Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

'Freak' Flaw Also Affects Windows

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 6, 2015

All Windows operating systems are at risk from the SSL/TLS vulnerability known as Freak, Microsoft warns. The company has outlined temporary workarounds - except for Windows Server 2003. Experts say no in-the-wild attacks have yet been seen.

UK Police Arrest 57 Alleged Hackers

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 6, 2015

British police over the course of this week launched 25 cybercrime-targeting raids and made 57 arrests, including suspects who have been tied to a U.S. Defense Department network intrusion, Lizard Squad attacks, as well as a massive Yahoo breach.

Bit9 CEO on Data Breach Defense

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 5, 2015

The CEO of Bit9 speaks from experience: His firm was hacked, sensitive data stolen and customers put at risk. And what's happened since represents his mission to fend off attackers, even as they refine their hacks.

Apple, Android Prep 'Freak' Fix

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 4, 2015

Many Apple and Android devices are vulnerable to a TLS/SSL "Freak" flaw, which could be exploited to subvert secure Web connections. The flaw is a legacy of U.S. government export restrictions on strong crypto.

Hackers Breach Canadian ISP Rogers

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 3, 2015

Canadian Internet service provider Rogers Communications has confirmed that information about the company and its customers was leaked after attackers successfully targeted one of its employees via a social engineering attack.

Anthem Attribution to China: Useful?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 3, 2015

A new report details new clues suggesting that the massive data breach involving health insurer Anthem was launched by Chinese hackers. But will such evidence help businesses blunt future APT attacks?

Uber Breach Affects 50,000 Drivers

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  March 2, 2015

Information on 50,000 drivers for ride-sharing service Uber was breached in May 2014, the company discovered in September and announced on Feb. 27. Uber has launched a related lawsuit and is seeking records from code-sharing website GitHub.

Lenovo Promises: No More Bloatware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 27, 2015

Lenovo, the world's largest PC manufacturer, promises to stop preinstalling any software on its Windows laptops that doesn't need to be there. The move comes following security alerts relating to the Superfish adware the company had been preinstalling.

UK Telco Confirms Data Breach

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 27, 2015

The U.K. telco TalkTalk warns that fraudsters are targeting its customers, using stolen customer data to trick them into paying for technical support and sharing bank account details.

Questioning Gemalto's Reaction to Hack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 27, 2015

SIM card manufacturer Gemalto says its investigation into a reported U.S. and U.K. intelligence agency espionage operation found that its internal networks housing encryption keys weren't breached. But security experts question those findings.

Hackers Steal Trading Algorithms

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 26, 2015

Hackers have been stealing the secret trading algorithms that are the lifeblood of many hedge funds and high-frequency trading firms, according to two security companies. What can be done to mitigate the risks?

Lenovo Website Hijacked

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 26, 2015

The hacking group Lizard Squad has claimed credit for hijacking the website of Lenovo.com and redirecting visitors to an attacker-controlled site. It also indicates that it's now sitting on a cache of stolen Lenovo e-mail messages.

Police Disrupt Banking Malware Botnet

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 25, 2015

Authorities have disrupted a botnet that was serving up the Ramnit banking malware, which has infected 3 million PCs worldwide. But information security experts warn that the disruption will likely be temporary.

Visa Europe to Launch Tokenization Service

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 24, 2015

Visa Europe will launch in April a new mobile payments service to tokenize payment card data, enabling consumers to pay retailers with their smart phones and wearable devices. The move could pave the way for an Apple Pay rollout in Europe.

Time to Ban the 'Bloatware'

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 23, 2015

Manufacturers of PCs and mobile devices must end the practice of preloading "bloatware." Lenovo's experience with offering "free" adware shows the hidden security and performance tradeoffs buyers must endure.