller yet more intelligent. How about fitting just a chip in your car which can predict the amount of stress depending upon the amount of traffic outside and hence, the chances of avoidable accidents.

7. Improved cloud performance:

Everything going to the cloud and every operating system coming up with a cloud drive, cloud will not only be used for storage and servers. In the near future, the concept of joint computing, mobile offloading along with internet of things with kick off and it might happen that the data from the computer games that you play are basically offloaded to the clouds for faster performance.

8. Tablets will become a note-taking device:

Tablets will outdate the note-taking capacity of pencil and Paper. With new note-taking capacity being introduced every new single day, the follow up comes in terms of capture photos, making graphs over the notes, projection of revenue and even projecting capacity found along with the laser beaming capacity in the upcoming devices.

9. Virtual assistants are going to be new friends:

Siri and Cortana will be more intelligent to feel your loneliness, happiness and even time of exuberance. For ladies, it might be the case that your virtual assistant knows the timeline of your periods and depending upon the same, it can predict your mood swings, late periods because of the previous month stress level while at your office. Yes! it’s all possible. It might also happen that Siri asks you herself to carry an umbrella before you set out on a rainy day.

10. Computers will be more understanding:

The concept of cached memory, user’s web behaviour, web landing pattern will help your computers to understand your web pattern. Based on the data feed to your computers, your computer might be able to suggest your search results including movies, documentaries, articles etc.

11. China will open it doors to outside world:

Recent news of China blocking Wikipedia, Google and even facebook keep skimming over the internet. Yes, the world when not connected makes a country insular and make the users unaware of what’s happening on the other side of the fence. With it’s doors open, Chinese might be able to explore beyond their localized circles.

12. Talking with computers:

Talking capacity of computers might not only be limited to Cortana and Siri or virtual voice assistant, it might make a cut over to the pure capability of your computer talking to you. Just like talking tom. You open the web and start talking to your computer. Data compression or voice transmission will be faster in the future over 4G and 5G. Text results will become a passe and passer-by and voice results will start suggesting you what to do actually on the next move.

13. Quantum computing is on its way and computers need more security:

Quantum computing as much faster than even we expect it to be. The data that is sent over the internet are encrypted and finally, decoded at the user’s end. Middle’man attack, a listener sitting quietly and pessimistically somewhere in between might want to run a deciphering algorithm to see what going on over the internet. Well, we might feel protected but the corporates, security agencies, national defence technology must buckle up to avoid such incidents. Well, you might not know but someone black hat hacker might just want to see your chat or even video call just for fun. We, surely, are dependent on the companies and operating system’s security but pull up your socks to get your hands doped in knowing what you might after a few years on your personal computers.

14. Economic predictions:

We have heard and even watched people from top institutes like MIT and Harvard try to crack the codes in games of Rummy and trying to predict the share market trend. But in positive ways, economists might design an algorithm which will be able to calculate the economic trend of a country based upon the economic trend, gold price, security government bonds, per capita income, GDP etc of a country to predict what is coming their ways.

15. Security will get localized and personalized:

Gone are the days when security attacks used to happen on organizations. DOS attacks gave birth to DDOS attacks and not personal attacks are even happening on single modularity of computers. For example, a hacker might just be interested in copying the data from your RAM, other might just want to read your Youtube history or Google history or even what documents you print. So, in a nutshell, an attack is not going to happen on whole of your PC but with an insertion of Trojans and viruses, they just sneak into what they are looking for.

16. Low-cost computing going to take off in India:

India’s purchasing capacity is far below than that of US or other European developed nations. India is surely working towards making internet access and accessing device cheaper for most of its population. For example, Aakash tablets, Micromax selling cheaper smartphones on cheaper rates comparatively are enabling more of Indians to surf and access internet. In the coming future, India is going to see a huge rise in internet users.

Source:fossbytes