History has taught us that monopolies are bad for consumers. It was true in the first decades of the 20th century with Standard Oil, and in the final decade of the same century with Microsoft. Its been true, in recent years, with social networking behemoth, Facebook, also. But now, with Google’s Plus network showing signs of being a legitimate Facebook competitor, Mr.
It’s no secret that China is a major source of attacks on governments and political groups (and individuals). However, it’s been harder to prove that the Chinese government and military is directly involved in such attacks. At least until now.
The news last week was that the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee has asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the security of the software that runs medical devices. But a prominent researcher says that security flaws in such devices are common, and that more federal oversight is necessary to change what he describes as a culture of lax security among medical device makers.
We all know that the fake news shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report are a lot smarter and more informative than the nightly “GlobalCarWreckStrangerAbductionSportsHighlight” montage that passes for the local news. Last night’s interview of famed hacker and security consultant Kevin Mitnick on the Colbert report proved it again.
The state of California has approved new rules to protect the data stored on so-called “smart meters,” in an effort to protect customer consumption data as household utilities are wired and connected to an IP-enabled “smart grid.”
Suppose you’re a IT professional who has an axe to grind against your employer, and knowledge of the company’s network and access necessary to really do some damage. You might consider launching said attack from a free, public Wi-fi hotspot, like the ones offered at chains like McDonald’s. That would be a smart idea – from your standpoint – and make it harder for you to get caught. You might _not_ want to use a personal credit card to buy a meal at said establishment, thereby putting you at the location at the exact time of the attack. That would be a _dumb_ idea.
Adobe took pains to defuse a dispute between the company and famed Google security researcher Tavis Ormandy, posting more information about the holes fixed with a patch for its Flash Player software. Adobe had claimed that 13 separate vulnerabilities were patched with the bulletin APSB11-21, while Ormandy said that patch addressed hundreds of holes.
Editor’s note: Finding Aaron Barr at this year’s DEFCON hacker conference in Las Vegas was like a giant game of “Where’s Waldo.” Given the events of the past year, you can hardly blame him for keeping a low profile. First there was the attack on him and his then-employer, HBGary Federal, his decision to part ways with HBGary, his work to rehabilitate his image and turn his personal misfortunes into a ‘teaching moment’ for the industry, and then the legal wrangling in recent weeks that threw cold water on his plans to take part in a panel discussion about Anonymous at DEFCON. Barr was courted by numerous news outlets at the show, including the mainstream media. But he preferred, for the most part, to keep his counsel. So when Aaron offered to contribute his thoughts on this year’s DEFCON to Threatpost, we jumped at it. Here’s what he had to say.
HED: Google Device Maker Motorola MobilityDEK: The company will double down on the mobile space with its $12.5b purchase of Motorola MobilitySearch giant Google announced a major move into the mobile device space on Monday with a $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings. The deal, announced Monday morning, puts Google into the mobile handset manufacturing game and gives the company an arsenal of valuable patents for its mobile handsets and tablets. Google said it would pay $40.00 per share in cash, for a total of about $12.5 billion for the company. Motorola Mobility spun off from parent company Motorola Inc. in January. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and represented a premium of about 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011, Motorola said in a statement. (http://mediacenter.motorola.com/Press-Releases/Google-to-Acquire-Motorola-Mobility-3797.aspx)Motorola Mobility is a Google partner that makes the Droid and Defy smartphones which run Google’s Android operating system. In a statement, the companies said that the deal will “supercharge the Android ecosystem” and improve competition in the mobile computing marketing. Google said that it will continue to offer Android as an open operating system after the deal, wich Motorola Mobility operating as a separate entity within Google and continuing as a licensee of the Android operating system. In a statement, Google CEO Larry Page said that Motorola Mobility was a good fit for Google because the company had “bet big” on Android and had a “total commitment to Android in mobile devices.” “Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers everywhere,” Page wrote. The deal is Google’s largest to date by a factor of four. In 2007, Google spent $3.1 billion to acquire ad network DoubleClick, the company’s largest acquisition to date. Search giant Google announced a major move into the mobile device space on Monday with a $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings.
During the Reagan Administration, the ‘government waste’ meme was all about $600 toilet seats and $300 hammers. Those looking for a more contemporary example of how government procurement gets it wrong might point, instead, to Project 25 (P25), a decade old effort to provide first responders and federal officials with a reliable and secure emergency radio system.
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