FAIL: HTC Accidentally Opens Huge Security Hole In Its Own Phones

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Android Police just discovered that recent HTC Android phones such as the Thunderbolt, EVO 3D, the EVO 4G are vulnerable to a huge security hole that leaves emails, GPS locations, and SMS text wide open.

HTC had just updated the devices with a new logging tool, which apparently opened the security hole.

If you use an app on your HTC device that asks for permission to use the internet, you immediately become vulnerable to the app stealing these personal files, Android Police reports:

the list of user accounts, including email addresses and sync status for eachlast known network and GPS locations and a limited previous history of locationsphone numbers from the phone logSMS data, including phone numbers and encoded text (not sure yet if it's possible to decode it, but very likely)system logs (both kernel/dmesg and app/logcat), which includes everything your running apps do and is likely to include email addresses, phone numbers, and other private info

Ordinarily, the android.permission.INTERNET permission would only give the app access to your internet connection, and not to your private files.

Currently, an update from HTC will be the only way to patch the giant hole, unless you decide to root your Android phone and manually remove the "APK" file logging your actions.

Rooting is probably not your best option though if you aren't familiar with the rooting process. Until HTC releases an update for your phone, don't download any nefarious looking apps—especially apps that look suspicious and have just been released.

For the complete report, or to learn which files to remove if you root your device, head over to Android Police.

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Perry-Romney Social Security Fight Explodes

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has relentlessly attacked Texas Gov. Rick Perry's position on Social Security over the past few weeks. Today Perry responded, accusing Romney of the worst sin of all — acting like a Democrat.

In debates, statements, and interviews, Romney has criticized Perry for calling the entitlement program a "Ponzi scheme," but a Perry spokesman claims Romney made the same comparison.

“Mitt Romney's own book compared Social Security to a criminal enterprise.  Now Mr. Romney is again sounding like a Democrat, distorting the truth and trying to scare senior citizens.  As he has so many times in the past, Mr. Romney seems to forget he's a Republican," Communications Director Ray Sullivan said. 

Romney's spokeswoman Andrea Saul fired back with a critique of Perry's jobs record, implying it is worse than President Barack Obama's, under the headline"Governor Sub-Zero: 

“In his campaign’s latest video, Governor Perry criticizes President Obama for an economy that added zero jobs in August, yet Texas added even fewer and has over a million people unemployed. This election is about choices – and voters will have the opportunity to choose between Mitt Romney, a conservative businessman, or Rick Perry, a career politician whose own state’s unemployment rate has doubled on his watch and is the worst in the region.”

As the polls tighten between the two candidates, expect tempers to continue to flare when the face off in tomorrow night's GOP debate in the must-win state of Florida.

Read the rest of the Perry statement below:

“Mr. Romney has been running for president full time for nearly five years, and has failed to issue a specific plan on Social Security.  Rick Perry and other conservatives are courageous enough to be honest about federal spending and entitlements, whether Mr. Romney and the liberals like it or not.

“Gov. Perry and other GOP leaders know Social Security must be fixed.  Gov. Perry has been clear that he will protect benefits for those at and nearing retirement, and work with citizens, experts and elected leaders to fix Social Security financing for future generations.”

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Michele Bachmann Used To Think Social Security Was A 'Tremendous Fraud' Too

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After struggling to get noticed in the last presidential debate, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann is rolling out an aggressive strategy tonight that focuses on attacking GOP frontrunner Rick Perry for calling Social Security a "Ponzi scheme."  

“Michele looks forward to the opportunity to explain the sharp contrast between her view of Social Security and that of Gov. Perry,” Bachmann spokeswoman Alice Stewart told Politico. “Michele believes Social Security is an important safety net for Americans who have paid into the program all their lives and the federal government should keep its promise to seniors. She believes it’s wrong for a candidate to make seniors worry about the safety net they are entitled to.”

By attacking Perry on the entitlement program, Bachmann is setting herself up as the candidate who will save seniors from the federal chopping block — a popular message in Florida, where tonight's debate will take place.

But Yahoo's Chris Moody points out that Bachmann hasn't always been so generous. In a February 2010 interview with Fox Business, Bachmann called Social Security a "tremendous fraud."

"No company could get away with this, they'd be thrown in jail if they ever tried to do what the federal government did with people's Social Security money," Bachmann told host David Asman. "What we need to do very quickly is take the money that is coming in for Social Security, and truly lock it up so that we aren't putting it out the door anymore."

Video below:

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A Scary Look At All Of The Recent Airport Security Breaches That Could Have Been Disastrous

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Security at airports worldwide has been beefed up since September 11th, 2001. Billions of dollars have been spent, thousands of new security guards have been trained, and our collective awareness has been greatly heightened.

But none of that means we've become safer. In the last 10 years, the number one killer of airport security -- basic lapses in individual human judgment -- has meant more than a few close calls for flights around the world. In fact, a report from the Transportation Security Administration stated that over 25,000 people had been involved in security breaches since 2001.

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If You Want Job Security, Become A Data Scientist

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Image: Business Insider

Data scientist is the hot new gig in tech, says Fortune, which points out that: 

Stanford University's course on data mining is packed: More than 120 students registered last year; when it was first offered five years ago, just 20 signed up.

"That shows you the growth and interest in large-scale data mining," says course instructor Anand Rajaraman, who also runs @WalmartLabs. "Companies want these people, and they become more attractive if they learn the skills."

Fortune also highlights a McKinsey Global Institute study that says "by 2018 the U.S. could face a shortage of up to 190,000 workers with analytical skills." 

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Apple Wants To Hire Two Security Guards To Prevent Losing Another iPhone Prototype (AAPL)

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Following last week's case of the missing iPhone 5, Apple is looking for two product security guards that will make sure future Apple prototypes don't fall into the wrong hands.

9to5 Mac says there's a new job posting from Apple requesting two experienced security guards. The job description says the guards are responsible "for overseeing the protection of, and managing risks to, Apple’s unreleased products and related intellectual property."

Reports from the lost iPhone 5 prototype last week say Apple employees entered the home of the man they suspected of having the device.

Don't Miss: More iPhone 5 rumors >

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Apple Wants To Hire Two Security Guards To Prevent Losing Another iPhone Prototype (AAPL)

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Following last week's case of the missing iPhone 5, Apple is looking for two product security guards that will make sure future Apple prototypes don't fall into the wrong hands.

9to5 Mac says there's a new job posting from Apple requesting two experienced security guards. The job description says the guards are responsible "for overseeing the protection of, and managing risks to, Apple’s unreleased products and related intellectual property."

Reports from the lost iPhone 5 prototype last week say Apple employees entered the home of the man they suspected of having the device.

Don't Miss: More iPhone 5 rumors >

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Infant Social Security Numbers Are Easy Targets For Identity Thieves

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Adora McLemore was stunned  when her one-year-old daughter was denied financial assistance for medical care.

Health administrators apologized but explained the infant's income was too great -- there was no way they could approve her.

Finally, she found a caseworker to clear her daughter's file and recently said to Market Watch, "How could she be earning income when she was only one?"

For seven years McLemore worked with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and police trying to understand the fraud, getting no closer to the truth. Eventually, she went to an identity monitoring service and found her daughter was responsible for $39,000 in debt and multiple credit cards in various names.

"Children’s identities are attractive because they are pristine," Steven Toporoff, attorney at the Federal Trade Commission told Market Watch. “There’s no good credit or bad credit attached to a child’s name.”

Read more at Market Watch >

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