Tag Archives: Web Security

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 […]

Microsoft Releases Critical Out-of-Band Patch for Kerberos Bug

UPDATE–Microsoft on Tuesday released a rare out-of-band patch for a critical vulnerability in several versions of Windows and Windows Server, including Windows 8 and 8.1. The Ms14-068 vulnerability is a flaw in the Kerberos implementation in Windows that could enable an attacker to elevate his privileges on a machine from user to administrator. The bug is […]

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 […]

AT&T Drops Controversial Tracking Header

When information came out earlier this month that some mobile carriers were injecting unique identifying “supercookies” into their users’ Web traffic, privacy groups and users were angered. The practice, used by Verizon and AT&T, enables advertisers to track users’ behavior and assemble information on their activities. Now, AT&T says it has ended the practice. AT&T officials […]

Microsoft Considering Public-Key Pinning for Internet Explorer

Microsoft is considering adding public-key pinning–an important defense against man-in-the-middle attacks–to Internet Explorer. The feature is designed to help protect users against the types of MITM attacks that rely on forged certificates, which comprise a large portion of those attacks. Attackers use forged or stolen certificates to trick victims’ browsers into trusting a malicious site […]