Cyber Bites

Any risk posed by involving the Chinese technology giant Huawei in UK telecoms projects can be managed, cyber-security chiefs have determined. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre's decision undermines US efforts to persuade its allies to ban the firm from 5G communications networks. The Chinese government is accused of using Huawei as a proxy so it can spy on rival nations. Source: BBC

The FBI arrested yesterday a hacker part of a hacking team known as Apophis Squad. This is the second arrest of an Apophis Squad member after UK cops arrested a teenager in August 2018.The two, US and UK citizens, respectively, have been charged in an indictment unsealed by the US Department of Justice yesterday. Source: ZDnet

Taiwanese NAS maker QNAP has admitted its devices are affected by mysterious malware that alters hosts files on infected boxen following The Register's report.In a security advisory published yesterday, QNAP told its customers: "A recently reported malware is known to affect QNAP NAS devices. We are currently analyzing the malware and will provide the solution as soon as possible." Source: The Register

A new strain of MacOS malware disguises itself as a Windows executable file to evade detection and embed itself on a system. But the malware authors aren't exactly in the cross-platform avant-garde: the .EXE file that carries the MacOS malware will not, in fact, execute on a Windows machine. Source: Dark Reading

An analysis of the malware linked with the 2015 cyber-attacks on the Ukrainian power grid reveals that hackers added a large amount of junk code to their malware in a bid to evade detection and to confuse security researchers. Source: Computing

The new Pentagon artificial intelligence strategy serves as a roadmap for how the American military will embrace machine learning in future cyber operations, which could be a boon for companies who invest in the technology.Released Feb 12, the Pentagon’s strategy shows how the American military will rely on artificial intelligence as a defensive tool. Source: Fifth Domain

Negative stereotypes about computer hackers are contributing to a skills shortage in the cyber security sector, according to industry experts.High-profile cyber specialists today warned the industry’s hackneyed reputation as a breeding ground for reclusive computer geeks is misleading and is putting promising students off a career in the profession.Source: CityAM

Users of popular dating site OkCupid have been complaining of hackers taking over their account, locking them out by changing the associated email address and password, and using information gleaned from the account to harass them.Source: Help Net Security

Assuring the privacy and security of sensitive data, and then actually monetizing that data, — ethically and efficiently — has turned out to be the defining challenge of digital transformation.Today a very interesting effort to address this complex dilemma is arising from the ferment, out of the UK. It’s called Project Furnace, an all-new open source software development platform.Source: Security Boulevard

Apple’s iOS 12.1.4 comes to resolve several bugs in the operating, including the already infamous FaceTime bug that allows some users to see and hear others without them even answering calls.Source: Softpedia