XKCD, On The Phone
via Randall Munroe, at XKCD.
iOS 8, that is... Apparently, Apple Inc.'s (NasdaqGS: AAPL) soon-to-be-released iOS 8, shows' evidence of significant attack surface minimization (e.g., File Relay, also known as com.apple.mobile.file_relay - the service that permits data egress via WiFi is now protected from, at least, easy attacks) . Jonathan Zdziarski's white paper informs us of the necessity to curtail iOS paths of data exfiltration, and such. Today's Must Read.
"File Relay (com.apple.mobile.file_relay) was the service responsible to causing the biggest potential privacy threat, by dumping large amounts of personal data from the device and bypassing the user’s backup encryption password. The file relay service is now guarded. While the service still exists, all attempts to extract data from it will fail with a permission denied error" -via the Jonathan Zdziarski Blog
The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), brings the astonishing capability to add 10KW+ of photonic energy to the warfighter's arsenal; now, with the functionality to lase in high particulate per square meter fog. A development effort between The Boeing Company and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), and monikered the HEL MD, will surely be miniaturized, dependent of course, upon physics for it's size and the device's coefficient of energy.
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Well crafted screed, via RSA Security blogger Tony Bradley, detailing the necessity of coexistence...
Today's MustRead - via the inimitable Brian Krebs at Krebs on Security - targets the nefarious Dread Pirate Roberts. Allegedly the Master of the Silk Road, and the ramifications to the configuration of the sites' conceptually flawed CAPTCHA configuration (utilizing data from the open interweb, rather than the apparently less-than-dark web). Enjoy!
News from the Kali Linux universe... A new Kali tools website has been implemented, with well documented tool descriptions and tool homepage links. Huzzah!
via the Office of Inadequate Security, comes news [reported by Tom Webb of the Pioneer Press in Minneapolis, MN] of Target Corporation's [NYSE: TGT] attempt to transfer risk to it's clientele [and others, with potentially deeper pockets]; mon dieu! après le fait, as it were...
via Randall Munroe, at XKCD. Please visit XKCD for this cartoon's full functionality.
Perhaps a good idea for the Nigerians. Nevertheless, it is doubtful the Nigerian spammers will be hampered by the newly implemented national ID system... The interesting news, of course was announced via a press release, is the assistance bestowed on the Federal Republic of Nigeria by MasterCard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) .
DARPA has updated it's six month old : An astounding, curated compendium of fascinating data and phenomenal projects. Highly recommended, from Big Data initiatives - Detection and Computational Analysis of Psychological Signals (DCAPS), to Probabilistic Programming for Advanced Machine Learning (PPAML).
Apparently, Microsoft Corporation (NasdaqGS: MSFT) has drawn a proverbial line in the sand...
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has announced an astounding project targeting implantable memory prosthetics to assist service-members and other patients whose memory has suffered degradation due to PTSD. Outstanding.