News

Incidents in public cloud infrastructure are more likely to happen because of a customer’s employees rather than actions carried out by cloud providers, according to a new Kaspersky Lab report –‘Understanding security of the cloud: from adoption benefits to threats and concerns’. Companies expect cloud providers to be responsible for the safety of data stored on their cloud platforms. However, around 90% (SMBs (88%) and enterprises (91%)) of corporate data breaches in the cloud happen...

A recent cyber disruption to the U.S. grid involved a "denial of service condition" at a Western utility, according to a Department of Energy official. On March 5, an unidentified power company fell victim to a "cyber event" that interfered with operations but stopped short of causing blackouts, according to a DOE filing this week. A DOE official confirmed yesterday that the event "did not impact generation, the reliability of the grid or cause any...

German police, together with Europol and law enforcement agencies from the US, the Netherlands, and Romania, have seized the servers of a dark web marketplace known as the Wall Street Market, on which users sold illegal products such as drugs, weapons, user credentials, and hacking tools, ZDNet has learned. The site's seizure comes after a tumultuous two weeks for the Wall Street Market (WSM) and its users, during which the site's administrators have exit-scammed --ran away...

US President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to "grow" and "strengthen" the nation's cyber security capabilities. The US Government says it will set up a range of new schemes to support "a strong cyber security workforce" and "defend our country and promote quality job opportunities" in the face of 21st-century threats. One of the initiatives is a rotational programme through which federal employees can boost their cyber security expertise using temporary reassignments to...

Facebook is banning several prominent figures it regards as "dangerous individuals". The social network accused Alex Jones, host of right-wing conspiracy website InfoWars, its UK editor Paul Joseph Watson and ex-Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos of hate speech. Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who has expressed anti-Semitic views, will also be excluded. Facebook has already banned anti-Islamic UK groups such Britain First. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48142098  

The Chinese government is using gate-like scanning systems to record biometric three-dimensional images, as well as smartphone fingerprints, of Muslims living in the country's Xinjiang province. These devices are installed as security checkpoints at entries in government buildings and various public spaces, manned by police officers, and are part of the Chinese's government's ever-increasing mass surveillance apparatus deployed in the Xinjiang province. Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-uses-biometrics-and-digital-scanning-data-doors-to-track-muslim-minority/

Patterns define human behaviour. They help point to potential problems before they become full-blown incidents; and the same is true in cybersecurity. Patterns (or deviation from) can be an organisations biggest ally in the fight to prevent data breaches. In a new blog for IAM and PAM specialist One Identity, Jenny Radcliffe describes the importance of patterns with real life examples of her observations when investigating data leaks. She begins: “Many years ago I investigated...

A British government minister will be called to parliament on Thursday to answer a question on the findings of an inquiry into the disclosure of confidential information relating to Chinese telecoms company Huawei, the opposition Labour Party said. Prime Minister Theresa May fired her defense minister Gavin Williamson on Wednesday over a leak of discussions in the National Security Council. A Labour Party account tweeted that the question would be asked at 0930 GMT. Source:...

Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting. Downing Street said the PM had "lost confidence in his ability to serve" and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role. The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UK's new 5G network. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48126974

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Thursday to face a U.S. charge that he conspired to hack military computers after Ecuador's government ended his seven years of self-imposed exile and expelled him from its London embassy. Police in the United Kingdom dragged Assange from the front door of the embassy Thursday morning.  He now faces extradition to the United States. In an indictment revealed Thursday morning, U.S. authorities say Assange conspired with former Army intelligence...