Hotel door locks can be compromised by simple tweaks to their in-built security software, according to research from one of the world’s biggest cybersecurity firms.

A team from F-Secure found that a software system used in hotels around the world, including many well-known chains, can be hacked to possibly grant criminals entries to multiple rooms.

F-Secure’s researchers studied card keys from a wide range of hotels, and found that using hardware costing only a few hundred euros, they could create a tool allowing them to create so-called “master keys” that could bypass the protection offered by Assa Abloy’s door locks.

The card key did not even need to be one currently in use, the team said, with some as much as five years old still allowing access.

Open

The hardware kit used to clone keys involved scanning the RFID tag or mag stripe included in a card key, which is then copied by a small device which is then able to generate a huge number of extra keys in a matter of minutes

The researchers notified Assa Abloy of their findings in April 2017, and since then have been working with the company’s R&D team to fix the flaws, with Assa Abloy recently issuing a software update to the affected hotels.

“Because of Assa Abloy’s diligence and willingness to address the problems identified by our research, the hospitality world is now a safer place,” says Tomi Tuominen, practice leader at F-Secure Cyber Security Services. “We urge any establishment using this software to apply the update as soon as possible.”

http://www.techradar.com/news/hotel-door-locks-could-have-been-easily-hacked-by-fake-master-keys

Nokia’s parent company HMD Global is reportedly launching a new X-series in China on April 27. As per GSMArena, the phone will be called the Nokia X6. The first official-looking renders of the phone have been leaked in China. 

It’s not a reiteration of the Symbian variant of the X6 launched by the company back in the old Nokia days, but carries the same name. 

The leaked press renders of the phone suggest a notch above the display, which would make it the first Nokia phone to wear a notch. Additionally, there are very thin bezels on the sides and a narrow chin with an awkwardly placed Nokia branding at the bottom right. 

The back looks exactly like the Nokia 7 plus, which was launched by the company at MWC 2018. It has similar copper accents on a white panel with a dual camera module and a fingerprint sensor. The LED flash has found a new place, it has moved below the camera. 

The Nokia X6 is said to have a 5.8-inch display with 19:9 aspect ratio. Reports suggest two variants, one with Snapdragon 636 and 6GB of RAM and the low-end variant with a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM.

It will most likely, ship with Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box and will come with Android One certification. 

There is no word on the India availability of the phone yet, we might have an update once the device is officially launched in the Chinese market.

Image source– Weibo

http://www.techradar.com/news/hmd-global-to-launch-the-nokia-x6-on-may-27-reportedly-the-first-nokia-phone-with-a-notch

Opera – an underrated gem of a browser – is now available for your smartphone. Whereas most mobile browsers require either two hands or some awkward thumb-stretching, Opera Touch, available now for Android and iOS, is built specifically for one-handed use. That’s super convenient for getting online while hanging onto everyday essentials like your bag, sandwich or child.

“We have moved the browser’s key functions within your thumb’s reach,” explained Maciej Kocemba, product manager at Opera. ”This means that, unlike in most other browsers, you can more easily browse and search the web when on the move.”

Opera Touch opens automatically in search mode, with a blinking cursor and keyboard ready for you to type your first query. It’s a small difference from other mobile browsers, but it’s a thoughtful touch that can save you a few valuable seconds every day.

You can also search via voice or by scanning barcodes to find product reviews (or, somewhat cheekily, better prices on products you’ve found on the highstreet).

Go with the Flow

Opera has worked many of the desktop browser’s best features into Opera Touch, including a built-in ad blocker and protection from cryptojacking, but its most exciting new feature is a syncing tool called Opera Flow.

Opera’s research found that 69% of smartphone users don’t use their mobile browser’s syncing tools, preferring the messy hack of emailing links to themselves. As a result, it’s created a system that lets you share links, pictures, videos and notes between devices using QR codes.

“Today, we are introducing a new type of web experience,” said Krystian Kolondra, executive vice president and head of Opera browsers, “one where you can have a continuous flow of your content across all your devices.”

Opera Flow is designed for transferring content between desktop and mobile devices – and there’s a new version of the Opera desktop browser that lets you do just that.

As well as Flow, the new Opera for desktop also includes Instant Search. You can start searching any time by hitting Alt+Tab.

You can download the new version of Opera for desktop now, and Opera Touch is available from the App Store and Google Play.

http://www.techradar.com/news/opera-launches-a-new-mobile-browser-optimized-for-one-handed-use