Security News
Ireland's Data Protection Commission has levied fines of €265 million against Meta Platforms for failing to safeguard the personal data of more than half a billion users of its Facebook service, ramping up privacy enforcement against U.S. tech firms. The fines follow an inquiry initiated by the European regulator on April 14, 2021, close on the heels of a leak of a "Collated dataset of Facebook personal data that had been made available on the internet."
India's Telecom Regulatory Authority has announced a fresh crackdown on TXT spam - this time using artificial intelligence, after a previous blockchain-powered effort delivered mixed results. The TRAI's approach to managing spam - or Unsolicited Commercial Communication as it prefers to describe it - saw the regulator create a mandatory register of telemarketers and telecoms service providers, and require them to secure opt-ins from message recipients.
Elon Musk has written an article for the Cyberspace Administration of China's flagship magazine. "Chinese companies will be a force to be reckoned with in the cause of energy innovation," Musk opined in the article.
That closer look is pretty much done and dusted and the CMA has provisionally decided that the deal doesn't raise competition concerns in the UK. This is due to existing players, including the duo's main rival in the UK, McAfee, and Microsoft's bundling of its own security applications into Windows. Microsoft has adopted somewhat of a scattergun approach to cybersecurity in its flagship operating system; what is built into Windows is known as Windows Security and includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
Paying money to ransomware criminals is a contentious issue. In recent months, we have seen an increase in the number of ransomware attacks and ransom amounts being paid and we are aware that legal advisers are often retained to advise clients who have fallen victim to ransomware on how to respond and whether to pay.
Five British companies are collectively nursing a £405,000 fine from the UK's data watchdog for making a combined total of 750,000 unsolicited marketing calls targeting vulnerable elderly people. The Information Commissioner's Office was alerted to the quintet's dodgy dealings after receiving complaints from the public and information from Action Fraud, Trading Standards, consumer rights group Which?, and call block provider trueCall.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority merger inquiry into NortonLifeLock's proposed $8bn acquisition of rival antivirus provider Avast has now closed, with the regulator concluding that a tie-up could indeed reduce competition in the marketplace. "Advanced discussions" concerning a merger of the two security vendors first surfaced in July 2021, when NortonLifeLock investors were told that a combination with Avast "Would bring together two companies with aligned visions, highly complementary business profiles and a joint commitment to innovation that helps protect and empower people to live their digital lives safely."
China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has taken unusually strong action against a social network that has long been considered a thorn in the side of the nation's elites. In the years since its 2005 founding, the site has become known for attracting users who express opinions that China's government may well find displeasing.
Crypto ATMs offering cryptoasset exchange services in the UK must be registered with [the FCA] and comply with UK Money Laundering Regulations. If you're buying or selling cryptocoins via an existing payment card account or mobile phone payment system, from an ATM in a shopping centre, you'd think that the operation would be at least as trackable as any transaction involving a non-cryptocurrency account, such as a big-money purchase in a department store or luxury brand shop.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has invited comments from industry and interested parties about NortonLifeLock's proposed $8bn purchase of fellow infosec outfit Avast. "The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002," it said.