Category: Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

Colin Henderson

On the night of the fake WhatsApp call, just before turning in, Ahmed Aziz noticed that his phone’s screen glowed softly in short intervals, signalling an incoming call on silent mode. Too tired to answer after a long day, he placed his phone on the bedside table and drifted off to sleep. Feb. 2, 2025 The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab studies threats to the openness and security of the internet and the risks to human rights they pose. The lab’s founder recounts how they learned one such threat had raised its game, in this excerpt from his new book. There … Continue reading He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

AI, Cybersecurity

The Cyber Angle

Colin Henderson

Bloomberg The US private equity firm AE Industrial Partners has acquired one of Israel’s leading spyware companies in a move that’s injected enthusiasm into the Middle Eastern country’s scandal-plagued surveillance technology industry. Florida-based AE bought Tel-Aviv’s Paragon in a deal worth up to $900 million, according to a person familiar with the deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential business. The agreement consists of an initial $500 million payment and could increase by a further $400 million depending on sales and other targets, the person added. AE plans to merge Paragon with REDLattice, a US cybersecurity firm … Continue reading The Cyber Angle

Cybersecurity1 Comment

Complexity of Ransomeware attacks multiple vectors

Colin Henderson

Healthcare Ransomware Attacks Continue to Increase in Number and Severity Posted By Steve Alder on Sep 30, 2024 Ransomware attacks continue to increase in healthcare despite a fall in attacks in many other sectors, according to the State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024 report from Sophos. Across all industry sectors, the number of organizations that reported suffering a ransomware attack in the past 12 months fell from 66% in 2023 to 59% in 2024. Sophos surveyed 402 healthcare organizations, and 67% said they had experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, up from 60% the previous year, and … Continue reading Complexity of Ransomeware attacks multiple vectors

Cybersecurity

U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks

Colin Henderson

WSJ 09/10/24 WASHINGTON—U.S. officials are racing to understand the full scope of a China-linked hack of major U.S. broadband providers, as concerns mount from members of Congress that the breach could amount to a devastating counterintelligence failure. In letters to AT&T, Verizon and Lumen, lawmakers ask about proposed measures the companies will take to protect U.S. wiretap systems By Dustin VolzFollow  and Drew FitzGeraldFollow Oct. 11, 2024 at 5:30 am ET Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said the companies involved in the hack were responsible for their own cybersecurity failures but that ‘the government shares much of the blame.’ PHOTO: WILL OLIVER/SHUTTERSTOCK Federal authorities and … Continue reading U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks

AI, Cybersecurity

New CIRA data finds cyber crime is driving customers away from impacted Canadian businesses

Colin Henderson

Reports of reputational damage to organizations due to cyber attacks have quadrupled since 2018 October 01, 2024 08:00 ET| Source: Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)Follow OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trust is hard-earned and easily lost; a lesson many Canadian organizations learned the hard way this year as cyber attacks impacted their businesses. Forty-four per cent of organizations reported experiencing a cyber attack in the last 12 months and more than a quarter of the 500 cybersecurity professionals surveyed, said that it had hurt their organization’s reputation (28 per cent) and cost them customers (26 per cent). The … Continue reading New CIRA data finds cyber crime is driving customers away from impacted Canadian businesses

Cybersecurity, Security

North Korean Activity in the Casino and Gaming Sector: How Do Jurisdictions Respond?

Colin Henderson

Allison Owen and Chandana Seshadri 3 September 2024Long Read RUSI. READ FULL REPORT(PDF 687KB) https://static.rusi.org/north-korean-activity-in-casino-gaming-industry_0.pdf This paper outlines proliferation finance activity tied to the casino and gaming sector, as well as the emergence of new avenues of exploitation that authorities should analyse as part of their national risk assessment process. Criminal actors exploit under-regulated aspects of the casino and gaming sector to launder and move illicit assets across jurisdictions. This threat is further compounded by the reported involvement of cryptocurrency as a means to move and obfuscate criminal assets. As a result of this shift in design, a new global illicit marketplace has emerged … Continue reading North Korean Activity in the Casino and Gaming Sector: How Do Jurisdictions Respond?

Cybersecurity

Digital Operational Resilience Act (EU)

Colin Henderson

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) (Regulation 2023/2554) establishes a comprehensive framework on digital operational resilience for EU financial entities. While all financial sector entities will be subject to DORA, ICT third-party providers who provide ICT services to financial entities and are identified as critical (critical third-party providers – CTPPs), will be subject to an EU oversight framework. The DORA oversight framework assigns to the three European Supervisory Authorities – ESAs (i.e. European Banking Authority – EBA , European Securities and Markets Authority – ESMA, European Insurance and Occupational Pension Authority – EIOPA) the role of Lead Overseer, to ensure … Continue reading Digital Operational Resilience Act (EU)

Cybersecurity

Minimizing Your Company’s Attack Surface Is Key to Cyber Protection

Colin Henderson

Enterprise network security is evolving from traditional models to zero trust architectures, impacting operational efficiency and cyber resilience. By Rob Sloan, Vice President of Cybersecurity Advocacy, Zscaler Businesses face growing risks from rapidly expanding digital footprints that increase the likelihood of cyberattacks. The fix requires a strategic shift away from legacy technologies to a zero trust solution that eliminates attack surface and brings additional benefits beyond data security. A company’s attack surface is every point where an unauthorized person could potentially access a system. It includes websites, firewalls and VPNs, cloud-based applications, email, every internet-facing application, every employee device, weak … Continue reading Minimizing Your Company’s Attack Surface Is Key to Cyber Protection

Cybersecurity, Japan, Progress

August Cole is an author exploring the future of conflict through fiction and other forms of “FICINT” storytelling.

Colin Henderson

L His talks, short stories, and workshops have taken him from speaking at the Nobel Institute in Oslo to presenting at SXSW Interactive to tackling the “Dirty Name” obstacle at Fort Benning. With Peter W. Singer, he is the co-author of the best-seller “Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War” (2015) and “Burn In: A Novel of the Real Robot Revolution” (2020). He is a non-resident fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at Marine Corps University and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Securityat the Atlantic Council; he directed … Continue reading August Cole is an author exploring the future of conflict through fiction and other forms of “FICINT” storytelling.