Tech Firms Find Washington Isn’t So Hands-Off Anymore
(The Wall Street Journal, Sep 15, 2017)
New scrutiny by Congress of Facebook Inc. over its acceptance of Russian ad buys in the 2016 campaign is just the latest in a string of political challenges facing technology firms, which long enjoyed a hands-off approach from Washington aimed at fostering their growth. It was already a tough year for Silicon Valley in Washington, where lawmakers have been pushing proposals that could roil the industry, including measures on net neutrality, privacy and liability.
Equifax says web server vulnerability led to hack
(Reuters, Sep 14, 2017)
Credit reporting company Equifax Inc blamed a web server vulnerability in its open-source software, called Apache Struts, for the recent data breach that compromised personal details of as many as 143 million U.S. consumers. The massive data breach had exposed valuable information to hackers between mid-May and July and sent Equifax shares tumbling, the company said last week.
Security clearance backlog leads DOD to give interim clearances to criminals
(CBS News, Sep 11, 2017)
The federal government is facing a backlog of 700,000 security clearance reviews, which has led agencies like the Defense Department to mistakenly issue interim passes to criminals. Criminals like rapists and killers have been able to obtain passes fueling calls for better and faster vetting of people with access to the nation's secrets. The pileup, which is government-wide, is causing work delays for both federal and private intelligence efforts.
iPhone X gets facial authentication, is the enterprise next?
(Help Net Security, Sep 15, 2017)
This week, Apple debuted the iPhone X which kills the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in favor of a 3D facial scanning technology called FaceID. While immediate reactions to Apple’s iPhone X announcement on social media have ranged from excitement to distrust and concern, it appears that widespread biometric authentication is here to stay for consumers. But when will facial recognition technology start being used in the enterprise?
Google takes hit in fight with feds over foreign data
(The Hill, Sep 14, 2017)
Google lost a battle with the federal government over a previously undisclosed request to turn over data stored on servers outside of the U.S., according to court filings. In the filings, Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected a move by Google to challenge a warrant demanding data from the company being stored overseas. On Sept. 5, Howell decided to hold the search giant in contempt for not turning over the documents, and fined Google $10,000 a day until it complies.
Like It or Not, Smartphones with Biometrics Will Soon Be the Norm
(eMarketer, Sep 14, 2017)
New research from Acuity Market Intelligence found that biometric technology will soon be ubiquitous on smartphones. The firm projects that nearly two-thirds of smartphones shipped worldwide this year will feature some sort of biometric capability. But it also estimates that by 2019, all smartphones worldwide will ship with biometric technology embedded in them.
Facial recognition database 'risks targeting innocent people'
(BBC, Sep 14, 2017)
The "rapid" growth of a police facial recognition database could lead to innocent people being unfairly targeted, a watchdog has warned. Biometrics Commissioner Paul Wiles said the Police National Database (PND) now had at least 19 million custody photographs on it. But it is thought that hundreds of thousands are of innocent people. The Home Office said police should delete images of unconvicted people if asked to do so.
iPhone X Confirms 3D Facial Recognition Is The Future Of Mobile Biometrics; FaceTec's ZoOm Brings 3D Face Authentication To All of Today's Mobile Devices
(Business Wire, Sep 13, 2017)
FaceTec’s ZoOm, the first universal 3D face authentication software solution, overcomes the expensive hardware requirements of the recently announced Apple iPhone X, clearing the path for immediate, widespread adoption of password-free 3D face authentication. “The iPhone X doesn’t have a fingerprint reader because Apple knows that a fingerprint only identifies the user, it does not truly authenticate them. For authentication you must verify identity, 3D depth and liveness concurrently,” said Josh Rose, CTO of FaceTec.
FPF Privacy Landscape Call
(FPF, Sep 15, 2017)
FPF's monthly Privacy Landscape call is scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017 from 4pm-5pm ET. We are fortunate to be joined by Uber's Menotti Minutillo and Steffi Bryson to discuss Uber's recently released open source project for differential privacy. In addition, Peter Swire will present and discuss his recently published expert testimony in the pending Irish High Court case involving Max Schrems and Facebook.
Cybertech Europe in Rome conference program now available online!
(Cybertech Conference, Sep 15, 2017)
Cybertech proudly invites you to join thousands of representatives from across Europe, Israel and around the world on the cyber world’s main stage at Cybertech Europe 2017! Join us at Cybertech Europe in Rome on September 26-27 for a 2-day conference and exhibition of the latest innovations and developments in the world of cyber!
