security
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SAP is buying identity management firm Gigya for $350M
SAP, the German enterprise software giant, today announced an acquisition to strengthen its hybris e-commerce division. It has acquired Gigya, a firm that helps online properties manage customer identities and profiles. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed officially, but our sources tell us it is for $350 million. This was the same figure that was reported yesterday when the news leaked… Read More
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Nest announces the $499 Nest Secure, its new alarm system
Nest announced a number of new security products today that all aim to keep your home safe from burglars and others you’d rather keep out. In addition to its new Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, the company also launched Nest Secure, its new, fully featured security system. The system consists of three hardware products that can also be integrated with the company’s cameras: Nest Guard, the hub… Read More
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A Google security chief considers the NSA a state-sponsored threat
Today at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 Google’s Manager of Information Security Heather Adkins sat down for a fireside chat. Among the varying topics discussed, she spoke about what’s like to have the NSA tap the company’s lines and how she views state sponsored threats. Moderator and TechCrunch Senior Editor Frederic Lardinois asked Adkins if she thinks of the NSA as a… Read More
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Matroid picks up $10M Series A to automate video stream monitoring
As computer vision and object recognition technology continue to mature, we’re edging closer to automating away the exceedingly boring task of monitoring closed circuit TV cameras. Matroid is one of the startups leading the democratization of this variety of machine intelligence. The company is announcing a $10 million Series A this morning from NEA and Intel Capital that brings… Read More
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Crunch Network
SEC shows support for ICOs that are not obviously securities
The SEC appears to have taken very thoughtful action on two crypto projects to date. Nay-sayers are predicting the end, while proponents of crypto dismiss the actions. Here’s a quick analysis of what is actually happening. Read More
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iPhone X’s Face ID raises security and privacy questions
Offering to gate the smorgasbord of personal content that lives on a mobile device behind a face biometric inevitably raises lots of security questions, even as always on face-scanning tech being housed in a smartphone raises privacy concerns… Read More
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We’re all Equif*cked
Every company is a tech company, and that’s a big problem. Or rather, either every company is a tech company but most suck at it, or most aren’t tech companies but should be. Either way, we’re gonna have a bad time. Stock photo companies oughta be making more images of hackers because that cat burglar / hoodie dude behind a computer isn’t going to cut it when sh*t hits… Read More
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A perfect storm of corporate idiocy
At this point in the game there should be a single page on every corporate website, preferably accessible from its front page, that includes the name and all contact details for the Chief Security Officer, including the last four digits of her social security number. It should be her responsibility to ensure that no one uses this information for nefarious purposes in addition to her daily… Read More
Latest Crunch Report
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Europe’s top court must rule on UK spies’ bulk powers, says tribunal
The oversight court for the UK’s intelligence agencies has said Europe’s top court should rule on the legality of powers that give the country’s security and intelligence agencies the ability to collect various forms of data in bulk (aka mass surveillance). Read More
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Google redesigns its privacy and security dashboard
Google today announced a refresh of its privacy and security dashboard, its one-stop shop for checking and changing your privacy settings, opting out of personalized ads and seeing which third-party services have access to your data. You’re not going to find any new controls here, but the company says that the update is meant to make the tools easier to use on mobile. Read More
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Equifax breach disclosure would have failed Europe’s tough new rules
The US does not currently have a federal law requiring companies to inform the public about data breaches. Over the pond in the European Union it’s a different story, and Equifax could have faced stiff fines for not disclosing the intrusion more quickly. Read More
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I called Equifax to find out if I’d been affected but it just hung up on me, three times
People haven’t had much success online trying to find out it their Social Security number was included in a massive Equifax breach (affecting possibly half the U.S.) reported earlier today, so I called Equifax’s emergency response line to see what I could find out. Read More
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EU defense ministers take part in first cyber war game
European Union defense ministers have been taking part in a simulated cyber attack exercise today for the first time to practice strategic decision making and crisis-management under pressure of a (mock) cyber-attack against the bloc’s military structures. Read More
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Uber to end controversial post-trip tracking as part of privacy drive
Uber is set to reverse a controversial decision to collect users’ location information after their trip ends, Reuters reports, with the privacy u-turn coming first to the iPhone app — expected to get the update this week — and subsequently to Uber’s Android app. Read More
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Uber agrees to 20 years of privacy audits to settle FTC data mishandling probe
The legacy of Travis Kalanick’s fast and loose management style at Uber continues to serve up fresh embarrassments for the embattled, still CEO-less company. Read More
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Amazon Macie helps businesses protect their sensitive data in the cloud
Amazon’s AWS cloud computing service hosted its annual NY Summit today and it used the event to launch a new service: Amazon Macie. The idea behind Macie is to use machine learning to help businesses protect their sensitive data in the cloud. Read More
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Karma’s next device is a Wi-Fi hotspot with built in Tor and a VPN
Wi-Fi hotspot maker Karma Mobility will this fall unveil a specialized version of its KarmaGo hotspot device that includes built-in security features, including support for private anonymous browsing through Tor, an integrated VPN, black listing, and ad blocking. For customers, the promise is a device that encrypts your web activity, hides your physical location and identity, and adds… Read More
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More political headbanging on encryption threatens privacy
The UK’s Home Secretary has yet again cranked up the pressure on messaging giants over use of end-to-end encryption to secure communications sent via popular services like WhatsApp — implying she would prefer tech companies voluntarily re-engineer their security systems so that decrypted data can be handed over to terror-fighting intelligence agencies on demand. Read More
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