UK's confused Home Secretary doesn't understand encryption -- but wants to 'combat' it anyway
The UK Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has admitted that she doesn't understand end-to-end encryption, but still wants to "to find the best way to combat" it anyway. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, she said that Silicon Valley had a "moral obligation" to help fight the crime and terrorism she believes is abetted by encryption technology.
Despite having previously voiced support for back doors into systems such as WhatsApp, Rudd said she does not want such access, nor is she seeking to ban encryption. Saying "I don't need to understand how encryption works to understand how it's helping -- end-to-end encryption -- the criminals," she added that she wants technology firms to make it easier for police and security services to access encrypted data.
How to properly implement identity and access management
Identity and access management (IAM) is all about ensuring that the right people have the right access to the right resources and being able to prove that all the access is legitimate. But as those heavily involved in IAM know, that is much easier said than done. There’s a lot that goes into getting all of these elements "right."
First, you must set up the accounts that enable a user to get to the resources they need -- often called provisioning (and its dangerous sister, de-provisioning, when said user no longer needs that access). Second, in order for that account to grant the appropriate access, there has to be a concept of authorization which provides a definition for what is allowed and not allowed with that access. And third, there should be some way to make sure that provisioning and de-provisioning are done securely with efficiency and that the associated authorization is accurate -- i.e. everyone has exactly the access they need, nothing more and nothing less.
UK businesses have a culture of secrecy towards data breaches
At a time when British businesses should be bolstering and updating their data protection policies in preparation for new legislation, it is worrying to report a culture of secrecy and ambivalence towards data breaches across the country.
With the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) due to come into force on May 25 next year, bringing with it huge fines of up to 20m Euros or four percent of turnover, a survey has revealed the real extent of Britain’s data breach problem.
GDPR is a set of security best practices, not a burden
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that takes effect May 25th 2018 is still raising serious compliance concerns for most UK companies, according to a Bitdefender survey. With companies becoming more enthusiastic in deploying hybrid infrastructures that involve leveraging the capabilities of both the public and the private cloud, 85 percent of UK respondents agree encryption is the most effective way to secure public cloud data.
Interestingly, only one third of UK respondents actually secure between 31 and 60 percent of cloud-stored data, while 21 percent encrypt everything stored within the public cloud. With GDPR placing tough restrictions regarding how "any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural personal" is handled, encryption plays a vital role in achieving this.
Microsoft to close Groove Music Pass and move users to Spotify
Microsoft has announced plans to close down its Groove Music Pass subscription service. The company is also going to kill off the ability to purchase music from the Windows Store.
Microsoft is partnering with Spotify, and offering a seamless migration from Groove Music to its former competitor. The cull is coming on December 31, and after this date the Groove Music app will no longer offer the option to stream, purchase, and download music.
Facebook Messenger Lite now available in US, Canada, UK and Ireland
There has been something of a trend in recent months for "lite" versions of popular services to launch in developing markets. While the aim is to provide access for people with limited data plans, there is interest in data-saving apps from all parts of the world.
Having launched Facebook Messenger Lite last year to a limited number of markets, the social networking giant is now pushing its messaging app to the US, Canada, UK and Ireland. For now the app is only available for Android -- Facebook has not yet said whether an iOS version is in the works.
How Dubai Airport handles 90 million passengers a year
Heading to the airport has become a necessary process for almost all business professionals these days, but all too often, the airport can be a minefield of potential hold-ups or stressful procedures.
However this may all be about the change, as Dubai Airport is looking to introduce a new way of traveling that uses the latest connected technology to ensure their passengers have as smooth as journey as possible.
Facebook tests facial recognition to unlock accounts
Facebook is testing the use of facial recognition as a way of enabling people to regain access to their accounts if they get locked out. The unlock method would be offered as an alternative to two-factor authentication techniques such as SMS or email verification.
The social network says that if there is sufficient interest in the feature -- and providing it cannot be defeated by hackers -- it will receive a wider rollout after testing.
Protect yourself against malicious websites using Web of Trust
We might regard ourselves as advanced web users, but occasionally we still double-take when visiting a new website. Google a search term and you see a whole host possible options, including paid website ads and there’s very little stopping a rogue retailer from popping up and populating their store with known brands.
Anyone can register a .com or .co.uk and you can host one of these domains from any location. There’s simply nothing stopping a company in Asia, from obtaining a .co.uk and then setting up a store with a bunch of fake products.
66 percent of SMBs could go out of business following a breach
Today's threat landscape is becoming increasingly more complex and sophisticated, And all sizes of business are at risk.
VIPRE Security has released the results of a survey of 250 SMB IT managers which shows that 66 percent say they would either go out of business or shut down for a day or more if their systems and/or data were compromised.
Microsoft releases Java debugging extension for Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is an amazing cross-platform code editor which has managed to attract a significant following in recent years, not least because of its support for extensions. In just a couple of clicks, users can add various languages, like Python, Ruby and Java, and create new software.
For example, if you want to write Java code, there is a pretty nifty extension made by Red Hat, called Language Support for Java(TM) by Red Hat, that features things such as IntelliSense and basic Eclipse and Grade project support. And, now, Microsoft is building upon it by adding a debugger to the mix.
Roku announces new media streaming boxes, cuts the price of Roku Ultra, releases Roku OS 8
Roku has today unveiled the latest additions to its media streaming line-up, adding features such as voice control and 4K support. The company also slashes $30 off the price of its top-of-the-range Roku Ultra box.
With prices starting at just $29.99 for the Roku Express, there's something to suit every pocket, but it's arguably the updated Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick+ that are the most interesting.
Compuware brings mainframe development to the cloud
Many larger enterprises still rely on older, legacy systems developed in COBOL that don’t lend themselves to the latest Agile and DevOps development techniques.
Mainframe development specialist Compuware is deploying its Topaz flagship solution for mainframe Agile/DevOps on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This gives cloud access to modern mainframe development, enabling enterprises to deploy agile tools for COBOL and other legacy code bases fast.
Windows 10 will overtake Windows 7... but when?
Each month, NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market. Its numbers are often interesting, and occasionally initially wrong (this month, for example, they showed a sizeable growth for Linux, before being corrected).
The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is due to begin rolling out this month (even though over a third of users still don’t have the Creators Update), and Microsoft will be hoping this big new feature release will give its operating system a major boost. But how is Windows 10 doing at the moment, and when will it finally overtake Windows 7? Read on to find out.
FBI won't have to reveal details of hacking tool used to crack San Bernardino iPhone
A judge has ruled that the FBI will not have to reveal any details about the hacking tool it bought to crack the iPhone at the center of the San Bernardino shooting case back in early 2016.
Following a Freedom of Information request by Vice News, USA Today and the Associated Press, federal judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in favor of the FBI, meaning that the agency will be able to keep this information secret.
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.