Ina Fried reports: Data breaches and ransomware attacks are getting worse. Some 2.6 billion personal records have been exposed in data breaches over the past two years and that number continues to grow, according to a new report commissioned by Apple. Why it matters: Apple says the escalating intrusions, combined with increases in ransomware means the tech industry needs to move toward greater use…
Author: Dissent
FBI explains how companies can delay SEC cyber incident disclosures
Jonathan Greig and Martin Matishak report: The FBI has published guidance on how companies can request a delay in disclosing cyber incidents to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The document is a followup to new rules that the SEC approved in June requiring companies to quickly disclose “material” cybersecurity incidents and share the details of their…
AlphV (BlackCat) leak site reportedly taken down by law enforcement (4)
When the AlphV site went offline yesterday, rumors started. Now intel firm RedSense has tweeted that they can confirm it was a law enforcement takedown: Today, RedSense can confirm that #ALPHV aka #BlackCat ransomware gang’s site has been taken down by law enforcement @4D435A There has been no statement from the Department of Justice yet….
Seattle cancer patients face blackmail threats after recent Fred Hutch data breach
Brittany Toolis reports: As if battling cancer isn’t hard enough, now patients at UW’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center are being extorted. Last month, the Cancer Center experienced a data breach, exposing data for an unknown number of patients. Some of those patients are getting emails threatening to leak their personal information if they don’t pay…
Hinsdale schools struck by ransomware attack (1)
The Brattleboro Reformer reports: The Hinsdale school district is attempting to recover from a ransomware attack that occurred on Thursday morning. “School district officials are working with Primex, its cyber insurance provider, and a professional cybersecurity response team to assess the situation,” states information release by SAU 29 Superintendent David Ryan. Read more. Update December…
The Untold Story of a Massive Hack at HHS in Covid’s Early Days
Jordan Robertson and Riley Griffin report: On March 15, 2020, just days after the US declared a national emergency because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the computer network for the US Department of Health and Human Services briefly vanished from the internet. In public remarks the following day, HHS Secretary Alex Azar attributed the 10-minute outage to a cyberattack but…