Security News

Catholic clergy surveillance org 'outs gay priests'
2023-03-10 02:30

A Catholic clergy conformance organization has reportedly been buying mobile app tracking data to identify gay priests, and providing that information to bishops around the US. The group, Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal, was formed in Colorado in 2019 and relocated its principal office to Casper, Wyoming in April, 2020, according to Colorado State business records [PDF]. The Washington Post on Thursday said that it learned of CLCR's app data acquisition program from two people with first-hand knowledge of the program, heard an audio recording of group president Jayd Henricks discussing it, and saw documents supporting the allegations.

New malware infects business routers for data theft, surveillance
2023-03-06 15:03

An ongoing hacking campaign called 'Hiatus' targets DrayTek Vigor router models 2960 and 3900 to steal data from victims and build a covert proxy network. DrayTek Vigor devices are business-class VPN routers used by small to medium-size organizations for remote connectivity to corporate networks.

Chinese surveillance balloon over US causes fearful gasbagging
2023-02-03 05:32

A Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon, spotted drifting over the US, has caused concern about national security - but the Department of Defense says it will not be shot down by F22s at this time. "The United States Government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," read a statement from Pentagon press secretary brigadier general Pat Ryder.

Bulk Surveillance of Money Transfers
2023-01-24 12:14

Just another obscure warrantless surveillance program. US law enforcement can access details of money transfers without a warrant through an obscure surveillance program the Arizona attorney general's office created in 2014.

Happy Lunar New Year: Beijing warns of enhanced surveillance during celebrations
2023-01-20 05:30

The Cyberspace Administration of China has preempted celebrations for Lunar New Year - the Year of the Rabbit* commences on January 22 - by warning citizens to keep evidence of seasonal overindulgence off the internet. The internet regulator warned it will investigate and take action on online flaunting of wealth and overeating during the seasonal celebrations that are marked with displays of generosity and abundance.

U.S. Bans Chinese Telecom Equipment and Surveillance Cameras Over National Security Risk
2022-11-26 04:52

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission formally announced it will no longer authorize electronic equipment from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, deeming them an "Unacceptable" national security threat. All these Chinese telecom and video surveillance companies were previously included in the Covered List as of March 12, 2021.

U.S. Bans Chinese Telecom Equipment and Surveillance Cameras Over National Security Risk
2022-11-26 04:52

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission formally announced it will no longer authorize electronic equipment from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, deeming them an "Unacceptable" national security threat. All these Chinese telecom and video surveillance companies were previously included in the Covered List as of March 12, 2021.

NSA Over-surveillance
2022-11-11 12:25

Here in 2022, we have a newly declassified 2016 Inspector General report-"Misuse of Sigint Systems"-about a 2013 NSA program that resulted in the unauthorized targeting of Americans. Given all we learned from Edward Snowden, this feels like a minor coda.

Iran’s Digital Surveillance Tools Leaked
2022-11-01 11:24

According to these internal documents, SIAM is a computer system that works behind the scenes of Iranian cellular networks, providing its operators a broad menu of remote commands to alter, disrupt, and monitor how customers use their phones. The tools can slow their data connections to a crawl, break the encryption of phone calls, track the movements of individuals or large groups, and produce detailed metadata summaries of who spoke to whom, when, and where.

Cybercriminals Are Selling Access to Chinese Surveillance Cameras
2022-08-25 18:47

New research indicates that over 80,000 Hikvision surveillance cameras in the world today are vulnerable to an 11 month-old command injection flaw. Hikvision - short for Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology - is a Chinese state-owned manufacturer of video surveillance equipment.