Category: cyber

Cyber Attack Against U.S. IT Provider Forces Swedish Chain to Close 800 Stores

STOCKHOLM—The Swedish Coop grocery store chain closed all its 800 stores on Saturday after a ransomware attack on an American IT provider left it unable to operate its cash registers. Hundreds of American businesses were hit on Friday by an unusually sophisticated attack that hijacked widely used technology management software from a Miami-based supplier called…


West Faces ‘Moment of Reckoning’ Over Chinese Tech Threat: UK Intelligence Chief

A senior British intelligence official has warned that China’s tech growth is posing a serious threat to the security of the UK and the West in general. Jeremy Fleming, director of Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency, said on Friday that the West is facing a “moment of reckoning” as China and Russia increase their malign activities…


Chinese Hackers Use Facebook to Target Uyghurs in Australia, US and Canada

Facebook revealed on Thursday that it had blocked Chinese hackers from using its platform to target Uyghur activists living abroad. The tech giant said two hacking syndicates in China, Earth Empusa and Evil Eye, were responsible for the attacks and exploited various means to distribute malware onto their devices and carry out surveillance. Facebook said…


Chinese Hackers Use Facebook to Target Uighurs in Australia, US and Canada

Facebook revealed on Thursday that it had blocked Chinese hackers from using its platform to target Uighur activists living abroad. The tech giant said two hacking syndicates in China, Earth Empusa and Evil Eye, were responsible for the attacks and exploited various means to distribute malware onto their devices and carry out surveillance. Facebook said…


West Must Stop Ceding Strategic Initiative to China, Russia: UK Commander

The UK and the West in general may be forced to capitulate “without a shot being fired” if they continue “ceding the strategic initiative” to rivals such as China and Russia, a senior British military commander has said. “While we drained our strength in interventions like Iraq, others used the time and space to further…


Google, Civil Groups Concerned Over ‘World-First’ Australian Cyber Takedown Laws

Sweeping new powers are being granted to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner to monitor and takedown “seriously harmful content”, including those related to cyberbullying and revenge porn. However, lawyers, civil rights groups, and tech giant Google have expressed concerns about the new law’s scope and possible infringements on civil liberties. Introduced into Parliament last week, the Online…


Britain’s Adversaries Seeking to ‘Tear Fabric of Society Apart’ Via Social Media: Defence Chief

Britain’s adversaries are seeking to undermine UK society and interests by influencing tactically on social media, one of the country’s military chiefs said on Sunday. “Our adversaries, our rivals, are exploiting the tools that are meant to make for a more utopian society,” Joint Forces Defence Commander General Sir Patrick Sanders told Sky News’ “Into…


Mom Doubles as Internet Child Crime Investigator for Santa Ana Police

In Santa Ana, California, Police Investigative Specialist Kerry Torres spends hours each day on the computer, scouring the darkest corners of the internet for traces of child pornography. Then she goes home to her family: five children, with another on the way. But every photo or video she has seen tells a story of abuse…


Cybercops Derail Malware Botnet, FBI Makes Ransomware Arrest

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—European and North American cyber cops have joined forces to disrupt what may be the world’s largest network for seeding malware infections. The operation appears to strike a major blow against criminal gangs that have used that network for years to install ransomware for extortion schemes and to steal data and money. Separately,…


ASIC Server Hit by Cyber Security Breach

Australia’s financial services watchdog has suffered a cybersecurity breach forcing it to halt credit applications. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) became aware of the incident on Jan. 15 when unauthorised access to a server containing documents related to credit license applications occured. “While the investigation is ongoing, it appears that there is some…