application security Archives | Page 45 of 45 | The Security Ledger with Paul F. Roberts

application security

That ARM-Sensinode Buy: What Does It Mean For Security And IoT?

September 2, 2013 Paul Roberts

We wrote last week about the decision of chip-maker ARM to buy the small(ish) Finnish software maker Sensinode Oy, which has become a big player in the market for software that runs low power devices like embedded sensors. The deal makes sense at the 100,000 foot level – ARM makes chips that power embedded devices, Sensinode makes the software that is powered by them. Perfect. But the deal actually works at a bunch of different levels, as I learned from a conversation with Michael Koster, the co-founder and lead architect at the group The Open Source Internet of Things (OSIOT). Koster is an authority on The Internet of Things and has helped create open-source toolkits and APIs that promote interaction among intelligent devices. Koster said that ARM’s purchase of Sensinode is as much about both firms’ investment in emerging IoT standards for low-powered, intelligent devices like Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) […]

Podcast: Made In China, Secured In The U.S.

August 26, 2013 Paul Roberts

We’ve written a lot about the threat posed by nation-state sponsored hackers to U.S. corporations and the economy. So-called “advanced persistent threat” (or APT) style attacks against corporate and government networks have been linked to the theft of sensitive data and intellectual property. Difficult as it is to stop APT attacks against networks, it’s even more challenging to identify threats one-step removed from direct attacks. Lately, attention has shifted to vulnerabilities in the supply chain of companies selling networking gear, servers and other critical IT components. Concerns about corrupted products from foreign suppliers were enough to prompt the U.S. Congress to hold hearings focused on the threat posed to government agencies by Chinese networking equipment makers like Huawei and ZTE. In this week’s podcast, The Security Ledger talks with Jerry Caponera, of Cyberpoint International. Cyberpoint is a Baltimore, Maryland firm that sells Prescient, a service that verifies where true vulnerabilities exist […]

Updated – Hackout: Philips Smart Lightbulbs Go Dark In Remote Attack

August 14, 2013 Paul Roberts

Add lightbulbs to the list of everyday technology that is 1) Internet connected and 2) vulnerable to crippling remote attacks.* Writing on Tuesday, security researcher Nitesh Dhanjani disclosed a proof of concept hack against HUE lightbulbs, a brand of wi-fi enabled bulbs manufactured by the firm Philips. The vulnerability discovered by Dhanjani allows a remote attacker to use her mobile device to control HUE. HUE wi-fi enabled bulbs are sold at Apple stores and allow users to control the function and color of the bulbs using iPhone and Android mobile apps. Dhanjani published his findings in a paper, “Hacking Lightbulbs,” which calls the HUE system of bulbs and a wireless bridge “wonderfully innovative,” but also prone to hacking. The most serious flaw discovered would allow a remote attacker to impersonate a white-listed (or “allowed”) mobile device, sending commands to HUE bulbs that could cause them to turn off or manipulate […]

Security Of “Things” Increasingly The Stuff Of Headlines

August 12, 2013 Paul Roberts

It looks as if the mainstream media is waking to the security implications of the “Internet of Things,” in the wake of recent demonstrations at the Black Hat and DEFCON conferences that highlight vulnerabilities in everything from home automation systems to automobiles to toilets. Stories in The New York Times and other major news outlets in the last week have highlighted concerns about “the cyber crime of things” as Christopher Mims, writing in The Atlantic, called it. Insecure, Internet connected devices ranging from surveillance cameras to home heating and cooling systems could leave consumers vulnerable to remote attacks and spying. The stories come after hacks to non-traditional computing platforms stole most of the headlines from this year’s Black Hat and DEFCON shows in Las Vegas. A compromise of a Toyota Prius hybrid by researchers Charlie Miller of Twitter and Chris Valasek of IOActive was featured prominently in stories by Forbes and […]

Podcast: The Art Of Hiring Hackers

August 7, 2013 Paul Roberts

The Black Hat and DEFCON security conferences wrapped up last week in Las Vegas. Most of the media attention was (naturally) focused on the content of the presentations – including talks on the security of consumer electronics, automobiles and, of course, on the privacy implications of the recently revealed NSA surveillance program PRISM. But for the companies that pay money to send staff to these shows, the content of the talks is only one draw. Black Hat and DEFCON also serve a lesser known, but equally important role as magnets for some of the world’s top talent in obscure disciplines like reverse engineering, vulnerability research, application security analysis and more. Come August, any organization with a dog in the cyber security fight (and these days, that’s a lot of organizations) is in Las Vegas for a chance of meeting and hiring that top cyber security talent. What do companies that […]