Edward Snowden doesn't use an iPhone for privacy reasons

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has claimed he doesn’t use an iPhone for fear of surveillance technology in the smartphone, reports The Independent.

Snowdon’s attorney, Anatoly Kucherena, explains that Snowden does not use an iPhone, due to alleged secret software that can be activated to monitor the user. Speaking to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Kucherena explained, “Edward never uses an iPhone, he’s got a simple phone.”

Edward Snowden doesn't use an iPhone for privacy reasons

The drones are coming, what could go wrong?

Continuing from Consumer Electronics Show 2015 here in Las Vegas where we were covering this week the first impresisions of the show and also some lessons that this digital invasion is leaving us. Now, we will approach another interesting topic that combines privacy and new technology: drones.

This year there really wasn’t a section of the show where you could swing a crammed backpack and be outside of potential reach of one of the little whizzing battery powered denizens – the flock of drones. They can reach out a kilometer or two and carry increasingly complex payloads (think 360-degree hi-res video on stabilized mounts) for increasing amounts of time. So what could go wrong?

The drones are coming, what could go wrong?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Launches Trust Center

Press release:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Launches Trust Center

July 23, 2012

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online becomes first cloud CRM service to register with CSA STAR.

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REDMOND, Wash. — July 23, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) today announced the availability of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center, a website that provides in-depth information about the privacy and security practices for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Onlineservice. As data security and compliance are critical key considerations for organizations evaluating cloud services, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center delivers to customers and potential customers high-level information about the privacy, transparency, independent verification and security features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

This follows Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online’s registration with the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR) program, making Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online the first cloud CRM service to provide this level of transparency. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online joins Microsoft Office 365 and Windows Azure with their Trust Centers and CSA STAR registrations, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to customers’ data security and privacy.

“Customers have to be confident that their business solutions are meeting their high-level security features and privacy needs. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center ensures transparency in how we operate Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and handle these critical customer needs,” said Dennis Michalis, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Corp. “Our customers need business solutions they can depend on, and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center helps remove some of the anxiety they may have as they consider going to the cloud.”

Gartner Inc. in the research report “Look Before You Leap Into Cloud Computing,” published May 25, 2012, predicts that “by year-end 2016, more than 50 percent of Global 1000 companies will have stored customer-sensitive data in the public cloud.” And it adds, “many enterprises are reaping great benefits from cloud computing, primarily in added business agility and cost savings .… However, as with any significant new form of technology, many eager new customers rush to take advantage of it before all the risks and risk mitigations have been fully explored.”

“Enterprises should ensure that potential cloud service providers are trustworthy in areas of security, privacy and operational characteristics,” said Gene Phifer, vice president distinguished analyst, Gartner. “Enterprises should perform due diligence on potential cloud service providers through the use of emerging cloud standards, certifications, cloud services brokers, questionnaires and interviews, and by generally ‘doing your homework.’ Transparency in a cloud vendor is key and security should be as big of a concern with online deployments as with on-premises deployments.”

Designed to offer the performance, scalability, security and service levels organizations expect, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online has built-in capabilities for compliance with a wide range of regulations and privacy mandates, including EU Safe Harbor, EU Model Clauses, ISO 27001, SSAE 16 SOC 1 Type II, and HIPAA-HITECH.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center is available at http://crm.dynamics.com/trust-center. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Twitter community can do so at @MSDynamicsCRM, using #MSDYNCRM and #CRM2011.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics solutions empower your people to be more productive and your systems to last longer and scale as your business grows, while enabling you to derive the insights necessary to respond quickly in an ever-changing world of business.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Study: Privacy Commitment Key to Selection of Cloud Providers

Press release:

Study: Privacy Commitment Key to Selection of Cloud Providers

July 18, 2012

Small and midsize businesses are embracing cloud services, but are closely scrutinizing privacy policies and practices when choosing providers.

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REDMOND, Wash. — July 18, 2012 — Attracted by the opportunity to improve efficiency while cutting IT costs, small to midsize businesses (SMBs) are rapidly adopting cloud computing, yet they continue to express concerns about privacy in the cloud, according to research released today by Microsoft Corp. Consequently, data protection policies and practices of cloud providers are figuring prominently in U.S. SMBs’ cloud-purchasing decisions. 

Among the survey’s noteworthy findings: 

• 65 percent of U.S. SMBs surveyed say cloud computing is “important” or “essential” for their organization today, and 81 percent say it will be two years from now.
• 59 percent said the privacy policies of cloud vendors impact their selection of cloud-service providers.
• The cloud policies and practices that SMBs care about most include transparency about location of data, segregation of data between customers, and commitments not to mine cloud data for advertising.

“Not long ago, the IT industry wondered if privacy concerns would prevent small and midsize companies from moving to the cloud. Our research indicates that is not the case,” said Brendon Lynch, chief privacy officer, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing. “Instead, SMBs are expressing their interest in data protection by using it as a way to evaluate potential cloud providers. This desire for transparency from our customers is one reason we created resources such as the Microsoft Office 365 Trust Center to clearly explain our cloud privacy, security and compliance commitment.” 

The research shows that SMBs expect potential cloud providers to prove their commitment to privacy in several different ways:

• 51 percent insist on proof of compliance.
• 43 percent require the completion of a self-assessment checklist.
• 59 percent seek privacy provisions at the contract negotiation and legal review stages.

“It’s encouraging to hear SMBs asking the right questions of cloud providers,” said Jim Reavis, executive director, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). “The CSA considers clear service-level agreements, proof of compliance and self-assessment checklists as best practices for conscientious cloud providers.”

To this end, the CSA created the Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR) to help businesses assess cloud providers’ security and privacy capabilities. The STAR is a free, publicly accessible registry that documents the security controls provided by various cloud-computing offerings, thereby helping businesses assess the security of cloud providers. Since the STAR’s launch in December 2011, Microsoft has supported the registry by completing self-assessments for Microsoft Office 365, Windows Azure and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 

Seven hundred and sixty-nine privacy professionals in the U.S. with an average of 11 years working in IT, compliance, data security, risk management and privacy fields took part in the study, which was commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by The Ponemon Institute in April and May. Respondents were not screened according to which products or services they used, or aware of Microsoft’s involvement in the study.

The research was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United States. More information is available in the Microsoft Security, Privacy and Online Safety Newsroom and at http://www.microsoft.com/privacy.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. 

Privacy and Security in the Consumer Cloud: The not so fine print | ESET ThreatBlog

Privacy and Security in the Consumer Cloud: The not so fine print | ESET ThreatBlog