Here’s your “definitely want to read this one today” piece. Zack Whittaker reports: The incoming phone call flashes on a victim’s phone. It may only last a few seconds, but can end with the victim handing over codes that give cybercriminals the ability to hijack their online accounts or drain their crypto and digital wallets….
Category: Of Note
CISA Advisory: #StopRansomware: Black Basta
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert on Black Basta this week. The alert was likely released this week because the attack on Ascension that is disrupting that health system has been attributed to Black Basta. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Health and…
Fred Hutch notifies more patients of November 2023 attack (1)
In December 2023, UW’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (“Fred Hutch”) reported a November cyberattack that involved the exfiltration of patient data and attempted extortion of patients. DataBreaches contacted Fred Hutch on December 8 to ask whether the attackers had encrypted their files and whether they had negotiated with the threat actors. They did not reply….
UK makes weak default passwords illegal
Three cheers for the U.K. on this one. Kevin Purdy reports: If you build a gadget that connects to the Internet and sell it in the United Kingdom, you can no longer make the default password “password.” In fact, you’re not supposed to have default passwords at all. A new version of the 2022 Product Security…
FTC Finalizes Changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule
The Federal Trade Commission today announced it has finalized changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR) that will strengthen and modernize the rule by clarifying its applicability to health apps and other similar technologies and expanding the information that covered entities must provide to consumers when notifying them of a breach of their health…
Wealthy Taxpayers Alerted to Leaked Data Years After IRS Breach
Erin Schilling reports: Some taxpayers are learning that their data was leaked in the widespread breach by a former IRS contractor that led to the release of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns. Four tax lawyers said they have seen letters from the IRS that went to clients this week and last week notifying them…