If you could replace your car keys, website login data, credit cards and bus passes with a chip embedded under your skin, would you? This is a question addressed this week at the Kaspersky Labs Security Analyst Summit by biohacker Hannes Sjoblad from BioNyfiken. A pioneer in what has been deemed ‘biohacking,” Sjoblad is the leader of a group of biohackers in Sweden who took the first step in experimenting […]
The second largest health insurer in the US has been the victim of what could be the largest data breach in the healthcare sector to date. As reported by the Wall Street Journal at http://goo.gl/TJO0VN (paid subscription required), the healthcare insurance provider admitted that hackers managed to break into a database containing the personal information of up to 80 million people, including customers and employees. Anthem says both current and […]
Privacy advocates are calling for more safeguards related to a state collection of DNA samples from 16 million Californians in a nondescript government warehouse in the Bay Area. The biobank holds blood taken with the prick of a heel from almost every baby born in California for the last three decades. It is used to screen for 80 health disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. Unlike most […]
One of the best guides I have ever seen for protecting your privacy online is available free of charge from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). It will reduce your exposure to hackers, credit card thieves, identity thieves, and government agencies’ intrusion into your private life.
This is a cute trick. Create a secret hiding place that a burglar will never find. The easy instructions may be found at http://www.instructables.com/id/Potted-Plant-Secret-Compartment. Hiding things in plain sight is often the best way to keep them away from burglars, neighbors, or from electricians, plumbers, carpenters or others who visit your home. Having a big safe or anything similar is a great way to advertise, “Hey! There’s something valuable inside.” […]
I travel a lot, sometimes on airliners, sometimes on subways, and on almost every other form of transportation imaginable, even by walking. Security is always an issue, especially when traveling in certain areas. Many American cities and foreign countries have lots of pickpockets and hold-up men on the streets, especially in areas frequented by tourists. I worry more about pickpockets and hold-ups than I do about online hackers and identity thieves. […]
By studying just 10 “likes” on someone’s Facebook page, a computer can build a more accurate picture of a personality than a work colleague, Cambridge University researchers say. Examining 150 “likes”, it can be a better judge than a parent. At 300, they have more knowledge than a spouse. Lead author Wu Youyou said: “In future, computers could infer our psychological traits and react accordingly, leading to socially skilled machines.” […]
