Paul Wallbank – Brilliant Communications

Tag: security

  • Locking down the firmware of the internet of things

    Locking down the firmware of the internet of things

    There’s a fundamental problem with smart devices warns Kim Zetter and Andy Greenberg in Wired magazine.

    In Why Firmware Is So Vulnerable to Hacking, and What Can Be Done About It, Zetter and Green look at the problem with the embedded software that is shipped with every computerised device from Personal Computers to smart sensors.

    The problem with firmware is that it’s difficult to check it’s not been changed, awkward to upgrade and complex to find, the Wired piece mentions how even the batteries in Apple laptops have vulnerable software embedded into their chips.

    As the smart devices become common in our homes, cars and workplaces suppliers will have to do more to secure their software.

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  • Technology’s crisis of trust

    Technology’s crisis of trust

    Last night for the monthly ABC Nightlife tech spot we looked at Samsung’s spying TVs and some of the other aspects of security with connected devices.

    During the listeners’ calls it became very clear many are worried and scared by technology’s rapid progress. This is a challenge for the leaders of both the tech industry and governments.

    Trust in the tech industry isn’t being helped by the revelation Lenovo computers have been loaded with Adware that, among other things, interferes with secure website connections.

    Lenovo’s actions raise a serious concern for business as many of those home units may have been connected to office networks under corporate Bring Your Own Device policies and the spoofing of security certificates could cause no end of problems and risks for IT managers.

    Another concern Lenovo’s actions raise is about the Internet of Things; if various devices on a network are messing with data integrity, confidence in the information being generated is eroded.

    For the tech industry, it’s essential to regain the community’s trust. Equally however it’s essential for business and political leaders to have an honest conversation with voters and workers on how the structure of the workforce is changing.

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  • Your TV is watching you. ABC Nightlife February 2015

    Your TV is watching you. ABC Nightlife February 2015

    Paul Wallbank joins Tony Delroy on ABC Nightlife nationally from 10pm Australian Eastern time on Thursday, February 19 to discuss how technology affects your business and life.

    If you missed the show, the program is available for download from the ABC site.

    For the February 2015 program Tony and Paul look at robot driven hotels, the internet of rubbish bins and how your TV could be listening to you.

    Last year a lawyer read the terms and conditions of his new Samsung TV and discovered that the company recommended people don’t discuss sensitive information around it. This has lead to widespread, and justified, concerns that all our smart devices – not just TVs but smartphones and connected homes – could be listening to us. What happens to this data and can we trust the people collecting it?

    The internet of rubbish bins

    It’s not only your TV or smartphone that could be watching you, in Western Australia Broome Shire Council is looking at tracking rubbish bins to make sure only council issued ones are emptied.

    Shire of Broome waste coordinator Jeremy Hall told WA Today  the council’s garbage truck drivers had noticed more bins than usual were getting emptied and a system needed to be put in place to identify “legitimate” bins.

    While Australian councils are struggling with rubbish bins a hotel in Japan is looking to replace its staff with robots and room keys with face recognition software. The Hen-na Hotel is due to open later this year in Nagasaki Prefecture, the Japan Times reports.

    Join us

    Tune in on your local ABC radio station from 10pm Australian Eastern Summer time or listen online at www.abc.net.au/nightlife.

    We’d love to hear your views so join the conversation with your on-air questions, ideas or comments; phone in on 1300 800 222 within Australia or +61 2 8333 1000 from outside Australia.

    You can SMS Nightlife’s talkback on 19922702, or through twitter to @paulwallbank using the #abcnightlife hashtag or visit the Nightlife Facebook page.

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  • Carbanak raises the information security stakes

    Carbanak raises the information security stakes

    “The most sophisticated attack the world has seen to date” is how Kaspersky Lab’s North American managing director Chris Doggett describes the massive Carbanak electronic bank fraud that could have cost victims up to a billion dollars.

    Using a range of techniques, the Carbanak gang cracked their targets’ networks, right down to monitoring financial firm officers through their computers, and stole money through through the banks’ own ATM networks.

     

    “That’s where the money is.” Was 1930s bank robber Willie Sutton’s response to being asked why he robbed banks and that is what’s driving the Carbanak gang.

    For every Willie Sutton or Carbanak gang there’s a million opportunistic street muggers and script kiddies looking for stealing a few dollars from weak targets though and this is what the average small business or individual needs to be careful about.

    Last week Kaspersky reported that nearly a quarter of all phishing attacks targeted financial data. The amounts being stolen are minuscule compared to Carbank’s ill gotten gains but far less work is required to crack a home or small business account.

    For any large organisation that hasn’t learned from the Sony or Target hacks, the Carbank heist should be warning that information security is now a responsibility of executives and boards. All of us though have to take care with our data and systems.

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  • In tech we trust

    In tech we trust

    “There is a big problem with trust today,” says cable operator Liberty Global’s Micheal T. Fries.

    He was sitting on a fascinating panel at the World Economic Forum this week with Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee looks at the issue of trust in the tech world.

    In a world where everyone wants access to our data, it’s a pertinent and timely discussion from people at the front line of where these issues of ethics and privacy are being dealt with.

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