Fleeing Boko Haram Terrorists Drown In Lake Chad; Sect Used Land Mines

A large number of terrorists have drowned in the Lake Chad as they fled the heavy bombardment by Nigerian Air force heralding the advance of Nigerian troops on mission to flush them out of Baga, the Nigerian defence headquarters has said.

Security Alertt! More Political Rallies Likely To Be Bombed- Police Intelligence Report

The Nigeria Police Force Headquarters has received intelligence reports that there are plots to bomb more political rallies ahead of the re-scheduled general elections.

Nigerian Military Retakes Key Town from Boko Haram

Nigeria's military said Saturday that it had reclaimed a strategic border town from the Boko Haram militant group, while other reports said the militants continued their deadly campaign elsewhere in the country's northeast.

Boko Haram's Shifting Media Propaganda: Is Sect Poised For A Wider Conflict?

Shekau (In His Latest Video)

From grainy, amateurish footage and rambling, almost inaudible speeches to slick, expertly edited productions, Boko Haram's media strategy has undergone a transformation in recent months. The Nigerian militants this week published two videos that contrasted starkly with earlier efforts, using visual cues and a style resembling similar messages from the Islamic State jihadists.

Nonsense About Terrorism's 'Root Causes - Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst

The Obama administration this week hosted a three-day conference on "Countering Violent Extremism," which is a government euphemism for how best to deal with Islamist terrorism. Already a predictable tsunami of nonsense has washed over us about the "root causes" of terrorism.

When A Terrorist Organization Becomes An 'Armed Insurgency'

An organization that regularly uses suicide attacks against innocent civilians has been designated an "armed insurgency" by the White House.

The Afghanistan Taliban has sent dozens of suicide bombers and attackers to hit soft targets in Afghanistan, but the administration says it's OK to negotiate with them because they're not terrorists.

Boko Haram Splits; Breakway Faction Circulates Message Critical of Shekau

Boko Haram has split under the recent relentless pounding from the Nigerian armed forces and diplomatic successes scored by President Jonathan, through the creation of a multilateral force against the terrorist organization.

The Great SIM Heist: How Spy Agencies Stole Encryption Keys Protecting Privacy of Cellphones

SIM Cards

AMERICAN AND BRITISH spies hacked into the internal computer network of the largest manufacturer of SIM cards in the world, stealing encryption keys used to protect the privacy of cellphone communications across the globe, according to top-secret documents provided to The Intercept by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Bank App That Lets You Log In With Fingerprint 'Can Be Hacked By Almost Anybody': Security Expert Says System Is As Safe As 'Leaving House Keys Under The Door Mat'

Users merely have to press finger to smartphone to get into their accounts

• Feature has been installed by Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest
• Banks say around 880,000 of their customers can use Touch ID on iPhones
• One expert compared it to 'leaving your house keys under the door mat'

Two High Street banks are letting customers access their money by using fingerprint technology that security experts warn ‘almost anybody’ could crack.

Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest have installed the feature so that users of their mobile banking apps merely have to press a finger on to their smartphone to get into their accounts.

But Professor Mike Jackson, a cybersecurity expert at Birmingham City University, claims the technology offers about as much security as ‘leaving your house keys under the front doormat’.

‘It is not something I would do – put it that way,’ he added.

The banks’ apps utilise Apple’s Touch ID feature, which lets owners of an iPhone 5, 6 or 6 Plus access their device by touching the button under the screen.

If the fingerprint matches one they have stored previously, the screen is unlocked. On earlier models, users must enter a numerical code instead.

RBS and NatWest, both part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, say around 880,000 of their customers have the newer iPhones so can now get into their bank accounts using Touch ID. 

They simply activate the technology first by inputting their usual security information.

 Almost anybody, given enough chance, would be able to break it. If you can get hold of a good finger print, it is very easy to fool [the technology]

Professor Mike Jackson, a cybersecurity expert at Birmingham City University 

 

But experts claim these people may be putting their money at risk as Touch ID only examines the look of fingerprints. 

So criminals could easily break into someone’s bank account by using a high-quality photograph or clear image of the phone-owner’s fingerprint.

Such an image could even be gleaned from the phone’s screen itself. More sophisticated fingerprint-recognition systems can detect the warmth and veins within fingers.

Ben Schlabs of the German think tank SRLabs said: ‘Fingerprints are not fit for secure local-user authentication as long as “fake fingers” can be produced from these pervasive copies. It is a very different risk to something that is inside your brain [such as a PIN code].’

And Professor Mike Jackson said: ‘Almost anybody, given enough chance, would be able to break it. If you can get hold of a good finger print, it is very easy to fool [the technology]. It is that insecure.’

When Touch ID was launched, a group of hackers got around it by making a fake finger from a photograph of a fingerprint. They showed how criminals could present the photograph to the iPhone’s button or use it to fashion a latex model to hold against the smartphone.

RBS and NatWest yesterday said they were confident the fingerprint technology was safe to use, pointing out it was already popular with banks in the US and other countries.

‘We do everything we can to make banking secure for our customers and we’ve tested this to make sure it was safe before launch,’ they added.

Mobile banking users whose iPhones are stolen can deactivate their Touch ID by calling the bank.

Source;
MailOnline

'We Are Not At War With Islam'- Obama's Message At CVE Summit

Barack Obama (POTUS)

President Barack Obama says the United States is not at war with Islam. The U.S. leader told a White House summit on combating violent extremism he wants to discredit the belief that Americans and Westerners in general are at odds with Muslims. He said this narrative helps extremists radicalize and recruit young Americans and others.

U.S To Allow Widespread Export Of Armed Drones To Foreign Countries

The Obama administration will permit the widespread export of armed drones for the first time, a step toward providing allied nations with weapons that have become a cornerstone of U.S. counterterrorism strategy but whose remotely controlled power to kill is intensely controversial.

Boko Haram Leader - Shekau Releases New Video, Vows To Disrupt Nigeria Election

Shekau (Centre)

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau vowed to disrupt Nigeria’s general election in a new video released Tuesday, after two suicide attacks in the northeast blamed on the Islamists killed 38 people.

“This election will not be held even if we are dead. Even if we are not alive Allah will never allow you to do it,” Shekau said in the Hausa language, presumably referring to the polls scheduled for March 28.

United States Set To Provide African Nations With Equipment and Intelligence to Fight Boko Haram in Nigeria

U.S. army to provide equipment, intelligence to fight Boko Haram

N’DJAMENA (Reuters) - The United States military will provide communications equipment and intelligence to help African nations in the fight against Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, the commander of U.S. Special Forces operations in Africa said.

Is Internet of Things (IoT) A Security Timebomb?

Hailed as a panacea by those for whom the world cannot move quickly enough, the Internet of Things has been a long time coming. But is Internet of Things security up to scratch?

Indian Millionaire Charged With Murder After Security Guard 'Took Too Long To Open Gate'

Mr Nisham is known in India as a 'beedi baron'

One of India's wealthiest tobacco barons has been charged with murder after he allegedly rammed his Humvee car into a security guard who took too long to open his gate.