In this week’s podcast: researcher Kevin Fu of University of Michigan discusses his work on attacks that use physics to manipulate connected devices. Also: Mark Loveless of DUO discusses his research into how poor implementation of wireless protocols make personal security trackers a privacy risk. And have we seen peak ransomware? Adam Kujawa of the firm Malwarebytes joins us to talk about the findings of that company’s State of Malware Report.
Hacks & Hackers
Researchers Warn of Physics-Based Attacks on Sensors
Billions of sensors that are already deployed lack protections against attacks that manipulate the physical properties of devices to cause sensors and embedded devices to malfunction, researchers working in the U.S. and China have warned.
Episode 79: Hackable Nukes and Dissecting Naughty Toys
In this week’s Security Ledger Podcast episode, the UK -based policy think tank Chatham House warned last week that aging nuclear weapons systems in the U.S., the U.K. and other nations are vulnerable to cyber attacks that could be used to start a global conflagration. We talk with Eddie Habbibi of PAS Global about what can be done to secure hackable nukes. Also: with CES raging in Las Vegas last week, we go deep with security researcher Jay Harris on flaws in connected toys being sold to children.
Researchers: SCADA Mobile Apps Continue to Have ‘Shocking’ Number of Vulnerabilities
Despite their availability on mobile networks and thus increased exposure to outside security threats, SCADA apps remain highly insecure and vulnerable to attack, putting critical industrial control systems at immediate and increased risk, researchers at IOActive and Embedi have found.
VTech to Pay FTC $650k Over Kids Privacy Violations in Connected-Toy Hack
Two years after it was cited for security and privacy violations in its connected toys, VTech Electronics Ltd. has been fined by the U.S. government for violations of a federal law protecting children’s online privacy.