Security News
One tech company is harnessing artificial intelligence, thermal imaging, and real-time surveillance data to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on populations and economies around the globe, governments and private industries are harnessing real-time monitoring solutions and artificial intelligence to mitigate the spread. However, these surveillance technologies also bring up a litany of concerns related to privacy, civil liberties, and data collection.
Digital and human rights groups have joined in a rare worldwide appeal to governments to respect privacy when handling the COVID-19 crisis. Signatories included technology-focused groups such as AI Now, Algorithm Watch, and the World Wide Web Foundation, along with human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
The State of Western Australia has given itself the power to install surveillance devices in homes, or compel people to wear them, to ensure that those required to isolate during the coronavirus crisis don't interact with the community. It outlines the monitoring regime, and the fact that the State Emergency Coordinator has the power to require use of surveillance hardware.
So in this sense, I think that any argument for using surveillance to keep track of covid-19 infections or to provide basic security isn't credible and so can't be simply trusted. If anyone now were to claim that they think they can stop an outbreak by means of surveillance, I think such might as well be deceptive, but also very wrong if the surveillance part isn't really neccessary.
A recently discovered, mass-targeted watering-hole campaign has been aiming at Apple iPhone users in Hong Kong - infecting website visitors with a newly developed custom surveillance malware. Despite the deep level of surveillance afforded by the malware, researchers said that the campaign doesn't appear to be a targeted effort, apart from focusing on Hong Kong residents.
As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates, authorities worldwide are plotting ways to flatten the curve of infection rates using potentially privacy-busting measures such as phone tracking, facial recognition and other tech. In this Threatpost poll, we want your take on whether sacrificing personal privacy for the public good is worth it.
Multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in digital video recorders for surveillance systems manufactured by Taiwan-based LILIN have been exploited by botnet operators to infect and co-opt vulnerable devices into a family of denial-of-service bots. The findings come from Chinese security firm Qihoo 360's Netlab team, who say different attack groups have been using LILIN DVR zero-day vulnerabilities to spread Chalubo, FBot, and Moobot botnets at least since August 30, 2019.
Multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in digital video recorders for surveillance systems manufactured by Taiwan-based LILIN have been exploited by botnet operators to infect and co-opt vulnerable devices into a family of denial-of-service bots. The findings come from Chinese security firm Qihoo 360's Netlab team, who say different attack groups have been using LILIN DVR zero-day vulnerabilities to spread Chalubo, FBot, and Moobot botnets at least since August 30, 2019.
Israel is using emergency surveillance powers to track people who may have COVID-19, joining China and Iran in using mass surveillance in this way. Today, we must ensure that any automated data systems used to contain COVID-19 do not erroneously identify members of specific demographic groups as particularly susceptible to infection.
Amid numerous malicious attacks leveraging the current COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, security researchers have discovered an Android surveillance campaign targeting users in Libya. One of the COVID-19-themed attacks appears to be part of a larger mobile surveillance campaign operating out of Libya and targeting Libyan individuals, Lookout reveals.