A year ago, Glenn Greenwald at The Guardian published the first of what would become an avalanche of leaks from ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden about the U.S. National Security Agency and the modern world of digital surveillance and spying. Here are the five most important takeaways from a year that changed our perspective on our privacy in the digital age.
Apple users in Australia were hit by a massive late-night hack that took control of their iPhones, iPads, and even some Mac computers, demanding ransom to unlock the devices again. The "digital kidnapping" seems to be taking advantage of Apple's Find My iPhone feature, turning the security software against its owners.
After NBC News aired a report warning visitors to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics that it will be "open hunting season" for hackers, security experts - including the one shown in the report - are saying the report is overblown and misleading.
Last week, it wasn't clear how the hackers who caused Target's massive credit card breach got into the company's payment system: it was just clear that credentials were stolen or hacked. In a report from Krebs on Security on Wednesday, the answer might have been found -- and it's stranger than you might guess.
It looks like the U.K.'s spy agency has it's own Low Orbit Ion Cannon, and it's not afraid to use it - or restricted from targeting non-terrorism related civilians.
After the huge Target credit card breach during the holiday shopping season was announced, several other retailers were reported to have been affected by the same hackers or malware. Now the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning U.S. retailers to prepare for more cyber attacks, as more cases of related to the Target hacking appear.
You may have been the target of cybercrime if you shopped at brick-and-mortar Target stores during the Christmas shopping season. But you might also be in danger if you shopped in six other yet-unnamed retailers, according to a recent report.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with a mathematical model that they say determines the most advantageous time for hackers to launch a cyber attack. The research could be used to help cybersecurity be on the alert at the right time and prepare for future attacks.
The websites for Chase Bank and the investment bank JPMorgan Chase went down Thursday morning. No word on whether this is a technical glitch or a cyber attack.
