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Why your Wi-Fi-connected device is vulnerable to hacks and what to do about it
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Early Monday morning, university researcher Mathy Vanhoef launched a website detailing a new hack he discovered that essentially leaves all Wi-Fi connected devices vulnerable to cybercriminals. - photo by Liesl Nielsen
Early Monday morning, university researcher Mathy Vanhoef launched a website detailing a new hack he discovered that essentially leaves all Wi-Fi connected devices vulnerable to cybercriminals.

...What?

A hacker can use the new attack technique, known as KRACK, to read information that was previously assumed to be safely encrypted, including credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos and more, Vanhoef wrote.

Any modern, protected Wi-Fi network is at risk, he said. Depending on the network configuration, hackers may also be able to inject and manipulate data, including malware or ransomware a type of malicious software that will threaten to publish or block access to the victims data unless a ransom is paid.

The tech security world has been in a bit of an upheaval, especially since the vulnerabilities are in the encryption protocol itself and not individual devices, products or implementations. The vulnerability affects a core encryption protocol, or Wi-Fi Protected Access 2. WPA2 is basically a security protocol developed to secure wireless networks and help people keep their web data hidden.

A hacker can exploit the protocols weaknesses using Key Reinstallation AttaCKs (KRACKs) by tricking a victim into re-installing an encryption key thats already been used. The handshakes between Wi-Fi routers and connecting devices use random and non-reusable strings of numbers, but a glitch in WPA2 means a hacker could replay the handshakes and cause the user to reinstall a number thats in use.

Luckily, the hacker would need to be in physical proximity of the victim to be able to do so.

Vanhoef said the attack could be particularly serious for Android and Linux users and demonstrates it here.

What can I do?

Some manufacturers have started pushing out security updates patching up the vulnerabilities. Everything from routers to laptops and smartphones should be updated. Vanhoef doesnt think a WPA3 is necessary.

Luckily, implementations can be patched in a backward-compatible manner. This means a patched client can still communicate with an unpatched access point and vice versa. In other words, a patched client or access points sends exactly the same handshake messages as before and at exactly the same moments in time. However, the security updates will assure a key is only installed once, preventing our attacks. So again, update all your devices once security updates are available, he wrote.

Patches probably wont make it out to everyone because of the number of affected devices, but the U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team released an advisory listing vulnerable vendors, including Cisco, Google and Samsung, as well as others.

Google told Forbes they plan on patching affected devices in the coming weeks, and Microsoft confirmed it had rolled out security updates already.

"We have released a security update to address this issue. Customers who apply the update, or have automatic updates enabled, will be protected," Microsoft said.

Other vendors are also working with customers to ensure any affected products are patched.

So when that annoying little notification pops up on your device suggesting a security update, dont click remind me later today.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.