Google Fi gets end-to-end encryption for phone calls, but there's a big catch
Google Fi is the search giant's affordable MVNO cellular service, where it piggybacks off of the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks. Despite being a Google service, it is actually compatible with Apple iPhone devices too. In other words, it is not an Android-only affair. While Google Fi is not wildly popular, many of its users speak favorably of the service -- it is apparently quite good.
And now, Google Fi is getting even better. You see, the search giant has introduced end-to-end encryption for phone calls -- a huge benefit for privacy. Unfortunately, there are some caveats here. For the calls to be encrypted, the speakers on the call must both be using Google Fi service -- that should be fairly obvious. However, there is one very big catch that might surprise you -- this feature is only compatible with Android devices. In other words, iPhone users with Google Fi are being left out of the encryption party.
Revealing the industries most hit by ransomware
New research from cloud encryption specialist NordLocker looks at which industries are the most popular targets for ransomware, analyzing 1,200 companies hit by 10 infamous ransomware gangs in 2020 and 2021.
Perhaps surprisingly the construction sector tops the list with 93 attacks, followed by manufacturing on 86, finance on 69, healthcare on 65, and with education rounding out the top five on 63.
New cryptography solution aims for 'cyber herd immunity'
Increased reliance on digital systems and remote workforces has drastically increased the attack surface threatening to compromise organizations.
Encrypting information is part of the solution but is still vulnerable if keys fall into the wrong hands. Now though Australian deep tech cybersecurity start-up Tide Foundation has come up with a decentralized solution that offers the promise of 'cyber herd immunity'.
Over 90 percent of malware arrives over encrypted connections
Security experts have spent years driving home the message that HTTPS connections are safer, but a new report released today reveals that 91.5 percent of malware arrived over encrypted connections in the second quarter of this year.
The quarterly internet security report from WatchGuard Technologies also shows alarming surges across fileless malware threats, dramatic growth in ransomware and a big increase in network attacks.
The encryption technology that's revolutionizing secure data usage [Q&A]
Conventional encryption methods rely on the exchange of keys. This can leave them vulnerable, particularly when they're used on public cloud services.
One way around this is to use homomorphic encryption, this permits third party service providers to perform some types of operations on a user's data without needing to decrypt it.
Encryption, zero trust and the quantum threat -- security predictions for 2021
We've already looked at the possible cybercrime landscape for 2021, but what about the other side of the coin? How are businesses going to set about ensuring they are properly protected next year?
Josh Bregman, COO of CyGlass thinks security needs to put people first, "2020 has been incredibly stressful. Organizations should therefore look to put people first in 2021. Cybersecurity teams are especially stressed. They've been tasked with securing a changing environment where more people than ever before are working remotely. They've also faced new threats as cyber criminals have looked to take advantage of the pandemic: whether through phishing attacks or exploiting weaknesses in corporate infrastructure. Being proactive, encouraging good cyber hygiene and executing a well thought out cyber program will go a long way towards promoting a peaceful and productive 2021, not least because it will build resiliency."
IBM helps businesses prepare for next generation encryption
IBM Security is launching a new service that allows companies to experiment with fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) -- an emerging technology that allows data to remain encrypted while being processed or analyzed in cloud or third-party environments.
IBM Security Homomorphic Encryption Services provide companies with education, expert support, and a testing environment to develop prototype applications that can take advantage of FHE.
Zoom relents and agrees to give free users end-to-end encryption
When video conferencing company Zoom acquired Keybase, there was a great deal of excitement about the impending arrival of the much-needed end-to-end encryption. But then there was disappointment when it was announced that only paying customers would be granted access to the extra security feature.
Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said at the time that free customers were not getting end-to-end encryption "in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose" -- something many users found insulting. But now the company has backtracked, announcing that users of free accounts will in fact get end-to-end encryption... but there is a slight catch.
Zoom isn't giving non-paying users end-to-end encryption because they could be criminals
Zoom's meteoric rise in popularity due to COVID-19 forcing more people to work from home led to a great deal of interest in the video conferencing tool's security and privacy. The lack of end-to-end encryption was a major concern for many users, but following the recent acquisition of Keybase, Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said it would "help us build end-to-end encryption that can reach current Zoom scalability".
Well, end-to-end encryption is here. But only if you're a paying Zoom customer. Anyone using a free account is being left out in the cold. Why? Because, Yuan explains, "we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose". Yuan is apparently of the impression that paying customers could not possibly be potential criminals.
GlobalSign reveals new platform to ease PKI management
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is essential to handling the issuing of digital certificates and managing public-key encryption, but it can prove a burden for businesses.
To make the process easier, certificate authority GlobalSign is launching a new automated PKI platform called Atlas.
Free service simplifies encrypting and sharing confidential data
Distributed cloud service company Volterra is launching a new service to encrypt and share public data without the need for passwords and public keys.
VoltShare is available as downloadable software (or an API and SDK) that operates locally on a PC or mobile device to easily encrypt sensitive data for sharing with target recipients through email or via existing collaboration platforms such as Slack, Teams and Dropbox.
How to use DNS over HTTPS in Windows 10
While preview builds of Windows 10 do have a tendency to be a little on the buggy side, they offer an opportunity to try out new features and options way before the official release. For anyone concerned about privacy and security an exciting addition to the latest Insider build is DNS over HTTPS (DoH).
The feature keeps web traffic more private by performing DNS lookups over an encrypted HTTPS connection so they are far less susceptible to interception. If you've been keen to try this out, now you can. Here's what you need to do.
Zoom is gaining end-to-end encryption following acquisition of Keybase
As part of its 90-day security focus, Zoom has announced that it has acquired Keybase, an app that features end-to-end encryption to secure chats and file sharing. The Keybase team will help to bring the same security to Zoom.
The lack of end-to-end encryption has been one of the many criticisms of Zoom in recent months, and the company is keen to address this. However, Zoom says that it will only be bringing an end-to-end encrypted meeting mode to paid accounts and points out that this "privacy over compatibility" option will mean missing out on some features.
Zoom claims to offer end-to-end encryption -- even though that's not strictly true
Security is a serious concern for anyone using the internet, but it most certainly is for businesses. In seeking a video conferencing tool to see them through the home-working coronavirus has forced many people into, Zoom has proved to be an incredibly popular choice, and its proclamation of offering end-to-end encryption very probably swayed a few decisions.
An investigation carried out by the Intercept found that, despite Zoom's claims, the service does not really support end-to-end encryption for video and audio content. In reality, all it offers is TLS, but Zoom has chosen to refer to this as being end-to-end encryption.
Kanguru Defender Bio-Elite30 fingerprint-encrypted USB flash drive -- great for storage, perfect for Tails Linux [Review]
When I first saw the Kanguru Defender Bio-Elite30 flash drive, I was immediately intrigued. Having the ability to decrypt an encrypted flash drive with the touch of a finger was immensely convenient. And yes, convenience matters, as making encryption easy increases the likelihood that the user will actually use it. If encrypting files becomes too cumbersome, the user may not bother, leading to poor security practices.
Also cool was Kanguru's promise that it was operating system agnostic, meaning it would work with any OS, such as Windows, macOS, and desktop Linux distributions. I'd later find out that was only partially true, but more on that in a moment. It is even well-built -- the housing is a solid piece of aluminum that not only looks beautiful, but should lend to increased durability.
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