Internet of Things

Two researchers have demonstrated an attack that could alter and steal data direct from MicroSD cards, using tiny microcontrollers on the cards themselves. The attack could be used to copy or steal data - and even modify sensitive data such as encryption keys.

Here, J.R. Rao, IBM Director for Security Research, explains why the idea of a digital guardian who watches for unusual behavior is not science fiction - but very close to reality.

A Firefox add-on has turned 12,500 users of the browser into a botnet which scours every page visited by infected users for vulnerabilities. The ‘Advanced Power’ add-on ensnared 12,500 PCs - and found 1,800 vulnerable websites for its unknown creators.

The assault by cybercriminals against big businesses continued this year -78% were attacked by outsiders, according to a report by Price Waterhouse Cooper. But small businesses - those with less than 50 employees - are rapidly becoming a target.

An international plot which would have turned huge numbers of PCs into “bricks” by using deeply buried malware was foiled by the NSA, according to an interview given to CBS by NSA director Keith Alexander. The attack could have "taken down the U.S. economy", an NSA official claimed.

All of the top 100 apps on Google's Play store have been hacked, and hackers now specifically target financial apps, such as those used by banks - with 53% of Android banking apps having been cracked, according to a report by Arxan.

The FBI custom-designs malware to snare suspects, a court has heard, and has been able “for years” to watch suspects through PC webcams, a court has heard. The teams operate "like normal hackers" - and rely on phishing and other criminal techniques.

APTs - or Advanced Persistent Threats - are the most menacing cyber attack there is, some say. Built to be stealthy, they penetrate networks, steal secrets - and vanish. 'Catching' one was a little like finding Bigfoot - but the much-hyped threat wasn't quite so scary up close...