Kingston VP80ES IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is an encrypted USB-C SSD with touchscreen
Solid state drives don't just make wonderful internal boot drives for computers -- they're excellent for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much faster as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be insane to still use a HDD with moving parts.
But what if you lose that external solid state drive? Well, if the content is unencrypted, your files could be exposed to the finder. This is particularly problematic for business users that are storing company secrets or private customer data. Thankfully, a new USB-C solid state drive from Kingston makes it super easy to encrypt and decrypt your data. You see, the VP80ES IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is a hardware-encrypted (FIPS 197 certified with XTS-AES 256-bit) SSD with a color touchscreen that allows you to enter a passcode, password, pin, or phrase.
New solution aims to address quantum security threats
We all know that quantum computing is going to offer a major boost in computing power. But that power also represents a threat to cryptographic systems, potentially putting the world's data at risk.
To address the issue QuSecure is launching an industry first end-to-end post-quantum cybersecurity (PQC) software-based solution designed to protect encrypted communications and data with quantum-resilience.
Enterprises poorly protected against third-party risks
A new report from compliance and risk management firm Kiteworks shows 51 percent of organizations are inadequately protected against third-party security and compliance risks related to sensitive content communications.
It also reveals that most organizations share sensitive content with a long list of third-party entities. Two-thirds do so with more than 1,000 third parties, while one-third have over 2,500.
Why PKI still has a key role in security [Q&A]
The origins of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) date back to the 1970s and research at UK intelligence agency GCHQ, though it didn't emerge from the secret world and take off commercially until the 1990s.
PKI still underlies a great deal of modern cryptography, so we spoke to Ryan Sanders, senior product marketing manager at Keyfactor, to find out more about it and why it isn’t going away any time soon.
The internet is getting safer but legacy encryption techniques still linger
A new report from Venafi, based on in-depth security analysis of the world's top million websites over the last 18 months, shows the internet is becoming more secure.
Use of encryption is increasing and the adoption of newer TLS protocols is rising. However, many companies continue to use legacy RSA encryption algorithms to generate keys, despite stronger protocols being available.
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.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.