Black Hat: Privacy risk in e-Passports

Hackers and security experts head for Las Vegas once again for the Black Hat Briefings, to probe tech security and see what shakes out. This year should see a departure from the usual bug hunting and break-ins: Microsoft has reserved a slot to outline the defenses, rather than the weaknesses, in Vista's code. The event is followed by Defcon, the annual hacker gathering also taking place in Vegas.

Vista breached at Black Hat

podcast Joris Evers and Robert Vamosi for highlights from the annual Black Hat and Defcon security events in Las Vegas.

New passports and ID cards with RFID are surprisingly easy to clone, researchers at Black Hat and Defcon said.

Defcon gets off to a late start

blog Defcon, the annual hacker gathering in Las Vegas, got off to a late start on Friday thanks to the Las Vegas Fire Department.

Researcher bypasses a security mechanism designed to prevent some driver software from running in the Windows update.

Multifunction printers are not dumb devices, but are computers that require a security regimen, a demo at Black Hat contends.

XP weaknesses worry Black Hatters, report says

blog Symantec surveys confab attendees on which OS concerns them most when it comes to potential vulnerabilities.

Popular RSS and Atom feeds could carry malicious JavaScript code that could compromise a PC, an expert warns.

Talks go down well with hackers looking to find out just what the company's doing to make Vista its most secure operating system ever.

The rise of rootware

blog Researchers laid out a beginner's course on rootkits to kick off a day of programming around that topic, writes CNET Reviews' Robert Vamosi.

Wi-Fi demo bruises Apple security

blogma The use of a MacBook in the break-in demo draws the attention of the blogosphere.

Programs are meant to improve security, but attackers can also use them to disconnect calls, reassign extensions or flood systems with bogus calls.

Flaws in software that runs wireless-networking hardware could let attackers take over PCs, including Macs, researchers at Black Hat warn.

A Cisco zero-day at Black Hat?

blog Company is quietly investigating a possible flaw that was mentioned during a talk on VoIP.

Criminals using Web apps to hide attacks

blog CNET Reviews' Robert Vamosi describes recent case studies where criminals used Web applications to break into companies.

Don't call it in

blog CNET Reviews' Robert Vamosi on vishing--yet another way that phishers are trying to get you to give up your personal information.

At the annual Black Hat security confab, an FBI official says the agency needs help from the security world to fight cybercrime.

Keyboard profiling at Black Hat

blog A keyboard analyst claims to be able to tell gender, handedness, and even whether you are a musician from typing, says CNET Reviews' Robert Vamosi.

The annual event usually focuses on breaking into systems. This year, a series of Microsoft-themed sessions takes a different tack.

What's coming from Las Vegas

podcast In this CNET News.com podcast, reporter Joris Evers talks about what may come out of Black Hat and Defcon.

Security has become a no-brainer for desktop software, but the same doesn't hold true for the booming world of Web applications.

Sen. Tom Coburn says government still isn't ready to handle a "cyber Katrina," calls for immediate change.

Microsoft has quietly held meetings with top antivirus researchers for almost 10 years, but there's some unease now that Redmond is a rival.

E-passport flaws
Researchers warn of potentially serious risks
August 8, 2006

Breaking into a MacBook
Flawed Wi-Fi drivers can expose PCs
August 2, 2006

Hacking at Defcon
Scenes from the show.
August 8, 2006

Prying open an e-Passport
Hacker at DefCon shows how.
August 6, 2006

Drive-by hacks from a suitcase
Scans for Bluetooth devices, then attacks them.
August 3, 2006

Wi-Fi hackers at Black Hat
Guys behind the MacBook break-in.
August 3, 2006

FBI talks to hackers
Calls for help at Black Hat confab.
August 2, 2006

July 28, 2006

July 27, 2006

July 29, 2005