certificate

Google and Microsoft revealed today that a certificate authority based in Turkey "mistakenly" issued security certificates last month, and that a recipient of one of the e-documents in turn created a bogus certificate that could let it impersonate various Google sites.

According to a blog post by Google engineer Adam Langley, Chrome detected and blocked an unauthorized security certificate for the domain "*.google.com" on December 24. After blocking the certificate, Langley said, Google investigated and determined the certificate came from an intermediate certificate authority that linked back to the Turkish certificate authority TurkTrust.

Fraudulent certificates … Read more

We're down to the wire, just one day to go until the ho-ho-holiday. If you're a procrastinator like me, you might be scrambling to find a last-minute gift for, say, your favorite uncle/mail carrier/blogger.

No problem: all you need is your computer and, if you want something tangible you can put under the tree, a printer. The following stores let you print or e-mail gift certificates for fast, easy, and downright thoughtful giving.

Amazon.com On any Amazon page, click the Gift Cards link, then choose Digital or Print. Amazon offers a wealth of options in … Read more

In the past day a number of Safari users noticed a frequent and seemingly widespread error that claimed a certificate is invalid for a connection to the URL "static.ak.facebook.com," cautioning users against trusting the connection and providing options to continue or cancel the connection. The error seemed random in nature since it happened on different Web sites that use Facebook's embedded services such as the "Like" button, but also seemed to revolve around a recent event or change that is affecting only Safari users.

Upon viewing the invalid certificate when this error … Read more

Adobe said today it will revoke a code signing certificate after discovering malware that was digitally signed with the certificate.

"Adobe is currently investigating what appears to be the inappropriate use of an Adobe code signing certificate for Windows," Brad Arkin, senior director of security at Adobe, wrote in a blog post. "We plan to revoke the impacted certificate on October 4, 2012 for all software code signed after July 10, 2012."

"The evidence we have seen has been limited to a single isolated discovery of two malicious utilities signed using the certificate and indicates … Read more

The iPhone 5 is now officially certified for China.

Two models of Apple's flagship phone passed 3C (China Compulsory Certificate) certification on Monday, according to Sina Tech.

One goes by the model number A1429, which would be geared for China Unicom's WCDMA network and match up with the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 5, Sina Tech said. The other is model A1442, which would work on China Telecom's CDMA2000 network.

The 3C certification is a mandatory certificate system that inspects and approves various products to be sold in the Chinese market. The iPhone 5 faces two more challenges before it can reach China, … Read more

Upping the ante in the daily deals game, Yelp announced today that it will now let small-business owners offer gift certificates directly from their profile pages.

These gift certificates don't come with any sort of discount; they're just a simple way for users to buy cash presents for their friends, family, or colleagues. Yelp came up with this idea after a testing phase where it found that keeping deals separate from gift certificates is important because most people don't like to give discounted products as a present.

Here's how Yelp explained the new feature in a … Read more

Twitter launched a certification program today that clearly identifies which Twitter-based services the company values, no doubt further upsetting developers who have been left out of Twitter's good graces.

The micro-blogging site is focused on promoting companies that "bring some of the most innovative products and services" to businesses and organizations, according to a blog post from Seth Bindernagel, who works on platform marketing for Twitter.

Twitter recently tightened its restrictions for developers, drawing ire from some but solidifying its relationships with developers who created products that tie Twitter into the business world.

These developers include the … Read more

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- The journey to the heart of the operation reminded me of the late '60s TV show "Get Smart," where one heavily fortified door leads to another locked entryway followed by more complicated defenses in a seemingly never ending series of entry points requiring PINs, badges, and irises or fingers scans. I balked at the DNA test. Joking. Actually, I was just along for the exclusive tour, flanked by a group of engineers and executives with high-level security clearances.

This is the belly of Symantec's Certificate Authority operations, where the company creates digital certificates … Read more

Apple responded to criticism today for pulling its products from a green-electronics certification registry -- just as the city of San Francisco vowed to stop buying the company's desktops and laptops for that very reason.

According to The Loop, Apple said it uses rigorous environmental standards to measure its devices, many of which are not used by the certification registry. This registry is called EPEAT and was created by the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agency and several device manufacturers (including Apple). EPEAT lists products certified to be recyclable and energy efficient.

Here's what Apple's spokesperson … Read more