Consumer

Another Week, Another Dangerous Mobile Firmware Vulnerability

In-brief: The security firm Anubis Networks said in a blog post that it has discovered a mystery code by the firm Ragentek that is used in a number of low-cost Android smart phones, used across 55 different device models.

Software Used in Mobile Phones Sends Texts, Location Data and Contacts Back To China

In-brief: software used in at least one brand of smart phones sold in the U.S. was found to secretly send private information about the phone’s owner back to servers in China, according to a report by the security firm Kryptowire.

Lawmakers to FTC: Do Something about Internet of Things Security

In-brief: Two lawmakers on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect consumers from security issues linked to the Internet of Things.

Cisco Warns on Security Hole in Management Tool for Connected Homes

In-brief: Cisco Systems has patched a serious security hole in its Prime Home, a network management tool that it markets as a way for service providers to manage “Internet of Things” devices in connected (“smart”) homes.

DMCA Exemptions will Boost IoT Security Research

In-brief: After a year in limbo, the Librarian of Congress moved last week to allow a number of exceptions to the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that will clear the way for researchers to explore smart vehicles and other products.