Security IT
Privacy
Microsoft sues US government over gag orders on customer data grabs
![Orders that prevent Microsoft telling their customers when they're being surveilled are becoming more common, according ...](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/o/7/a/5/x/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.go78u8.png/1460691727958.jpg)
Matt Day Tech company says US 'has exploited the transition to cloud computing as a means of expanding its power to conduct secret investigations'.
FBI paid professional hackers to crack San Bernardino iPhone
![The researchers were paid a one-time flat fee for the solution.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/z/m/i/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.go50x9.png/1460557944834.jpg)
Ellen Nakashima The people who helped the US government come from the sometimes shadowy world of hackers and security researchers who profit from finding flaws in companies’ software or systems.
Security
FBI trick for breaking into iPhone likely to leak, experts say
![The FBI have cracked an encrypted iPhone without Apple's help, but their methods are likely to be revealed.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/z/m/i/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gnyqms.png/1459828695749.jpg)
Joseph Menn The FBI's method for breaking into a locked iPhone 5c is unlikely to stay secret for long, according to senior Apple engineers and outside experts.
Security
Barack Obama weighs in on iPhone access debate
![President Barack Obama talks with Evan Smith, Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune, during South by Southwest.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/i/8/8/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gni7vf.png/1457917644390.jpg)
Jeff Mason Aiming to sidestep Apple's dispute with the FBI, US president makes case for access to device data in certain circumstances.
Apple v FBI: what the fight is about and why you should care
![A row of colourful iPhone 5Cs.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/6/g/6/y/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gn9nhl.png/1457105203408.jpg)
Hannah Francis Apple is in the middle of a legal fight with the FBI over creating a 'back door' to unlock a terrorist's iPhone.
Scams
Hacking peak hour takes Aussies for a ride
![Hackers aim to hit you when you're at your busiest and least vigilant.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/u/n/c/4/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gn1u4j.png/1456262188592.jpg)
Adam Turner Tuesday morning is peak hour for hackers as social engineering becomes their weapon of choice, shifting away from security exploits to focus on tricking people into doing their bidding.
Metadata
Ricochet uses power of the dark web to help journalists, sources dodge metadata laws
![Richochet uses the Tor network to automatically give users dark web anonymity.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/c/v/c/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmy7fl.png/1455853972088.jpg)
Andrew Colley A new internet messaging tool that sidesteps the federal government's metadata collection regime to help journalists protect whistle blowers and assists human rights activists has received a tick of approval from security experts.
Hack
US hospital pays $24k ransom after cyber attack locks medical records
![Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/5/t/y/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmy4ww.png/1455845023871.jpg)
Justin Wm. Moyer Not too long ago, taking the United States' wild, messy, unreliable system of medical records online seemed like a worthy goal. But there's a cost.
US had cyber attack planned if Iran nuclear deal failed
![The US has developed sophisticated programs to conduct cyber wars, but their efficacy is unproven.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/s/u/o/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmw14v.png/1455775931843.jpg)
David E Sanger and Mark Mazzetti Documentary film shows program was boosted partly because of evidence Israel was preparing a strike against Iran's nuclear sites.
Security
Good riddance to the Java plugin
![Java is installed on roughly 850 million computers worldwide.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/t/8/l/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmk4p4.png/1454447402558.png)
Brian Krebs Long overdue step should cut down dramatically on the number of computers infected with malicious software.
Australian companies 'open to cyber crime'
![Australian firms are not taking security seriously enough, says Deloitte.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/j/p/q/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmiwrw.png/1454306685176.jpg)
Stuart Condie Local super funds, insurers and corporates all guilty of caving to hackers, thereby perpetuating cyber-crime, according to Deloitte.
Security
Telstra privacy breach leaves customer's voicemail exposed
![Testra chief executive Andrew Penn: "It is important we allow them to voice their own views."](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/y/5/2/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gmbpjm.png/1460600473213.jpg)
Hannah Francis Richard Thornton did a factory reset on his second-hand iPhone 5, but the buyer kept receiving his voicemail.
Anonymous hacks Thai police websites to protest Myanmar workers' death penalties
![This image was displayed on some Thai police websites.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/0/p/o/l/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm0pk2.png/1452089418112.jpg)
Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat The words 'Failed Law', 'We Want Justice', and '#BoycottThailand' displayed to protest controversial trial over murders of two UK tourists.
Data
Personal information of more than 190m American voters appears online
![So far nobody has stepped forward to take ownership of the database.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/6/f/l/2/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glwma6.png/1453150757326.jpg)
Andrea Peterson Questions raised about the security chops of political campaigns who increasingly hold large caches of personal data.
Security
Hyatt Hotels attacked with malware
![Hyatt has 627 hotels across 52 countries, including Australia.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/u/s/2/2/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glurtl.png/1451008658133.jpg)
Merchants warned of new strain of payment-card-stealing malware which evades almost all security software.
Security
Makers of notoriously insecure Java software ordered to help PC users clean it up
![Jave is installed on roughly 850 million computers worldwide.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/t/8/l/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glt7k8.png/1450749495700.png)
Brian Fung Oracle, one of the world's largest tech companies, has been accused by the US government of misleading consumers about the security of its software Java, which is installed on roughly 850 million computers.
Security
Twitter warns users about potential 'state-sponsored' hacks
![Attackers may have been looking for "email addresses, IP addresses, and/or phone numbers", Twitter says.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/s/0/j/9/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnhg1.png/1452026967052.jpg)
For the first time Twitter has issued a warning to certain users that their accounts may have been targets for attack
Security
In security, humans are the weakest link
![Firewalls won't stop a loud-talking executive divulging sensitive information to everyone on a train.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/d/u/0/m/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gle7x1.png/1450064122156.jpg)
Cynthia Karena A man on a suburban train in Sydney is on his phone, loudly discussing a current tender process for new desktops for Telstra. Behind him sits Milton Baar, director of security firm The Swoose Partnership, who recognises the guy on the phone, Richard, an employee from a major IT company that is a Telstra supplier.
ACT libraries tackle cyber bullying with eSafe Spaces
![Librarians, from left, Dimitris Lioulios and Amanda Diedricks at the Dickson Library have both been trained to use the ...](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/9/e/q/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl7s00.png/1449455751881.jpg)
Clare Sibthorpe A new pilot website will also make it easier for material to be taken off the internet.
Delayed Australian data breach notification bill lands
![Companies at present aren't legally required to disclose breaches, but they can do so voluntarily.](/web/20160505045615im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/v/7/h/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glfbnt.png/1449203416896.jpg)
Ben Grubb Australians will be informed of certain breaches of their personal information under new laws being proposed by the Turnbull government, but only if the company or organisation breached turns over $3 million in revenue a year.