Tag Archive for: finding

U.S. still finding victims of advanced China-linked hacking campaign, NSA official says

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The U.S. is still identifying victims targeted by an extensive China-backed hacking campaign that became the subject of a recent FBI takedown operation and other advisories from officials over the past year, a top NSA cyber official said.

Rob Joyce, the agency’s outgoing cybersecurity director, said on Friday that the U.S. is still finding victims of the Volt Typhoon hacking collective that’s been latching onto critical infrastructure through compromised equipment including internet routers and cameras, and that NSA is not yet done with efforts to eradicate such threats.

The clandestine activities, which are said to be backed by the Chinese government, have allowed the hackers to conceal their intrusions into U.S. and foreign allies’ systems for at least five years, officials have previously said. 

The FBI in January announced it had jettisoned a significant portion of the group’s operations from compromised equipment it had burrowed into. These claims were subsequently affirmed by analysis from the private sector. But Friday’s remarks indicate there is still a way to go before Volt Typhoon is completely eradicated from U.S. networks.

Joyce, who was speaking to a group of reporters, declined to give a precise account of how many victims were remaining, but said the Chinese cyberspies are using tradecraft that’s difficult to uncover because of its reliance on stolen administrator credentials which allow them to more easily mask exploits.

The Volt Typhoon group has been carrying out “station keeping” activities, in an effort to preposition themselves to take down key infrastructure like transportation networks, he said. As for when the dismantling order would come down from Chinese authorities, the agency assesses it would be a “pretty high bar” reserved for major conflict like a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he said.

The Volt Typhoon hackers have been using “living off the land techniques” that allow them to hide inside systems and bypass detection, previous U.S. reports said, noting that they have breached American facilities in Guam, as well as other key infrastructure in facilities both inside and outside the U.S.

Joyce added that NSA has been able to…

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These devices can be a lifesaver for finding your keys. Victims say they also enabled their stalkers

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Apple’s Airtags and similar devices like Tile are marketed as a useful tool for people to keep track of their belongings, from house keys to luggage and even your car.

The small, button-shaped devices were popularised by savvy travellers hoping to avoid lost luggage during last year’s flight delays and cancellations.

Pet owners have also reported using the tiny gadgets to keep track of their beloved dog or cat, though Apple has discouraged people from using the device for this purpose.

Airtags work by using Bluetooth wireless signals to report their presence to nearby Apple devices that are connected to the internet.

Once detected, the Airtag can piggyback off iPhones or iPads to alert its owner of its location.

Apple’s Airtags can help people keep tabs on their keys, luggage and even pets. (ABC News: Rebecca Armitage)

At just $49, they are widely seen as cheap and accessible in comparison to other GPS devices on the market.

But just as Airtags have helped to ease people’s minds about their belongings and precious pets, they have also prompted concerns over stalking capabilities.

Survivors and domestic violence awareness groups claim in the wrong hands, the devices can be used to track people against their wishes.

‘The weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers’

Lauren Hughes’ life spiralled after she broke off a three-month relationship with her boyfriend in 2021.

She claims her ex began stalking her online, writing abusive posts on social media and creating fake profiles to try to follow her private accounts, in a class action complaint filed in California.

Two months later, his behaviour escalated to the point where he was calling her from blocked numbers and leaving threatening messages, as well as objects, at her house.

Ms Hughes feared for her safety and moved to a hotel nearby until she could find a new place to live.

She’d hoped to shake off her stalker, but she claims his behaviour did not stop.

After packing up her old apartment, she received a notification on her iPhone that an unknown Airtag was travelling near her at her hotel.

Apple launched Airtags two years ago and they were widely popular during the airport chaos last year. 

“Ms Hughes got the alert … but she didn’t know…

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Finding The Right Balance Between Sustainability, Security And Affordability

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Energy price shocks are testing the resolve of many consumers and businesses around the world. The current global energy crisis arose from geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruption, underinvestment in broader energy sources, resurgence in demand following the COVID-19 pandemic, legacy and disconnected infrastructure, and slower-than-required investments in clean energy sources. While it took a decade or more for this perfect storm to develop, the path forward should be addressed quickly. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach approximately 10 billion, while global material consumption is expected to double. In order to enable inclusive economic growth while remaining within the targets of the Paris Agreement, energy intensity will likely need to be dramatically reduced and the energy transition may need to proceed at a much faster rate than it has to date.

Tackling the current crisis and accelerating the energy transition may require concerted action not only from businesses and societies but also from individuals across the three dimensions of what has become known as the “energy trilemma”—or the overlapping aims of addressing sustainability and climate change, bolstering energy security and resilience, and creating a just and affordable system. To help balance these goals, swift, yet fundamental, changes are needed in energy production, delivery, and consumption.

Addressing sustainability and climate change

Energy consumption and production account for more than two-thirds of annual greenhouse gas emissions. There are a range of mitigation pathways, many of which currently employ some combination of energy efficiency, end-use electrification, grid modernization, and low-emissions power generation. Beyond electricity, there are a spectrum of technologies, such as carbon capture utilization and storage, green hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels that will likely require further investment and new financing solutions.

Scaling decarbonization pathways has been especially challenging for hard-to-abate sectors. But many companies and investors have successfully piloted new technologies. For instance, the chemical industry, which is built on hydrocarbons…

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Scam advertisements are finding their victims through the Microsoft Edge browser / Digital Information World

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It’s been quite a while since Windows 11 rolled out. Lately, Microsoft has been busy working to overcome any flaws in its security system. One of the latest editions by the company is the addition of an improved feature such as Enhanced Security to the Microsoft Edge browser, as the browser is getting more popular among Windows users all over the world.

Recently, a security threat was identified by Malwarebytes, an Ireland-based anti-malware solution company. This security threat appears in the form of an ad campaign going on in the My Feed area of the Edge browser disguised as a tech support campaign in which a forged lock page of the Edge browser is posted to lure in the victims.

As explained by the researchers, the malware is a threat to specific users only. If a user is browsing with their VPN turned on or a bot is surfing, then the redirect will be towards the original advertisement page posted by the Taboola advertising firm, posing no threat at all to the user. Meanwhile, victims will be lured toward the scam page, which apparently can’t be blocked easily. The malware identifies these victims through a specific Java code.

Within a day, the ad malware was able to get its hands on more than two hundred different users. On their blog page, Malware shared several domains that have been identified as being involved with this malicious activity. However, one of the surprising discoveries was when Malwarebytes identified one of the website domains as being linked to a software house in India belonging to the owner of that company.

Users using the Browser Guard Extension service being offered by Malwarebytes were found to be protected from getting scammed by any of such malware advertisements.

Microsoft Edge still has a long way to go before it reaches Google Chrome level, but based on the latest features being offered by the developers, the browser is now getting recognition among Microsoft Windows users. This is why keeping the browser and users safe from such scams is an important task for the company, and Microsoft is taking all the necessary steps to ensure users have an amazing experience.

Since 2019, these scams have spread to a large number of users, luring users in many…

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