Security News

Large US hospital chain hobbled by Ryuk ransomware
2020-09-29 11:49

The attack involved ransomware - Ryuk ransomware, to be more specific. Ryk extension and another employee described a ransom note that points to Ryuk ransomware.

UK, US hospital computers are down, early unofficial diagnosis is a suspected outbreak of Ryuk ransomware
2020-09-28 19:16

UHS insists patient care continues to be delivered and that "No patient or employee data appears to have been accessed, copied or otherwise compromised." A UHS spokesperson declined to provide further details or to comment on unsubstantiated claims made via social media suggesting the involvement of the Ryuk ransomware family.

Judge narrowly saves TikTok from latest US app store ban
2020-09-28 15:51

With a ban of the app set to take place just before midnight on Sunday, a judge in the US District Court for Washington, D.C., earlier in the day found in favor of an injunction filed by TikTok owner ByteDance challenging an executive order from Donald Trump. Signed by Trump on Aug. 6, 2020, the order would have prohibited any US app store from distributing or maintaining the TikTok app, code, or updates.

Feds warn foreign disinformation will be spamming US voters well after the November election to sow discord and doubt
2020-09-28 10:06

Foreign-backed disinformation campaigns will spread fake news about the results of the upcoming US election in an effort to sow doubt and outrage among the American public. The two agencies believe that in the immediate aftermath of the presidential election on November 3, Americans will be bombarded with false stories about the vote tally, reports of voter fraud, and other issues that would stoke division as the country awaits official election results - a process that could take weeks.

Facebook removes fake Russian accounts ahead of the US presidential election
2020-09-25 16:28

In one instance, Facebook removed 35 pages, 18 groups, 214 users as well as 34 accounts on Instagram. As part of the announcement, Facebook also revealed details about the number of followers and advertising expenditures related to these accounts.

Big US election coming up, security is vital and, oh look... a federal agency just got completely pwned for real
2020-09-25 12:15

An unspecified US government agency was hacked by a miscreant who appears to have made off with archives of information. This is according to Uncle Sam's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which on Thursday went into technical detail on how an intruder: broke into staffers' Office 365 accounts; gained access the agency's internal network via its VPN; and installed malware and exfiltrated data.

TikTok Urges Court to Block Trump's Ban on App in US
2020-09-24 11:15

TikTok is urging a federal court to block US President Donald Trump from banning the video app, arguing the move is motivated by election politics rather than legitimate national security concerns. The Chinese-owned app - which is wildly popular in the US - has come under fire as tensions escalate between Beijing and Washington, with Trump threatening a ban if it is not sold to an American company.

Facebook Says Fake Accounts From China Aimed at US Politics
2020-09-23 10:35

Facebook said Tuesday it derailed a network of fakes accounts out of China that had recently taken aim at the US presidential race. The takedown came as part of the social networks fight against "Coordinated inauthentic behavior" and marked the first time Facebook had seen such a campaign based in China targeting US politics, according to head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher.

Proposed US fix for Boeing 737 Max software woes does not address Ethiopian crash scenario, UK pilot union warns
2020-09-23 10:02

The British Airline Pilots' Association has told American aviation regulators that the Boeing 737 Max needs better fixes for its infamous MCAS software, warning that a plane crash which killed 149 people could happen again. Airlines, in contrast, are broadly happy with proposed changes to the Boeing 737 Max, even as trade unions bellow at the US Federal Aviation Administration that more needs to be done.

Judge Halts WeChat Download Ban in US-China Tech Battle
2020-09-21 10:10

A US judge on Sunday blocked the government's ban on WeChat downloads, hours before it was due to take effect in an ongoing technology and espionage battle between Washington and Beijing. The Trump administration had ordered a ban on downloads of the messaging platform WeChat as well as hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, both owned by Chinese companies.