New U.S. cybersecurity standards: Will they do enough?
The voluntary standards — which met with some criticism — are an attempt to address U.S. vulnerabilities to attack.
Mark Clayton
Angry birds: Tech giants can give glimpse of NSA spying, but not much
By Mark Clayton
Angry Bird and other apps under surveillance? Tech companies will now be able to release data on government requests, but critics say the numbers give people only limited sense of the extent of government surveillance of social media.
NSA data sweeps are illegal and should be stopped, report says
By Mark Clayton
In independent congressional review board took a hard line on NSA data-collection programs in a report released Thursday.
NSA surveillance: Revelations damaged US security, Obama says
By Mark Clayton
In his year-end press conference, President Obama defended NSA surveillance as vital, but acknowledged that public trust needs to be restored and changes are necessary.
Target data theft: worrying sign of cyber thieves’ sophistication
By Mark Clayton
Retailers like Target would likely have passed a number of cyber-security audits for their systems, experts say, but cyber thieves’ sophistication is growing to surmount improved defenses.
Obama task force’s NSA proposals go ‘much further than anyone expected’
By Mark Clayton
A panel convened by President Obama to look into NSA surveillance practices has made 46 recommendations, pleasing some civil libertarians. One cyber expert calls it a ‘mixture.’
Amnesty for Edward Snowden? Might depend on what secrets he’s got left
By Mark Clayton
Edward Snowden needs a place to go. If it’s true that he still has as many as 1.5 million unreleased top-secret NSA documents, that could be a big bargaining chip.
How NSA reportedly uses Google cookies could be next privacy flash point
By Mark Clayton
The utility of Google cookies in cyber exploitation and espionage comes as no surprise to some. NSA officials maintain their practices are practical and legal.
Like NSA, local police sweep up cellphone data of innocents, report says
By Mark Clayton
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies asked wireless carriers for ‘cell tower data dumps’ at least 9,000 times in 2012, as part of their investigative work, a US senator reports. His push is to buttress privacy protections for cellphone users in America.
Massive NSA cellphone-tracking program snares some Americans, too
By Mark Clayton
The NSA’s CO-TRAVELER program collects 5 billion cellphone records a day in an effort to find terrorists overseas. Data from Americans are collected ‘incidentally.’
Exposing China’s cyber espionage campaign hasn’t lessened scope, US says
By Mark Clayton
‘China has not reduced its cyber intrusions against the United States despite recent public exposure of Chinese cyber espionage in technical detail,’ a commission set up by Congress to monitor US-China ties reported.
US spying in Europe: Will it backfire on Google and Facebook?
By Mark Clayton
Angered by reports of US surveillance efforts in France, as well as spying on state leaders in Germany and Italy, the EU is considering a tough new law, which could put US firms in a sticky spot.
NSA collects e-mail address lists: Can users be protected?
By Mark Clayton
The NSA snags contact information as it flows through telecommunications servers and other systems overseas, according to a Washington Post report. Not surprisingly, civil libertarians are unhappy with the new revelations.
Obamacare website security called ‘outrageous’: How safe is it?
By Mark Clayton
Glitches in the Obamacare website are well known, but some cyber experts are also raising red flags about the site’s security. They point to a variety of concerns.
NSA repeatedly ignored court surveillance rules, documents show
By Mark Clayton
This latest document release marks a bid by the Obama administration, after massive leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, to demonstrate transparency on surveillance policy and privacy safeguards.
New York Times hacked, Syrian Electronic Army takes credit
By Mark Clayton
A political hacktivist group that has the backing of the Syrian president apparently hit The New York Times, along with Twitter and The Huffington Post UK edition.
Whitey Bulger verdict: Mob boss is convicted of 11 killings, racketeering
By Mark Clayton
James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was convicted of 31 racketeering charges, which he barely contested. He also failed to show that his personal code barred him from killing women or serving as an FBI informant, a tie that battered the FBI’s reputation.
What is XKeyscore, and can it ‘eavesdrop on everyone, everywhere’?
By Mark Clayton
XKeyscore is apparently a tool the NSA uses to sift through massive amounts of data. Critics say it allows the NSA to dip into people’s ‘most private thoughts’ – a claim key lawmakers reject.
Secret documents on NSA surveillance released: Is there anything new?
By Mark Clayton
The Obama administration unveiled three secret documents Wednesday that appear to confirm details of surveillance programs leaked by Edward Snowden, who worked for the NSA.
Whitey Bulger trial: ‘Rifleman’ Flemmi describes ‘death house’ murders
By Mark Clayton
Stephen ‘the Rifleman’ Flemmi, in a third day of testimony, told of four murders he said Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger carried out himself, three at the same South Boston home.