Stagefright and Security Fright

A new vulnerability in the Android OS points out not only problems with hardware and software generally, but with our bug bounty and patch management system for mass-market consumer products – you know, exactly the kinds of products that most need a patch management program. The fact that the critical vulnerability was discovered and reported…

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It Ain’t Your Data

Your bank records.  Your medical records.  Your bills.  Your phone records.  Your college grades.  What do all these things have in common?  None of them are YOURS. The United States Court of Appeals in Atlanta reinforced this concept when it allowed the government to get access to what is called “historical cell site data” without…

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The IoT and The End of the Ownership Society

When I was a kid, I owned a rather substantial record collection.  It included The Who, Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and other groups popular in the late ’60’s early 70’s.  I owned books including my father’s Funk & Wagnall’s encyclopedias, and games including Risk and Strat-o-Matic.  Increasingly, these will be seen as remnants of a…

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Dixie Announces Secure Communications Device

Editor’s Note.  Please note that this article was published on the first day of the fourth month of the year.  Treat accordingly. With competition heating up for secure communications providers, including Hushmail, Wickr, SilentMail, Signal and others, the Dixie corporation announced its own foray into the crowded field. The Fort James Company, which owns the…

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Privacy is Dead, San Mateo County Coroner Declares

Editor’s Note.  Please note that this article was published on the first day of the fourth month of the year.  Treat accordingly. San Mateo California coroner Larry L. Ison ruled on Thursday that Privacy was officially dead.  Privacy, which had last been seen in public more than three years ago, had been under almost constant…

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