Last minute geek

1. China: Unsecured facial recognition database leaks, thousands of kids from 20 schools, half are majority Tibetan areas
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... latest facial-recognition database leak raises new questions about ethnically targeted school surveillance and cybersecurity in China, writes Liza Lin in the Wall Street Journal: The cache was connected ...

2. Microsoft will fix an Internet Explorer security flaw under active attack
(English/engadget)

Mozilla isn't the only one grappling with a serious web browser security flaw. Microsoft has confirmed to TechCrunch that it will fix an Internet Explorer security exploit already being used for ...

3. Apple tests UWB switch to keep the iPhone 11 from tracking your location
(English/engadget)

Apple has started testing the location toggle button it promised to iPhone 11 users. Late last year, security researcher Brian Krebs discovered that the iPhone 11 Pro constantly checks for your location ...

4. Fugue open sources Regula to evaluate Terraform for security misconfigurations and compliance violations
(English/Linuxtoday)

Regula rules are written in Rego, the open source policy language employed by the Open Policy Agent project Read all

5. 'El Chapo' beer launched by murderous druglord's daughter
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

“El Chapo” ran a global narcotics crime ring and escaped two maximum security prisons before being captured, extradited to the United States in 2017, found guilty in 2019, and sentenced to life in prison. ...

6. Wind River acquires Star Lab to improve its Linux security
(English/Linuxtoday)

Wind River is beefing up its security as its devices face an increasingly networked world. Read all  ...

7. Ukraine asks FBI for help investigating alleged Russian hack of Burisma
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... Donald Trump. Reports Ilya Zhegulev for Reuters in Kyiv: California-based cybersecurity company Area 1 Security on Monday identified the hacking of Burisma and linked it to Russia’s Main Directorate ...

8. BLS to remove computers from data 'lockups,' chief denies it's aimed at Michael Bloomberg
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... the BLS announcement, Commissioner William Beach said the changes were in line with recommendations made by the Labor Department’s Inspector General in 2014, and that the intent is to maintain security ...

9. Amnesty vs. NSO Group Israel spyware lawsuit goes behind closed doors
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... NSO Group here on Boing Boing.. In Tel Aviv District Court, a judge on Thursday banned the public and media from court sessions, citing national security concerns. “It’s outrageous we have to be gagged,” ...

10. Google re-integrates Xiaomi, China firm says Google Nest Hubs connected to its security cameras can no longer access feeds from random homes
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

China technologi firm Xiaomi says it has fully resolved the security issue that led to Google 'disabling' integration across its platforms. Xiaomi cameras connected to its security cameras were showing ...

11. Carriers ignore studies that show they suck at preventing SIM-swap attacks
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... scrutiny for the role their lax security played in the attacks. They have added a suite of security measures that are supposed to staunch the bleeding, but as a recent study found, these measures present ...

12. The DEA seized a 79-year-old man's life savings at airport and won't give it back
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... cash, which showed up on a security scan. He insisted Brown put Rolin on the phone to confirm her story. Brown said Rolin, who is suffering mental decline, was unable to verify some details. “He just handed ...

13. TSA officer grabbed Native American woman's braids, snapped them and said "Giddy up!"
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

Tara Houska, an attorney and Indigenous rights activist, was going through TSA security at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport when a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told Houska she ...

14. Security expert offers hacking advice to students whose campuses have implemented pervasive wireless surveillance
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... meaningful consent, inside and outside of class, broken down by protected categories such as race and gender, as well as on potentially invasive lines such as whether a student is from abroad, security ...

15. systemd service sandboxing and security hardening 101
(English/Linuxtoday)

systemd enable services to run with a whole suite of hardening and sandboxing features from the Linux kernel. Read all

16. Google makes it easier to sign up for advanced hacking protection
(English/engadget)

It's now clearer why Google made it possible to use an iPhone as a security key -- the company is simplifying sign-ups for its Advanced Protection Program. As of today, anyone with a reasonably modern ...

17. Florida woman arrested for attempting to make a bomb inside Walmart using items from the store shelves
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

In Tampa, Florida, Emily Stallard, 37, was arrested for attempting to make a bomb inside a Walmart using materials she grabbed from the store shelves. From CNN: "A security guard with Walmart noticed ...

18. Michael Flynn to withdraw guilty plea — reversal for former Trump national security adviser
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn is moving to withdraw his guilty plea, in a reversal that seems in line with a likely request for a pardon from President Donald Trump. WAPO: The retired ...

19. Your iPhone now serves as a Google security key
(English/engadget)

You no longer need Android to use your phone as a Google security key. Google has updated Smart Lock for iOS to let you use your device's "built-in security key" -- that is, the Secure Enclave ...

20. Schneier: "It's really too late to secure 5G networks"
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

Bruce Schneier's Foreign Policy essay in 5G security argues that we're unduly focused on the possibility of Chinese manufacturers inserting backdoors or killswitches in 5G equipment, and not focused enough ...

21. Microsoft is patching a major Windows 10 flaw discovered by the NSA
(English/engadget)

The IT world is waiting on pins and needles today for a high-profile Microsoft Windows 10 security patch, and now we know why. The US National Security Agency (NSA) reportedly discovered a serious flaw ...

22. The Python Programming Bootcamp 2.0 can teach anyone this versatile language
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... but how to present it effectively. You'll even be able to create your own, functioning smart camera for home security. The full course pack is now available for $19, a price drop over the previous sale ...

23. Microsoft ends support for Windows 7 today
(English/engadget)

It's the end of the road for Windows 7. After 10 years of support, Microsoft is ending security updates for the operating system today. This means that if you're still using it you'll be ...

24. The Motorola Smart Safe lets you monitor and open it remotely
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

When it comes to safes, there's typically not a lot of features beyond extra security. Keypads, fingerprint or retina IDs are all in the service of keeping things under lock and key (even if there's no ...

25. Boing Boing was hacked
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... a systems security perspective, this is an excellent cautionary tale of the importance of individual user security. Read the rest Read all  ...