Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Time to Ban the 'Bloatware'

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 23, 2015

Manufacturers of PCs and mobile devices must end the practice of preloading "bloatware." Lenovo's experience with offering "free" adware shows the hidden security and performance tradeoffs buyers must endure.

Lenovo Hits 'Kill Switch' on Adware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 23, 2015

Lenovo says it is working to remotely delete Superfish adware that it preinstalled on many laptops for consumers. But US-CERT warns that many products use the Komodia root certificate that is triggering security warnings.

Report: Spies Stole SIM Encryption Keys

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 20, 2015

A British/American intelligence team hacked Gemalto - the world's largest SIM manufacturer - and stole encryption keys that can be used to intercept and eavesdrop on cellular communication, according to a news report citing leaked documents.

Lenovo Drops Superfish Adware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 20, 2015

Lenovo - the world's largest PC manufacturer - says it will cease pre-installing Superfish adware on its devices and help customers delete the software and its risky digital certificate. But will all affected users get the message?

Secure Domains: The DNS Security Debate

Tracy Kitten , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 19, 2015

Better DNS security could help block some types of spoofing, poisoning and DDoS attacks. But the DNSSEC approach has its critics, and it wouldn't improve Internet security overnight.

Lenovo Slammed Over Superfish Adware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 19, 2015

Some security experts contend that users of numerous types of Lenovo PCs and laptops are at risk of having their encrypted traffic get intercepted because of installed-by-default Superfish adware, which handles digital certificates insecurely.

Anti-Virus: Applied Incorrectly?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 19, 2015

Is your organization running its anti-malware defenses properly? Don't be so sure. A new study finds that essential features built into anti-virus software are not always being used. From an information security standpoint, that's a serious problem.

Alleged Russian Mega-Hacker Extradited

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 18, 2015

Extradited Russian national Vladimir Drinkman, who's been charged with masterminding the largest-ever hack attack in U.S. history, this week pleaded not guilty in U.S. federal court to 11 charges relating to the theft of 160 million payment cards.

Cyber Espionage Alert: Business Risk?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 17, 2015

A team of hackers has been operating since at least 2001, wielding malware that even today is among the most advanced attack code to have ever been discovered, according to a new study. Security experts are debating whether the NSA could be involved.

EU Privacy Overhaul: Still Waiting

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 16, 2015

Europe's vaunted data protection regulations - now 20 years old - are in desperate need of an update. In 2012, EU officials proposed extensive changes to the privacy rules, but they remain stuck in limbo. Here's why.

Cybercrime Gang: Fraud Estimates Hit $1B

Tracy Kitten , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 16, 2015

The Anunak/Carbanak gang continues to rob financial services firms and retailers, in part with ATM malware. A new report says the cybercrime gang has stolen up to $1 billion from banks in Russia, the U.S. and beyond.

Obama to Issue Cybersecurity Executive Order

Eric Chabrow , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 13, 2015

At a White House summit at Stanford University today, President Obama will sign an executive order to encourage more private sector information sharing. But will businesses buy into his proposals?

Warning: Patch Windows Now

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 12, 2015

Enterprise IT administrators are being urged to immediately patch a flaw that affects every Windows system released for the past 15 years. Attackers could remotely exploit the flaw to take control of a device and run any code of their choice.

Ruling: GCHQ-NSA Data Sharing Illegal

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 10, 2015

In a landmark decision, a British tribunal ruled that a U.K. intelligence agency broke the law by secretly using surveillance data collected by the U.S. National Security Agency. The ruling could have U.K. and U.S. repercussions, privacy experts say.

Anthem Breach: Phishing Attack Cited

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  February 9, 2015

Anthem believes that the breach that has exposed up to 80 million individuals' information possibly began after a handful of employees fell victim to a phishing attack. Other attackers appear to be using the breach as a lure for their own phishing campaigns.