data privacy Archives

Tag: data privacy

Is Jump In ToR Use Blowback From PRISM?

August 29, 2013 Paul Roberts

It’s ironic that government surveillance might push the public to embrace technology pioneered by the Department of Defense. But so it is: new metrics from The Tor Project show that use of the online anonymity service has exploded since early June: up more than 100 percent, from just over 500,000 global users to more than 1.2 million. Why the sudden surge in privacy conscious Internet users? It would be easy to connect the dots between revelations about the U.S. government’s omnibus data gathering program PRISM and the sudden desire of Internet users to sacrifice some speed and performance for the privilege of having their online doings passed through The Onion Router. Still, it’s not clear that this is the case. To be sure: growth is being seen across the board, not just in active users, but in the number of ToR clients running, the data suggests. There are steep increases […]

ARM Buys Software Maker Sensinode To Spur IoT Development

August 27, 2013 Paul Roberts

We have noted before how the lack of cross-industry standards (including those governing security) is a major stumbling block to the Internet of Things. This is especially true in the enterprise space, where the security of data that might be passed between Internet-connected devices is paramount, but not well addressed by the current generation of (PC-centric) security products. As with so much in the fast-emerging Internet of Things, change on this score will come from unlikely places, as we see with the news today about ARM acquiring the Finnish software maker Sensinode Oy – a major player in the market for software to power connected devices. The news, which was announced on Tuesday, will join ARM – a leading maker of chips that power mobile devices – with Sensinode, which has pioneered software and software standards for low-power devices used in everything from mobile phones and tablets to wearable computing. Following […]

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 […]

The Stylish Sensor: Canary Poised To Take Flight

August 16, 2013 Paul Roberts

We’re still in the early days of the fast-emerging Internet of Things, but we can already identify some areas where inexpensive, remote sensors and other IP-enabled stuff will be transformative. Entertainment is one – and we’re already seeing the emergence of “smart TVs” that upset traditional boundaries between personal computing devices and viewing devices. Another market that’s being shaken is the one for home security systems. Anyone who has visited an electronics store or discount warehouse has seen packages of inexpensive, wi-fi enabled cameras that can be used to monitor the goings-on in and about your home “Scarface style.” Those DIY systems pose a threat to firms like ADT, GE and Tyco, which have been selling home security systems and monitoring services for decades. But you’re really setting the “paranoia” bar pretty high if you want to ask someone to install all those cameras, wire them up and then monitor […]

Privacy: From Right To Fight

August 14, 2013 Paul Roberts

As more and more of our public and private spaces are equipped with remote sensing and surveillance technology, personal privacy – at least as it has been understood for the last two or three centuries – is endangered. The solution, of course, is through improved privacy legislation and, perhaps, a more expansive reading of the U.S. Constitution’s 4th Amendment protecting against search and seizure. But, with policymakers in Washington D.C. stuck in a rut, and many EU nations as hooked on surveillance as the U.S., the onus falls to individuals to do what they can. That’s the subject of my latest column for ITWorld, where I talk about what is likely to be the next stage in our society’s rapid evolution on matters of privacy and security, what I’ve termed “The Jamming Wars.” Like other social movements, this will be fueled by a growing rift between the law and a […]