Richard's Kingdom

Have you ever been stopped by an in-store security guard because the tag on a product you bought elsewhere triggered the door alarm in their shop? It turns out there’s a brand of stock-control chip that has such a reputation for doing this, it actually causes a security vulnerability. The problem is especially interesting because [...]

Dear Alun Michael MP,
This week we learnt that HM Revenue and Customs finally misplaced the 25 million database records they’ve been trying so hard to lose all year through negligence and gross misconduct. I am shocked, but not surprised, at the revelation that the Government has put millions of people at risk of fraud. I’m [...]

Earlier this month, my ISP (PlusNet) got hacked, exposing its webmail system to spammers. The volume of spam I receive doubled overnight as a result, even though I don’t use their online email system.
This kind of security breach is nothing new. In fact it happens on a frequent basis, though the news is often buried [...]

There’s good news this week if you want to watch HD-DVD and Blu-Ray disks on your computer, because reports indicate that their AACS Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) “feature” has been broken beyond repair: a victory for consumer rights.
AACS is Hollywood’s attempt at restricting what you can do with your HD-DVD and Blu-Ray disks – the [...]

Two people have been cautioned for using people’s wi-fi broadband internet connections without permission, according to the BBC.
There was a segment on this story on Radio 4’s PM program this evening. Some guy from West Mercia police was scare-mongering about people with unsecured WiFi connections being accused of terrorism or child pornography offenses if someone [...]