Steven Murdoch
@steven.murdoch.is
Professor of Security Engineering; Head of UCL Information Security Research Group @sec.cs.ucl.ac.uk; Director Open Rights Group. 🐘 https://mastodon.social/@sjmurdoch 🐦 @sjmurdoch 🌍 https://murdoch.is/
UCL Computer Science are hiring Section Managers to support the development and delivery of teaching, research, and strategy within their section. I’ll be leading the Foundational Computer Science section, where the InfoSec group is based. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
August 12, 2025 at 11:14 AM
UCL Computer Science are hiring Section Managers to support the development and delivery of teaching, research, and strategy within their section. I’ll be leading the Foundational Computer Science section, where the InfoSec group is based. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
“$5 Wrench Attacks: When Cryptocurrency Crime Get Physical”, a post on Bentham’s Gaze by Marilyne Ordekian discussing when XKCD comics become reality – www.benthamsgaze.org/2025/07/22/5...
July 22, 2025 at 5:18 PM
“$5 Wrench Attacks: When Cryptocurrency Crime Get Physical”, a post on Bentham’s Gaze by Marilyne Ordekian discussing when XKCD comics become reality – www.benthamsgaze.org/2025/07/22/5...
I am recruiting mental-health experts (clinical psychologists and psychiatrists) for an in-person workshop in London to discuss a mobile app for mental health care. Participants will receive £500+expenses for their time. If you might be interested please email [email protected]
June 6, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I am recruiting mental-health experts (clinical psychologists and psychiatrists) for an in-person workshop in London to discuss a mobile app for mental health care. Participants will receive £500+expenses for their time. If you might be interested please email [email protected]
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
On our new paper published at IEEE Security and Privacy – “A Privacy Framework for Research Using Social Media Data”, a summary by Kyle Beadle. www.benthamsgaze.org/2025/05/15/a...
A Privacy Framework for Research Using Social Media Data
Social media data enables researchers to understand current events and human behavior with unprecedented ease and scale. Yet, researchers often violate user privacy when they access, process, and stor...
www.benthamsgaze.org
May 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On our new paper published at IEEE Security and Privacy – “A Privacy Framework for Research Using Social Media Data”, a summary by Kyle Beadle. www.benthamsgaze.org/2025/05/15/a...
AI-based scam checkers are gaining popularity but I would be cautious in following their advice unless the company is willing to stand behind it. For example, Metro Bank makes bold claims but the fine print absolves them of any responsibility for errors. www.metrobankonline.co.uk/ways-to-bank...
April 14, 2025 at 2:04 PM
AI-based scam checkers are gaining popularity but I would be cautious in following their advice unless the company is willing to stand behind it. For example, Metro Bank makes bold claims but the fine print absolves them of any responsibility for errors. www.metrobankonline.co.uk/ways-to-bank...
I have an open PhD position at @sec.cs.ucl.ac.uk on applying traffic-analysis resistance techniques to protect industrial control systems. Full funding is available for home-fee status students (deadline 15 April). www.ucl.ac.uk/security-cri...
April 7, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I have an open PhD position at @sec.cs.ucl.ac.uk on applying traffic-analysis resistance techniques to protect industrial control systems. Full funding is available for home-fee status students (deadline 15 April). www.ucl.ac.uk/security-cri...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Whisper it, the showdown over Apple encryption is THIS WEEK ⏱️
🤐 A secret tribunal will hear the appeal against the government’s order to carve a backdoor into Apple’s encrypted services.
🛑 Our cybersecurity and privacy shouldn’t be decided in the shadows.
www.computerweekly.com/news/3666203...
🤐 A secret tribunal will hear the appeal against the government’s order to carve a backdoor into Apple’s encrypted services.
🛑 Our cybersecurity and privacy shouldn’t be decided in the shadows.
www.computerweekly.com/news/3666203...
Secret London tribunal to hear appeal in Apple vs government battle over encryption | Computer Weekly
The decision by home secretary Yvette Cooper to issue a Technical Capability Notice requiring Apple to give UK law enforcement and intelligence services “backdoor” access to data stored by Apple’s cus...
www.computerweekly.com
March 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Whisper it, the showdown over Apple encryption is THIS WEEK ⏱️
🤐 A secret tribunal will hear the appeal against the government’s order to carve a backdoor into Apple’s encrypted services.
🛑 Our cybersecurity and privacy shouldn’t be decided in the shadows.
www.computerweekly.com/news/3666203...
🤐 A secret tribunal will hear the appeal against the government’s order to carve a backdoor into Apple’s encrypted services.
🛑 Our cybersecurity and privacy shouldn’t be decided in the shadows.
www.computerweekly.com/news/3666203...
Until now, the UK government recommended that individuals at high risk, like legal professionals, enable Apple Advanced Data Protection (ADP). Apple disabled ADP following government pressure, and now the NCSC quietly deleted their guidance recommending ADP.
UK quietly scrubs encryption advice from government websites | TechCrunch | it’s nice to get coverage…
https://alecmuffett.com/article/112602
#EndToEndEncryption #HomeOffice #apple #surveillance #tcn
https://alecmuffett.com/article/112602
#EndToEndEncryption #HomeOffice #apple #surveillance #tcn
UK quietly scrubs encryption advice from government websites | TechCrunch | it’s nice to get coverage…
The U.K. government appears to have quietly scrubbed encryption advice from government web pages, just weeks after demanding backdoor access to encrypted data stored on Apple’s cloud storage servic…
alecmuffett.com
March 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Until now, the UK government recommended that individuals at high risk, like legal professionals, enable Apple Advanced Data Protection (ADP). Apple disabled ADP following government pressure, and now the NCSC quietly deleted their guidance recommending ADP.
The article refers to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, but I can’t see any description of how this falls into the type of complaints the IPT handles. Can anyone more qualified work out what’s actually going on?
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Apple appeals the UK government’s order to backdoor its encrypted services.
The fight to save encryption continues. Why? Backdoors are a gift for criminals and predators.
We must keep our personal data and family photos secure. We need encryption.
www.theverge.com/news/623977/...
Apple appeals the UK government’s order to backdoor its encrypted services.
The fight to save encryption continues. Why? Backdoors are a gift for criminals and predators.
We must keep our personal data and family photos secure. We need encryption.
www.theverge.com/news/623977/...
Apple reportedly challenges the UK’s secretive encryption crackdown
Apple’s appeal could reportedly be heard as soon as this month.
www.theverge.com
March 4, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The article refers to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, but I can’t see any description of how this falls into the type of complaints the IPT handles. Can anyone more qualified work out what’s actually going on?
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
So here’s a simple request to Apple. Apple iMessage needs to enable “disappearing messages.” And they need to do it soon. blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2025/03/01/d...
Dear Apple: add “Disappearing Messages” to iMessage right now
This is a cryptography blog and I always feel the need to apologize for any post that isn’t “straight cryptography.” I’m actually getting a little tired of apologizing for i…
blog.cryptographyengineering.com
March 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
So here’s a simple request to Apple. Apple iMessage needs to enable “disappearing messages.” And they need to do it soon. blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2025/03/01/d...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
🚨 APPLE WITHDRAWS ENCRYPTION TECH FROM UK 🚨
The Home Office’s actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature.
UK citizens will be at higher risk of their personal data and family photos falling into the hands of criminals and predators ‼️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The Home Office’s actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature.
UK citizens will be at higher risk of their personal data and family photos falling into the hands of criminals and predators ‼️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row
Customers' photos and documents stored online will no longer be protected by end to end encryption.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🚨 APPLE WITHDRAWS ENCRYPTION TECH FROM UK 🚨
The Home Office’s actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature.
UK citizens will be at higher risk of their personal data and family photos falling into the hands of criminals and predators ‼️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The Home Office’s actions have deprived millions of Britons from accessing a security feature.
UK citizens will be at higher risk of their personal data and family photos falling into the hands of criminals and predators ‼️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Encryption IS online safety 💡
Keeping data secure is key when hackers are skilled at unpicking accounts.
So why does the UK government want to make us unsafe by ordering a backdoor to Apple encrypted services?
✍️ Sign to save encryption this #SaferInternetDay.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ke...
Keeping data secure is key when hackers are skilled at unpicking accounts.
So why does the UK government want to make us unsafe by ordering a backdoor to Apple encrypted services?
✍️ Sign to save encryption this #SaferInternetDay.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ke...
Keep our Apple data encrypted
It is reported that the Home Office has ordered Apple to build a backdoor into its encrypted services so that they can get hold of content that any Apple user has upload to the cloud.
Encryption keeps...
you.38degrees.org.uk
February 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Encryption IS online safety 💡
Keeping data secure is key when hackers are skilled at unpicking accounts.
So why does the UK government want to make us unsafe by ordering a backdoor to Apple encrypted services?
✍️ Sign to save encryption this #SaferInternetDay.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ke...
Keeping data secure is key when hackers are skilled at unpicking accounts.
So why does the UK government want to make us unsafe by ordering a backdoor to Apple encrypted services?
✍️ Sign to save encryption this #SaferInternetDay.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ke...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Now hiring in law & tech @ucllaws.bsky.social!
Lecturer/Assoc Prof in IP & IT law: intersection of platform reg, emerging tech, copyright/designs.
Join me @bernardkeenan.bsky.social Orla Lynskey @alinatrapova.bsky.social Ilanah Fhima, Matt Fisher, Robin Jacob & friends
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Lecturer/Assoc Prof in IP & IT law: intersection of platform reg, emerging tech, copyright/designs.
Join me @bernardkeenan.bsky.social Orla Lynskey @alinatrapova.bsky.social Ilanah Fhima, Matt Fisher, Robin Jacob & friends
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
February 10, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Now hiring in law & tech @ucllaws.bsky.social!
Lecturer/Assoc Prof in IP & IT law: intersection of platform reg, emerging tech, copyright/designs.
Join me @bernardkeenan.bsky.social Orla Lynskey @alinatrapova.bsky.social Ilanah Fhima, Matt Fisher, Robin Jacob & friends
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Lecturer/Assoc Prof in IP & IT law: intersection of platform reg, emerging tech, copyright/designs.
Join me @bernardkeenan.bsky.social Orla Lynskey @alinatrapova.bsky.social Ilanah Fhima, Matt Fisher, Robin Jacob & friends
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Why is it still possible to write a date where the day of the week doesn’t match the day of the month? This doesn’t need AI; a regular expression would do. I want a big red underline if I ever write “Thursday 5 February”. Has someone patented this and spoiled it for everyone?
February 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Why is it still possible to write a date where the day of the week doesn’t match the day of the month? This doesn’t need AI; a regular expression would do. I want a big red underline if I ever write “Thursday 5 February”. Has someone patented this and spoiled it for everyone?
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
February 4, 2025 at 9:19 AM
The government is reviewing the legal presumption that electronic evidence is reliable. I was one of several experts to comment on this news. www.computerweekly.com/news/3666183...
Review of legal rule on computer evidence long overdue, say Post Office scandal victims | Computer Weekly
Computer Weekly talks to people who suffered miscarriages of justice at the hands of flawed computer evidence as well as experts in law and IT, as the government commits to review the legal presumptio...
www.computerweekly.com
January 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The government is reviewing the legal presumption that electronic evidence is reliable. I was one of several experts to comment on this news. www.computerweekly.com/news/3666183...
It’s worth noting that the TikTok ban doesn’t itself target TikTok but instead makes app stores and hosting providers liable for distributing TikTok. I can understand why intermediaries are the focus, but this seems to set a different precedent that imposing liabilities on TikTok itself.
January 17, 2025 at 6:14 PM
It’s worth noting that the TikTok ban doesn’t itself target TikTok but instead makes app stores and hosting providers liable for distributing TikTok. I can understand why intermediaries are the focus, but this seems to set a different precedent that imposing liabilities on TikTok itself.
My take on the AI Action Plan – good: encouraging APIs and standardisation; bad: focus on dataset release rather than controlled access (anonymisation has a poor track record for rich data); concerning: prioritisation of novelty over doing the right thing. www.gov.uk/government/p...
AI Opportunities Action Plan
Recommendations for the government to capture the opportunities of AI to enhance growth and productivity and create tangible benefits for UK citizens.
www.gov.uk
January 13, 2025 at 6:52 PM
My take on the AI Action Plan – good: encouraging APIs and standardisation; bad: focus on dataset release rather than controlled access (anonymisation has a poor track record for rich data); concerning: prioritisation of novelty over doing the right thing. www.gov.uk/government/p...
I spoke to @fattoquotidiano.bsky.social on whether British police have the capability to extract data from a @grapheneos.org phone without the passcode. As far as is publicly disclosed, Cellebrite can’t break the protection but less is known about competing forensics tools.
Today we at #FattoQuotidiano run an article on an unprecedented case: British journalist, #RichardMedhurst, could face 2-5 years in prison for refusing to hand over his passwords to the police.
[English, free from paywall]
www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/a...
[English, free from paywall]
www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/a...
British journalist could face years in prison for refusing to hand over his passwords to the police - Il Fatto Quotidiano
It is an unprecedented case. And it risks triggering an unprecedented threat to journalism. The UK police have repeatedly tried to obtain the passwords to the phones of the British independent journal...
www.ilfattoquotidiano.it
January 10, 2025 at 1:16 PM
I spoke to @fattoquotidiano.bsky.social on whether British police have the capability to extract data from a @grapheneos.org phone without the passcode. As far as is publicly disclosed, Cellebrite can’t break the protection but less is known about competing forensics tools.
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Funded opportunity for a PhD studentship on Trustworthy Machine Learning in the UCL InfoSec Research Group. Further details are in the thread below (application deadline 28 January).
[1/5] #Opportunity to Apply for a Fully-Funded PhD in Trustworthy ML for Malware Detection at UCL CS @sec.cs.ucl.ac.uk
Deadline: Jan 28, 2025
Are you passionate about ML and Systems Security? Are you curious to understand root causes performance decay of ML-based malware detection over time?
Deadline: Jan 28, 2025
Are you passionate about ML and Systems Security? Are you curious to understand root causes performance decay of ML-based malware detection over time?
January 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Funded opportunity for a PhD studentship on Trustworthy Machine Learning in the UCL InfoSec Research Group. Further details are in the thread below (application deadline 28 January).
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Tour of WebAuthn by Adam Langley:
www.imperialviolet.org/tourofwebaut...
www.imperialviolet.org/tourofwebaut...
A Tour of WebAuthn
www.imperialviolet.org
December 23, 2024 at 7:16 PM
Tour of WebAuthn by Adam Langley:
www.imperialviolet.org/tourofwebaut...
www.imperialviolet.org/tourofwebaut...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Open Rights Group is hiring 🚀
Our Operations Manager is going on maternity leave in March 2025. We're looking for someone who can ensure that ORG continues to run smoothly behind the scenes.
Find out more and apply now.
⏰ Closes 17 December, 9am
🗓️ 14 months FT
➡️ app.beapplied.com/apply/xvezly...
Our Operations Manager is going on maternity leave in March 2025. We're looking for someone who can ensure that ORG continues to run smoothly behind the scenes.
Find out more and apply now.
⏰ Closes 17 December, 9am
🗓️ 14 months FT
➡️ app.beapplied.com/apply/xvezly...
December 4, 2024 at 9:47 AM
Open Rights Group is hiring 🚀
Our Operations Manager is going on maternity leave in March 2025. We're looking for someone who can ensure that ORG continues to run smoothly behind the scenes.
Find out more and apply now.
⏰ Closes 17 December, 9am
🗓️ 14 months FT
➡️ app.beapplied.com/apply/xvezly...
Our Operations Manager is going on maternity leave in March 2025. We're looking for someone who can ensure that ORG continues to run smoothly behind the scenes.
Find out more and apply now.
⏰ Closes 17 December, 9am
🗓️ 14 months FT
➡️ app.beapplied.com/apply/xvezly...
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Big privacy/digital tech policy event in London this Thurs - Scrambling for Safety (sign ups here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scrambling... and online here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scrambling...). Critical talks + panels on Chat Control, Online Safety Bill, and AI in govt. Pic of my sleepy dog unrelated.
November 25, 2024 at 11:49 AM
Big privacy/digital tech policy event in London this Thurs - Scrambling for Safety (sign ups here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scrambling... and online here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scrambling...). Critical talks + panels on Chat Control, Online Safety Bill, and AI in govt. Pic of my sleepy dog unrelated.
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
Open Rights Group fights to protect digital rights 🦾
Becoming a member helps us to campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to challenge restrictions to our human rights.
Join the movement today ⬇️
#DigitalRightsAreHumanRights
www.openrightsgroup.org/join/
Becoming a member helps us to campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to challenge restrictions to our human rights.
Join the movement today ⬇️
#DigitalRightsAreHumanRights
www.openrightsgroup.org/join/
Become a member
Open Rights Group is the UK’s largest grassroots digital rights campaigning organisation, fighting to protect everyone’s rights to privacy and free speech online.
www.openrightsgroup.org
November 17, 2024 at 3:37 PM
Open Rights Group fights to protect digital rights 🦾
Becoming a member helps us to campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to challenge restrictions to our human rights.
Join the movement today ⬇️
#DigitalRightsAreHumanRights
www.openrightsgroup.org/join/
Becoming a member helps us to campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to challenge restrictions to our human rights.
Join the movement today ⬇️
#DigitalRightsAreHumanRights
www.openrightsgroup.org/join/
Reposted by Steven Murdoch
3rd edition of Ross Anderson’s Security Engineering now freely available for download | Light Blue Touchpaper
https://alecmuffett.com/article/110651
#RossAnderson #SecurityEngineering
https://alecmuffett.com/article/110651
#RossAnderson #SecurityEngineering
3rd edition of Ross Anderson’s Security Engineering now freely available for download | Light Blue Touchpaper
Thanks, Ross. We miss you.
alecmuffett.com
November 15, 2024 at 8:10 AM
3rd edition of Ross Anderson’s Security Engineering now freely available for download | Light Blue Touchpaper
https://alecmuffett.com/article/110651
#RossAnderson #SecurityEngineering
https://alecmuffett.com/article/110651
#RossAnderson #SecurityEngineering