Hi-Tech Crime CRIM30375

What Hollywood gets right and wrong about hacking Gone phishin’. www.shutterstock.com Catherine Flick , De Montfort University Spoiler warnings for Mr. Robot, Arrow and Blackhat Technology is everywhere we look, so it’s no surprise that the films and TV we enjoy are similarly obsessed. That’s not to say they manage to get it right when it comes to portraying tech accurately however – and one of their worst areas is computer hacking. I’ve been a Linux system administrator in and out of industry for 20 years. That means I ensure all kinds of internet services such as email, websites and news systems run smoothly, and preferably don’t get hacked. My current job is to research the ethics and social impact of technology, so I love seeing anything tech-related come up in pop culture. The operating system that only seems to exist in movies (let’s call it “MovieOS”) is fascinating – the constant beeping, the clicking with every key pressed, ...

Do drones deserve their dire reputation? Depends who is flying them shutterstock Jonathan Aitken , University of Sheffield Whether they are dropping drugs into prison yards, narrowly avoiding passenger aircraft or invading the privacy of unsuspecting homeowners, drones have been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. There has been an explosion in the popularity of commercially available drones in recent years. Google Images and other photography sites are now flooded with high-contrast aerial shots and gleaming panoramas, all sourced from invariably high-resolution on-board cameras. But these spectacular views have come at a price. Drones have gained a poor reputation, especially in cities. As the name suggests, drones give off a distinctive and often unpleasant humming sound that can reverberate through densely populated areas. On a more sinister note, drones can furtively peep through the windows of any residence like a ...

Strava storm: why everyone should check their smart gear security settings before going for a jog Strava Jason R. C. Nurse , University of Oxford Fitness tracking app Strava recently kicked off a privacy and security storm after it was revealed that its software had potentially exposed the location of secret military bases, courtesy of a data visualisation tool called a “heatmap”. The heatmap was created to depict the activities of Strava users across the globe. But while it’s a great idea in general (and quite a nice heatmap), a closer inspection of the user data generated by the tool highlights some worrying developments. It’s also a reality check for consumers of wearable gadgets – be they a National Security Agency operative or a retired librarian going for a gentle jog – who are lax with the privacy and security settings on apps that monitor location and other personal data. Nathan Ruser, a 20-year-old student based in Australia...