While forensics teams are known for having the technology to hack into computers for vital information, it seems that the iPhone is one device that authorities are having trouble with, according to CNET. Specifically, an agent from the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that we was added to a wait list by Apple in order to get an iPhone 4S decrypted, and it took approximately four months to finally get the device unlocked.

Apple’s iMessage service has been hailed as a “challenge” to break into, as all messages sent between iOS users are encrypted. Last month, the US Drug Enforcement Administration had trouble breaking into iMessage while trying to tap into suspects’ text messages, anad they most likely phoned Apple for help.

Of course, this is good news for anyone that’s paranoid about an outsider trying to hack into their iPhone’s deepest corners. Users can enable a password lock on their devices for added security, but we all know that doesn’t quite work all the time, as numerous loopholes have been found that give users access to devices even with a password lock enabled. While it’s highly unlikely that your phone will slip into the hands of someone who can quickly bypass a lock screen, it’s certainly something that doesn’t make us feel at ease.

Then again, iOS devices will be receiving the nod from the US Department of Defense as being secure enough to be used inside the Pentagon. As we all know, the Pentagon has some pretty confidential stuff that they deal with, so having secure devices is a must, and if forensics team can’t even break into an iPhone, that must say something about its security robustness.

SOURCE: CNET

Of course, the biggest concern is whether or not customers will have to pay for the digital adapter. However, Comcast says that it’s making adapters available for free in some markets, and they will have an adapter that works with third-party set-top boxes. However, some users may have to pay for their adapter if Comcast doesn’t provide one in their location or for their specific device.

However, those using a Comcast set-top box or a CableCARD-enabled device won’t need the adapter, and those who need one will be able to get one for free for up to two years. After that, you’ll have to pay $0.50 per month per TV in your household. Only two adapters are aloud per household, though, so it seems you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket if you need a third or fourth.

As for when the encryption will officially begin rolling out, Comcast says that they’ll be rolling it out on a market-by-market basis in the coming months, meaning that some subscribers will get it before others. The company says that the transition to encrypted cable will provide greater convenience for customers because the encryption will reduce the need for in-home appointments.

[via GigaOM]

Obviously this is good news for those who are hyper-conscious of their privacy and the snooping attempts of others, but not for government agencies trying to finger suspects for crimes. According to the DEA document, “it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices.” iMessage uses end-to-end encryption, and is massively popular, with the service having been used to transmit billions of chat messages.

It seems that as part of the investigation discussed, DEA agents received court permission to grab suspects’ text message logs from Verizon, only to discover blocks of obviously missing content. That content, it turns out, was because the individuals under surveillance were intermittently using iMessage. According to the DEA, those messages can’t be grabbed using Title III interceptions, trace devices, or trap devices.

This is part of an ongoing problem for law enforcement, with various government agencies having pursued and actively pursuing measures to add ways for them to access these messages. The ACLU has another view of the issue, however, with its senior policy analyst Christopher Soghoian stating, “The real issue is why the phone companies in 2013 are still delivering an unencrypted audio and text service to users. It’s disgraceful.”

[via CNET]

The key piece to this puzzle was the Amazon call-in policy that allowed anyone to change an email address of a user account just so long as they could identify the user’s name, email, and physical mailing address. This ability is no longer allowed as of this morning, with Amazon commenting to Wired that they changed the policy for “your security”, refusing to comment further.

The exploit – again this isn’t really a hack when it comes down to it, only needed the “hacker” to have the victim’s email – easy to guess – their full name – again, obvious – and their physical mailing address. This last bit was available, in this case, in a “whois” of a site that the victim owned. A “whois” is a listing of the ownership of a website, aka “Domain Registration Information” that many web hosts make available without question.

Once the hacker was able to change the email of his victim’s Amazon account, they were also able to see the last four digits of the victim’s credit card – these last four digits available to any person who is logged in to their own account, of course. Once the hackers had this, they were able to call in to Apple’s iCloud support with said information to “confirm” their way into his iCloud account as well. One company’s freely available account information used to easily bust in to another’s.

Now this “hole” is fixed, but you need to still be on your guard. Keep your eyes open for exploits such as these, have a peek at our post this morning about double-locking your Google account, for example, and simply stay smart.

The IP system is what allows the internet – in all of its complicated code dealings back and forth – to see your device and direct you to the places you want to go on the web. The image you see below comes from Wikimedia commons and shows what an IPv6 packet header looks like. What you’ll see is a relatively basic display of how you get around on the web. The main reason IPv6 exists, or at least the most apparent reason, is the fact that the address for each IP in this version is much longer than IPv4, this allowing, again, many more devices to be routed without trouble across the web. Where before there were only 4.3 billion addresses, now there are 340 trillion trillion trillion possible IP addresses with IPv6.

Another feature that’s important to recognize for the IPv6 change-over is the fact that, as Tri Nyuyen of ZyXEL explains, “All devices will be accessible on the public network, making it easier for people to manage things like home automation, file sharing, online gaming, peer-to-peer programs and other applications without complex settings on their router.” This will make things a whole lot smoother, in other words.

Not all devices are currently compatible with IPv6, and in fact most of the devices you’ve got in your home right this second will not be on IPv6 at all. That said, as PC Mag notes, “SMBs need to be aware that IPv6 is here, and make sure that any future PC, mobile device, network infrastructure, or other IT purchases support the next generation protocol. IPv4 should still be alive and kicking long enough for most organizations to transition to IPv6 by attrition over time.” You do not need IPv6 to function, but you’ll eventually be on it perhaps without even knowing it.

Welcome to the future, folks! Time for version 6 of the web! Join the World IPv6 Launch right this second to further the advancement of the web as we speak!

With the new and much faster USB 3.0 port now available on many computers and notebooks, Apricorn has unveiled a new version of its Padlock that uses the new speedy port. The drive supports a PIN number that ranges anywhere from 6 to 16 digits and five different numbers can be assigned to various users. Encryption keys and PIN numbers are never exposed to the host system and are protected with a cryptographic algorithm.

The drive uses 256 bit AES-XT hardware encryption that is FIPS PUB 197 validated. The drive also has encryption circuitry that is sealed in epoxy to prevent the removal of the electronics to access the data. The drives are available in 1 TB to 3 TB capacities with prices ranging from $239-$369.

[via EverythngUSB]