U.S., U.K. spy agencies gather data from mobile apps

U.S., U.K. spy agencies gather data from mobile apps 
Mobile game applications such as Angry Birds and other insecure apps are being tapped by U.S. and U.K. intelligence agencies to glean data on users, such as their locations, ages and gender, according to British intelligence documents. Meanwhile, amid rising concern over who has access to consumer data, Verizon said in a blog post that U.S. intelligence cannot compel the company to hand over data stored overseas.

CompTIA: Amazon listed most IT job ads in 2013

CompTIA: Amazon listed most IT job ads in 2013 
Amazon held the top spot in listing IT jobs in 2013 -- posting more than 16,000, according to CompTIA's annual IT Industry Outlook report, based on data from Burning Glass Technologies. Also in the top five were Accenture, Deloitte, Microsoft and Best Buy

Report: App flaws, security are key vulnerability issues

Report: App flaws, security are key vulnerability issues 
A Hewlett-Packard cybersecurity report says 80% of applications are not configured correctly and 46% of mobile applications are not securely encrypted. "That's a really shocking number because there is such attention being paid today on keeping mobile data safe," said Jacob West of Hewlett-Packard's Enterprise Security Products.

Senate report: Federal agencies lack necessary cybersecurity skills

Senate report: Federal agencies lack necessary cybersecurity skills 
The federal government is failing to implement basic protocols to improve cybersecurity, according to a congressional report that says agency personnel have delayed vital software updates and followed inadequate password policies. The report, released by Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, follows similar findings from the Government Accountability Office, and singles out the Department of Homeland Security for particular criticism

Experts: Implementing the cloud has ups and downs

Experts: Implementing the cloud has ups and downs 
Shifting operations to the cloud can solve some problems but also creates new ones, especially for smaller firms, experts say. Consultant Chad Paalman says a business must ensure it has the bandwidth to sustain a cloud strategy, and that moving data offsite means potential privacy and security issues, so service agreements must be scrutinized.

CompTIA targets veterans with IT-jobs program

CompTIA targets veterans with IT-jobs program 
CompTIA says it wants to help former military personnel move into the IT industry with its Armed for IT Careers program, which provides training and insight on opportunities. "Military professionals often have strong business, communication and technical skills and a good work ethic, which are all much in demand in the IT industry," said Graham Hunter, Western Europe director at CompTIA