British spies carry out mass interception of emails, but only read a few: report

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) – British spies carry out mass interception of the public's emails and access large databases with individuals' personal details, but their actions are not indiscriminate or unlawful, a powerful committee of lawmakers said on Thursday. Britain's security agencies have been accused of unfettered snooping on electronic communications since disclosures by U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden indicated spies had been hoovering up emails, text messages and internet communications

Read more

Snapdeal drums up custom in Slumdog’s Dharavi

By Nivedita Bhattacharjee MUMBAI (Reuters) – For viewers of Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, Mumbai's vast Dharavi slum is a byword for poverty, but to online retailer Snapdeal.com it is a battleground for new customers and, it hopes, a source of better margins. The three are already fighting over India's 300 million-strong urban middle class, who have come to expect price wars and great deals on everything from mattresses to motors, but as competition intensifies, Snapdeal has begun chasing a different demographic. It tied up with remittance provider FINO PayTech in November to set up online shopping services in semi-urban, rural and low-income residential areas across India.

Read more

CIA sought to hack Apple iPhones from earliest days: The Intercept

By Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) – CIA researchers have worked for nearly a decade to break the security protecting Apple phones and tablets, investigative news site The Intercept reported on Tuesday, citing documents obtained from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The report cites top-secret U.S.

Read more

Mandarin Oriental says credit card systems compromised in cyberattack

Hotel operator Mandarin Oriental International Ltd said on Thursday that it was the victim of a cyberattack and that it found malicious software on credit card systems at “an isolated number” of hotels in the United States and Europe. The company said in a statement on its website that it was working with credit card companies, law enforcement and forensic experts as it investigates the matter.

Read more

Britain should turn to middle-aged mums to be spies of the future: report

Britain's security agencies should look to recruit more middle-aged women and mothers to be new spies and should target websites popular with parents to find them, an influential committee of lawmakers said on Thursday. The Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees the work of Britain's three spy agencies, said it was crucial there was more diversity if the security services were to be able to address the threats facing the country.

Read more

Russian researchers expose breakthrough U.S. spying program

By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency has figured out how to hide spying software deep within hard drives made by Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba and other top manufacturers, giving the agency the means to eavesdrop on the majority of the world's computers, according to cyber researchers and former operatives.

Read more

Factbox: Canada security bill’s main provisions

The Canadian government introduced legislation on Friday to counter terrorism in response to attacks in Canada, France and Australia by Islamist militants since last October. The following are the main provisions: CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE – CSIS would have powers to disrupt threats to the security of Canada at home and abroad, not just collect intelligence. PROMOTION OF TERRORISM – It would make it a crime to call for attacks on Canada in general.

Read more

U.S. penetrated North Korean networks years ago – New York Times

The U.S. National Security Agency began tapping into North Korean computer networks in 2010, an effort that ultimately helped provide evidence to persuade the Obama administration that Pyongyang was behind the cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the New York Times reported on Sunday. Citing former U.S

Read more

Britain’s MI5 chief warns al Qaeda in Syria planning mass attacks on West

By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) – Al Qaeda militants in Syria are plotting attacks to inflict mass casualties in the West, possibly against transport systems or “iconic targets”, the head of Britain's MI5 Security Service said on Thursday. Speaking after gunmen killed 12 people in an assault on a French satirical newspaper, MI5 boss Andrew Parker warned a strike on the United Kingdom was highly likely.

Read more