Latest IT Security News and Updates for the Week

There are several interesting new developments in the security world, and here are some of the news stories from the week gone by that you should be looking at.

Facebook Whatsapp deal for $19 billion still not completed due to privacy concerns

If you have doubts about your private data being misused thanks to Facebook’s mammoth acquisition of Whatsapp, you’re not alone. Two watchdog groups based in the US have filed an FTC complaint against this deal. However, don’t expect much to change due to that. It’s time to accept that Facebook will now get access to your Whatsapp account and messages too. Read more about this story here.

One single tweet is all it takes to launch a full-blown hack against an individual

In the name of journalistic investigation, a CNET reporter decided to see how much information is really needed to hack someone’s digital life. The answer surprised him and also led him to a moral dilemma about where to stop. Read the whole story here.

An unlikely source of malware creation

Where does malware originate from? This is a question that is becoming increasingly difficult to answer. But if you were to hazard a guess and say that malware is made by state level Governments, then you may not be entirely wrong. Bizarrely, the Russian Government has been accused of creating malware. Note that this is just an accusation and not proven yet. You can see the whole story here.

China’s ‘mobile underground’ operates at rock bottom prices

Creating mobile malware takes time and money. However, if a hacker were to visit China’s mobile underground market, he could potentially acquire all the tools needed by him at dirt cheap prices. Read the whole story here.

Other news:

#1 Four security experts debate on how DDoS attacks can be combated by companies.

#2 Nine key things to consider while implementing a BYOD policy in your organization.

#3 The ‘Snowden Phone’ that encrypts and wipes out user data can be a gift or a curse.

Rahul Thadani