Cyber Bites

European Union regulators are set to hit top tech companies including Facebook, Apple and Google with tougher regulations compared to their smaller rivals. According to the FT, these top companies will have to become more transparent about how they acquire data and share that data with competitors. The exact number and who will be on this list is still being discussed. It is expected that by the end of this year, EU Antitrust Cheif Margrethe...

The latest government-backed campaign to help promote jobs in cybersecurity has sparked a lot of controversy for being 'crass' and insensitive. The advert shows a ballerina lacing up her shoes with the caption 'Fatima's next job could be in cyber. (she just doesn't know it yet)'. Downing Street has also commented saying the ad was 'not appropriate' and should be removed. Culture Security, Christopher Dowden has claimed that the ad has not come from his...

A coalition compromising of ESET, Microsoft, FS-ISAC, NTT, Lumen Black Lotus Labs and Symantec managed to disrupt Trickbot botnet, one of the main vectors of ransomware distribution worldwide. The efforts were made possible due to a court order obtained by Microsoft, as well as technical actions which were made in partnership with various telecoms operators globally. These efforts resulted in the key infrastructure that the operators of Trickbot use being cut off, which meant that...

The Pentagon is aiming to increase the size of the cybersecurity team for the Uniter States Space Force. There are plans to introduce over a thousand new staff, as revealed by the space force's chief of technology and innovation, US Space Force Major General Kimberly Crider. Major Crider announced that 130 cybersecurity officers will be transferred into the Space Force while speaking at the CyberSatGov virtual event on Thursday. There will also be an introduction...

One of the largest cruise line operators, Carnival suffered a ransomware attack back in August and has since confirmed that the breach leaked personal information relating to customers, employees and crew members. There are roughly 150,000 employees working for Carnival who get over 13 million guests a year across its 13 cruise brands. However, the company has said that only one brand was hit. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/largest-cruise-line-operator-carnival-confirms-ransomware-data-theft/

A group of hackers managed to access government networks by combining VPN and Windows bugs. They were able to access both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who published a joint statement regarding the attack on Friday. It appears that the attack targetted federal and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government networks. There have also been alerts that there have been attacks against non-government networks, according...

Apple's corporate network has been at risk of major hacks for the past few months, which could have resulted in sensitive data of millions of customers being stolen, with malicious code put into their phones and computers. A white-hat hacker team discovered the vulnerabilities. The team was lead by a 20-year-old researcher, Sam Curry, who said that he and his team discovered 55 vulnerabilities. 11 of these vulnerabilities were critical as they allowed him to...

A new form of ransomware has been detected in Andriod apps called AndroidOS/MalLocker.B. This type of ransomware enters the phone through downloads from online forums and third-party websites. Once on the device, it takes over the phone, prohibiting the user access to their phone. A window pops up on the screen impersonating a law enforcement message saying they have committed a crime and need to pay a fine. https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-warns-of-android-ransomware-that-activates-when-you-press-the-home-button/

Age UK has revealed that cybercriminals have been targeting older people, which has resulted in £100,000 stolen from older residents in Lancaster. A Freedom of Information requests filed to Action Fraud, the nations primary fraud reporting agency, found that Lancashire Constabulary filed 80 reports of cybercrime from April 2018 to March 2019 from residents age 55 and older. These cybercrime cases have resulted in £100,343 being stolen during this time. Between March 23, 2020, and...

As remote working becomes the new norm, and the use of hybrid IT systems increases there is a greater risk of exposure and insecurity for enterprises. New data from Cybersecurity Insiders has shown that 72% of organisations have experienced an increase in IoT and endpoint security incidents in the last year. They also found that 56% of organisations anticipate that they will be comprised in the next 12 months due to an IoT or endpoint...