Database
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Data-broker leak exposes 340 million personal records
Exactis might be fueled by data, but its recent blunder is a warning that any database without firewall protection is susceptible to leaks. The data aggregation company recently exposed over 300 million personal records -- statistically speaking, that's enough to cover the entire US population.
Yet another security vulnerability afflicts India’s citizen database
India's Aadhaar database is a national system that contains personal data and biometric information on over 1.1 billion Indian citizens. While joining is technically voluntary (for now, at least), enrollment has become necessary for things like opening bank accounts and applying for loans, filing tax returns and buying or selling property. But Aadhaar has been rife with security issues and ZDNet reports that another, currently unaddressed, problem is exposing Indian citizens' information.
NYPD faces lawsuit for withholding info on facial recognition
A think tank is suing the NYPD over its failure to reveal details about its secret facial recognition program. Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology (CPT) alleges that the department hasn't complied with New York state's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) by forking over information on the system, which the department started using to investigate crimes in 2011. When groups submitted FOIL requests for training manuals and documentation, the NYPD insisted they didn't have any, so CPT is taking the department to court.
FBI's facial recognition database is dangerously inaccurate
Despite law enforcement's attempt to conceal its existence, it's no secret that half of Americans over the age of 18 -- 117 million people in total -- are part of a massive facial recognition database, their personal information culled from DMV files in 18 states. A staggering 80 percent of the people in the database don't have any sort of arrest record. Yet, the system's recognition algorithm inaccurately identifies them during criminal searches 15 percent of the time with black women most often being misidentified, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform heard last week.
Discogs expands its marketplace to help you sell used audio gear
Discogs' vinyl-tracking app and database are handy for vinyl collectors on the hunt for some new goods. However, the company is moving beyond records and into audio gear as a whole with its next big project. In an interview with Thump, Discogs founder and CEO Kevin Lewandowski explained that it already launched a database called Gearogs for synths, drum machines, turntables and more.
LeakedSource and its database of hacked accounts is gone
A website that sold access to a database of more than 3 billion hacked accounts has suddenly vanished. LeakedSource had built a business on collecting and packaging information exposed through various data breaches. It gathered compromised account details and made it searchable so users could see which of their email addresses, phone numbers and passwords were vulnerable. The site was controversial, however, because anyone could pay for advanced search capabilities. LeakedSource said its mission was to educate people who might be affected, and pressure companies to disclose breaches. Critics argued, however, that it gave hackers the means to access innocent people's accounts.
NYC will stop collecting info Trump could use for deportations
The NYC mayor's office has announced that it will no longer store personal records for immigrants who apply for the city's free IDNYC identification card. While the card allows users to secure accounts for utilities, banking and more, officials fear President-elect Trump could use the database for his proposed deportation plans. Mayor Bill de Blasio said in the weeks following the election that he would keep cardholders' personal records from the federal government and other authorities.
Hackers reportedly selling leaked terrorism watchlist
An eerily detailed database containing a list of suspected and convicted criminals and terrorists is reportedly being sold online for 10 bitcoin (about $6,600) and 3.5 bitcoin ($2,300.)
FBI chiefs want databases exempt from privacy protections
The FBI has hatched a plan to prevent its colossal database of fingerprints and mugshots from falling under the auspices of the Privacy Act. The bureau wants a series of exemptions from the law, including the requirement to tell people, when asked, that they're listed on the system. The feds also want to remove the requirement for people listed on the database to be able to correct any errors in their file. Naturally, the EFF and 44 other privacy groups have protested the move, sending a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an extension on the 21-day consultation period to debate the issue properly.
Microsoft's SQL database software now runs on Linux
Remember when Steve Ballmer likened Linux to cancer, and the notion of Microsoft courting the open source crowd was virtually unimaginable? The company has come a long, long way since then. Microsoft has unveiled a version of SQL Server, a flagship database program, for Linux. That's right -- you can get a major Microsoft data center app without having to touch Windows. The company is even working with the creators of key Linux distributions (such as Red Hat and Ubuntu maker Canonical) to get the program running smoothly. SQL Server for Linux won't officially ship until mid-2017, but there's already a preview for corporations that want a peek.
Twitter reinstates Politwoops for cataloging politicians' tweets
Back in June, Twitter pulled the plug on Politwoops, a site that cataloged the idiotic things that politicians post on the social networks. At the time, the company said the website violated its terms of use and that the collection of tweets was a privacy issue. Now, Twitter has reached agreements with The Sunlight Foundation and The Open State Foundation in regards to the site. Politwoops will be able to resume its storing of tweets, both published and deleted, in the US and abroad.
Database error publishes info of 3 million Hello Kitty fans
Online researcher Chris Vickery uncovered a database this weekend containing the personal information of 3.3 million accounts associated with Hello Kitty Online and official Hello Kitty websites, including SanrioTown.com, HelloKitty.com and MyMelody.com. The information included users' first and last names, birthdays, genders, countries of origin, email addresses, password hashes, password hint questions and answers, and other data, CSO Online reports. Some of the information was encrypted, but "easily reversible," according to the site. The breach was the result of a misconfigured database installation and all of the servers are now secure, CSO says.
Makerbase knows who built your favorite website
Makerbase, a new site from Lifehacker founder Gina Trapani and former blogger Anil Dash that's being billed as the IMDb of web design, has just launched. Just as IMDb maintains archives of the people that help produce television shows and movies, Makerbase focuses on those that create the sites and tools that make the web what it is. You won't find listings of corporate stuffed shirts and legions of VPs here. Instead you can get information on the likes of Tracy Chou of Pinterest or Buster Benson from Locavore.
Public medical database aims to 'open-source' your body
Science needs your private data to speed up breakthroughs. Researchers find it increasingly hard to recruit participants. Apple did its part earlier this month with ResearchKit and made an attempt to get users involved in medical studies. But it soon ran into its share of limitations. Now Open Humans Network, a new public database, hopes to make medical research less opaque. The site finds a connection between people who want to share their medical data with researchers in need of that information. It relies on people who, given the choice, will feel encouraged to share their personal data on an open, research platform. Jason Bobe, project director, calls it "open-sourcing your body."
Uber data breach compromises IDs of 50,000 drivers
An Uber database containing the names and driver's license numbers of 50,000 current and former drivers was accessed by an outside party in 2014, the company announced today. Uber discovered the breach on September 17, 2014, and an investigation revealed one instance of unauthorized access on May 13, 2014. This means the information has been in the wild for nearly a year, though Uber drivers haven't reported anything fishy and the database is now secure, the company said.
Hackers tried to hold a Detroit city database hostage
Online criminals aren't just trying to extract ransoms from unsuspecting individuals; they're targeting whole cities, too. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has revealed that hackers tried to hold a city database hostage in April, demanding 2,000 Bitcoins (currently worth about $803,500) before they handed it back. Thankfully, the emphasis is on "tried." As Duggan explains, Detroit wasn't even using that database any more -- it simply ignored the ransom request.
French students built an interactive celebration of Marvel comics' 75-year history
Keeping tabs on all of Marvel's superheros is pretty challenging work -- the company has been publishing comics for 75 years. Over 2,500 characters have lived in its pages, spanning more than 3,000 individual issues over more than 440 series. How did I know all that? Well, I stole the stats from Ultimate 75th, a student-made website that pilfer's Marvel's own database to celebrate 75 years of comics. Students at the Hétic school in France built the site in just four days using the REST API used on Marvel's official site. This allowed the group to pull comic and character data directly from the publisher's database. The result is impressive, but it isn't perfect.
UK government wants one huge database to help it run the country
Powerful though it may be, the UK government readily admits that it's unable to complete even "simple tasks" that require the sharing of data between different departments. Part of the problem, it claims, is down to the various databases that each government department controls. Because there's no complete picture of what's going on, no-one can act swiftly enough to fix a problem before it takes hold. Back in April, however, the cabinet's data sharing policy team proposed a plan that would see local authorities, emergency services, schools and government departments merge all of their databases. The resulting information could then be mined "big data" style to provide more accurate information for policymakers and target help towards those in need.
FBI testing face recognition for finding suspects
The NSA may claim it's not collecting photos of American citizens for a facial recognition database, but the FBI most certainly is. The feds has been building what it calls the "Next Generation Identification database," primarily by gathering mug shots from local law enforcement agencies. The software is being built of MorphoTrust, a company that helped the State Department create its own face recognition database. At the moment the two can't share data, say by simply importing an existing State Department record, but FBI Director James Comey wouldn't rule out the possibility. What's more concerning however, are the accusations from the Electronic Frontier Foundation that many innocent people will be swept into the database, which is expected to reach 52 million images by next year. To make matters worse, Director Comey was unable to allay those fears when addressing law makers recently. The agency's head said he wasn't sure if the EFF's claims were accurate, nor could he rule out that people's drivers' license photos might end up in the pool. When asked specifically about license photos he said, "I think there is some circumstances in which when states send us records... pictures of people who are getting special driving licenses to transport children or explosive materials."
Wowhead launches Warlords of Draenor database
With the Warlords of Draenor alpha now underway, the datamining efforts are in full swing. Our friends over at Wowhead have compiled their information into a specific Warlords of Draenor database, ready to fulfill all your spoiler-iffic, data-licious desires. You can find tabs for spells, talents, glyphs, factions, zones, items, and even a few item sets, for the transmogrification-conscious. Some of the details, such as icons, are still missing, but this is only the first round of datamining, and only the alpha after all! The database will certainly be updated as needed and as more information becomes available. As if to further emphasize the ephemerality of some of this information, there are some entertaining little alpha tidbits in there--items such as the "Test Chest" (it rhymes!), "Chris' New CR Test Gloves," and the fantastic "Novel Mind-Blowing Chest Guard." For some unfathomable reason I have a sneaking suspicion that these aren't the items' final names. It's just a hunch, though!
