A Third Circuit panel revived Acrison Inc.’s civil lawsuit against a law firm and a consumer computer services company over an alleged 2020 hacking scheme, saying the lower court erred in finding the claims time-barred.
The decision filed Friday in the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reverses a New Jersey district court decision granting the dismissal of the federal and state claims against Brach Eichler LLP and Xcellence Inc. on the basis of lapsed statute of limitations, remanding it for further proceedings.
Chief Judge Michael Chagares’ opinion said the lower court “did not apply the legal standard …
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Google has launched a new cyber security training and certification scheme – partnering with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the process – designed to upskill potential new cyber professionals to help secure the UK’s vast community of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Google cited recent research from pollsters Kantar, which found that 43% of SMEs had been unable to hire cyber support due to a shortage of specialists or difficulty in attracting and retaining them. The period from January 2022 to January 2023 showed a 59% increase in the number of open cyber roles, with almost 70,000 unique jobs advertised online in that timeframe.
Designed by the same ethical hackers featured in the Hacking Google web series, the Cybersecurity Career Certificate has been tailor-made to address the cyber skills gap among UK SMEs by offering a cheap and accessible way for people to gain the entry-level skills that can help fill the most critical cyber security roles.
Google’s course can be completed online, and it claims it should take the average person about six months of part-time study to achieve certification. Besides covering the basics of cyber security, it will also provide hands-on experience with Python and Linux, and various security programs, including security information and event management (SIEM) tools.
“The UK’s digital skills gap, and the lack of cyber security experts specifically, threatens to hinder future progress. Both the lack of digital skills and cyber security concerns are listed as SMEs’ top digitalisation barriers,” said Debbie Weinstein, vice-president and managing director of Google UK and Ireland.
“This is why we’re launching our new Google Cybersecurity Career Certificate to provide Brits with the job-ready skills needed to fill the roles in this high-growth sector, and to provide more businesses with the expertise needed to safeguard future economic growth.”
“Cyber criminals represent a challenge for all organisations, but we know that they are increasingly viewing small businesses as attractive targets. I strongly encourage small business owners to explore this new training programme – and the…
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The Dutch police announced the arrest of three individuals in connection with a “large-scale” criminal operation involving data theft, extortion, and money laundering.
The suspects include two 21-year-old men from Zandvoort and Rotterdam and an 18-year-old man without a permanent residence. The arrests were made on January 23, 2023.
It’s estimated that the hackers stole personal data belonging to tens of millions of individuals. This comprised names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, bank account numbers, credit cards, passwords, license plates, social security numbers, and passport details.
The Politie said its cybercrime team started the investigation nearly two years ago, in March 2021, after a large Dutch company suffered a security breach.
The name of the company was not disclosed but some of the firms that were hit by a cyber attack around that time included RDC, Shell, and Ticketcounter, the last of which was also a victim of an extortion attempt.
“During the course of the investigation, it has become clear that thousands of small and large companies and institutions, both national and international, have fallen victim to computer intrusion (hacking) in recent years, followed by theft and handling of data,” the agency said.
The attack spree targeted a wide range of industry verticals spanning catering, training institutes, e-commerce, software, social media, and critical infrastructure.
Describing it as a “sophisticated” operation, the Politie said the threat actors demanded a Bitcoin payment from the affected companies and threatened to publish the stolen information online or destroy the digital infrastructure, racking up millions in damages.
The ransom demanded per company is said to have ranged anywhere between €100,000 and €700,000. To make matters worse, the suspects ended up selling the data despite the companies paying up.
The sensitive nature of the plundered information means that it could be used to carry out social engineering attacks and various kinds of fraudulent activities.
“Data theft and data trading is a huge revenue model for criminals,” the Politie warned. “Not just by extorting companies. The…
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