Damien Black reports: A popular data analytics tool that tracks YouTube and other major social media platforms has admitted to being hacked. Social Blade issued a statement saying it had been notified of a systems breach on December 14, while insisting no credit card data had been leaked. However, it said other personally identifying information,…
Iran-linked Charming Kitten espionage gang bares claws to pollies, power orgs
Jessica Lyons Hardcastle reports: An Iranian cyber espionage gang with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has learned new methods and phishing techniques, and aimed them at a wider set of targets – including politicians, government officials, critical infrastructure and medical researchers – according to email security vendor Proofpoint. Over the past two years,…
HHS Civil Rights Office Enters Settlement with Dental Practice Over Disclosures of Patients’ Protected Health Information
From HHS, resolution of a complaint they received in 2017: The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has settled with B. Brandon Au, DDS, Inc., d/b/a New Vision Dental (New Vision Dental), in California, over the impermissible disclosure of patient protected health information (PHI) in response to online reviews, and other potential violations of the Health…
Former Twitter employee sentenced to more than three years in prison for spying for Saudi Arabia
Kevin Collier reports: A former Twitter employee found guilty of spying on users on behalf of the Saudi royal family has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Ahmad Abouammo, a dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen who helped oversee media partnerships for Twitter in the Middle East and North Africa, was part of a scheme to…
Federal Prosecutors in Alaska and Los Angeles Charge 6 Defendants with Operating Websites that Offered Computer Attack Services
ANCHORAGE – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of 48 internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services, as well as criminal charges against six defendants who allegedly oversaw computer attack platforms commonly called “booter” services. The FBI is now in the process of seizing the websites that allowed paying…
T-Mobile Data Breach Win Paves Path for Cyber Insurance Disputes
Daphne Zhang reports: T-Mobile US Inc.’s recent cyber insurance victory in Washington state court helps clear the way for organizations to use third-party data breach settlement payments to satisfy skyrocketing cyber insurance deductibles. The Nov. 28 Washington appeals court ruling held that the telecom giant satisfied a $10 million deductible under a cyber policy with a Zurich…