Monthly Archives: January 2009
Windows Mobile Bluetooth Security Vulnerability
A recent vulnerability discovered in the Windows Mobile Bluetooth server allows access to all files. This vulnerability is a simple directory traversing problem, simply using “../” or “..\\” allows for traversal outside of the directory. Users of Windows Mobile 6 … Continue reading
Security Review: Fingerprint Scanners
Fingerprint identification is the oldest biometric method. Everybody has a set of unique fingerprints, formed by the ridges and valleys on the skin. Fingerprints have been used in many fields, such as crime scene investigation and criminal database to identify people. In terms of technology, biometrics are used as an authentication method, alone or in combination of other techniques, such as password or another biometric forms.
A fingerprint scanner collects, prints, and creates images that can then be analyzed and compared to images already on record. Optical and capacitance are the two major scanners used on the market to collect and analyze fingerprints. An optical scanner works like a digital camera where it collects data on the light reflected off of one’s fingerprints. The lightness/darkness of the reflection is created by ridges and valleys on the skin. A capacitance scanner also creates an image of one’s print; however, it uses electrical current and conductivity to mark the light/darkness area of the print.
After an image collection, a fingerprint scanner system compares specific features of the print (or minutiae), such as angle of certain ridge/valley, location of circles, etc. To get a match, the system doesn’t need to find every pattern in both the sample and the record, it just needs enough matches, and threshold varies. Continue reading
Security Review: Lexus “Talking” GPS
With the increasing role that technology is playing in our lives, it was inevitable that we’d reach the point where we too could enjoy the luxury of a talking car, such as the infamous KITT from Knight Rider. The convenience … Continue reading
Verizon VoIP House Phone Hub
Nowadays, traditional phone service is not widely used. As stated in an article from http://www.technewsworld.com, “VoIP phones are growing in popularity — and 20 to 25 percent of customers are canceling home phone service.” In order to maintain Verizon’s customers … Continue reading
Data Breach at Heartland
A New Jersey based payment card processing company- Heartland Payment System Inc. admitted last week to a data breach into their system. In what may result as one of the largest compromises in payment card information, Heartland disclosed that intruders … Continue reading
Obama’s Blackberry Security Review
It looks like, after much debate, Obama will be allowed to continue to use a smart phone (From most articles I have read, it seems unclear whether the phone will still be the Blackberry he seemed to like so much, … Continue reading
iTrojan
It turns out Macs can catch something. Apple’s most recent version of iWork, the counterpart of Microsoft Office, contains a Trojan. Well, almost. The pirated version that you can download from places such as The Pirate Bay is the one … Continue reading
Security Review: Electronic Medical Records
Now that computers have reached the mainstream, demand for online services is increasing. Recently, this has come to include access to medical records over the Internet. The existence of products such as Microsoft’s HealthVault and Google’s Google Health demonstrates the … Continue reading
Current events: Sony Ericsson a victim of its own employee
Issues of stealing physical or intellectual property (physically or electronically) in the context of a malicious company insider are closely interrelated, as some common prevention mechanisms can be adopted for both. According to the recent article by Mikael Ricknas, cell … Continue reading
Absent student forfeits raffle
Here at the University of Washington CSE Department we often have events called Tech Talks, where guest companies come in and give a demonstration of their technologies and expertise. Last night we had a tech talk given by Palantir Technologies, a very promising-looking company that aims to transform the way people work with large data sets by making it easier to discover and visualizing trends and connections in the ever-accumulating mountains of data generated by our modern technological culture. And at the end of the evening they planned to raffle off an iPod touch. Continue reading