The Weekly Cypher is specially curated to keep you up-to-date on the latest in cybersecurity, biometrics, and related news and innovations. Here are a few of the headlines you might have missed this week:
Alteryx Breach Could Hit 123 Million Americans | Fortune
Marketing analytics firm Alteryx recently revealed that an AWS database including private data on around 123 million American households was left unsecured. The database was accessible to anyone with an Amazon Web Services account, though it is unknown if any unauthorized individuals access the data. The security flaw was discovered by cybersecurity firm UpGuard on October 6 and has since been fixed. [Read More]
Biometric Airport Security May Not Be Legal | Digital Trends
A recent report indicates that the US Department of Homeland Security’s new effort to improve airport security with facial recognition may not be legal according to federal law. According to Georgetown Law, the US Congress has never formally authorized the collection of facial biometrics at the border, and as such, DHS does not have explicit permission to implement its pilot program. [Read More]
IoT Security will be a Difficult Task to Achieve | The Hill
The Internet of Things (IoT) offers an exciting future for consumers, enterprises, and governments alike. The ability to monitor, control, and interact with technology on a vastly more extensive level than ever before leads many to believe IoT will be the most important technology of 2018 and beyond, and they may not be wrong, but we need to figure out to improve security of these devices before we embrace them wholeheartedly. [Read More]
2020 Olympics to use Biometrics for Entry | The Japan Times
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will use facial recognition for entry of athletes, journalists, and other officials to the games. This change is intended to improve overall security but also reduce entry wait times for staff and athletes, which can be high using the old ID system. This change was in part deployed to combat the threat of terrorism at the games, which are one of the most highly visited events in the world for travelers. [Read More]
Biometrics are the Hottest Trend of 2017 | PR Newswire
A recent survey found that biometrics are the hottest identity and access management trend of 2017, with about 39 percent of adults believing fingerprint and facial recognition is superior to passwords for security. The survey also found that many adults still practice poor password hygiene. It is expected that 100 percent of the smartphone market will include biometric sensors by 2020. [Read More]
