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Even With Two Factor Authentication, @DeRay Was Hacked

June 11, 2016 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Two Factor Authentication did not fail to keep the account secure.

Hackers will keep searching until they find the one element they can exploit.

STATES CHRONICLE – There seems to be some bad news about Twitter almost every day now and strangely enough though the microblogging service isn’t really at fault. But with such a highly used and followed service and with so many high-profile targets, not even additional security measures, such as two factor authentication can prevent cunning or determined hackers from eventually getting to their mark.

DeRay Mckesson, well-known activist and former candidate for the mayor’s office was such a mark. However, even though he safeguarded his Twitter account with a strong password and with two factor authentication, Mckesson’s account was still hacked. The hacker in question then used @deray to promote positive support towards Donald Trump.

And what brilliant tools did the hacker utilize in order to bypass the extra layer of security offered by two factor authentication? Verizon Customer Service. After recovering his account, DeRay Mckesson decided to share the details with the world, in order to allow others to be better prepared than he was.

The hacker called Verizon Customer Service. Said hacker used DeRay Mckesson’s last four digits of his social security number. This information is quite easy to obtain for almost anyone who is known on social media with their real name. With the trust and compliance of the Verizon Customer Service employee, the hacker then changed the registered SIM from Mckesson’s to their own.

From that point on, all further outgoing but especially incoming mobile data or communication would arrive at the hacker and not DeRay. This included Twitter’s two factor authentication SMS. After receiving the SMS, the hacker just used the easily accessible password reset function that Twitter accounts have and full control was obtained.

This was not the first time when customer service was used as a tool by hackers, of course. The fact of the matter is that a majority of online services use either an SMS or a phone call as their second part of authentication.

There are those services that use hardware or software based authenticators. The security granted by those is, of course, higher until the user happens to lose said authenticator and then they’re locked out of their own account for a period of time ranging from very long to forever.

Nevertheless, the most used mobile carriers can allow users to set up an additional safeguard for accessing their accounts, such as an additional PIN or password. It’s like another two factor authentication for your two factor authentication. While this can stop hackers from using customer service against its customers, it’s an additional piece of data that needs to be remembered and constantly updated.

Image Courtesy of DeRay Mckesson’s Twitter, @deray.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: DeRay Mckesson, Hack, Password, SMS, Twitter, Two Factor Authentication, verizon

Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon: Is This a Good or Bad Windows Phone?

March 18, 2014 By Janet Vasquez 1 Comment

We have talked a bit in the past about the Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon verizon-lumia-icon and its release into the world, only to come back now with some news regarding its impact upon users. Previous reports earlier this month were praising the Lumia Icon as being a very compelling smartphone with high – end features and some impressive tech specs that can compete with the iPhone family in many ways. However, given the fact that the Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon is basically a Windows phone (and according to statistics, a bad choice for such a great cell – phone, as Windows comes in a slow and distant third place after Android and Apple), some reviewers weren’t too happy with its operating system.

On the other hand, even more recent news show us that this Window phone proved itself to be a performing and powerful contender to the other smartphones on the market and its Windows operating system actually won the Lumia Icon some extra points. According to users, this is the best Windows phone in existence and given the phone’s features, it is strongly recommended to smartphones aficionados, especially since the price is more than affordable, being available on Verizon Wireless stores for around $200, way cheaper than the iPhone 5C for that matter.

What makes Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon so great?

No matter where you go for reviews, you will first hear about the phone’s quality camera and great photos it takes. As picture quality is concerned, it seems that the Lumia Icon manages to provide better, sharper and with truer colors photos than the iPhone 5S, the rockstar of the iPhone family (at least in sales). The Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon also comes with a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM, but unfortunately, even if it features a 32 GB internal storage, it has no no microSD slot, which is considered to be the major drawback of otherwise a high performing and solid phone.

Even if the information might confuse you a bit, as Windows phones are not something many people would recommend, other specialists see the Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon as a perfect smartphone to meet all needs (especially the ones including photography and photo related apps), while it indeed moves a bit slower than the iPhone. However, the tech – savvy will have to keep an eye on the Lumia Icon, as who knows how it is going to influence overall smartphone sales in the months to come?

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Microsoft, Nokia, verizon, Windows

Verizon Affiliated Lumia 929 aka Lumia Icon Could Launch on Jan 16, 2014

December 17, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

The Verizon edition of the Nokia Lumia had been reported to be in development stages under the model number 929 though the smartphone is expected to be launched under the name of Lumia Icon. That would have been a parting of ways for Nokia who are known to launch their products with a number prefix.

verizon-lumia-Icon

Nothing has been confirmed by Nokia, even of its present stage so speculation is yet the only source for information on this product. And the latest bit of information that has emerged mentions the date of 16 January, 2014 to be the possible date of release of the smartphone device. The date of 16 January has been speculated since it is a Thursday and hence tallies well with the usual Verizon practice of announcing its products on Thursdays. Another benefit of launching the device on the aforementioned date is that it being after CES 2014, the device would no doubt gain from a lot of publicity during the event, it being the biggest tech event held in this part of the world.

The other issue of interest is the specification of the phone itself. There too, not much is known officially and what is known off the record is that it is a smaller version of the Lumia 1520 with a 5 inch display. this should suffice those who prefer a big screen device though not as big as the Lumia 1520 that comes with a massive 6 inch display, which makes it the second biggest phablet after Sony Xperia Ultra device that offer 6.4 inches of screen real estate. The Lumia 1520 is currently the only device in the phablet segment that runs Windows and offers a HD display. the Lumia 929 or Lumia Icon will surely add more options in the Windows phablet segment.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: 2014, Jan 16, Lumia 929, Lumia Icon, verizon

Verizon Announced $5/Day Internet Data Plan

November 22, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Verizon has announced a 4G LTE data plan that comes at just $5 per day. Tablets and other such devices can avail of this scheme from Verizon which requires no activation fees. Users would also get 300 MB of data which would elapse after 24 hours. Additional 300 MB of data would be charged at $5. The process of reactivation has also been made very simple in which subscriber needs to only re-login after the expiry of the session to get reactivated.

Verizon

There is however the necessity to have a Verizon wireless SIM card which should be installed on the device. Launching the browser installed on the device would take the user to the broadband portal of Verizon. Various data packages that Verizon has to offer would be listed on this page. The $5 a day package is also included in the list. Users choosing the “Share Everything” plan would be able to synchronize the data across all their connected devices. This however has a separate monthly charge which needs to be paid. New Verizon subscribers would be guided by their representative for setting up the account and activating it.

For customers who are in need for a regular connected service should however look at the monthly plans that Verizon have to offer, like the $20 for 1 GB plan. This is the cheapest of the regular plans that Verizon has to offer. The validity is 30 days and if the customer links the credit card to the account, the requisite amount is automatically debited from the card at the end of 30 days for renewal of the plan. There are other plans from Verizon which are however all of 30 days period and their charges are quite high.

Occasional users of an LTE Network are those who would benefit most from the $5 a day plan from Verizon. Example of such users would be at hotels where Wi-Fi is not available and guests may like to connect to the network from their rooms. There are other cellular operators also who offer such daily basis plans for their network services. Like AT&T has a 250 MB daily data plan for $5.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: $5, Internet Data Plan, Tablet, verizon

BlackBerry Z30 to be Available via Verizon, Priced $199.99

November 13, 2013 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

BlackBerry Z30 is the latest mobile handset from BlackBerry to be launched this month, November. The device is a real power packed package in the 5 inch category of mobile sets. The core processor runs at 1.7 GHz and the screen is 720p by way of resolution. The other important aspect of this device would be the OS.

BlackBerry-Z30

BlackBerry has been going through rough times and is now functioning under a new CEO. One of the important issues that BlackBerry has attributed for its drop in usage is the typical OS that the devices run on. Notwithstanding this criticism and belief about its OS, the new CEO at BlackBerry is yet going ahead with the new device the Z30 being launched with the BlackBerry 10 OS. The new CEO has announced the company would not be dropping its existing hardware or software line up so soon.

The Z30 therefore comes with the BlackBerry 10.2 version as its OS which has its own set of new features. Features like BBM would now be available to the users which will allow the user to see messages coming via the BBM app without the need to pause the current operation. There is the access to Blackberry Hub and Priority Hub features also enabled with the new updated OS. Users would get to have indication on which chat exchanges are more important with this feature.

The device Z30 would come with a 2880 mAh battery pack which the latest OS would be able to charge wirelessly as the OS is Qi-standard compliant. Otherwise battery can sustain operation for 25 hours with mixed usage of the set.

The set would be available via Verizon who have announced a fetching price of $199.99 for the set. This of course is the price with a two year contract binding. A Verizon Edge plan also exists which allows an upgrade in 24 months with a $22.91 per month payment scheme. Sale of the set starts on 14 November.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: $199.99, BlackBerry, verizon, Z30

Verizon to Launch BlackBerry Z30 in November

October 29, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Verizon has not stated the exact dates, but announced that it would be launching the Blackberry Z30 exclusively next month for sure. BlackBerry had introduced this handset back in September this year. Verizon have mentioned that the set would come with a contract binding as well as installment payment option lasting over a two year period. For a monthly payment option, it would be $22.91 that the buyers will be required to shell out for a 24 month period as part of the Verizon Edge contractual obligations. Or users can also opt to buy the set for $199.99 while agreeing to remain tied to Verizon for two years.

verizon-blackberry-z30

Coming to its features, the BlackBerry Z30 comes with 5 inch display and is powered by a 1.7 GHz processor, making it a fairly good device so far as operations go. The device also has the ability to be connected to a HD capable display unit wirelessly using the Miracast feature. Gamers would find this feature interesting as they would be able to get a more intuitive gaming experience playing on the large screen that the device will be connected to wirelessly. It also has a separate quad core processor for taking on the graphics intensive functions of the handset leaving the main core processor free for other computing functions.

So far as the application library of the set goes, there are the common apps that come with any BlackBerry handset, including the PriorityHub app which helps in managing conversations and notifications. The OS is BlackBerry 10.2 which has Natural Sound output capability which adds flavor to listening to music as well as for video chat.

Providing the juice is a 2880 mAh battery pack that its makers claim is able to provide for up to 25 hours of mixed usage. Charging of the battery pack itself is possible wirelessly.

Another feature of interest is the BBM Push and BBM Now app that allows users to see their message notifications without the need to shift from their current work on the set. Users would be able to select to save or reject such notifications on the fly.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: BlackBerry, BlackBerry Z30, November, verizon, Z30

HTC One Max: Verizon and AT&T Branded Models Leaked Online

October 21, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Rumors about the HTC Verizon model had been around for quite some time now and as usual the most effective proof of its existence by way of a photograph has been uploaded by none other than EVleaks. They have not only posted the Verizon variant but also an AT&T variant which is a surprise, for this had not been talked about till now.

HTC One Max

Looking at the images, the thing that comes to notice right away in both the versions of the One Max is the replacement of the HTC logo by the individual logo of the carrier’s retailing the set. In between the back and home button you would find the HTC logo in case of the HTC One line of smartphone devices. Not so with the One Max where one would instead be greeted with the individual logo of the carrier concerned. Verizon has always been known for their keenness to stamp their logo in every conceivable space on the device though AT&T has also followed suit this time. What is even more surprising is the manner in which the company logo has been replaced with that of the carrier this time with the One Max.

For specification the HTC One Max shares a lot of similarity with its other stable mates in the ‘One’ range, namely the HTC One and One Mini. To begin with, the One Max is powered by the Snapdragon 600 chip and comes with 2 GB of RAM. The screen is of 1080p resolution while measuring 6 inch when measured diagonally. The speakers are front facing and the metal shell which the main device is packed in gives it a sealed up effect.

However, the real surprise lurks along the rear where the case holds the fingerprint sensor located just beneath the 4 ‘Ultrapixel’ camera. There also is a microSD card slot which gives additional storage capacity to up to 32 GB though for reaching to it, the rear cover needs to be popped out.. The battery is rated at 3300 mAh and not removable. The OS is Android 4.3 with the latest Sense 5.5 running over it.

While there has been no official confirmation from AT&T for their HTC model, Verizon and Sprint have confirmed the same. We can be sure of the sets being available by end October for other regions while American carriers may come out with their versions a bit later.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: at&t, HTC One MAX, verizon

iPhone 5C Release Date Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile Shipping from Sept. 20

September 15, 2013 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

Apple had announced a new mid-range iPhone 5C on Sept 10 and we felt that Apple will not waste much time in announcing the release date or making the phone available for sale and that is what the Cupertino company is up to now. Apple has already started taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5C in eleven countries which include US, UK and Canada.

The iPhone 5C release date is expected arrive on all the well-known carriers in US namely, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. These carriers have already started receiving pre-orders for the new iPhone 5C from today. In fact, the new iPhone 5C is even listed on the Apple App Store for pre-order.

iphone-5c

The iPhone 5C is available in five colors namely, white, red, yellow, blue and green.  The handset will be available in two storage variants namely, 16GB and 32GB. The 16GB variant of iPhone 5C will be available for $99 through contract whereas the 32GB variant of the iPhone 5C will be available for $199 through contract.

If you wish to buy the 16GB iPhone 5C without contract, it would cost you $549. The 32GB iPhone 5C is also available without contract at a price of $649. According to Los Angeles Times, Walmart is offering a discount of $20 for customers who will pre-order iPhone 5C on contract. Sprint is going to make all the four colors of iPhone 5C available except for yellow within two weeks. The yellow iPhone 5C will arrive on Sprint’s network after three weeks.

If you are interested in the iPhone 5C, you can place a pre-order online now. However, your iPhone 5C will be shipped to you from Sept 20. The iPhone 5C tech specs are very similar to that of last year’s iPhone 5 which is discontinued. Apple is not making pre-order option available for iPhone 5S which is costlier device that packs in a swanky new faster A7 CPU, the innovative fingerprint sensor and an enhanced camera.

The iPhone handsets are so popular in US that in the previous year Apple had exhausted its online stock of iPhone 5 and that too within an hour. Then, the iPhone 5 could only be shipped to customers after two weeks time and then it gradually increased to three to four weeks. Customers who could not wait any longer visited retail stores to purchase the iPhone 5 without delay.

Another interesting piece of knowledge about last year’s iPhone 5 is that within 24 hours, the handset was able to attain 2 million preorders. And within the first three days of the release, the Cupertino company sold 5 million iPhone 5 handsets. Such is the popularity of iPhone 5.

Tech analysts are of the view that this time around the popularity of Apple could increase even more mainly because Apple has launched two new iPhones, one slots itself as a mid-range smartphone whereas the other one is a costlier premium smartphone. Both iPhones will be released on Sept 20 in eleven countries simultaneously and after a short while these iPhones will be made available in other regions of the world.

Apple is not only launching iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S but also a beeline of new accessories along with colorful cases. Apple has launched the iPhone 5C to target Asian markets. What do you think about move Apple’s move? Will the iPhone 5C be able gain good popularity in Asian countries like China and India? Do let us know your views.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apple, Apple iPhone 5C, at&t, iPhone 5C, sprint, t-mobile, verizon

iPhone 5S – Find Out Which Carrier is Offering the Best Deal in US

September 14, 2013 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are going to arrive on the leading carriers of US. Within this month, both the iPhones will be available on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular and T-Mobile. However, these carriers are not going to release iPhones on the official release date but on a day chosen by each one of them respectively.

Most of the leading cellular service providers in US are offering 4G LTE connectivity. The iPhone 5S will be made available at $199 on carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon through a two-year contract.  T-Mobile will be only the carrier as of now that will offer an unlocked version of iPhone without a contract. The price of the unlocked iPhone 5S will be somewhere between $650 and $850. T-Mobile will be offering the pricey iPhone 5S with a cheaper down payment scheme and monthly payments on the same day when the iPhone 5S is released officially.

iphone_5s

Verizon iPhone 5S
Verizon has got couple of iPhone 5S plans. The cheapest one is $70 per month for a period of two years. You get 450 minutes of talk time, 2GB data and pay per text with it. The average plan needs you to $100 per month for a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text and 2GB of data. The most expensive plan requires you to pay $415 per month for a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text and 50GB of data. Except the cheapest plan, both the other plans include free hotspot service.

Verizon offers the best 4G LTE connectivity. So, if you are for LTE, then Verizon will be the best choice. Verizon does not offer unlimited data.

AT&T iPhone 5S
AT&T exclusively offers roll over minutes features on all its three plans. This feat is not offered by another leading carrier. The cheapest plan requires you to spend $60 per month over a period of two years. You get 450 minutes of talk time, 300MB of data and pay per text. The average plan will make you spend $95 per month over a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text along with 2GB data. The highest plan is priced at $530 per month over a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text with 50 GB of data. AT&T offers free hotspot service on all its plans.

AT&T’s network is not that great in major areas like New York and San Francisco. Also, it is yet to offer nationwide 4G LTE connectivity.

Sprint iPhone 5S
Sprint has got two plans on board for iPhone 5S. The cheapest plan is priced at $70 per month for over a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time, text and 1GB of data with it. The average plan is priced at $110 per month over a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text along with 5GB hotspot service.

As of now, Sprint is not offering 4G LTE connectivity in major places. Even the 3G speeds are not that impressive. If you do not use much internet on your handset then you can go with better plans from AT&T and T-Mobile.

T-Mobile iPhone 5S
T-Mobile is selling the iPhone 5S on the same day when Apple will be officially releasing the handset. The lowest plan from T-Mobile costs $50 per month for a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text along with 500MB of data. The average plan costs $60 per month for a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text along with 2.5GB of data. The highest plan costs $70 per month for a period of two years. You get unlimited talk time and text along with unlimited data.

T-Mobile’s 4G LTE coverage is still below par. There is no carrier contract involved but there is a device contract that you need to clear to buy iPhone 5S over a period of two years. The unlimited data plan only offers a meager 2.5GB of hotspot service.

 

 

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: at&t, iPhone 5S, sprint, t-mobile, US Cellular, verizon

iPhone 5C Release Dates Across Major Carriers of US

September 14, 2013 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

Since 2007, Apple has been releasing a new iPhone each year. However, in this year, the Cupertino company has released two new iPhones namely, the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. Apple is going to discontinue the supply of iPhone 5 to make way for the two new iPhones. Now that the iPhone 5C has been unveiled, Apple will soon start receiving pre-oders for iPhone 5C.

Earlier, it was in the news that iPhone 5C will be a budget phone and is targetted towards emerging markets such as China and India. However, the iPhone 5C is not that cheap. It is priced at $550 whereas the premium flagship handset, the iPhone 5S is priced at $650.

iphone5c

The specs of the iPhone 5C is quite similar to that of iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C features a 4inch Retina Display, 8MP camera, and lightning port. The handset will be runnning on the newest version of iOS i.e. iOS 7. Both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will go on sale on the sme day.

The iPhone 5C release date is set to September 20. However, there is much to know about the iPhone 5C release date. Like all the previous iPhones, even iPhone 5C will arrive on all the leading carriers of US. AT&T will start receiving iPhone 5 pre-orders from Sept 13 to Sept 20.

Sprint will also start offering both the new iPhones from Sept 20th. Like AT&T, even Sprint will start receiving iPhone 5C pre-odres  from Sept 13 at 2AM CST.

T-Mobile is also planning to sell the iPhone 5C from Sept 20.T-Mobile will be making the phone avialable for sale through its retail outlets. There is no info on whehter T-Mobile will be starting with pre-oders on Sept 13.

Like other leading carriers, Verizon is also going to sell the iPhone 5C from Sept 20.The iPhone 5C handsets will be made avialble through the retail outlets of Verizon. As of now, there is no information on whether Verizon will be receiving pre-orders.

US Cellular will not be releasing the iPhone 5C on its network on Sept 20 but some time later within this year. Even the iPhone 5S will release on US Cellular network later in this year.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apple, at&t, iPhone 5C, sprint, t-mobile, US Celluar, verizon

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