Security news updates from the last week

Android apps are still not completely secure, say German researchers
German researchers have found that heavily encrypted Android apps are also susceptible to losing crucial data about their users. They tested several free apps from Google Play and found that they could successfully carry out man-in-the-middle attacks against most of these. They were also able to extract vital information from the victims’ smartphones and inject malware signatures into the devices as well.

Major banks hit by DDoS chain of attacks
Several banks in the United States have recently been hit by a spate of DDoS attacks. These include HSBC, Bank of America, Capital One, Wells Fargo and many others. Rival hacker groups have claimed to be responsible for these attacks but the real source is still unknown. DDoS attacks have become very common around the world but fortunately, no crucial data was stolen via these attacks.

Sony PlayStation 3 master hack is revealed to the world
PlayStation 3 owners can either take comfort from this story or be very worried. A group of hackers has cracked the Level 0 security layer within the iconic system and this opens up the console to several homebrew hacks and also provides it with the ability to play pirated games (with the custom firmware). While the console is near the end of its lifecycle, this opens up millions of PS3 owners to unwanted threats and risks.

Credit card machines at multiple B&N stores rigged to steal details
It has been reported that 63 Barnes & Noble stores across the US were rigged with malicious credit card machines. These incidents occurred in the month of September and B&N kept this under wraps to allow the FBI to conduct a smooth investigation. The bugs planted in the swipe machines stole vital credit card details and also the PIN of these cards when they were used by a victim.

Rahul Thadani