Press release: The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has today announced the conclusion to an inquiry into Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL), data controller of the “Facebook” social media network, imposing a fine of €265 million and a range of corrective measures. The DPC commenced this inquiry on 14 April 2021, on foot of media reports…
Category: Of Note
5.4 million Twitter users’ stolen data leaked online — more shared privately
Lawrence Abrams reports: Over 5.4 million Twitter user records containing non-public information stolen using an API vulnerability fixed in January have been shared for free on a hacker forum. Another massive, potentially more significant, data dump of millions of Twitter records has also been disclosed by a security researcher, demonstrating how widely abused this bug…
WhatsApp dismisses report of alleged data leak containing phone numbers of nearly 3 million Hongkongers
Danny Mok reports: WhatsApp on Sunday dismissed a media report claiming that a database containing the mobile phone numbers of nearly 500 million users, including almost 3 million from Hong Kong, was leaked and put up for sale, saying it had found no evidence of a data breach. The article by Cybernews, a research-based online publication,…
In New Hampshire, school technology directors collaborate to protect student data
Eileen O’Grady reports that New Hampshire schools have pooled resources to hire someone who will negotiate with tech and app vendors to make sure that the contracts protect the schools and that contracts aren’t suddenly changed on them, etc. For the past three years, an alliance of school technology directors called the New Hampshire Student…
Cyber-enabled financial crime: USD 130 million intercepted in global INTERPOL police operation
Press Release: LYON, France – An INTERPOL police operation to tackle online fraud has seen almost 1000 suspects arrested and the seizure of USD 129,975,440 worth of virtual assets. Fraud investigators around the world worked together over five months (28 June – 23 November) to intercept money and virtual assets linked to a wide range…
The State of Cybersecurity for K-12 School Districts
From the Center for Internet Security: K-12 cybersecurity personnel, IT professionals, and leaders have faced significant challenges over the last several years. They’ve had to wade through operational and technological complexities as a result of shifting between in-person, virtual, and hybrid schooling. Simultaneously, they’ve found themselves one of the primary targets of cyber threat actors as…