Latest news updates from the week gone by
Rootkit developed for Android Ice Cream Sandwich
A research team in North Carolina State University has highlighted a security flaw in Android 4.0.4 which can cause a lot of trouble. A rootkit developed for the OS can make applications invisible. So a malicious app can stay hidden on the device with ease. Additionally, it can also change the launch action for an app. So if one opens Angry Birds, a malicious application will get launched instead. Have a look at this video demonstration.
FaceBook email glitch caused loss of emails
Remember how Facebook changed everyone’s primary email address last week? Well this has caused a lot of trouble as a lot of people have reported loss of vital emails. This has happened because the change by Facebook has caused changes in the address books on people’s smartphones and other devices, leading to a loss of email communications. Why Facebook forced such a move on users without duly notifying them is beyond us.
Leap second bug led to server glitches
An additional second, known as a Leap Second, was added to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to get it up to speed with solar time. This ended up causing trouble in servers of various websites like LinkedIn, Foursquare, Reddit, Yelp and Mozilla.
American drones spoofed amidst security concerns
Department of Homeland Security officials wagered $1,000 with University of Texas researchers on the fact that GPS drones cannot be hacked, and lost. The research team successfully hacked into the security system for drone navigation and controlled (spoofed) them remotely. If you’re wondering what would happen if terrorists were to hack into and control such drones, have a look at the E3 reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Vigilante retweeted careless debit card tweets
People are the weakest link of security and this news update reinstated that. Believe it or not, there are people out there who actively tweet close-up frontal pictures of their debit cards. If this is not a security risk, we don’t know what is. A vigilant Twitter account, @NeedADebitCard, is actively highlighting such tweets and reprimanding these people with sarcasm and advice.