Security
‘These are civic dangers to everyone’
EXILED NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden weighs in on what many people see as the ‘disaster’ of Trump running the world’s largest surveillance program.
No secrets: Your car is watching you
YOUR next new car will know where you’re driving, where you’ve parked, and even how often you’ve braked. The computing power behind it is incredible.
Deep inside the Dark Web
WHAT is the Dark Web and how does it operate? From drugs and guns to contract killers, a look inside the encrypted network.
‘It was a pea shooter, not a bazooka’
THE attack that shutdown the Census has been exaggerated with the system just “falling over”, according to one Senator.
IBM messes up Census but no one’s sacked
NO one at IT giant IBM has been sacked or disciplined over the botched census, but its managing director has unreservedly apologised for the shutdown.
IBM blames ‘Island Australia’
IBM might be sorry for the bungled 2016 Census, but the company didn’t miss a chance to shift the blame.
China’s creepy ‘Big Brother’ system
IT’S the kind of thing you’re only supposed to read about in dystopian novels, but the Chinese government is turning it into a chilling reality.
Cyber attacks disrupt PayPal, Twitter
HACKERS targeting a little known internet infrastructure company have disrupted access to dozens of websites in the US and Western Europe.
Government ‘hammered’ over WhatsApp
GEORGE Brandis could do nothing but stare blankly ahead and say nothing during a heated moment as the government was grilled over its use of WhatsApp.
‘The threats are unprecedented’
RUSSIA and the US are embroiled in a dangerous new spat, as America accuses the Kremlin of interfering in its election and promises to counter-attack.
Early adopters can be early victims
PARENTS creating Facebook and Instagram accounts for their kids are letting them in for unintended consequences.
Apple responds to pic-sharing claims
STAFF at a Brisbane Apple store have been fired after they were caught stealing and rating customers’ pictures as part of a photo-sharing ring.
We’re under attack, it’s time to fight back
A NEW report shows Australia is being targeted by hackers, with one expert saying we need to protect ourselves using a “cyber militia”.
Government: Proof foreign spies hacked us
THE Government has confirmed foreign spies hacked into the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to steal sensitive documents.
NSA contactor arrested for security breach
FEARING another Snowden case, the US National Security Agency has arrested one of its own contractors on charges that he removed classified information.
Yahoo gave US govt access to emails
YAHOO reportedly scanned hundreds of millions of email accounts at the behest of US intelligence or law enforcement.
Fears over new ‘Great British Firewall’
THE UK’s top cyber security official has revealed plans to introduce a national internet filter, sparking concerns of a British version of China’s notorious firewall.
Could this be Snowden’s lifeline?
HE’S been in exile for the last four years, but with his residency in Russia running out, this whistleblowing American has made a final bid to come home.
Exiled Snowden pleads for pardon
US whistleblower Edward Snowden has made his case for a presidential pardon from Barack Obama, saying his actions had been “morally necessary”.
What we are not asking China
CHINA’S been buying up Aussie land, funding our pollies and attacking our computer systems. What exactly do they want?
Porn site accounts exposed in hack
OVER 800,000 users of the porn site Brazzers have had their personal details exposed in a major security breach.
IS plans to eclipse Sydney siege
IS is trying to spark a terror attack in Australia that would eclipse the Sydney Siege, a counter-terrorism expert has warned.
’Your fridge is spying on you’
WHAT happens when the smart technology in your kitchen appliances becomes too intelligent it actually poses a risk to your privacy?
Free games luring kids to porn
IT LOOKS innocent, but one of the most popular free gaming sites has a dark underbelly. This is a wakeup call for parents.
19 schools added to porn site hit list
THE porn site maliciously “hunting” schoolgirls is back and even more schools have been added as targets. We have the full list.
Police secret weapon arrests 370
HE’S the modern-day Sherlock so effective even criminals respect him. And he isn’t even a fulltime cop. Check out his amazing superpower.
Hidden danger of sharing kids’ pics
JUST because everyone is sharing photos of babies and kids, doesn’t mean it should be done — OR that it’s safe.
ABS faces Origin-sized challenge
HOW many people still need to do the 2016 Census? Here are the numbers in terms of figures we all understand — State of Origin crowds.
Why we type annoying letters
EVER wondered why you have to spell out those two words online to prove you’re not a robot? You’re actually part of a cool project.
Victoria probes electronic voting
DESPITE the online disaster from the national Census, Victoria is pushing ahead with public hearings on electronic voting.
Aussie schoolgirl porn site removed
A WEBSITE targeting female students at more than 70 Australian schools has been taken down after an underage girl came forward.
ABS slammed as Census site crashes again
THE reputation of the ABS has been dealt another blow, with the Census website unavailable yet once more this morning. Here we go again.
‘I’m scared my boss might see’
MADELEINE was just 15 when she unwittingly fell victim to a predatory, middle-aged photographer. Now the photos are online.
Gmail in trouble for reading emails
A US judge has ruled that Google scanning your emails for advertising purposes is not defensible as standard practice.
‘It’s as if I got classed as a porn star’
NAKED pictures of a Queensland teen have been posted online, after it was revealed men were offering “bonus points” for them.
What to do if you’re a porn site victim
A TEAM of former police detectives has advice for any Australians caught up in the online pornography ring. Here’s what you should do.
School porn ring investigated
STATE and federal police will investigate an online porn sharing site that has targeted girls at least 70 schools across the country.
Students make mockery of Census
AS the ABS spends days getting its $9 million census server back to full operation, two students have built a version four times better — for $500.
$450,000 of your money is gone for good
FRAUDSTERS put in place an elaborate scam that has claimed the most high profile Australian scalp yet.
Why everyone is hating on IBM
THE government is looking for who to blame for the big Census fail and it’s certainly not the first time they’ve been screwed by IBM.
Other victim of the Census fiasco
THE “appalling incompetence” of Census night has dealt a terminal body blow to a plan Australians were just starting to support.
FBI’s dark warning for Silicon Valley
THE director of the FBI has a warning for Silicon Valley and wants to resolve a major issue before “something terrible happens”.
How would we actually vote electronically?
MALCOLM Turnbull and Bill Shorten have backed electronic voting to stop election delays but how do you actually cast a ballot online?
The atomic bomb of cyber warfare
IN 2010 nuclear facilities in Iran were secretly brought down with an unrecognisable computer code that has changed the face of global warfare.
Phishing scam targets GoT pirates
SOME ISPs have reportedly been tricked by a phishing scam, passing it on the customers believed to have downloaded GoT.
Donald Trump has a powerful new weapon
DONALD Trump just got the ammunition he needed to revive his faltering presidential campaign, thanks to the one person Americans dislike.
How we can avoid this election mess next time
ABC numbers man Antony Green says Australia needs to consider a different method of voting to speed up the long wait for results.
Why can’t we vote online?
IT MIGHT mean the end of the sausage sizzle but would this way of voting be worth it if we got the result in minutes, not weeks?
iPhone users target of Apple ID scam
A NEW scam targeting iPhone users is making the rounds, with victims being tricked into sharing personal details with cyber criminals.
China’s big threat to peace in 2030
IT’S a scary, but potentially real threat facing the world by 2030. Expert warns China’s cyber capabilities will be more dangerous than anything else.
US debate cutting internet in Syria
THE US military has been stepping up its cyber war against the Islamic State but there’s one thing they’re reluctant to do.
When will Australia create a cyber militia?
EVEN the tiny country of Estonia is leaving us in the dust when it comes to building a cyber militia. But one Aussie university wants to change that.
Silicon Valley and FBI at war
GOOGLE, Facebook and Yahoo are among a coalition trying to prevent the FBI from having access to everyone’s internet browsing history.
Creepy way Google will kill off passwords
TYPING in your password may seem like a hassle, but Google’s alternative is just a little bit creepy.
The $180m company with no staff
A COMPANY has launched the most successful crowdfunding campaign in history. The thing is it has no CEO and no staff.
Small business vulnerable to hacks
THE government has designated $230 million to shore up the country’s cyber security capabilities. But industry insiders say small businesses are at risk.
Sydney’s $580 million man of mystery
SYDNEY man Craig Wright claimed to be the person everyone has been looking for. But is he really the Satoshi Nakamoto?
FBI won’t say how it hacked phone
IN a move with far-reaching security implications, the FBI says it will not publicly disclose how a locked iPhone used by the San Bernardino attackers was accessed.
US ‘dropping cyber bombs’ on IS
THE US is undertaking a new cyber strategy in an effort to annihilate the Islamic State, and it’s in the public domain for a reason.
‘Beautiful People’ dating site hacked
MORE than a million users of the looks-based Beautiful People dating website, including some Australians, have had their private details leaked online.
On the offensive in war on cyber crime
RECENT online attacks have prompted the federal government to announce a $230 million cyber safety plan, comprised of 33 different strategies to hit back at the hackers.
‘Someone will end up in a body bag’
THERE are fears someone will “end up in a body bag” over a digital vigilante’s Facebook page purporting to out alleged police informants.
‘Wench’ insult no excuse, Senator
SARAH Hanson-Young got a nasty email from a disgruntled punter. What she did next should never have happened.
Lads hunting down paedophiles
A PAIR of London mates ambushed a paedophile and captured the moment on film. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.
Jihadists’ ‘relax and reload’ plan
HOLY war supporters laugh off “wannabe hackers” Anonymous’ claims they will bring war to ISIS, unveiling a simple strategy.
Uber offers bounty for hackers
UBER has stepped up its fight against hackers with a program involving treasure maps and a loyalty scheme for friendly hackers.
FBI’s huge lie has been exposed
THIS whole time the FBI claimed it was at the mercy of Apple’s engineers. It turns out, they were likely playing for something else.
Facebook’s hidden world of nudity
A MELBOURNE man pretended he was a woman to access nude photos from a closed FB group, then sent them to a lad’s website. Outrage followed.
Beware of Australia Post virus
SECURITY experts have warned about a “highly advanced” new virus. The scariest part is how easily it can trick you.
Banking apps breached by virus
MILLIONS of customers could be vulnerable to a security breach on their mobile banking apps. All Big Four banks are affected.
First ransomware found on Mac
THE first fully functional ransomware targeting Apple’s Mac OS X operating system has been identified by security specialists.
McAfee says he lied about cracking iPhone
NOTORIOUS programmer John McAfee said he lied about cracking the iPhone at the centre of a legal battle between the FBI and Apple. But he had a good reason for doing so.
‘Cyber Anakin’ wants MH17 revenge
A HACKER, who calls himself Cyber Anakin after the Star Wars character, is taking aim at Russian websites to avenge the MH17 crash.
Start-ups admit to their insecurities
INTERNET heavyweights are backing Apple in its privacy fight with the FBI because a loss means a world of pain for smaller tech companies.
FBI: Apple is using ‘vicious guard dog’
APPLE and the FBI have fronted the US congress in order to resolve an increasingly heated battle over who can access your digital life.
‘Security of hundreds of millions at stake’
APPLE CEO Tim Cook has penned a passionate email to staff, explaining why a US government demand to hack a user’s phone is “unlawful”.
Three biggest threats to the world
A DIRE warning has been issued by intelligence chiefs overnight following the release of a worldwide threat assessment report.
Sextortion threat after nude photo
A BRAVE victim of ‘sextortion’ has spoken out to describe how he was tricked into exposing himself online, then threatened with blackmail.
End to net’s most annoying thing
THEY drive us crazy and are easily the most frustrating thing on the internet, but Google has just declared war on them.
When online fantasies turn fatal
NICOLE Lovell, 13, died after her online fantasy world with an older man exploded into real-life murder.
New scams you need to know
THINK you're immune to phone and internet scams? Well, think again, because smart new scams are robbing us blind.
The worst passwords of 2015
IF you are using on the 25 passwords in this article, you should change now or you are making it easy as possible for hackers to gain access to your accounts
Total anarchy on the internet
WE THOUGHT Silk Road was bad with its illicit drug sales. What’s sprung up in its place is much worse than we’ve seen before.
Revenge porn king has change of heart
SCOTT Breitenstein’s business was so nasty, he could ruin your life with a single Google search. Now he’s performed a stunning about-face.
Huge change coming to Explorer
A MASSIVE change coming into effect today changes everything you know about Internet Explorer. If you use it, pay attention.
Revenge porn laws dangerously ‘soft’
AUSTRALIA’S most senior prosecutor has warned federal laws are unable to properly protect women from revenge porn attacks by bitter ex-lovers.
Millions exposed in Hello Kitty leak
THE personal information of over three million Hello Kitty fans has been exposed in a major breach of the popular brand’s security.
Biggest threat to cybersecurity in 2016
SECURITY experts have warned of the latest threat to internet security, as hackers look to make attacks more personal.
30 biggest threats to the world in 2016
FROM Islamic State to Russian aggression, there has been a lot to worry about in 2015. But brace yourself, because next year could be even worse.
World War III will be cyber war
PUT away the tanks and bombs — World War III will be fought online and Islamic State is better prepared than us.
Julian Assange to be grilled for rape
ECUADOR and Sweden have reached an agreement that will see the Australian founder of Wikileaks questioned over longstanding rape allegations.
Trump wants to ’close’ the internet
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Donald Trump has detailed his latest plan to combat radical extremism and it could be his most ludicrous idea yet.
‘We have to wise up, it’s pathetic’
MANY think Australia is too small and unimportant for hackers to bother with, but one expert says we need to take the threat seriously.
China’s cyber attack on weather bureau
THE Bureau of Meteorology has had its sensitive systems compromised by a major cyber attack being blamed on China.
The sinister world of online arms dealers
THE dark web may be known as an online marketplace for the purchase of illicit drugs, but it is also home to something far more sinister.
Anonymous fail in war against IS
ANONYMOUS set out to utterly destroy IS, but its campaign might be backfiring. A breakaway group claims it has a better plan.
Trump’s outrageous idea to stop terrorism
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Donald Trump caused a stir after his latest idea to stop terrorism was likened to ‘Nazi Germany’.
Australia’s biggest emerging cybersecurity threat
INTEL Security’s 2016 Threat Predictions report has been released and it flags one major problem it expects to plague Australians next year.
‘Top secret’ leak lands Defence grad in jail
HE might have been trying to become the next Julian Assange, but all Michael Scerba achieved was a jail sentence.
Online love scam targeting Aussie women
THE identity of a man believed to be dying from cancer was stolen and used to trick Australian women into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars.
