1. Hackers have taken control of Cisco System routers in locations around the world, according to security consultants at FireEye. Cisco said that by taking control of a router, a hacker can access data flows or take control of other network infrastructure. FireEye said 14 routers had been impacted, and that routers from other manufacturers could also be vulnerable.
Cisco said it told its customers about the attacks last month. The company said that the hackers are gaining access to the routers by stealing login information from the organizations they want to target, or in some cases by physically accessing the routers.
Cisco is the world’s largest maker of Internet routers. In the past, U.S. government agents have reportedly intercepted Cisco routers set for export to China and implanted firmware to be used for surveillance. This week’s report of tampering with Cisco routers involves an attack that can apparently be carried out without physically touching the router.
2. Chip giant Qualcomm is announcing a slew of new products this week. The world’s biggest maker of LTE modems said its newest X12 LTE modem will use carrier aggregation to achieve download speeds of up to 600 megabits per second on compatible networks. The new modem also supports LTE in unlicensed spectrum. It will be integrated with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor.
Also this week, Qualcomm unveiled two new Snapdragon processors for mid-price mobile devices, and it announced a new charging algorithm that its says can get a typical phone 80% charged in 35 minutes. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 is an option on its Snapdragon processors.
And finally, Qualcomm has been busy on the acquisitions front as well. The chipmaker bought Capsule Technologie that connects medical devices to hospital software. Capsule supports more than 700 devices and more than 1,900 hospitals.
3. Voice-over-LTE has launched in the U.K. with the name 4G Super-Voice. Three is the first U.K. operator to launch VoLTE. The carrier already offers Wi-Fi calling, which also leverages voice-over-IP, but it offers the service through an app. Last week Vodafone became the first U.K. operator to enable Wi-Fi calling without an app.
4. AT&T updated the Federal Communications Commission on its rollout of multi-frequency band software, which is designed to enable sites to transmit in both Band 12 and Band 17 frequencies within the 700 MHz spectrum block. AT&T says MFBI has been fully deployed on its macro network and its small cell network. The carrier said it is transmitting both Band 17 and Band 12 throughout its network.
AT&T last year reached an agreement with the FCC to support interoperability across Band Class 12 and 17 in the lower 700 MHz band.
5. Turning window shoppers into buyers is the goal of new software that will become part of Twitter. Consumers typically use mobile devices to comparison shop but don’t make as many purchases through mobile as they do through personal computers. Twitter will use software called Relay to make it easier to buy products within the Twitter app.
Our featured job today comes from TelForce Group. The recruiter is looking for a Level 2 installation technician in the Dallas area. Please send all resumes with certifications and driver licenses to [email protected].
