Month: July 2018

A Security Researcher currently has a BIG Problem with iOS 12

CompuScoop Staff July 3, 2018 1

“A new feature in iOS 12 makes it easier for you to handle two-factor authentication (2FA) requests,” Don Reisinger writes for Tom’s Guide. “But the process has provoked the ire of one security researcher who says it could cause real security problems, at least for some European online-banking customers.”

“In iOS 12, already available for beta testing, there’s a new Security Code AutoFill feature. When you receive a one-time passcode (OTP) sent to your phone via SMS for two-factor authentication purposes, the Security Code AutoFill automatically retrieves the number and gives you the option, above the keyboard, to simply tap on the code to populate the required field. A note above the number will say ‘From Messages’ to let you know from which app the number was retrieved,” Reisinger writes. “The idea is to make it easier for you to log into 2FA-enabled accounts and services. Ostensibly, if Apple sends a one-time code to your phone and you see it come in, you won’t need to jump between apps to get the code and log in.”

“This makes sense within an American context,” Reisinger writes, “but it may be dangerous in Europe, where many online banks, especially in German-speaking countries, use an additional security feature.”

Read more in the full article here.

Report: Google and other services lets 3rd parties read user’s email

CompuScoop Staff July 2, 2018 1

Just over a year after promising to no longer scan user emails in Gmail for personalized ads, Google is allowing outside developers to do just that, a new report says.

According to a Wall Street Journal report published Monday, Google continues to allow outside software developers to "scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools."

Vetted app developers that are part of Google's Gmail program are allowed to read these emails to create new services or app features. Normally, the bulk of emails are scanned electronically by computer software, but in some cases human employees are doing the reading.

For example, Return Path, a firm that skims emails for data of interest to marketers, scanned the inboxes of over 2 million people, leaving 8,000 unredacted emails to be read by its employees. Other marketing companies, as well as app makers, also gained access to Gmail emails.

Google is not alone in its practices, as Microsoft and Verizon's Oath Communications also let partners skim user emails. Oath, which formed out of Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo, says access is considered "on a case-by-case basis" and requires explicit consent from users, policies similar to those employed by Microsoft.

The report, based on interviews with more than 25 current and former employees of app developers and data companies, finds that the practice of reviewing email data has become common in the industry.

Google told the Journal that its own employees only read user emails "in very specific cases where you ask us to and give consent, or where we need to for security purposes, such as investigating a bug or abuse," while Google "lets any user revoke access to apps at any point."

In June of 2017, Google announced that later in that year, the company would begin serving ads based on a user's setting, meaning that consumer Gmail accounts would not be used or scanned for any ads personalization.

DirecTV Now is going UP in August

CompuScoop Staff July 2, 2018 2

DirecTV Now's parent company, AT&T, announced that it will be raising the service's monthly price by $5.00.

The slight rate increase will go into effect on August 1st.

Accordingly, the company's "Just Right," "Go Big," and "Gotta Have It" bundleswill cost $55, $65, and $75. These offer 80-, 100-, and 120-plus channels, respectively.

The new pricing is comparable to PlayStation Vue or YouTube TV, and follows hikes by the latter and Sling TV. It also comes shortly after the $85 billion Time Warner takeover by DirecTV Now's parent company, AT&T.

The carrier defended its move as a way to "continue delivering the best possible streaming experience for both new and existing customers" by "bringing the cost of this service in line with the market."

The Future of the International Space Station (ISS) may be in doubt

CompuScoop Staff July 2, 2018 2

This is the 18th year of continuous human presence in space. Students graduating high school this summer have lived their entire lives in a time when men and women are continuously orbiting in space above them.

Last week, a Senate subcommittee met to determine whether the United States would continue to fund the space station over the next decade.

Advocates of the International Space Station feel that the iconic space laboratory plays a vital role in America's continued journey into space and that it creates economic opportunity and spurs innovation through the unique research opportunities available in space.

Around 1,100 Boeing employees work with NASA every day to operate and maintain the space station. Jim Chilton, Boeing's vice president of Space and Launch Systems, took the stand to deliver an impassioned salute to the International Space Station and its mission.

Chilton highlighted that the International Space Station "is far more capable now than it was even seven years ago. And with the NASA-Boeing team focused on operations 24-7-365, we are able to operate in a mindset of continuous improvement for safety and reliability."

Source: Watch U.S. Fly