Apple Argues Against Helping Unlock iPhone in N.Y. Case

Apple said the U.S. government had failed to show a continued need for its help accessing a locked iPhone in a New York drug case after a third party came forward with a solution to crack a different phone belonging to one of the shooters in December's San Bernardino killings. The technology company made the argument in a brief filed in federal court in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, a week after the U.S. Department of Justice said it would push forward with its appeal of a federal magistrate's ruling saying he could not force the company to assist authorities.

U.S. Agencies Ranked Last Against Private Sector in Cyber Security

U.S. federal, state and local government agencies rank in last place in cyber security when compared against 17 major private industries, including transportation, retail and healthcare, according to a new report. The analysis, from venture-backed security risk benchmarking startup SecurityScorecard, measured the relative security health of government and industries across 10 categories, including vulnerability to malware infections, exposure rates of passwords and susceptibility to social engineering, such as an employee using corporate account information on a public social network.

White House Names Members of Cybersecurity Commission

The White House has named the CEO of Mastercard and the former director of the National Security Agency to a special commission dedicated to bolstering the nation’s cybersecurity defenses. The commission is part of the Obama administration’s $19 billion budget to combat hackers, established by a February executive order after a string of high-profile cyberattacks in the private sector and the embarrassing hack of the Office of Personnel Management put the nation’s cyber defenses in the spotlight.

Microsoft Sues Justice Dep't Over Secrecy Orders for Email Warrants

Microsoft is suing the Justice Department, challenging its frequent use of secrecy orders that prevent Microsoft from telling people when the government obtains a warrant to read their emails. In its suit, filed in Federal District Court in Seattle, Microsoft’s home turf, the company asserts that the gag order statute in the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 -- as employed today by federal prosecutors and the courts -- is unconstitutional.

Senators Release Draft of Controversial Encryption Bill

Two U.S. senators issued a formal draft of a controversial bill that would give courts the power to order technology companies like Apple to help authorities break into encrypted devices or communications for law enforcement or intelligence purposes. The proposal arrives just days after an earlier draft leaked online and drew fire from security researchers and civil liberties advocates who warned it would undermine Internet security and expose personal data to hackers.

European Privacy Regulators Question New U.S. Pact

European privacy regulators said a new commercial data transfer pact between the European Union and the United States needed to provide more reassurance over U.S. surveillance practices and the independence of a new U.S. privacy ombudsman. The lukewarm reception of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, agreed in February after two years of talks, did little to clear up the legal limbo in which companies have conducted cross-border data transfers since October when the EU's top court struck down the previous data transfer framework, Safe Harbour, on concerns about U.S. mass surveillance practices.

FBI Used Professional Hackers to Find iPhone Security Flaw

The FBI cracked a San Bernardino terrorist’s phone with the help of professional hackers who discovered and brought to the bureau at least one previously unknown software flaw, according to people familiar with the matter. The new information was then used to create a piece of hardware that helped the FBI to crack the iPhone’s four-digit personal identification number without triggering a security feature that would have erased all the data, the individuals said.

Privacy Groups 'Disappointed' by Email Privacy Act

Privacy and civil liberties groups begrudgingly announced they were OK with changes to an email privacy bill heading for a House Judiciary Committee vote. Ahead of a vote, the widely supported bill went through a series of small changes, which the American Civil Liberties Union called an unnecessary sacrifice to advance the bill, which has been stalled for years.

Uber Transparency Report Shows How Customer Data Released

Uber Technologies released its first-ever transparency report detailing the information requested by not only U.S. law enforcement agencies, but also by regulators. The ride-sharing company said that between July and December 2015, it had provided information on more than 12 million riders and drivers to various U.S. regulators and on 469 users to state and federal law agencies.

Cyber-Criminals Creating Professional Ransomware Schemes

Cyber-criminals have professionalized ransomware schemes, borrowing tactics from customer service or marketing, law enforcement officials and security firms say. Some players in the booming underworld employ graphic artists, call centers and technical support to streamline payment and data recovery, according to security firms that advise businesses on hacking threats.

FCC Chair Seeks 'Fresh Start' on Broadband for Business

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said it was important for the agency to move quickly in its consideration of reforms to the market for high-capacity Internet connections used by certain businesses. “To have such a fresh start, we need broad principles, we need to work to find common ground, and we need to seriously look at the best ways for the Commission to act,” he said at a conference held by trade group INCOMPAS, according to his prepared remarks.

Cybersecurity Courses Lacking in Computer Science Programs

The threat of hacking seems to lurk around every corner, but American universities may not be doing enough to prepare the next generation of cyberdefenders. None of America's top 10 computer science programs -- as ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2015 -- requires graduates to take even one cybersecurity course, according to a new analysis from security firm CloudPassage.

Microsoft Agrees to Use New European Data Transfer Pact

Microsoft became the first major U.S. tech company to say it would transfer users' information to the United States using a new transatlantic commercial data pact and would resolve any disputes with European privacy watchdogs. Data transfers to the United States have been conducted in a legal limbo since October last year when the European Union's top court struck down the Safe Harbour framework that allowed firms to easily move personal data across the Atlantic in compliance with strict EU data transferral rules.

Bill Would Put Limits on FCC's Net Neutrality Rules

Legislation to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from using its net neutrality rules to regulate the rates that companies charge customers for Internet service appears heading toward a House vote. The bill passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee last month on a party-line vote over objections from Democrats, who said it would end up cutting off broad portions of the FCC's regulatory authority.

ICANN Defends Itself in Letter to Three Congressmen

DNS overlord ICANN has responded to an angry letter from three U.S. Congressmen accusing it of failing to answer questions -- by sending a letter that fails to answer their questions. The three senators, including Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, complained to ICANN chairman Steve Crocker that the organization had not responded to questions it had sent in two previous letters.

U.S. Continues Fight to Unlock iPhone in N.Y. Drug Case

The U.S. Justice Department is continuing its legal fight with Apple, indicating that it plans to press forward with an effort to force the company to help the FBI by unlocking a seized iPhone in a New York drug case. In a letter, federal prosecutors informed a federal judge in Brooklyn that they still need Apple to unlock an iPhone 5S to aid in a drug trafficking case, keeping alive the government's broader legal showdown with Apple pitting law enforcement and national security needs against privacy protections.

Adobe Issues Emergency Flash Update for Ransomware

Adobe Systems Inc. issued an emergency update to its widely used Flash software for Internet browsers after researchers discovered a security flaw that was being exploited to deliver ransomware to Windows PCs. The software maker urged the more than 1 billion users of Flash on Windows, Mac, Chrome and Linux computers to update the product as quickly as possible after security researchers said the bug was being exploited in "drive-by" attacks that infect computers with ransomware when tainted websites are visited.

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