Tag Archive for: Politics

6 internet habits that can compromise your cybersecurity – The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology

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This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Check Point

  • The internet has become an essential part of our lives, but it also comes with risks.
  • We need to be aware of the bad habits that we continue to maintain and that can affect our digital security.
  • These include using weak passwords, clicking on links in emails from unknown senders, and not keeping our software up to date.
  • By being more careful online, we can help to protect ourselves from cybercrime.

Nowadays we cannot live without the Internet, a basic resource among the new generations. Remember looking for information in an encyclopedia or going to a travel agency to buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation? It seems like ages ago, but the truth is that the network of networks has changed the way we do many tasks and has opened the doors to new possibilities that allow us, for example, to work from anywhere or make a bank transfer from our phone in just one click.

Unfortunately, this relentless evolution is also present in the multiple threats posed by cybercriminals. We have moved on from viruses distributed on floppy disks and Morris, the first worm to infect the Internet in 1988, to the emergence of Trojans, spyware and ransomware, the main protagonists of today’s cybercrime scene. According to the Security Report 2023 from Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading global cyber security specialist provider, cyberattacks have increased by 38% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with an average of 1,168 attacks per week per organization and a situation that looks set to continue to worsen over the coming years.

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What is the World Economic Forum doing on cybersecurity?

The World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity drives global action to address systemic cybersecurity challenges. It is an independent and impartial platform fostering collaboration on cybersecurity in the public and private sectors. Here are some examples of the impact delivered by the centre:

Cybersecurity training: Salesforce, Fortinet, and the Global Cyber Alliance, in collaboration…

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IRGC Ready to Share Cyberwarfare Experiences with Syria – Politics news

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In a meeting with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas, held in Tehran on Tuesday, the IRGC commander underlined the importance of closer military and defense cooperation between Iran and Syria.

Voicing the IRGC’s readiness to assist the Syrian armed forces in various fields, Major General Salami highlighted the need to share experiences in the spheres relating to cyberwarfare, intelligence and information warfare, and electronic warfare.

While the IRGC remains committed to the previous military agreements with Syria, it is prepared to broaden training cooperation with the Syrian armed forces in various sectors, such as the command and staff courses, supreme courses of war strategies, supreme courses for branches, and other expert fields, Salami stated.

The IRGC chief further described the growing cases of insecurity and the recent developments in the territories occupied by the Zionists and in the West Bank, Jenin and Gaza as a sign of the decline of the Zionist regime, adding, “Those who sought to destroy Syria one day with a global onslaught are now on the road to decline and perdition.”

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, expressed gratitude to Iran for supporting his country in the fight against terrorism and Daesh (ISIL or ISIS).

Abbas also noted that the Syrian military forces are going to win the final victory and cleanse the entire Syria of occupiers with the resistance shown by its people and the unwavering support provided by Iran and Hezbollah.

He also emphasized that it is necessary to promote cooperation between Syria and Iran in various military and training sectors in order to stand against and defeat the enemies.

On Monday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri called for plans to hold a joint war game with Syria, which he hailed for being at the forefront of supporting Palestine against the Zionist regime.

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Michael Gove insists on ‘robust’ security despite Liz Truss phone hack claims | Politics | News

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The embarrassing revelation is the second security row to rock the Government in two weeks.

It comes amid criticism of Suella Braverman’s reappointment as Home Secretary after she breached the ministerial code by passing on Government documents from her personal phone.

The Russian hack was discovered while Ms Truss was running for the Tory leadership but was apparently kept out of the public eye by then-prime minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet secretary Simon Case.

But when quizzed about the matter yesterday, Levelling Up Secretary Mr Gove said: “I’m sure that Liz, both as foreign secretary and as prime minister, will have followed the advice that she was given by the intelligence and security communities.

“The more that we talk in detail about these things, the more that we risk giving information to people who wish this country and its citizens harm.”

Mr Gove said he did not know the full details of “what security breach, if any, took place”.

He said: “What I do know is that the Government has very robust protocols in place in order to make sure that individuals are protected, but also that Government security and national security are protected as well.”

He refused to discuss the potential implications as “loose lips can sink ships when it comes to these questions”.

Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger said MPs do not understand enough about cyber-security.

He said: “Levels of education aren’t high enough, and I don’t think people are focusing enough on the risks to their security and their devices, because these are hidden threats that aren’t properly understood.

“I think that’s true of ministers as anyone else, and there’s a premium on making sure that they’re properly educated.

“I would be extremely surprised, by the way though, if the sort of material that we handled in the agencies – so secret intelligence material – gets anywhere near mobile devices connected to the internet, in ministerial hands or otherwise.”

The former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, said: “Our leaders must be sufficiently disciplined to only communicate through authorised means which themselves are encrypted and are secure.

“We’ve seen it with Suella Braverman,…

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US journalists targeted by foreign hackers who show sophisticated understanding of American politics

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As Chinese hackers scrambled to ascertain whether there would be a peaceful transfer of power in the US, they tried to break into the email accounts of high-profile US journalists, who can be softer targets for hackers than officials on US government networks.

The newly revealed hacking campaign shows just how valuable a target journalists can be to intelligence services in search of clues about US policy. To try to lure them, the attackers wrote email subject lines about then-President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, pandemic relief legislation and other enticing issues.

It’s unclear how successful the hacking campaign was — Proofpoint said it blocked the malicious emails that it found. But more journalists need to be aware of the issue because the number of capable hacking groups targeting journalists is “unprecedented,” said Ryan Kalember, Proofpoint’s executive vice president for cyber strategy. “And it’s only likely to increase.”

Proofpoint attributed the Chinese hacking efforts to a group that the UK government has linked with China’s civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security.

CNN has requested comment from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Beijing routinely denies hacking allegations and has repeatedly accused the US of engaging in cyber attacks against China.

Journalists are perennial targets for cyber espionage because they regularly interact with US government officials, whistleblowers and critics of authoritarian regimes — information that foreign intelligence services look to exploit. And breaching the computer network of a major newsroom could offer the hackers a foothold for a long-running intelligence collection effort.

Cybersecurity vigilance is all the more necessary for journalists, experts say, as the US prepares for midterm elections this fall and foreign actors may try to use media outlets to sow discord or spread disinformation about voting — as Russian operatives did in the 2016 presidential election.

Newsrooms should “take the time to review [hacking] incidents affecting others in your industry,” advised Runa Sandvik, the former senior director for information security at The New York Times. “Have a plan in place….

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