National Security Agency Losing Hackers, Scientists to Private Sector

The National Security Agency is losing its top talent at a worrisome rate as highly skilled personnel, some disillusioned with the spy service’s leadership and an unpopular reorganization, take higher-paying, more flexible jobs in the private sector. Since 2015, the NSA has lost several hundred hackers, engineers and data scientists, according to current and former U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter.

Twitter Refuses to Delete Trump's Nuclear 'Button' Post

Trump’s tweet raising the prospect of nuclear war with North Korea isn’t in violation of Twitter’s guidelines, the company says, and will remain online. In the tweet, Trump boasted that his “Nuclear Button” is “much bigger” and “more powerful” than the one belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- a combative and childish taunt that raises serious questions about Trump’s fitness for office, as well as to what extent Twitter is complicit in allowing him to publish threats of this nature to its platform.

FTC Approves Settlement with Lenovo Over Privacy, Preloaded Software

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a settlement with computer manufacturer Lenovo over charges that it had violated user privacy with software that came preloaded on its computers. “Lenovo compromised consumers’ privacy when it preloaded software that could access consumers’ sensitive information without adequate notice or consent to its use,” acting FTC Chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen said in a statement when it reached the settlement in September.

Senators Introduce 'Secure Elections Act' to Eliminate Some Voting Machines

A bipartisan group of six senators has introduced legislation that would take a huge step toward securing elections in the United States. Called the Secure Elections Act, the bill aims to eliminate insecure paperless voting machines from American elections while promoting routine audits that would dramatically reduce the danger of interference from foreign governments.

Lawsuits Allege Apple Defrauded Users by Slowing Older iPhones

Apple Inc. defrauded iPhone users by slowing devices without warning to compensate for poor battery performance, according to eight lawsuits filed in various federal courts since the company opened up about the year-old software change. The tweak may have led iPhone owners to misguided attempts to resolve issues over the last year, the lawsuits contend.

Facebook's Content Reviewers Act Inconsistently on Hate Speech

Inconsistent Facebook rulings on hate speech are not unusual, ProPublica has found in an analysis of more than 900 posts submitted to us as part of a crowd-sourced investigation into how the world’s largest social network implements its hate-speech rules. Based on this small fraction of Facebook posts, its content reviewers often make different calls on items with similar content, and don’t always abide by the company’s complex guidelines.

British Official Threatens Facebook, Twitter with Sanctions in Russia Probe

Facebook and Twitter could face sanctions if they continue to stonewall parliament over Russian interference in the EU referendum, the chair of a Commons inquiry has said. Damian Collins, chair of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee, which is looking into so-called “fake news”, has given the companies until 18 January to correct their failure to hand over information he requested about Russian misinformation campaigns on their platforms.

Targeted Job Ads on Facebook Raise Age Discrimination Questions

The ability of advertisers to deliver their message to the precise audience most likely to respond is the cornerstone of Facebook’s business model. But using the system to expose job opportunities only to certain age groups has raised concerns about fairness to older workers. Several experts questioned whether the practice is in keeping with the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibits bias against people 40 or older in hiring or employment.

Tax Overhaul Could Prompt Apple to Bring Cash Back to U.S.

The U.S. Republican tax overhaul passed by Congress will allow Apple Inc. to bring back its $252.3 billion foreign cash pile without a major tax hit -- a long-standing company goal. But not everything went the company’s way. A critical difference between the Senate version of the bill and the final version could actually raise the amount of cash taxes that Apple pays on profits from patents held abroad, tax experts said.

Romanian Hackers Infiltrated Most D.C. Police Surveillance Cameras

Two Romanian hackers infiltrated nearly two-thirds of the outdoor surveillance cameras in Washington, DC, as part of an extortion scheme, according to federal court documents. In a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. government alleges that the two Romanian hackers operating outside the United States infiltrated 65% of the outdoor surveillance cameras operated by D.C. city police -- that's 123 cameras out of 187 in the city.

  • Read the article: CNN

Company Sues Reporter for Article on Password Manager's Flaws

Keeper, a password manager software maker, has filed a lawsuit against a news reporter and its publication after a story was posted reporting a vulnerability disclosure. Dan Goodin, security editor at Ars Technica, was named defendant in a suit filed Tuesday by Chicago-based Keeper Security, which accused Goodin of "false and misleading statements" about the company's password manager.

North Korea Investigated for Heist from Bitcoin Exchange

Investigators in South Korea are looking into North Korea’s possible involvement in a heist from a bitcoin exchange that collapsed, according to people familiar with the situation, as the sanctions-choked regime develops new ways to raise money. The investigation into the hack, led by South Korean law enforcement and a state cybersecurity agency, is still in its infancy and a review of the malware code could take weeks, the people said.

U.S. Banking Regulator Plays Down Concerns Over Bitcoin Risks

A U.S. banking regulator said on that bitcoin does not currently pose a threat to the country’s banking system and that there is “space” for innovative financial technology firms to operate in the traditional lending business. The marketplace is watching closely to see how Joseph Otting, who was sworn in as Comptroller of the Currency last month, will address a slew of issues including virtual currencies, fintech, and President Trump’s pledge to roll back rules introduced following the 2008 financial crisis.

SEC Suspends Trading in Soaring Shares of Cryptocurrency Company

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily suspended trading in shares of The Crypto Co., whose stock has surged more than 2,700 percent this month. The commission cited concerns about the "accuracy and adequacy of information in the marketplace about, among other things, the compensation paid for promotion of the company, and statements in Commission filings about the plans of the company's insiders to sell their shares of The Crypto Company's common stock."

  • Read the article: CNBC