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Tech News

Computer Security

Cyber Security Today – Canon hit by ransomware, more on fake website addresses and a bank fined for a hack – IT World Canada

August 11, 2020/in Computer Security /by

Cyber Security Today – Canon hit by ransomware, more on fake website addresses and a bank fined for a hack IT World Canada
“computer security news” – read more

Smashing Security podcast #190: Twitter hack arrests, email bad behaviour, and Fawkes vs facial recognition

August 11, 2020/in Computer Security /by

Special guest Geoff White can’t resist using the podcast to promote his new book, “Crime Dot Com”, but other than that we also discuss the creepy (and apparently legal) way websites can find out your email and postal address even if you don’t give it to them, take a look at how the alleged Twitter hackers were identified, and learn about Fawkes – the technology fighting back at facial recognition.

Graham Cluley

Computer Security Market to Watch: Spotlight on Siemens , CyberArk , Symantec

August 11, 2020/in Computer Security /by

Latest released study “2015-2025 Global Computer Security Market Research by Type, End-Use and Region” with 110 pages and in-depth assessment including market trends, upcoming technologies, industry …
computer security – read more

An ’80s File Format Enabled Stealthy Mac Hacking

August 10, 2020/in Computer Security /by

The now-patched vulnerability would have let hackers target Microsoft Office using Symbolic Link—a file type that hasn’t been in common use in over 30 years.
mac hacker – read more

Under the hood at Tritium, with CEO Jane Hunter – pv magazine Australia

August 10, 2020/in Computer Security /by

Under the hood at Tritium, with CEO Jane Hunter pv magazine Australia
“Don’t Plug Your Phone into a Charger You Don’t Own” – read more

An ’80s File Format Enabled Stealthy Mac Hacking

August 10, 2020/in Computer Security /by

The now-patched vulnerability would have let hackers target Microsoft Office using Symbolic Link—a file type that hasn’t been in common use in over 30 years.
mac hacker – read more

Internet Security

You can boost your internet security with our favorite VPN—and it’s 36% off

August 11, 2020/in Internet Security /by

The best VPN service, Express VPN, can help keep your data protected and your internet browsing secure, and right now you can save 36% on a plan.
internet security – read more

Incident Of The Week: Chinese Hackers Accused Of Freelancing For The Chinese Government – Cyber Security Hub

August 11, 2020/in Internet Security /by

Incident Of The Week: Chinese Hackers Accused Of Freelancing For The Chinese Government Cyber Security Hub
“chinese hackers” – read more

Michigan Supreme Court: Selling A $24,000 House (And Keeping The Proceeds) Over An $8.41 Debt Is Unlawful

August 11, 2020/in Internet Security /by

This seems like the sort of thing a court shouldn’t need to sort out, but here we are. More specifically, here are two plaintiffs suing over Oakland County, Michigan’s forfeiture policy. This isn’t civil asset forfeiture — where property is treated as guilty until proven innocent. This isn’t even criminal asset forfeiture — the seizure of property by the government following a conviction.

But this form of forfeiture can be just as abusive as regular civil asset forfeiture. There’s no criminal act involved — real or conjectured. It’s the result of a civil violation: the nonpayment of property taxes. And Oakland County, the plaintiffs argue, is performing unconstitutional takings to unjustly enrich itself.

It’s not that these sorts of things are uncommon. Tax liens are often put on property when tax payments are delinquent. It’s that one of these seizures — and subsequent auction — was triggered by a delinquent amount that would have required the county to make change from a $ 10 bill. (via Volokh Conspiracy)

This is from the opening of the state Supreme Court’s decision [PDF], which shows just how much the county government can profit from these forfeitures.

Plaintiff Rafaeli, LLC, owed $ 8.41 in unpaid property taxes from 2011, which grew to $ 285.81 after interest, penalties, and fees. Oakland County and its treasurer, Andrew Meisner (collectively, defendants), foreclosed on Rafaeli’s property for the delinquency, sold the property at public auction for $ 24,500, and retained all the sale proceeds in excess of the taxes, interest, penalties, and fees.

That’s right. It only took $ 8.41 to initiate these proceedings. Even after accounting for the additional fees, the county turned less than $ 300 in delinquencies into a $ 24,200 profit.

Rafaeli, LLC isn’t the only plaintiff. Another property owner, Andre Ohanessian, saw $ 6000 in taxes, fines, and fees turn into a $ 76,000 net gain for the county when it auctioned his property for $ 82,000 and kept everything above what it was owed.

The lower court said there was nothing wrong with the government keeping thousands of dollars property owners didn’t owe it.

The circuit court granted summary disposition to defendants, finding that defendants did not “take” plaintiffs’ properties because plaintiffs forfeited all interests they held in their properties when they failed to pay the taxes due on the properties. The court determined that property properly forfeited under the GPTA [General Property Tax Act] and in accordance with due process is not a “taking” barred by either the United States or Michigan Constitution. Because the GPTA properly divested plaintiffs of all interests they had in their properties, the court concluded that plaintiffs did not have a property interest in the surplus proceeds generated from the tax-foreclosure sale of their properties.

The appeals court felt the same way about the issue, resulting in this final appeal to the state’s top court. The Michigan Supreme Court says this isn’t proper, going all the way back to English common law that had been adopted by the new nation more than two hundred years ago.

At the same time that it was common for any surplus proceeds to be returned to the former property owner, it was also generally understood that the government could only collect those taxes actually owed and nothing more.

[…]

This Court recognized a similar principle in 1867, stating that “[n]o law of the land authorizes the sale of property for any amount in excess of the tax it is legally called upon to bear.” Indeed, any sale of property for unpaid taxes that was in excess of the taxes owed was often rendered voidable at the option of the landowner. Rather than selling all of a person’s land and risk the sale being voided, officers charged with selling land for unpaid taxes often only sold that portion of the land that was needed to satisfy the tax debt. That is, early in Michigan’s statehood, it was commonly understood that the government could not collect more in taxes than what was owed, nor could it sell more land than necessary to collect unpaid taxes.

That all changed with the General Property Tax Act. The current version of the GPTA unilaterally declares all ownership rights “extinguished” the moment the government begins proceedings against the property, well before the foreclosure sale occurs.

This law — as exercised in these forfeitures and auctions — is unlawful, the Supreme Court says.

We conclude that our state’s common law recognizes a former property owner’s property right to collect the surplus proceeds that are realized from the tax-foreclosure sale of property. Having originated as far back as the Magna Carta, having ingratiated itself into English common law, and having been recognized both early in our state’s jurisprudence and as late as our decision in Dean in 1976, a property owner’s right to collect the surplus proceeds from the tax-foreclosure sale of his or her property has deep roots in Michigan common law. We also recognize this right to be “vested” such that the right is to remain free from unlawful governmental interference.

The government argued that without being able to take everything (even when less is owed), it does not have a stick of sufficient size to wield against delinquent taxpayers. Nonsense, says the state’s top court. The state can still collect what is owed. What it can’t do is take more than that.

We recognize that municipalities rely heavily on their citizens to timely pay real-property taxes so that local governments have a source of revenue for their operating costs. Nothing in this opinion impedes defendants’ right to hold citizens accountable for failing to pay property taxes by taking citizens’ properties in satisfaction of their tax debts. What defendants may not do under the guise of tax collection is seize property valued far in excess of the amount owed in unpaid taxes, penalties, interest, and fees and convert that surplus into a public benefit. The purpose of taxation is to assess and collect taxes owed, not appropriate property in excess of what is owed.

If the county wants its eight dollars, it can take its eight dollars. Everything above that still belongs to the original property owner. This should seem obvious, but it isn’t. It took the state’s top court 49 pages to arrive at this conclusion. What seems obvious to citizens is far too often deliberately unclear to government agencies. Legislation is rarely written in plain language. And it’s crafted by people who have a vested interest in ensuring their employer’s financial stability. The end result — years down the road — is the government turning a $ 285 foreclosure into a $ 24,000 surplus. The final insult is taxpayers paid for county officials to argue against the taxpayers’ best interests. But, from now on, the government will have to share its takings with the people it’s taking property from.

Techdirt.

Prepare for Slower Data Breach Detection, Higher Costs With Remote Workforce | Legaltech News – Law.com

August 11, 2020/in Internet Security /by

Prepare for Slower Data Breach Detection, Higher Costs With Remote Workforce | Legaltech News Law.com
“data breach” – read more

Dave Skoloda: Hacks, attacks and a blank GPS – La Crosse Tribune

August 10, 2020/in Internet Security /by

Dave Skoloda: Hacks, attacks and a blank GPS La Crosse Tribune
“cyber warfare news” – read more

Internet security Market Share, Trend, Opportunity, Affect On Demand By COVID-19 Pandemic And Forecast 2020-2025 – Chelanpress

August 10, 2020/in Internet Security /by

Internet security Market Share, Trend, Opportunity, Affect On Demand By COVID-19 Pandemic And Forecast 2020-2025 Chelanpress
“internet security news” – read more

Mobile Security

iPhone apps just as unsafe as Android apps, says security researcher – Tom’s Guide

August 11, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

iPhone apps just as unsafe as Android apps, says security researcher Tom’s Guide
“android security news” – read more

Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 4 are the first to receive ioXt’s security certification – XDA Developers

August 10, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 4 are the first to receive ioXt’s security certification XDA Developers
“android security news” – read more

Android security update tracker, August 2020: Rankings for popular smartphones – Android Police

August 10, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

Android security update tracker, August 2020: Rankings for popular smartphones Android Police
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Global Mobile Security Market 2020 – Impact of COVID-19, Future Growth Analysis and Challenges | McAfee, Kaspersky, Webroot Secure, ESET, Bitdefender – NJ MMA News

August 10, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

Global Mobile Security Market 2020 – Impact of COVID-19, Future Growth Analysis and Challenges | McAfee, Kaspersky, Webroot Secure, ESET, Bitdefender NJ MMA News
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Attackers Horn in on MFA Bypass Options for Account Takeovers

August 9, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

Legacy applications don’t support modern authentication — and cybercriminals know this.
Mobile Security – Threatpost

Twitter says Android security bug gave access to direct messages – TechCrunch

August 9, 2020/in Mobile Security /by

Twitter says Android security bug gave access to direct messages TechCrunch
Twitter finds security vulnerability in its Android app CNET
Twitter users urged to update over Android flaw BBC News
Twitter says security flaw may have exposed Android users’ direct messages CNBC
Security flaw in Twitter Android app might have exposed Direct Messages Engadget
View Full Coverage on read more

“android security news” – read more

Free anti-censorship tools

FreeBrowser

Delivers fast and reliable access to the open Internet

FreeBrowser is a free Android browser with built in circumvention that lets you access any website that may be blocked in your location. Once the app has been downloaded, no configuration is required – you can start to access censored and blocked content immediately. FreeBrowser is a free Android app that provides access to an uncensored internet. FreeBrowser is closed sourced.

FreeBrowser • Download at Google Play Store • Download at Github

Lantern

Delivers fast, reliable and secure access to the open Internet

It can automatically detect whether or not a site is blocked and then accesses the site either through its own servers or through other Lantern users running as access points. Lantern provides fast access to blocked sites but it does NOT provide users with anonymity. Lantern is available for free at high speed for 800MB each month, after the 800MB cap is surpassed, users have the options to upgrade to Lantern Pro, or continue to browse the open internet at a lower speed.

Learn More About Lantern • Request download via e-mail • Download at getlantern.org

Orbot

Free proxy app that empowers other apps to use the Internet more securely

Orbot is a free proxy app that empowers other apps to use the Internet more securely. Orbot uses Tor to encrypt your Internet traffic and then hides it by bouncing through a series of computers around the world. Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security known as traffic analysis.

Guardian Project’s Tutorial • Download at guardianproject.info

Orfox

Orfox is a free Android application to browse the Internet anonymously.

Orfox: is a free Android-platform mobile phone application that uses the Tor network so that you can access blocked sites and browse the Internet anonymously in conjunction with Orbot. Orfox will only work properly after installing and configuring Orbot. It evades tracking and censorship by bouncing your encrypted traffic several times through computers around the world, instead of connecting you directly like VPNs and proxies. Orfox requires Orbot app for Android to connect to the Tor network.

Download for Android

Psiphon

Delivers fast and reliable access to the open Internet

Psiphon is a circumvention tool designed to provide you with open access to internet content. Your Psiphon client will automatically learn about new access points to maximize your chances of bypassing censorship. Psiphon does not increase your online privacy, and should not be considered or used as an online security tool. Psiphon currently only works on Windows and Android.

Psiphon User Guide • Request download via e-mail • Download at psiphon.ca

Tor

Access the Internet anonymously to protect your privacy

Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

Request download via e-mail • Download at torproject.org