"47 Prominent Technologists to NSA Review Panel: We Need Better Technical Oversight"
October 4, 2013 | Dan Auerbach, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Press
A group of prominent technologists submitted a letter today to the NSA Review Group, a body charged with conducting a review of NSA activities that does not currently have a technologist as a member. The letter urges the Review Group to seek assistance from independent technologists in order to conduct a thorough review, and that NSA oversight more broadly requires greater transparency with respect to the technical mechanisms used to conduct surveillance.
"Feds Take Down Online Fraud Bazaar 'Silk Road,' Arrest Alleged Mastermind"
October 2, 2013 | Brian Krebs, Krebs on Security
Prosecutors in New York today said that federal agencies have taken over the Silk Road, a sprawling underground Web site that has earned infamy as the “eBay of drugs.” On Tuesday, federal agents in San Francisco arrested the Silk Road’s alleged mastermind.
"Forget the NSA, You Already Track Yourself"
September 20, 2013 | Aaron Stern, Kaspersky Lab Daily
The world has been up in arms about the expansive and invasive reach of the U.S. government’s National Security Agency (NSA) ever since the world was introduced to Edward Snowden and his unending leak of thousands of classified documents detailing that organization’s ongoing surveillance of citizens and governments across the globe.
"New App Tracks Your Location Through Instagram and Twitter Photos"
September 14, 2013 | Kris Holt, The Daily Dot
"Social Networking Reveals More than Meets the Eye, Researchers Say"
September 10, 2013 | Claire Chiara, The Daily Cal. p. A1
With more than 200 million active users and 1.6 billion search queries every day, Twitter has reached a rare level of global popularity.
"Cyber Stalking: Cal App Creates 'Heat Map' of Your Movements"
September 9, 2013 | Vicki Haddock, Cal Alumni Association Blog
At precisely 3:26 p.m. on July 17, Britney Spears was recording music at the corner of West Oak Street and South Glenwood Place in Burbank, California. On August 23 at 4:21 p.m., Katy Perry was in rural northeast Colorado, at the intersection of Highways 46 and 55. And on August 5 at 3:56 p.m., Oprah was cruising down the Kennedy Expressway outside of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.
"Are You Stalkable? Berkeley App Lets You Find Out"
September 9, 2013 | Erum Khan, The Daily Clog
Your parents have probably already lectured you about always being on “the Facebook” (or, if they’re really confused, MyFace). Or you have the other extreme, and your parents literally “like” everything you post (Stop commenting on my friends’ pictures, Mom!). Well, it turns out that there actually is reason to be worried about our generation’s obsession with technology.
"Heat Map Generated from Social Media Posts Warns Teenagers of Over-Sharing"
September 4, 2013 | Ross Brooks, PSFK
Even though sharing information via social media in nearly every aspect of daily life – there could be a point at which sharing becomes dangerous. Researchers at the International Computer Science Institute and UC Berkeley have come up with an idea to warn users when they are sharing too much information via social networks.
"Securing the National Power Grid"
September 4, 2013 | Tiffany Trader, HPC Wire
Before we connect the dots on national smart power grid strategy, we need to be able to ensure its safety from malevolent cyber attacks. A new NSF-funded endeavor aims to begin this process.
"Privacy App Pinpoints Your Exact Location Using Social Media"
September 4, 2013 | Excerpted from Fast Company on Communications of the ACM
Researchers at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) and the University of California, Berkeley say many people are unaware that metadata accompanying social media posts can be used to "cybercase" their homes.