ScienceDaily: Computer Security News

Data storage: Synchronized at the 'write time'

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:49:49 EDT

Numerical simulations show how to avoid imperfections in the next generation of high-density data storage.

Use of laser light yields versatile manipulation of a quantum bit

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

By using light, researchers have manipulated the quantum state of a single atomic-sized defect in diamond -- the nitrogen-vacancy center -- in a method that not only allows for more unified control than conventional processes, but is more versatile, and opens up the possibility of exploring new solid-state quantum systems.

Best of both worlds: Towards a quantum Internet with combined optical and electrical technique

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in quantum science that brings the prospect of a network of ultra-powerful quantum computers -- connected via a quantum internet -- closer to reality. The team is the first to have detected the spin, or quantum state, of a single atom using a combined optical and electrical approach.

One step closer to a quantum computer

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:24:24 EDT

Scientists have succeeded in both initializing and reading nuclear spins, relevant to qubits for quantum computers, at room temperature.

Quantum computing taps nucleus of single atom

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Australian engineers have demonstrated that quantum information can be "written" onto the nucleus of a single atom and "read" out with incredible accuracy. The result was achieved using a silicon chip that can be wired up and operated electronically.

Security holes in smartphone apps

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:19:19 EDT

Popular texting, messaging and microblog apps developed for the Android smartphone have security flaws that could expose private information or allow forged fraudulent messages to be posted, according to researchers.

Quantum cryptography: On wings of light

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:19:19 EDT

Physicists have, for the first time, successfully transmitted a secure quantum code through the atmosphere from an aircraft to a ground station.

Quantum computers counting on carbon nanotubes

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:15:15 EDT

Carbon nanotubes can be used as quantum bits for quantum computers. A study by physicists has shown how nanotubes can store information in the form of vibrations. Up to now, researchers have experimented primarily with electrically charged particles. Because nanomechanical devices are not charged, they are much less sensitive to electrical interference.

Hiding secret messages in email jokes

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:49:49 EDT

It is possible to hide secret messages in simple jokes, according to new research.

'Bad neighborhoods' on the internet are a real nuisance

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:38:38 EST

Of the 42,000 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) surveyed, just 20 were found to be responsible for nearly half of all the internet addresses that send spam. That just is one of the striking results of an extensive study that focused on “Bad Neighborhoods” on the internet (which sometimes correspond to certain geographical areas) that are the source of a great deal of spam, phishing or other undesirable activity.

Bank card identifies cardholder

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:39:39 EST

From the gas station to the department store – paying for something without cash is commonplace. Now such payments become more secure: Scientists have engineered a solution for inspecting the handwritten signatures directly on the bank card. The biometric “on-card comparison” additionally makes payment transactions more convenient, and it works with any ordinary commercial credit card.

Shadows over data sharing

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:06:06 EST

Experience gained from data sharing during the human genome sequencing project could apply to the broader research community. Experts look at the history of the debates surrounding data access during and after the human genome "war".

Space race underway to create quantum satellite

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 EST

A new article describes how a quantum space race is under way to create the world's first global quantum-communication network.

Hello car, what is the password?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:35:35 EST

As cars get clever -- bristling with computer chips and networking capabilities -- an EU-funded project makes sure that your car's data stays safe and the networks are secure from hackers and tampering.

Quantum cryptography put to work for electric grid security

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:41:41 EST

Quantum cryptography researchers completed the first-ever demonstration of securing control data for electric grids using quantum cryptography.

'Acoustic-assisted' magnetic information storage invented

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:18:18 EST

Electrical engineers have discovered a way to use high-frequency sound waves to enhance the magnetic storage of data, offering a new approach to improve the data storage capabilities of a multitude of electronic devices around the world.

Security protocol for online banking and Facebook has ‘serious weaknesses,’ say researchers

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 21:24:24 EST

The protocol that provides security for online banking, credit card data and Facebook has major weaknesses, according to researchers.

Researchers make DNA data storage a reality: Every film and TV program ever created -- in a teacup

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:34:34 EST

Researchers have created a way to store data in the form of DNA – a material that lasts for tens of thousands of years. The new method makes it possible to store at least 100 million hours of high-definition video in about a cup of DNA.

Researchers work to counter spear phishing attacks

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:18:18 EST

Researchers are working to counter threats from spear phishing. The attacks use knowledge of computer users to gain their trust to break into corporate networks.

Computer scientists find vulnerabilities in Cisco VoIP phones

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:50:50 EST

Researchers have found vulnerabilities in Cisco VoIP telephones, recently demonstrating how they can insert malicious code into a Cisco VoIP phone (any of the 14 Cisco Unified IP Phone models) and start eavesdropping on private conversations—not just on the phone but also in the phone’s surroundings—from anywhere in the world.

Turning smartphones into secure and versatile keys

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:09:09 EST

It's already possible to open doors using an app -- but we are a long way from seeing widespread acceptance of this in the market. Now, researchers have developed a piece of software that will make the technology even more secure and versatile.

Secure communication technology can conquer lack of trust

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:55:55 EST

Many scenarios in business and communication require that two parties share information without either being sure if they can trust the other. Examples include secure auctions and identification at ATM machines. Exploiting the strange properties of the quantum world could be the answer to dealing with such distrust.

Data storage: Electrically enhanced recall

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:04:04 EST

Operating tiny magnetic memories under electrical fields reduces power demand and could enable storage and retrieval of data at much higher speeds than conventional devices.

Mobile browsers fail Internet safety test

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:28:28 EST

How unsafe are mobile browsers? Unsafe enough that even cyber-security experts are unable to detect when their smartphone browsers have landed on potentially dangerous websites, according to a recent study.

Beating the dark side of quantum computing

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:56:56 EST

A future quantum computer will be able to carry out calculations billions of times faster than even today's most powerful machines by exploit the fact that the tiniest particles, molecules, atoms and subatomic particles can exist in more than one state simultaneously. Scientists and engineers are looking forward to working with such high-power machines but so too are cyber-criminals who will be able to exploit this power in cracking passwords and decrypting secret messages much faster than they can now.

Georgia Tech Releases Cyber Threats Forecast for 2013

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:31:31 EST

The year ahead will feature new and increasingly sophisticated means to capture and exploit user data, escalating battles over the control of online information and continuous threats to the U.S. supply chain from global sources. Those were the findings released by the Georgia Tech Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2013.

Is your utility meter getting personal?

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:07:07 EDT

As of 2010, more than a third of all utility meters in the United States used wireless automatic meter reading (AMR) technology -- 47 million in all. They make it a lot easier for the utility company to gather data on electricity, natural gas and water usage. But as a University of South Carolina research team has shown, it's possible for their unencrypted broadcasts to be intercepted, giving a sophisticated eavesdropper a window into household activities.

Data storage: Going with the grain

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:45:45 EDT

Reducing information stored in magnetic thin films to the physical size of single grains could improve computer hard drives.

Multi-photon approach in quantum cryptography implemented

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:35:35 EDT

Move over money, a new currency is helping make the world go round. As increasing volumes of data become accessible, transferable and, therefore, actionable, information is the treasure companies want to amass. To protect this wealth, organizations use cryptography, or coded messages, to secure information from "technology robbers." This group of hackers and malware creators increasingly is becoming more sophisticated at breaking encrypted information, leaving everyone and everything, including national security and global commerce, at risk.

Computers get a better way to detect threats

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:50:50 EDT

Computer scientists have developed a technique to automatically allow one computer in a virtual network to monitor another for intrusions, viruses or other kinds of threats.

Single-atom writer a landmark for quantum computing

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:53:53 EDT

Engineers have created the first working quantum bit based on a single atom in silicon, opening the way to ultra-powerful quantum computers of the future. Scientists were able to both read and write information using the spin, or magnetic orientation, of an electron bound to a single phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon chip.

Disaster is just a click away: Computer scientist, psychologist look at developing visual system to warn Internet users of safety risks

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:18:18 EDT

Two professors are researching how to help computer users who have little to no computer experience improve their Web browsing safety without security-specific education. The goal is to keep users from making mistakes that could compromise their online security and to inform them when a security failure has happened.

Perfecting email security

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:25:25 EDT

On the whole, security is not a primary concern for most day-to-day emails, but some emails do contain person, proprietary and sensitive information, documents, media, photos, videos and sound files and need protection.

Researchers make quantum processor capable of factoring a composite number into prime factors

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:37 EDT

Computing prime factors may sound like an elementary math problem, but try it with a large number, say one that contains more than 600 digits, and the task becomes enormously challenging and impossibly time-consuming. Now, a group of researchers has designed and fabricated a quantum processor capable of factoring a composite number -- in this case the number 15 -- into its constituent prime factors, 3 and 5. Factoring very large numbers is at the heart of cybersecurity protocols, such as the most common form of encoding, known as RSA encryption.

Single sign-on for Internet use had major vulnerabilites: Many now fixed

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:27:27 EDT

Online shopping, cloud computing, online CRM systems: Each day many IT systems require the user to identify himself/herself. Single Sign-On (SSO) systems were introduced to circumvent this problem, and to establish structured Identity Management (IDM) systems in industry: Here the user only has to identify once, all subsequent authentications are done automatically. However, SSO systems based on the industry standard SAML have huge vulnerabilities: Roughly 80 percent of these systems could be broken by the researchers.

Quantum cryptography theory has a demonstrated security defect

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:49:49 EDT

Researchers have just demonstrated the incompleteness and limit of the security theory in quantum key distribution. The present theory cannot guarantee unconditional security.

Security risk: Sensitive data can be harvested from a PC even if it is in standby mode, experts say

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:36:36 EDT

When you switch off your computer any passwords you used to login to web pages, your bank or other financial account evaporate into the digital ether, right? Not so fast! Researchers in Greece have discovered a security loophole that exploits the way computer memory works and could be used to harvest passwords and other sensitive data from a PC even if it is in standby mode.

Major step taken towards 'unbreakable' message exchange

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:29:29 EDT

Single particles of light, also known as photons, have been produced and implemented into a quantum key distribution (QKD) link, paving the way for unbreakable communication networks.

Smart wirelessly controlled power outlets

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:13:13 EDT

Many homeowners dream of being able to wash a load of laundry when the photovoltaic panels on the roof are delivering a maximum of electricity, even when they are not at home. A new Internet-enabled power outlet will soon allow users to control household appliances via their smartphone, and reduce their energy costs into the bargain.

Cell phone financial identity theft

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:01:01 EDT

While the cell phone is an amazingly useful device, using it for banking — and consumers are increasingly using mobile phones as banking tools — can lead to identity theft and other financial crimes, if reasonable precautions aren’t taken.

'Control-Alt-Hack' game lets players try their hand at computer security

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:10:10 EDT

Do you have what it takes to be an ethical hacker? A new card game developed by computer scientists gives players a taste of life as modern computer-security professional.

Disentangling information from photons

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:17:17 EDT

Theoretical physicists have found a new method of reliably assessing the information contained in photon pairs used for applications in cryptography and quantum computing. The findings are so robust that they enable access to the information even when the measurements on photon pairs are imperfect.

Cloud computing: Same weakness found in seven cloud storage services

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:24:24 EDT

Cloud storage services allow registration using false e-mail addresses – experts see the possibility for espionage and malware distribution.

Researchers advance biometric security

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:59:59 EDT

Researchers have developed a way for security systems to combine different biometric measurements -- such as eye color, face shape or fingerprints -- and create a learning system that simulates the brain in making decisions about information from different sources.

Cell network security holes revealed, with an app to test your carrier

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:28:28 EDT

Popular firewall technology designed to boost security on cellular networks can backfire, unwittingly revealing data that could help a hacker break into Facebook and Twitter accounts, a new study shows.

Self-adapting computer network that defends itself against hackers?

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:33:33 EDT

Cybersecurity experts are researching the feasibility of building a computer network that could protect itself against online attackers by automatically changing its setup and configuration.

Thwarting the cleverest attackers: Even most secure-seeming computer is shockingly vulnerable to attack

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:44:44 EDT

Savvy hackers can steal a computer's secrets by timing its data storage transactions or measuring its power use. New research shows how to stop them.

'Cloud' computing technology should make sharing medical images easier and more efficient

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:59:59 EDT

Patients find “cloud” technology a faster, more efficient way to store and distribute their medical images than current options, according to preliminary findings.

'Sounds of silence' proving a hit: World's fastest random number generator

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:12:12 EDT

Researchers in Australia have developed the fastest random number generator in the world by listening to the 'sounds of silence'. The researchers have tuned their very sensitive light detectors to listen to vacuum -- a region of space that is empty.

Opening the gate to robust quantum computing: New technique for solid-state quantum info processing

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:39:39 EDT

Scientists have overcome a major hurdle facing quantum computing: How to protect quantum information from degradation by the environment while simultaneously performing computation in a solid-state quantum system.

New quantum encryption method foils hackers

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:43:43 EDT

Scientists have found a new quantum encryption method to foil even the most sophisticated hackers. Researchers have come up with a simple solution to the untrusted device problem. Their method is called "Measurement Device Independent QKD." The aim is to detect subtle changes that occur when quantum data is manipulated by a third party.

To combat identity theft, protect computer, experts say

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:17:17 EDT

Having a triple-threat combination of protective software on your computer greatly reduces your chances of identity theft, according to a new study.

Who goes there? Verifying identity online

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:57:57 EST

We are all used to logging into networks where we have a unique identity, verified by the network server and associated with our account for other members of the network to see. Such an identity-based network system is useful because it is relatively simple. However, there are three major drawbacks including loss of anonymity of communicating users, misplaced trust and identity theft.

Genetics-inspired research prevents cyber attacks

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:17:17 EST

Leveraging the concept of “survival of the fittest,” researchers are fighting the continual evolution of computer viruses, worms and malware with evolution by developing the first-ever automated computer configurations that adjust as quickly as the threats.

Uploading geotagged digital photos could put kids at risk

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:58 EST

A new study suggests that parents and carers could be putting children at risk if they upload digital photos that are automatically "geotagged" by their camera.

Risk-based passenger screening could make air travel safer

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:57:57 EST

Intensive screening of all airline passengers actually makes the system less secure by overtaxing security resources, while risk-based methods increase overall security, according to new research. The researchers developed three algorithms dealing with risk uncertainty in the passenger population. Then, they ran simulations to demonstrate how their algorithms could estimate risk in the overall passenger population and how errors in this estimation procedure can be mitigated to reduce the risk to the overall system.

Quantum physics enables perfectly secure cloud computing

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST

Researchers have succeeded in combining the power of quantum computing with the security of quantum cryptography and have shown that perfectly secure cloud computing can be achieved using the principles of quantum mechanics. They have performed an experimental demonstration of quantum computation in which the input, the data processing, and the output remain unknown to the quantum computer.

Zappos breach goes beyond credit cards: Consumers face identity theft if hackers correlate other penetrated databases

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:28:28 EST

An expert comments on the Zappos web site breach by hackers. He said that information about a customer can be used to 'de-anonymize' other databases on other Web sites, further invading customer privacy.

Consumers should be vigilant in wake of Zappos cyberattack

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:26:26 EST

As an estimated 24 million Zappos.com customers begin receiving notifications that some of their personal data have been compromised, an expert is warning those affected to be on the lookout for targeted fraud attempts.

New technology tightens cyber security

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:49:49 EST

A revolutionary new technology helps with cyber security.