Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Feds Bust Mobile Spyware Maker

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 30, 2014

The CEO of a Pakistani software company has been charged with developing, selling and advertising spyware for illegal purposes. But a legal expert questions whether those charges will stick.

Infographic: A Guide to Apple Pay

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 29, 2014

When the new Apple Pay mobile payment system launches in October in the United States, it could help improve payment security. This infographic reviews the system's features and how to put them to use.

Shellshock DDoS Attacks Spike

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 29, 2014

More than 1.5 million DDoS attacks daily are targeting the Bash bug flaws known as Shellshock. Researchers have now discovered a total of four Shellshock vulnerabilities and warn that more may follow.

Attackers Exploit Shellshock Bug

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 26, 2014

Attackers have exploited the Shellshock vulnerability - a.k.a. Bash bug - to infect at least 700 Linux systems with malware that includes the ability to launch DDoS attacks. Users of Unix systems are vulnerable.

Shellshock Bug: How to Respond

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 26, 2014

To mitigate the newly discovered Bash bug - AKA Shellshock - which may make millions of systems vulnerable to remote takeover, organizations must take several key steps, says security expert Alan Woodward.

Bash Bug: Bigger Than Heartbleed

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 25, 2014

Security experts are warning that millions of systems - Apache servers, Linux and Mac systems, and innumerable Internet of Things devices - may be vulnerable to a flaw in Unix that attackers are already using to gain shell access.

Apple iPhone 6 Touch ID Hacked

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 23, 2014

A researcher says he tricked the Touch ID biometric fingerprint scanner built into the new iPhone 6, using a fake fingerprint created with glue. But it remains to be seen how well would-be fraudsters could employ this technique.

Financial Trojans: Tools for Espionage

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 23, 2014

Banking Trojans are increasingly being repurposed for espionage purposes. Recent victims of modified banking malware include a chemical manufacturer as well as an unknown number of Salesforce users.

eBay Stumbles Over Old-School Attack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 18, 2014

A cross-site scripting vulnerability at eBay.co.uk left an undetermined number of users susceptible to an attack that attempted to steal their credentials when they clicked on links within a listing offering a used iPhone for sale.

Apple iOS 8 Reboots Privacy, Security

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 18, 2014

Apple announces security and privacy changes tied to the release of iOS8, including better data encryption, more secure iCloud backups, and a corporate promise to be more transparent. But it delays release of its HealthKit.

Analysis: Home Depot Breach Details

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 16, 2014

Experts review new allegations that have emerged about information security practices at Home Depot in the wake of the retailer confirming that it suffered a data breach resulting in the theft of an unknown quantity of credit and debit cards details.

Snowden Blasts New Zealand Surveillance

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 15, 2014

The government of New Zealand created a "cybersecurity" program to serve as cover for launching a metadata mass surveillance program tied to the NSA's XKEYSCORE program, leaked NSA documents suggest.

Apple Pay: Global Expansion Planned

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 15, 2014

While the new Apple Pay system is slated to debut next month in the United States, payment card brands say the system eventually will expand to some of the other 66 countries that already accept contactless payments.

Apple Security Upgrade: Hits and Misses

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 12, 2014

Security experts see good news and bad in Apple's latest announcements. Upsides include Apple Pay and numerous privacy and security improvements in iOS 8. But after the celebrity photo leak, iCloud fixes remain missing.

Google Locks Down Stolen Credentials

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 11, 2014

Google says just 2 percent of the recent dump of nearly 5 million credentials to Russian cybercrime forums contained valid Gmail username and password combinations. But anyone who reused the same passwords on other sites remains at risk from hackers.