In-brief: The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI Council) is raising the bar for the security of point of sale systems, with a big focus on the software (or “firmware”) that runs those systems.
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Researcher Warns of Holes In Smart Thermostats
In-brief: A researcher from the firm Trustwave warns that Trane ComfortLink smart thermostats suffer from a string of security woes, including hard coded administrator credentials.
Update: Smart Cities Seek Security, Privacy Expertise
In-brief: Cities and state governments often lack the expertise in cyber security that could help them properly assess the risks of smart city projects, including so-called “cyber physical” risks. (Editor’s note: updated with comments from Chris Rezendes of INEX.)
UL Charges for Cyber Standards, Draws Scrutiny
In-brief: Product testing firm Underwriters Laboratories drew scrutiny by charging for copies of new standards for connected devices. But security experts say the new UL standards are poised to have a big impact – especially in industries like medicine and critical infrastructure.
Backdoor Account Found In Hardware Sold to Whitehouse, Pentagon
In-brief: A firm that sells secure conferencing equipment to the U.S. government and military has acknowledged that it shipped software for the device that contained an undocumented “backdoor” account.
