Tag Archives: NSA

NSA Official: Support for Compromised Dual EC Algorithm Was ‘Regrettable’

In a new article in an academic math journal, the NSA’s director of research says that the agency’s decision not to withdraw its support of the Dual EC_DRBG random number generator after security researchers found weaknesses in it and questioned its provenance was a “regrettable” choice. Michael Wertheimer, the director of researcher at the National […]

WhatsApp Adds Encryption by Default to Android App

WhatsApp, a massively popular messaging app, recently added end-to-end encryption for some mobile clients, a move that brings a high level of security to millions of users. The change is the result of a partnership with Open Whisper Systems, the secure text and mobile OS company started by security researcher Moxie Marlinspike. Twitter acquired Open […]

IAB Urges Designers to Make Encryption the Default

The Internet Architecture Board, the body in charge of overseeing the structure of many of the Internet’s key standards, has recommended that encryption be the default traffic option for protocols. The recommendation comes after more than 18 months of revelations about the pervasive surveillance activities online by intelligence agencies. The IAB is part of the […]

NSA Director Says Agency Shares Vast Majority of Bugs it Finds

When the National Security Agency discovers a new vulnerability that looks like it might be of use in penetrating target networks, the agency considers a number of factors, including how popular the affected software is and where it’s typically deployed, before deciding whether to share the new bug. The agency shares most of the bugs […]

Wyden: Surveillance is a ‘Clear and Present Danger’ to the Digital Economy

The pervasive dragnet surveillance of Americans revealed by the Edward Snowden documents has caused serious damage to the trust that enterprises and citizens had in the United States government and unless that trust is repaired, it could have serious effects on the Internet economy, a panel of prominent technology executives said. In a town hall meeting […]

Research Finds No Large Scale Heartbleed Exploit Attempts Before Vulnerability Disclosure

In the days and weeks following the public disclosure of the OpenSSL Heartbleed vulnerability in April, security researchers and others wondered aloud whether there were some organizations–perhaps the NSA–that had known about the bug for some time and had been using it for targeted attacks. A definitive answer to that question may never come, but […]