If keeping a suitcase secured with NFC and a smartphone instead of a key sounds interesting to you, the eGeeTouch smart luggage lock may be worth a look. Being shown off here at CES Unveiled, the lock lets you get at your luggage without a key or combination digit wheel — the ways travelers most often open a suitcase. (That's assuming you lock things down to begin with.) Instead, it uses NFC to know when you're nearby.
On the final day of Def Con 2013, I had the unique opportunity to interview the hackers behind the Wall of Sheep hacker group. The objective of Wall of Sheep is to spread awareness to computer users around the world about implementing measures to protect their personal data simply by using simple security measures when they connect to networks. The security of online data has never been more in the forefront of public opinion than the present. With the recent NSA incident, many in the U.S. are still wondering about the privacy of their personal data.
A new report out of China claims that Apple has contracted with Taiwan's Chipbond Science and Technology to build fingerprint sensors into its next-generation iPhone.
The details were reported on Monday by China Times, which claimed that the so-called "iPhone 5S" will include both a fingerprint sensor and a near-field communications chip for mobile payments. The two items are expected to work in concert with one another, allowing users to easily authorize a transaction with their fingerprint.
Mobile security company Intrepidus Group presented evidence during the EUSecWest security conference potentially identifying a major flaw in at least two US transit systems. Creating an Android app named "UltraReset" and using it in tandem with an NFC-enabled Android phone (a Nexus S, in this case), security researchers Corey Benninger and Max Sobell were able to reset and reuse -- free of charge -- transit access cards in both San Francisco's MUNI system and New Jersey's PATH system.
Using a pair of zero day vulnerabilities, a team of security researchers from U.K.-based MWR Labs hacked into a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone running Android 4.0.4 by beaming an exploit via NFC (Near Field Communications).
The team -- Tyrone Erasmus, Jacques Louw, Jon Butler and Nils (yes, that Nils) -- carted off a $30,000 cash prize as part of the EuSecWest mobile Pwn2Own hacker contest.
Researcher Charlie Miller is looking to spur exploration into the security of near-field communication (NFC) hardware.
The Accuvant Labs research consultant showed attendees at the Black Hat conference a pair of demonstrations in which an attacking device could access a targeted handset and remotely execute files via NFC connections.
