Microsoft Attacks Google's Windows Hack Alert

Google leaves Microsoft red faced by revealing a potent security flaw found right in its popular Windows operating system. Google has published a report which gives insight and remarkable details into the security flaw which has yet to be fixed by the Microsoft. It should be noted that Google has already given a deadline of seven days to Microsoft for fixing up the flaw but Microsoft simply failed to play by the rules. Google has stated that it was necessary to reveal the flaw to public as it was being actively abused. Microsoft reiterated by stating that alert which only ends up in causing more harm because it will still need more time come with a suitable security patch.

The flaw revealed by Google

Google has revealed a major flaw in the file named Win32k.sys which is utilized by the Microsoft’s Windows operating system to display graphics. Any kind of alteration or moderation to this file can create havoc for the users which leaves the display system is jeopardy. Deleting or altering this file results in system errors with the notorious blue screen of death. This has been known by all the major security experts and operating system users as well as technicians but the flaw revealed by Google brings showcase a vulnerability which can utilized by the hackers for their own personal gains.

Google has quite frankly laid down the roadmap for any hacker to exploit this vulnerability through using a ‘security sandbox escape. This simply means that if a hackers gets acess of any Windows operating system the he will get the ability to alter other computer function sin order to cause more problems for the end users.

Why Google chose to reveal the vulnerability? 

Google has a policy which has been active since 2013 and it states that Google will offer 60 days to the developers to fix up the flaw identified by it, only in the case if no one making active use of the flaw. But if it’s found that the vulnerability is being utilized by hackers or other then Google will offer just 7 days before making the flaw public.

Similarly Google has given seven days to the Microsoft to come up with a fix for this vulnerability but they failed to do so. Microsoft has stated in its defense that it isn’t feasible to come with right solution and fixing parameter with an imposing aggressive timeline. It has also been stated by Google that users can safeguard themselves from this flaw through limiting the exposure by the using the Chrome which is not effectively exposed to the vulnerability.

Tech community is divided in this debacle

Cyber security experts are left scratching their whether the decision taken by Google is right or wrong given the fact that revealing the flaw will still require a security patch from Microsoft and Microsoft requires time to develop it. A security expert has stated that bringing flaw public without knowing who are the attackers and targets can aggravate the situation further.

Samsung Electronics to Acquire Artificial Intelligence Firm Viv

Samsung Acquiring US AI Platform Developer Viv Labs Inc

Recently the tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd had mentioned that it will be acquiring U.S. artificial intelligence – AI platform developer Viv Labs Inc. which is a firm run by co-creator of Apple Inc’s Siri voice assistant programme. Samsung had specified in a statement that it intends to integrate the AI platform of San Jose based company known as Viv, into the Galaxy smartphones and develop voice-assistant services to home appliances together with wearable technology devices.

The financial terms had not been disclosed. In order to make artificial intelligence adequately good in enabling consumers to interact with their devices much more naturally especially through voice, the technology firms have been locked in an increasingly heated race.

 Alphabet Inc’s Google has been considered to be the leader in AI though there are others such as Amazon.com, Apple and Microsoft who have also launched their own offerings comprising of voice-powered digital assistant.Samsung being the top smartphone maker in the world is also eager to differentiate its devices from phones to fridges by combining AI.

The achievement of Viv could benefit the Korean firm showing its effectiveness when the Google’s new Pixel smartphones equipped with the U.S. firm’s voice powered digital assistant tends to threaten Samsung together with the other smartphone manufacturers who seem to be mainly dependent on the Android operating platform.

Teach System in Creating New Apps

Samsung’s executive vice president, Rhee In-jong informed Reuters in an interview that Viv brings in a very unique technology enabling them to have an open system where any third party service and content providers could add their services to our devices’ interfaces. Rhee stated that Samsung needs to really revolutionise how its devices operate, moving in utilising voice instead of touch and that they cannot innovate using only in-house technology.

The chief executive of Viv and co-founder Dag Kittlause, a Siri co-creator together with other top managers at the firm would be continuing in managing the business independently after the acquisition. Rhee also informed Reuters that Samsung would continue in looking for acquisitions to strengthen its AI together with the other software capabilities without mentioning any targets. Viv’s AI platform enables developers to teach the system in creating new apps or to utilising the prevailing one and build an open ecosystem of intelligence.

Envisaging Future Beyond Apps

Kittlaus had mentioned in a statement that at Viv they are building the simplest system to talk to devices and services everywhere. They are envisaging a future which is beyond apps where one could get what they need instantly and easily irrespective of where they could be or what device is nearby.

Analyst at Edison Investment Research Richard Windsor told IBTimes UK that Viv is very good at interpreting and understanding natural speech and understands context with regards to earlier asked questions. It can unravel multi-part complex questions. If this tends to work as advertised, it would be better at natural language than Google Assistant.

Viv runs everything in the cloud which means the dislocation of the phones on Android of Samsung and everything else on Tizen could be less of an issue than what is at present. But this has placed Samsung in a position to compete directly against Google whose focus is to have its Google Assistant front and centre of every Samsung Android device according to Windsor.

3D Printing Technology to Create Shock Absorbing Skin

3D Printing Technology – Custom Shock Absorbing Dampers/Skins

Robots have a tendency to break and often it could be due to improper padding to protect them. However scientists of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT – CSAIL have come up with a new technique for 3D printing soft materials which tends to make robots safer as well as more accurate in their movements.

For instance, after 3-D printing a cube robot that moves on bouncing, the researchers prepared it with shock-absorbing `skins’ which utilises only about 1/250 of the amount of energy it transfers to the ground. The 3-D printing technology had been utilised to create custom shock absorbing dampers or skins in order to safeguard drones and robots.

Known as the `programmable viscoelastic material – PVM technique, the printing method of MIT provides object with the accurate stiffness or elasticity they may need. According to the MIT, the inspiration for the project had come from a predicament. Common damper resources usually tend to have solid as well as liquid assets which are made from compact, cheap and readily found items like rubber or plastic, but these seem difficult to customize. They cannot be created beyond specific sizes and dampening levels which are already in place.

Cube Shaped Robot – TangoBlack

This issue had been resolved by the team by utilising 3D printing technology in creating a bouncing cube shaped robot from a solid, a liquid together with a flexible rubber type material known as TangoBlack+. Besides absorbing shock, the cube robot is said to be capable of landing more accurately in consideration of its skin.Daniela Rus, Director of CSAIL who had supervised the project and co-wrote a related paper, commented that reduction tends to make the difference in preventing a rotor from breaking of a drone or a sensor from cracking when it tends to hit the floor.

 These materials permit 3-D print robots with visco-elastic properties which can be recorded by the user at print-time as part of the process of fabrication. MIT informed that the technology could be utilised in expanding the lifespan of delivery drones such as the ones that have been created by Amazon and Google. It could also be engaged on a more practical level for performing tasks like helping to protect phone or cushioning heads in helmets and the feet in shoes.

Skins Enables Robot to Land Four Times More Accurately

The skins also enable the robot to land almost four times more accurately recommending that related shock absorbers can be utilised in helping in lengthening the lifespan of delivery drones.The new paper was presented at IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Korea written by Rus together with three postdocs with lead authors Robert MacCurdy together with Jeffrey Lipton as well as third author Shuguang LiThe cube robot comprises of a rigid body, accompanied by two motors, a microcontroller, battery together with inertial measurement unit sensors.

Four layers of looped metal strip seem to serve as springs which tend to propel the cube. Hod Lipson, professor of engineering at Columbia University and co-author of `Fabricated: The New World of 3-D Printing’, states that by combining multiple materials in achieving properties which are beyond the range of the base material, this work drives the envelope of what’s probable to print. On top of that being able to do this in a single print-job, raises the bar for additive manufacturing’.

If the US Hacks Russia for Revenge, That Could Lead to Cyberwar

After Russia took claim of a recent upon the US government in the cyber field CIA wishes to send a message back by indulging in similar response. Russian hackers brought massive cyber attacks upon the US and try to bring huge interference during the US election through state sponsorship. CIA has a plan to bring the offensive back to the Russian by launching similar attacks which will only help worsening the relationship between the two countries.

Just last week a report was released by NBC News where it was specifically stated that CIA is actively working on the blueprints to launch one of the most covert cyber operation against Russia in near future. Few experts has suggested that CIA would be working towards leaking the letters and documents related to Vladimir in the similar fashion as Russians has released the documents related to the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Documents collected to be utilized during cyber attack

Retired security personnel has stated that over the years CIA has accumulated a wide number of documents and filed which can create trouble for the Russian and most importantly for Vladimir Putin. These documents basically deal with notorious dealing of the Putin and his associates in the last decade and beyond.

Ex-NSA Chief Michael Hayden has even went ahead to say that hacking foreign governments as well as political happens to be the past time of the CIA. Currently the relationship and atmosphere surrounding these two countries has become quite similar to the Cold War era but instead of a nuclear war threat of an impending cyber war looms in the air. Obama is going out of the office in November but even that has not stopped him from criticizing Putin in this regard.

It might even happen that all these theories about CIA possessing a truckload of information on Putin is simply a story to scare off Russians from causing anymore undue damage in the cyber field. If CIA plans are real then how useful will it be against Russia is yet to be asserted. A number of security experts has stated simply releasing damaging documents against Putin will not have any impact among the Russian government though his image might take a hit globally but nothing worthwhile can come out of it in the long run.

A warning for impending cyber war

US politicians are highly susceptible to the public pressure which can even spoil their future and political career if any documents are found against them. On other Putin isn’t much susceptible to such thing but Russian can utilize its highly robust internet surveillance plan to launch attack upon the US in the cyber field if it ever feel threatened then it will go on full-fledged cyber war against US.

The international paradigms changes just a few years ago the greatest threat to US cyber security was China. China has been accused of hacking into and tens of millions of US citizen’s security review files right from the US government online databases which tend to go decades back.

New Security Method Sends Codes through Your BODY

Low Frequency Transmission

Wi-Fi together with Bluetooth are said to be areas for hackers since these techniques enables easy and anonymous stealing of passwords. In order to stall these activities, a group of students have come out with a system which tends to utilise low frequency transmission to send passwords via the human body.

On reversing the same system utilised by fingerprint sensors, they have achieved a method to generate wireless data transmission between the smartphones and the other devices. Senior author Shyam Gollakota, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington (UW) stated that till now, fingerprint sensors had been utilised as input devices.

He further added that for the first time that fingerprint sensors can be re-purposed to send out information that is confined to the body. Fingerprint sensors had been designed for the purpose of receiving data about one’s finger which is utilised to authenticate identity. However, the UW team inverted the procedurealtering the technology into an output which tends to push the data comprising of a password or access code from the smartphone to the other device.

Works in Various Postures

Co-lead author Mehrdad Hessar, a UW electrical engineering doctoral student explain that if one intends to open a door utilising an electronic smart lock he can touch the doorknob and touch the fingerprint sensor on the phone and transmit secret credentials via the body to open the door without leaking the personal information over the air.

In experiments, the researchers had demonstrated this system utilising the Touch ID sensor of an iPhone 5s and iPhone 6s, together with the trackpad of a Lenovo laptop as well as other fingerprint scanners. During the evaluation, around ten subjects had been utilised and varied in height, weight and body type, which were capable of generating usable on-body transmissions.

The team also envisaged positive results even when the participants were moving, like walking around or moving their arms. Co-lead author, Vikram Iyer, a UW electrical engineering doctoral student commented that they had shown that it works in various postures like sitting, standing and sleeping. Good strong signal is obtained throughout the body. The receivers could be anywhere, either on the chest, hands or legs and still tends to function.

Generate Low Frequency

This ground-breaking project began by analysing smartphone sensors by the team in order to detect which one tends to generate low-frequency less than 30 megahertz and travels well through the body though does not propagate over the air. It was only fingerprint sensors and touchpads which were found to meet up with all these requirements.

These methods tend to generate signals in the 2 to 10 megahertz range and transfers energy in an electric network to sense where in the space your finger would be. Moreover, it also identifies the ridges as well as valley which form the unique fingerprint patterns. The procedure which the UW utilised is a sequence of finger scans to encode and to transmit data.

With a finger scan it tends to correlate to a 1-bit of digital data and without the scan correlates to a 0-bit. The team had also succeeded in bit rates of 50 bits per second on laptop touchpads and 25 bits per second with fingerprint sensors which were adequately fast in sending a simple password or numerical code through the body and to a receiver in seconds.