Neowin News Feed for: Nsa

Microsoft has launched a new spy AI service for US intelligence organizations

John Callaham — Tue, 07 May 2024 20:52:01 +0000

Microsoft has revealed it has launched a new generative AI service specifically made for being used by US intelligence groups. This unnamed service is not connected to the internet. Read more...

US senator claims NSA buys user data, including internet metadata, without warrants

Anushe Fawaz — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:16:01 +0000

A letter by Senator Ron Wyden sheds light on the illegal buying of sensitive American user data by the National Security Agency of the U.S. It also exposes the data broker industry. Read more...

U.S. govt reveals why Microsoft challenged contract going to AWS on ‘Technical' grounds

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 22:14:01 +0000

The WILDANDSTORMY (WandS) contract could re-enter evaluation because Microsoft successfully challenged it being awarded to Amazon on 'Technical' grounds. Is it tit-for-tat for the JEDI contract? Read more...

FBI, NSA, and CIA use ad blockers due to fear of targeted ads

Usama Jawad — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 05:34:01 +0000

A document has revealed that most U.S. intelligence agencies, including FBI, NSA, CIA, and DHS use ad blockers due to fear of targeted ads and malvertising, even though they are not mandated to do so. Read more...

Microsoft releases security updates for Exchange Server following report by the NSA

Usama Jawad — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 04:56:01 +0000

Microsoft has released a new set of security updates for numerous Exchange Server versions following the discovery of certain security flaws. Exchange Online once again contains protections already. Read more...

Hundreds arrested, drugs and arms seized in the wake of police infiltration of a texting app

Ather Fawaz — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 06:22:01 +0000

Police forces worked with the NSA to introduce malware into a secure texting platform EncroChat. Over 800 criminals have been arrested. Two tons of drugs and dozens of arms have been seized as well. Read more...

Five Eyes reportedly targeted Yandex in late 2018 to spy on user accounts

Paul Hill — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 02:36:01 +0000

It has been revealed that Yandex was attacked in October and November last year with Regin malware that is thought to be developed by Five Eyes nations including the United Kingdom and United States. Read more...

Cyber criminals are using a stolen NSA tool to carry out digital attacks in Baltimore

Namerah Saud Fatmi — Sun, 26 May 2019 01:56:02 +0000

Reports are pouring in about an alleged malware attack being carried out on the government of Baltimore, Maryland. It is believed that the culprits are using a hacking tool leaked from within the NSA. Read more...

The NSA collected over 530 million call detail records in 2017

Paul Hill — Sun, 06 May 2018 02:04:01 +0000

A new report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has reported just how many U.S. citizens have had their call detail records collected last year. The records consist of metadata. Read more...

Israeli hackers caught Russian hackers hacking NSA secrets using Kaspersky

Muhammad Jarir Kanji — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 08:14:01 +0000

According to a new report by The New York Times, Israeli hackers who had penetrated Kaspersky Lab's network discovered Russian agents were using the antivirus as a "Google for sensitive information". Read more...

Report: Russian hackers stole sensitive NSA information on US cyber defense

Muhammad Jarir Kanji — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 21:04:01 +0000

A new report by The Wall Street Journal claims a Russian-backed breach of the NSA allowed hackers to steal sensitive data on US cyber defense, possibly through the use of Kaspersky software. Read more...

Hacker group that published the Wannacry exploit threaten release of more tools in June

Muhammad Jarir Kanji — Wed, 17 May 2017 08:14:01 +0000

Shadow Brokers, the hacker group that back in April published the EternalBlue exploit used to create the Wannacry ransomware, are now threatening to release even more tools this June. Read more...

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese computers affected by ransomware attack

Richard Tyr Blewitt — Mon, 15 May 2017 11:36:01 +0000

Hospitals, universities, tech companies, Petrochina, and numerous government offices are a part of the nearly 30,000 Chinese establishments affected by the recent ransomware attacks. Read more...

Microsoft says stockpiling of hacking tools by governments partly to blame for recent attack

Paul Hill — Sun, 14 May 2017 23:02:01 +0000

Microsoft's Brad Smith has reiterated the need for a Digital Geneva Convention, in light of the recent attacks. He also blamed government vulnerability stockpiles as partly responsible for the attack. Read more...

The NSA's Windows-hacking arsenal leaked, affects Windows 2000 through 8, servers included [Update]

Florin Bodnarescu — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 05:20:01 +0000

Hacker group Shadow Brokers has released yet another cache of tools used by the NSA. Among them, these tools exploit vulnerabilities from Windows 2000 to Windows 8, including server variants. Read more...

EFF sets out battle plans for digital rights during first 100 days of Trump's presidency

Vlad Dudau — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 13:12:01 +0000

Privacy, liberty, and accountability are not partisan issues, said the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as it set out its agenda to defend digital rights for the first 100 days of Trump's reign. Read more...

Real-world testing begins for Boeing's self-destructing smartphone

Chris Schroeder — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 20:40:01 +0000

Boeing began building a phone that could self-destruct in the event of the device being compromised back in 2014. Fast forward to today and that same device has now entered its testing phase. Read more...

Who hacked and stole the NSA's cyber-weapons? Turns out it was likely nobody

Vlad Dudau — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:16:01 +0000

Earlier this year, a hacking group claimed to have infiltrated some NSA systems and stolen the agency's cyber-weapons. Now the feds are quite sure, the sensitive files were leaked by contractor. Read more...

One in two American adults are in the government's facial recognition database

Vlad Dudau — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 08:14:01 +0000

A new extensive report shows that numerous law enforcement agencies are using facial recognition software with no oversight whatsoever, and that half of the US adult population is on file. Read more...

Reuters: Yahoo was snooping on user emails en masse [Update]

Muhammad Jarir Kanji — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 19:14:01 +0000

According to a recent Reuters report, Yahoo received, and complied with, a 2015 request by government intelligence agencies to search all users' emails for specific information. Read more...

Apple could share your iMessage contacts with authorities, if demanded

Shreyas Gandhe — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 12:58:01 +0000

Although Apple mentions that iMessage is secure from snooping, the claim might not be completely true, as a report has revealed that the company could share a user's contacts with authorities. Read more...

The Great Firewall of... Britain? UK cyber security chief plans new measure to block attacks

Andy Weir — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:54:01 +0000

The head of GCHQ's new National Cyber Security Centre has proposed the creation of a UK firewall that could provide protection against cyber-attacks for government departments and large organizations. Read more...

Obama to Russia, China: Let's not hack each other because the US will win

Vlad Dudau — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 07:02:01 +0000

In a speech in China, the US president called for de-escalation of cyber tensions between major world powers. He suggested governments should stop hacking each other and go after cyber criminals. Read more...

EXTRABACON with that? Cisco systems vulnerable to exploit supposedly stolen from the NSA

Vlad Dudau — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 11:30:01 +0000

A data dump of exploits supposedly taken from the NSA has revealed security flaws in Cisco's products. The company admitted the flaws are real but only one has been patched until now. Read more...

Who's hacking the hackers? NSA-affiliated group supposedly compromised by cyber-attacks

Vlad Dudau — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 08:10:01 +0000

A group of hackers claim to have hacked another group of hackers, the latter of whom are strongly tied to the NSA. If real, this is one of the few times the NSA has been publicly compromised. Read more...

7 Days: A week of Building Windows 10, Bots, Holograms and 'Almost Perfect' Galaxys

Vlad Dudau — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 12:52:01 +0000

It's been a pretty crazy and exciting week in the world of tech as Microsoft held its biggest developer conference of the year. We saw holograms, talked to bots, and caught up with technology. Read more...

NSA director attended clandestine meeting in Israel to talk cyber security

Paul Hill — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 07:34:01 +0000

NSA chief Admiral Mike Rogers was in Israel last week to discuss closer ties between the NSA and its Israeli counterpart, Unit 8200. The meeting came after the US DoJ charged seven Iranian hackers. Read more...

Google will make it clearer if you're being attacked by a state-sponsored hacker

Vlad Dudau — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 09:48:02 +0000

Google is changing the way it notifies users when it believes they might be targeted by a state-sponsored attacker. The new banner and warning system is clearer and helps boost security. Read more...

U.S. sponsored report says governments should attack Bitcoin and undermine it

Vlad Dudau — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 11:10:01 +0000

A new report from the influential RAND think tank suggests that governments should attack Bitcoin and blockchain technologies to undermine the public's perception of their utility and security. Read more...

White House wants to get tech giants on board with the fight against ISIS and terrorists

Vlad Dudau — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 09:52:01 +0000

The US administration's representatives are trying to get tech companies, like Microsoft, Apple and Twitter to go along with plans to fight ISIS and other terrorist groups that have a presence online. Read more...

Majority of US citizens in favour of warrantless surveillance - poll

Paul Hill — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 09:00:01 +0000

A new poll from AP-NORC suggests that 56% of Americans support warrantless surveillance. The poll also suggests that religious extremism could be the cause of the spike. Read more...

Edward Snowden is now on Twitter, follows NSA

Shreyas Gandhe — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 06:38:01 +0000

Edward Snowden, the man who exposed the US government's secrets to the world, has joined Twitter and is currently following the NSA, the agency accused of spying on citizens. Read more...

US Navy is looking to buy zero-day and other exploits online

Vlad Dudau — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 06:56:01 +0000

The United States government is buying up zero-day and other types of digital exploits found in popular software. Their official stated goal is to use these in developing attack programs. Read more...

Section 215 of Patriot Act allowed by Senate to expire

Chris Dupres — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:30:01 +0000

Business records and telephone metadata bulk collection has legally ended in the US after Section 215 of the Patriot Act expired at Midnight, June 1st 2015; at least temporarily. Read more...

Snowden document implicates NSA with using Android's app store to infect phones

Chris Dupres — Thu, 21 May 2015 19:16:01 +0000

A new release by The Intercept details methods that the NSA planned for controlling the Android Market (now Google Play) in order to deliver spyware to targets via app installs. Read more...

Tech giants urge Obama to reject weakening encryption with government backdoors

Vlad Dudau — Tue, 19 May 2015 08:46:01 +0000

More than 140 tech giants, security experts and government investigators are urging President Obama to stand against government backdoors and weakening encryption in the nation's software. Read more...

US Court of Appeals rules against NSA bulk collection of metadata

Chris Dupres — Thu, 07 May 2015 18:14:01 +0000

The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the NSA bulk metadata collection program was not, in fact, authorized by the PATRIOT ACT in a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union Read more...

Twitter migrates non-US accounts to Ireland for security (and tax?) purposes

Christopher White — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 15:14:01 +0000

Twitter's updated privacy policy states that the company is moving non-US users over to Ireland in order to "improve how we support our users globally." Is this to avoid the NSA or to save on taxes? Read more...

Audit concludes there are no NSA backdoors in Truecrypt, but some security issues remain

Christopher White — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 03:26:01 +0000

An audit of Truecrypt's source code indicates that while there are no NSA backdoors in the encryption software, there are unfortunately a few major issues with the now-defunct tool. Read more...

Unpatched BIOSes proven susceptible to effortless attacks

Shreyas Gandhe — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 00:52:01 +0000

Security researchers have showcased the hazards of having an unpatched BIOS using a proof of concept malware called "LightEater" at a recent information security conference in Canada. Read more...