Tag Archive for: investigates

Portugal investigates dark web sale of classified NATO documents – EURACTIV.com

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Portugal’s public prosecutor’s office is investigating a cyberattack against the Armed Forces General Staff in which classified NATO documents were extracted and put up for sale on the ‘dark web’, the Attorney General’s Office said on Tuesday.

“The establishment of an enquiry is confirmed. It is led by the public prosecutor’s office of the Central Department of Investigation and Prosecution (DCIAP),” the Attorney General’s Office told EURACTIV’s media partner Lusa.

According to the Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias, the government was informed of the situation last week by the US intelligence services, via the embassy in Lisbon, through a communication that was reportedly made directly to Prime Minister António Costa in August.

The same newspaper mentioned that this case was considered “extremely serious” and that US cyber spies had detected “for sale on the ‘dark web’ hundreds of documents sent by NATO to Portugal, classified as secret and confidential.”

The Defence Ministry said it was already investigating “all signs of a potential breach of computer security” and claimed the “sensitivity” of the proceedings meant further comment was not appropriate.

In a statement, the ministry said that the investigations are conducted by the National Security Office, “with which the ministry of defence and the armed forces work in close coordination.”

Among the functions of the National Security Office is to “ensure the security of classified information within the national framework and international organisations to which Portugal is a party” and exercise “the function of accreditation authority for natural or legal persons to access and handle classified information.

(Fernando Carneiro/Lusa.pt)

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Dutch agency investigates cybersecurity of PV inverters after hack – pv magazine International

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Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands launched a probe after a hacker gained access to PV systems operated via a monitoring tool from China’s Solarman. A company spokesperson told pv magazine that the problem has since been resolved.

The state-run Dutch Radiocommunications Agency has launched an investigation into whether PV inverters pose a threat to the cybersecurity of the electricity system in the Netherlands, according to Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Rob Jetten.

In a document published on the Dutch parliament’s website, Jetten said that Internet of Things devices such as PV inverters can pose a risk to the electricity grid.

“To mitigate the risks of these devices, we focus on prevention, awareness, and additional legislation that makes products more resilient to digital attacks,” he said. “The Radiocommunications Agency will enter into discussions with the relevant manufacturers on how to improve cybersecurity.”

A Dutch hacker known as “Jelle Ursem” recently gained access to PV systems operated via a monitoring tool developed by Chinese manufacturer Solarman, according to Tweakers, a Dutch media outlet.

“The hacker was able to view the personal data of Dutch customers, create new customers and delete existing users,” reported Tweakers. “He was also able to find out how much electricity customers’ solar panels generate via GPS coordinates, and download, adjust and upload inverter firmware.”

The Solarman spokesperson said the problem has been resolved, without any real impact on the affected PV systems.

“We’ve contacted the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD), which is also involved in the matter, and explained a bit of facts, but unfortunately the talk was made in the last minutes before disclosure, so we don’t have enough time to review the whole process together,” the spokesperson told pv magazine. “We appreciated DIVD’s efforts to reduce security vulnerabilities and help address any possibile risks, and will communicate with them in order to improve cyber security of the energy sector.”

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I-Team investigates mobile payment app security

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BROOKFIELD, Wis. — For many of us, our cell phones can serve as wallets as long as we have mobile payment apps connected to our banks or other accounts.

There are a lot of services to choose from, like Venmo, Apple Pay, Cash App, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Paypal, to name some. According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global mobile payment market is expected to reach more than $12 trillion by the year 2027.

For anything financial, keeping our confidential information secure has to be a top priority.

Earlier this month, more than 8 million current and former customers of Cash App found out they could be affected by a data breach where their investment information was exposed. In that case, the company announced it was a former employee who is to blame. But the breach brings up an important subject: security surrounding mobile payment apps.

“It’s actually surprisingly hard to hack into the phones nowadays. They are locked down. They’ve got layers of security,” said Kevin Bong, a cyber security expert with Brookfield tech company, Sikich.

Bong explains while even your cell phone’s payment app may come with its own security in place, one slip-up on your part can put financials on your phone at risk.

“Most of the attacks start with email. The attacker finds a way to get into your inbox, and once they’re in there, they’ve got a lot of power,” he said. “So, that’s really what these attackers are going after. They’re not going after the apps on the phone, they’re going after the accounts.”

Without showing their tools, the I-Team asked Bong and his Sikich colleague, Thomas Freeman, to demonstrate how email phishing attacks can easily compromise your virtual wallet.

They sent the I-Team’s Kristin Byrne a fake email that stated it came from a customer service rep with a popular email application. The email encouraged her to click on a link so that she could send and receive digital payments.

For the sake of the experiment, she clicked on the link and was prompted to provide her email and the password she uses for her email.

“So, now on my screen I’m going to hit refresh and on the campaign screen I can see where you clicked and I have your password now,” Freeman said.

“So, now we’ll…

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Police disagree with Apple on security as Arizonans tracked with AirTags | CBS 5 Investigates

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PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Stalking through technology. Apple recently announced plans to add more measures to AirTags to cut down on unwanted tracking.

The Bluetooth devices are designed to track objects such as keys or backpacks, but reports are increasing across the country of the devices being used to stalk people.



Apple airtag tracking

Since the tracking devices were launched last April, the Phoenix Police Department has seen nine cases involving AirTags.




Apple’s website says it worked with law enforcement to update AirTag’s safety warnings, but there are concerns the efforts don’t go far enough.

Among the software updates that will happen later this year:

  • Alerting people sooner if a device is suspected to be tracking someone
  • A louder chirping sound if the device is separated from its owner
  • Instructions on how to find information on the device’s owner and disable the device.

Since the tracking devices were launched last April, the Phoenix Police Department has seen nine cases involving AirTags.

Detective Karrie Flanigan with the Mesa Police Department has worked on 5 cases involving spouses going through divorces or ex-boyfriends and girlfriends stalking each other.


Is my phone telling me I'm being followed?

What is…

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