Apple tackles iPhone one-tap spyware flaws www.bbc.com

Flaws in Apple's iOS operating system have been discovered that made it possible to install spyware on a target's device merely by getting them to click on a link.
The discovery was made after a human rights lawyer alerted security researchers to unsolicited text messages he had received.
They discovered three previously unknown flaws within Apple's code.
Apple has since released a software update that addresses the problem.
The two security firms involved, Citizen Lab and Lookout, said they had held back details of the discovery until the fix had been issued.

The text promised to reveal details about torture
The lawyer, Ahmed Mansoor, received the text messages on 10 and 11 August.
The texts promised to reveal "secrets" about people allegedly being tortured in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s jails if he tapped the links.
Had he done so, Citizen Lab says, his iPhone 6 would have been "jailbroken", meaning unauthorised software could have been installed.
"Once infected, Mansoor's phone would have become a digital spy in his pocket, capable of employing his iPhone's camera and microphone to snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device, recording his WhatsApp and Viber calls, logging messages sent in mobile chat apps, and tracking his movements," said Citizen Lab.
"We are not aware of any previous instance of an iPhone remote jailbreak used in the wild as part of a targeted attack campaign, making this a rare find."
The researchers say they believe the spyware involved was created by NSO Group, an Israeli "cyber-war" company.

Analysis: Dave Lee, BBC North America technology reporter
This is many ways a textbook case of the cybersecurity community acting precisely as it should. Researchers were alerted to a vulnerability, investigated it, and made Apple, the company responsible for fixing it, aware so it could issue a fix. Apple, to its credit, understood the severity and acted quickly - it took them just 10 days.
These types of vulnerabilities are rare and extremely lucrative. A genuine "zero day" - the name given to previously unknown security flaws - can be sold for upwards of $1m when it affects a major piece of software like Apple's iOS. In this case, it looks like several zero days were combined to make a hugely sophisticated attack package.
Now attention is shifting to the secretive organisation said to be behind the attack, the NSO Group, described by researchers as a cyber arms dealer, and described by itself as firm capable of being a "ghost" on victims' devices - working undetected but gathering enormous amounts of private data.
According to Privacy International, NSO Group has sold its products to clients in Mexico and in Panama - but little is known about other deals involving the company which is said to be worth more than $1bn.
Pressure is also being put on Francisco Partners Ltd, the San Francisco-based venture capital firm that has a controlling stake in NSO Group. It is yet to comment on the controversial attack.
"[It is] the most sophisticated spyware package we've seen," said Lookout.
"It takes advantage of how integrated mobile devices are in our lives and the combination of features only available on mobile - always connected (wi-fi, 3G/4G), voice communications, camera, email, messaging, GPS, passwords, and contact lists."
NSO has issued a statement acknowledging that it makes technology used to "combat terror and crime" but said it had no knowledge of any particular incidents and made no reference to the specific spyware involved.
"These are rather rare zero-day flaws," commented security expert Prof Alan Woodward, referring to the technical name for previously unknown vulnerabilities.
"To have several found at once is even rarer. As can be seen from how these have been exploited to date, it represents a serious threat to the security and privacy of iOS users.
"Apple has been remarkably responsive in providing fixes for these issues, so I would encourage any iOS users to update to the latest version of the operating system."

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China determined to improve quality, standard of consumer goods www.xinhuanet.com

BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- China plans to lift the quality and standards for consumer goods through more market-oriented efforts and adopting a wider range of global standards within the coming five years, as part of the country's supply-side structural reform and boosting domestic consumers' confidence.

A new guideline on improving consumer goods' standards and quality (2016-2020), initiated by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, was approved during the State Council's executive meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

The new guideline is in line with the country's ongoing economic transition from an investment-driven economy to a more consumption-driven one. Final consumption already contributed 73.4 percent to China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of 2016.

"Government departments should better enhance coordination, while enterprises need to have stronger emphasis on quality, branding, R&D and marketing. They also need to fully set up awareness of branding," Li said. "It is important that the quality of consumer goods made in China can withstand the test of the market."

Further steps will be taken to upgrade the standards for consumer goods, improve quality and enterprise competence, and develop more domestic brands with global appeal.

According to the new guideline, by 2020, more than 95 percent of consumer goods in major sectors will meet international standards.

There are issues yet to be addressed though. For example, the present criteria for consumer goods still lag behind the growing demand of domestic consumers. Meanwhile, Chinese brands still have a lot of work to do to build up their competitiveness.

During the meeting, Li highlighted the importance of product safety.

"Product safety comes first and foremost for improving consumer goods' quality and standards," Li said. "We should not leave product safety a matter of concern for consumers. The government should also innovate our supervisory methods."

Major efforts in the coming five years include upgrading the present standard of consumer goods, improving consumer goods' quality, building brands with a global reputation and optimizing the market environment. Next to such efforts, the government will also provide more financial and regulatory support for developing the sector.

Efforts in branding will be enhanced with the country's stronger protection and regulation of intellectual property rights, especially for patents and trademarks. Counterfeit and shoddy goods will also be primary targets for law enforcement. At the same time, consumer good producers will be inspected more regularly, and there will be more random checks.

The premier pointed out that upgrading consumer goods would go hand in hand with developing the equipment manufacturing industry.

"By improving the consumer goods sector, we will force the upgrading of equipment manufacturing," Li said. "The manufacturing industry is the cornerstone of the country's entire industry."

Li said that companies must make more efforts to train more highly skilled workers through cooperation with vocational educational institutions.

"We need to train more highly skilled workers and foster a culture of craftsmanship," the premier said.

Chinese consumption overseas reached 1.5 trillion yuan (226.15 billion U.S. dollars) in 2015, of which about half was spent on shopping, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

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