Tag Archive for: bán

Former NCSC chief calls for ransomware payments ban, but cyber security experts aren’t keen

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The former chief executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has called for the government to ban organizations from making ransomware payments.

Writing in The Times, Ciaran Martin, who served as the NCSC’s inaugural chief executive, suggested a ban could help put a stop to the ever-increasing proliferation of ransomware, referring to the ‘apparently sanguine attitude’ of British policymakers to cyber criminals groups.

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No Independence-Day curbs, internet ban in Valley this year too: Cops | Latest News India

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Srinagar: There will be no restrictions or internet ban in Kashmir on Independence Day, but a three-tier security will cover key venues to avoid any untoward event, divisional commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri has said.

Aritists perform during full dress rehearsal ahead of independence day at Bakshi Stadium,in Srinagar,on 13 August 2023. (HT photo)

Internet services remained suspended across the Valley on important events like the Independence Day and Republic Day due to security concerns between 2005 and 2021. However, no such restriction has been imposed in the region over the last two years .

“There won’t be any restrictions in any part of Kashmir on Independence day. Also there won’t be restrictions on the internet on Independence Day… We are expecting huge participation of people in parades,” Bidhuri told reporters in Srinagar.

However, a three-tier security cover and drone surveillance have been put in place across the Kashmir Valley on August 15 to prevent any untoward incidents or threats, he added.

Additional director general of Police Vijay Kumar said that the police and security forces’ personnel are on high alert and ready to tackle any situation. “Drones will be used for surveillance across the region, and security arrangements have been made to ensure that common people don’t face any problems,” he added, calling upon local residents to join the celebrations in large numbers.

The J&K administration has made elaborate arrangements to mark the country’s 77th Independence Day.

On Sunday, Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the “Tiranga Rally” on the banks of Dal lake to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ ahead of Independence Day. During the event, he also paid tributes to the slain soldiers as part of the “Meri Mati Mera Desh” campaign.

“I bow my head in reverence to the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and heroes who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. The memories of their martyrdom will forever live on in our hearts and inspire…

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FBI was using advanced hacking software despite White House ban

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Since November of 2021, US-based companies have been barred from doing business with the NSO Group, an Israeli research firm behind some of the most advanced hacking tools the tech world has ever seen. Come to find out, a New York Times investigation from this past April revealed that a US government agency was actively using a powerful hacking tool from the NSO Group dubbed Landmark.

The White House subsequently launched an investigation and asked the FBI for assistance. Which agency, the White House wanted to know, was operating in defiance of the ban? And believe it or not, the investigation revealed that the agency using Pegasus was the FBI itself. Specifically, the FBI was using the software to track suspected drug cartel members in Mexico.

For what it’s worth, the FBI says the tool was provided to them by a contractor called Riva Networks. According to the FBI, the bureau wasn’t aware of the software’s origins.

The report reads in part:

The F.B.I. now says that it used the tool unwittingly and that Riva Networks misled the bureau. Once the agency discovered in late April that Riva had used the spying tool on its behalf, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, terminated the contract, according to U.S. officials.

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It is also unclear which, if any, government agencies besides the F.B.I. might have worked with Riva Networks to deploy the spying tool in Mexico. Two people with direct knowledge of the contract said cellphone numbers in Mexico were targeted throughout 2021, 2022 and into this year — far longer than the F.B.I. says the tool was used.

The reason why the NSO Group is precluded from doing business in the US is a long and interesting tale. Put simply, several stories over the past few years revealed that foreign governments with questionable human rights records were using NSO Group hacking tools to “maliciously target” journalists and dissidents. This ultimately prompted the White House to ban American companies from doing any type of…

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Google’s new security pilot program will ban employee Internet access

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A large Google logo is displayed amidst foliage.

The Internet is dangerous, so what if you just didn’t use it? That’s the somewhat ironic recommendation Google, one of the world’s largest Internet companies, is making to its employees. CNBC’s Jennifer Elias reports that Google is “starting a new pilot program where some employees will be restricted to Internet-free desktop PCs” while they work. An internal memo seen by CNBC notes that “Googlers are frequent targets of attacks” by criminals, and a great way to combat that is to not be on the Internet.

Employees that work at major tech companies are a much richer target for criminals compared to normal people. Tech company employees have all sorts of access to sensitive data, and compromising a single employee could lead to exploiting sensitive infrastructure. Just last week, Microsoft was targeted by a Chinese espionage hacking group that somehow stole a cryptographic key to bypass Microsoft’s authentication systems, giving it access to 25 organizations, including multiple government agencies.

The report says Google’s new pilot program “will disable Internet access on the select desktops, with the exception of internal web-based tools and Google-owned websites like Google Drive and Gmail.” This was originally mandatory for the 2,500 employees that were selected, but after “receiving feedback”—we’re going to assume that was very enthusiastic feedback—Google is letting employees opt out of the program. The company also wants some employees to work without root access, which is common sense for a lot of computer roles, but not really for developers, which are used to being able to install new programs and tools.

Being banned from the entire Internet would be tough, but Googlers in the high-security program will still get access to “Google-owned websites,” which is actually quite a bit of the Internet. Google Search would be useless, but you could probably live a pretty good Internet life, writing documents, sending emails, taking notes, chatting with people, and watching YouTube.

It would presumably still be possible to be emailed a virus attachment, but…

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