Cyber Bites

The government's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued warnings and guidance to nurseries and childminders about the increase of cyberattacks. This is the first time that the NCSC has issued guidance for industries caring for children in this age group. The NCSC's warning has encouraged nurseries and childminders to use password protection for personal or sensitive information provided by parents. The NCSC statement said, "you may not think it, but regardless of the size...

The US issued arrest warrants on the 12th March 2021, for Jean-François Eap, Sky Global's Canadian Chief Executive Officer, and Thomas Herman, former phone distributer. The two executives have been indicted for racketeering and knowingly facilitating the import and distribution of illegal drugs, while running the largest encrypted phone service. The warrants came after Belgian and Dutch police finished a series of raids on suspected drug traffickers after a joint operation with French law enforcement....

Researchers from the University of Queensland, the University of Melbourne, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a virtual "virus" that could be used to more accurately assess the spread of COVID-19. The joint project could also reduce the lag between the time people catch the virus and get diagnosed. The now dubbed Safe Blues program relies on Bluetooth technology to copy and transmit strands between mobile devices. The goal is to mimic...

A Twitter bug was banning users who tweeted the word "Memphis" recently. Users flagged the bug to the social media platform after dozens of account were suspended. Since the incidents took place Twitter has resolved the bug but has not issued any comments. The French football club, Olympique Lyonnais, were banned due to the bug after they announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Memphis Depay. The NBA team, Memphis Grizzlies, were also struggling to post...

A trial of new powers granted by the controversial Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 has been going on for months, which involves the internet providers creating internet connection records (ICRs). These can be used to show which websites individual people have visited and when. This has caused digital rights campaigners to voice their concerns: "We should have the right to not have every single click of what we do online hoovered up into a surveillance...

An investigation has been opened into the data breach at Fastway Couriers, during which hackers stole the personal details of thousands of Irish online shoppers. The company has confirmed that the names, addresses, email accounts and phone numbers of 446,143 customers have been accessed. Fortunately, no financial information or other personal data was accessed or stolen. The breach occurred on the 24th of February during a server maintenance. It was fixed by 9 AM the...

Molson Coors, a beverage giant responsible for brands such as Coors, Miller Lite and Foster’s, has released details for what seems to be a ransomware attack. The company filled the attack yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), claiming that it has experienced a “systems outage caused by a cybersecurity incident”. In the report, they also noted that they were in the process of dealing with the incident. The report said, "on March 11,...

Netflix has announced that it will be trialling new restrictions for password sharing on its streaming platform. Streaming services, such as including HBO Go, Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney+, all allow users to create multiple profiles which can be used across a number of devices. However, it is specified in their terms and conditions that these profiled must only be used by people in the same household. Some Netflix users have reported seeing a screen...

Norway's Parliament becomes the newest organisation to fall victim to the vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Exchange Server. A press release was issued, confirming that the great assembly Stortingnet had been breached by 'backdoor-installing miscreants'. Marianne Andreassen, the director at Stortingnet stated: "We know that data has been extracted, but we do not yet have a full overview of the situation. We have taken extensive action and cannot rule out that further action will be taken," she...

Three UK universities have been hit by a series of cyberattacks this week. The University of Central Lancashire in Preston, the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, and Queen's University in Belfast were all hit by separate attacks. On Sunday the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) experienced an incident that left remote-learning students unable to submit assignments or access some online university systems, with the attack being "rectified within hours" according to a...