NHS Dumfries and Galloway Warns of “Significant” Data Theft
An NHS Scotland trust has warned of disrupted services and possible data compromise after being breached by threat actors. NHS Dumfries and Galloway issued a brief statement on Friday that it “has been the target of a focused and ongoing cyber-attack.” The healthcare provider is still investigating the incident, in tandem with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Police Scotland and the Scottish Government. Healthcare is handled by the devolved government north of the border.
Turkey moves against Meta over Threads-Instagram data sharing
Turkey’s competition authority on Monday imposed an interim measure on Meta Platforms Inc meant to hinder data sharing between the Instagram and Threads platforms as it investigates possible abuse of the company’s dominant market position. In December the authority launched an investigation into Facebook parent Meta (META.O), opens new tab over a possible violation of competition law by linking its social media platforms Instagram and the newer Threads. The authority said the interim measure would remain in place until a final decision is made, since the data obtained and merged through these two apps could “violate competition law and cause irreparable damage” in the market.
Chinese Earth Krahang hackers breach 70 orgs in 23 countries
A sophisticated hacking campaign attributed to a Chinese Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group known as ‘Earth Krahang’ has breached 70 organizations and targeted at least 116 across 45 countries. According to Trend Micro researchers monitoring the activity, the campaign has been underway since early 2022 and focuses primarily on government organizations. Specifically, the hackers have compromised 48 government organizations, 10 of which are Foreign Affairs ministries, and targeted another 49 government agencies.
FTC investigating Reddit plan to sell user content for AI model training
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is probing Reddit’s decision to license its user-generated content to artificial intelligence companies which would in turn use it to train models, the social media platform said in a Friday securities filing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure comes ahead of Reddit’s much hyped initial public offering (IPO). Reddit, launched almost 20 years ago, will be the first social media company to go public since Pinterest did in 2019. Reddit, which hosts more than 100,000 forums where users chat, in some cases about highly personal matters, recently announced plans to sell user content to third parties training AI, a proposal which many have criticized as a cynical play to drive a higher stock price.
Systems Under Siege: BlackBerry Report Reveals Millions of Attacks Targeting Critical Infrastructure
Networks that underpin vital parts of society are the most frequently attacked by cyber threat actors. This is one of the findings from the brand-new BlackBerry® Global Threat Intelligence Report. The quarterly report details millions of cyberattacks against services we can’t live without such as banks, hospitals, utilities, and mobile phone carriers. The adage that “cyberattacks are increasing” is a constant refrain among those in security and the new BlackBerry report proves that statement is true. BlackBerry cybersecurity solutions stopped more than 5.2 million cyberattacks across all sectors during the four-month reporting period from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023. The number of cyberattacks increased 19% compared with our previous reporting period.
Hackers Claim Accessing 740GB of Data from Viber Messaging App
Messaging app Viber is facing a potential data breach after a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group, Handala Hack, claimed responsibility for accessing its servers and stealing a trove of data. In its Telegram post, Handala Hack alleged they stole over 740GB of data, including Viber’s source code. The group demands a ransom of 8 Bitcoin, or $583,000, for the stolen information. “Have you seen the management panel of Viber Messenger before? Can you imagine the technology giants affiliated with the occupying regime, what information of citizens they store?” the group’s post read. As seen by Hackread.com, the claim was accompanied by an image allegedly showing a directory listing.
