PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
This week we look at the Cameron’s plans to ban encrypted communication apps, Obama’s call for hacked companies to be more open, IoT worries, and Moonpig’s Android flaw.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron could block apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat if he wins the next election.
As part of his plans for new surveillance powers announced in the wake of the shootings in Paris, Cameron would stop the use of methods of communication that cannot be read by the security services, this includes chat and socials apps that encrypt their data, as well as Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
The comments came as part of the Prime Minister’s pledge to revive the “snoopers’ charter” to help security services spy on internet communications.
On the other side of the pond, US President Barack Obama has called for new legislation obligating US companies to be more open when they are subjected to hacking.
Meanwhile, James Lyne, global head of research at Sophos, has commented on overarching concerns around the security of IoT: “As a plethora of start-up app companies compete for our attention and business and consumer boundaries for Internet of Things (IoT) technologies become harder to define, security on these kinds of devices is no longer a “nice to have,” but a must-have. We can no longer assume these systems are secure. In the not-too-distant future, such systems could yield attacks that have a very personal impact on each of us.”
In other news, Moonpig had the accounts of three million users compromised after an attack on the company’s website. The attackers exploited a simple API flaw in Moonpig’s Android app. The popular greetings card website has closed its mobile apps in response.
