In a contest at the hacker conference Defcon, security specialist Shane MacDougall successfully penetrated Wal-Mart. "Social engineering is the biggest threat to the enterprise, without a doubt," MacDougall said after his call. "I see all these [chief security officers] that spend all this money on firewalls and stuff, and they spend zero dollars on awareness." (via @kevinmitnick)
Social engineer hacks Wal-Mart from Defcon
Hacker Pager is a peer-to-peer messaging gadget: no internet or cellular required
The Hacker Pager is a wonderfully old-fashioned yet perfectly contemporary wireless messaging gadget powered by Meshtastic, an open source, off-grid, low-power network. It doesn't need cell towers, internet access, or… READ THE REST
4chan hacked, obliterated and unlikely to be back soon
To quote the immortal words of a well-meaning but ill-informed CNN reporter, "just who is this 4Chan?" To paraphrase the immortal words of Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction, "4Chan's dead,… READ THE REST
Internet Archive back in action
Turmoil has engulfed the Internet Archive, forced to rebuild one of most towering stacks of tech on the web after being toppled by hackers. Steven Vaughan-Nichols issues a plea: leave… READ THE REST
Save money on heating bills this winter with a smart thermostat
TL;DR: Get a refurbished 3rd generation Google Nest in near-mint condition for only $99.99 (MSRP $249). Want to stay warm and toasty this winter without driving up your heating bills? Save where you… READ THE REST
If you're still using Windows 10, you're about to be in trouble
TL;DR: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro + The Essential Windows 11 Pro Course is available for only $19.97 (MSRP $237) until Nov. 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT. As of October 2025, Microsoft has phased… READ THE REST
For only $40 you can make Q4 a hit with Microsoft Office Professional 2021
TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is now $39.97 (MSRP $219.99). Ramping up for the most important quarter of the year for many industries, you're going to want to be organized… READ THE REST
