Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Europe Seeks More Mass Surveillance

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 14, 2015

Following the Paris terror attacks, the French government plans to strengthen its surveillance laws, while the British prime minister has promised to allow intelligence agencies to penetrate any encrypted communications.

Hackers Disrupt North Korea Video Game

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 14, 2015

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was set to star in a satirical video game, in which he battled the forces of imperialist oppression with the help of unicorns and narwals - until hackers apparently disrupted game development.

930 Million Android Devices at Risk?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 13, 2015

Information security experts are calling on Google to rethink its patch priorities after it declines to fix a critical component that runs on Android 4.3 "Jelly Bean" and older devices, leaving an estimated 930 million mobile devices at risk.

Hackers Release Info from Swiss Bank

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 12, 2015

Hackers released sensitive information from Banque Cantonale de Geneve (BCGE) after the Swiss bank declined to pay attackers' ransom demand. Hacking group Rex Mundi claims it exploited a SQL injection flaw to breach the bank's defenses.

UK Debates Rebooted 'Snooper's Charter'

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 12, 2015

Following the Paris attacks, Britain's prime minister hopes to reintroduce a controversial surveillance bill known as the "Snooper's Charter." Meanwhile, many European countries - and the U.S. - plan to increase anti-terrorism collaboration.

Expert: Sony Hackers Sound Russian

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 12, 2015

The FBI has attributed the Sony hack to North Korea, in part by analyzing the messages left by the "G.O.P." attackers. But linguistics expert Shlomo Engelson Argamon says the messages appear to have been written by native Russian speakers.

Surveillance Demands Follow Paris Massacre

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 9, 2015

In the wake of the Paris massacre, the head of Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence agency has called for new powers to fight extremism, warning that as terror plots increase, communications-interception capabilities are decreasing.

FBI's Sony Attribution: Doubts Continue

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 8, 2015

FBI Director James Comey's Jan. 7 defense of the bureau's attribution of the Sony Pictures hack to North Korea hasn't silenced many information security experts, who argue that the scant evidence divulged to date proves nothing.

Paris Attacks: The Cyber Investigation

Eric Chabrow , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 8, 2015

French authorities continue to investigate the Jan. 7 attack in Paris that claimed the lives of a dozen, including journalists and police officers. Information security experts say that cyber-forensic skills are crucial for finding the perpetrators.

DDoS Attacks Slam Finnish Bank

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 7, 2015

Police in Finland are investigating a series of DDoS attacks against the country's OP Pohjola financial services group that have intermittently shut down online banking and direct debit services. The hacking group "CoreSec" has claimed credit.

Sony CEO Slams 'Vicious' Cyberattack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 6, 2015

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai praises employees' actions in the wake of the "vicious" attack against Sony Pictures, which the FBI has attributed to North Korea, using evidence that the White House says will stay classified.

Google Discloses Microsoft Zero Day Flaw

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 5, 2015

Microsoft says it's prepping a patch for a Windows vulnerability that was recently disclosed by Google. The search giant's 90-day deadline for vendors to patch bugs has drawn both condemnation and praise from the information security community.

Report: Flaw Affects 12 Million Routers

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 30, 2014

At least 12 million home and small-office routers from 50 manufacturers have a flaw that an attacker could remotely exploit to seize control of the device, steal data and redirect users to attack sites, warns security vendor Check Point.

Sony Hack: More Theories Emerge

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 30, 2014

Who hacked Sony Pictures? While the FBI still says North Korea ordered the online attack, new evidence suggests the hack may have been the work of insiders or hacktivists, and Russian-speaking attackers may have been involved.

Tougher to Use Bitcoin for Crime?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 30, 2014

The relative anonymity afforded by using the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin appears to be in jeopardy, making it potentially less attractive for use in connection with cybercrime.