A recently discovered spyware family believed to have originated in Iraq is infecting more than 1,000 Android apps, including some available for download from the Google Play store. Dubbed “SonicSpy,” the spyware can record calls and audio, take photos, make calls, send text messages, monitor calls logs and contacts and monitor information about Wi-Fi access points. According ...

Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab has dropped its European Union antitrust complaint against Microsoft Corp. as the operating system maker has agreed to play more nicely on the cybersecurity front with future Windows updates. In the complaint, lodged in June, Kaspersky claimed that Microsoft prevents makers of security software from competing on equal footing because it was ...

In yet another sign of what is either a boom or a bubble in cryptocurrencies, bitcoin exchange Coinbase Inc. today said it has raised $100 million in new venture capital funding. The Series D round was led by Institutional Ventures Partners and included Spark Capital, Greylock Partners, Battery Ventures, Section 32 and Draper Associates. The round was first rumored ...

Password storage firm Dashlane Inc. today published a new report that confirms something that many already suspected: Many major companies are terrible when it comes to password security. The Password Power Rankings survey saw researchers at the company examine the password policies of 40 popular consumer and enterprise websites against five criteria and found that 46 percent of consumer ...

Japanese financial technology company Tech Bureau Corp. has raised $9 million in an initial coin offering for COMSA, a new service that will specialize in assisting other companies undertake ICOs. The new service’s fundraising and cross-chaining platform utilizes the NEM blockchain protocol, a custom-designed blockchain that not only caters to handling native currency tokens but also offers peer-to-peer ...

Online identity verification startup Socure Inc. has raised $13.9 million to expand its digital identity system. Founded in 2012, Socure offers an online identity verification platform that uses predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. The company tracks online and offline data, including email, phone, address, IP, social media and broader Internet information to confirm and authenticate identities ...

Tesla Inc.’s ambition to start testing a fleet of self-driving electric semi-trucks is getting in gear. The company has discussed obtaining testing licenses in two states, according to a report published Wednesday. Reuters claims that Tesla is discussing potential road tests with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and that the company has also had a sit-down meeting ...

Fears over hacking have driven the South Korean government to develop an alternative to satellite tracking for shipping that’s based on updated World War II-era technology. The new navigation system uses technology known as eLoran that uses radio signals as navigation points as an alternative to or as a backup for traditional GPS navigation systems. An eLoran ...

The house the mouse built is facing a small spot of bother with news that a California woman has lodged a class action lawsuit claiming that The Walt Disney Co., Disney Electronic Content Inc. and partners are illegally spying on children through their range of apps. San Francisco mom Amanda Rushing filed the class action suit in the U.S. District ...

The person behind the high-profile hacking of Home Box Office Inc. has made a new data dump while at the same time demanding the cable network pay a ransom to prevent further disclosure. Going by the name of “Mr. Smith,” the hacker dumped confidential HBO data including scripts for the network’s popular “Game of Thrones” ...