Security Archives - Technology, review, product, AI and more...

27 May

If algorithms radicalize a mass shooter, are companies to blame?

hightechz.net0 CommentsBusiness, Security

In New York court on May 20th, lawyers for nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety argued that Meta, Amazon, Discord, Snap, 4chan, and other social media companies all bear responsibility for radicalizing a mass shooter. The companies defended themselves against claims that their respective design features - including recommendation algorithms - promoted racist content to a man who killed 10 people in 2022, then facilitated his deadly plan. It's a particularly grim test of a popular legal theory: that social networks are products that can be found legally defective when something goes wrong. Whether this works may rely on how courts…

22 May

Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests

hightechz.net0 CommentsSecurity

Microsoft employees have discovered that any emails they send with the terms "Palestine" or "Gaza" are getting temporarily blocked from being sent to recipients inside and outside the company. The No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) protest group reports that "dozens of Microsoft workers" have been unable to send emails with the words "'Palestine," "Gaza," and "Genocide" in email subject lines or in the body of a message. "Words like 'Israel' or 'P4lestine' do not trigger such a block," say NOAA organizers. "NOAA believes this is an attempt by Microsoft to silence worker free speech and is a censorship enacted by…

17 May

How a DoorDash driver scammed the company out $2.5 million

hightechz.net0 CommentsSecurity, Trending

A former DoorDash delivery driver pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to a wire fraud conspiracy that scammed DoorDash out of over $2.5 million, the US Attorney’s Office in California’s Northern District announced on Tuesday. He and others made it happen over a period of months using fake customer accounts, deliveries that never happened, driver accounts, and access to DoorDash employee credentials. Here’s how the Attorney’s office describes the scheme. The driver, Sayee Chaitainya Reddy Devagiri, placed expensive orders from a fraudulent customer account in the DoorDash app. Then, using DoorDash employee credentials, he manually assigned the orders to driver…

10 May

The FTC puts off enforcing its ‘click-to-cancel’ rule

hightechz.net0 CommentsSecurity

The FTC seal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was set to start enforcing the remaining provisions of its “click-to-cancel” rule on May 14th, requiring that subscriptions be as easy to cancel as to start. Now, the agency says it won’t enforce the rule until July 14th, as TechCrunch reports. Also known as the Negative Option Rule, the big component of click-to-cancel is that it forbids companies from making customers jump through hoops that differ from the process to sign up for an account. If you can sign up online, you must be able to cancel online, too. As the FTC…

24 Jun

Four Vietnamese Hackers Charged for Multi-Million Dollar Cyberattacks on US Companies

hightechz.net0 CommentsSecurity, TechnologyCyberattacks, hacker, technology, Vietnamese

Four Vietnamese nationals have been indicted by the US Department of Justice for their alleged involvement in a series of cyberattacks that crippled American companies and resulted in over $71 million in damages. This case sheds light on the growing threat of international cybercrime and the challenges of holding perpetrators accountable. Photo: Pixabay. The indictment accuses the defendants, Ta Van Tai, Nguyen Viet Quoc, Nguyen Trang Xuyen, and Nguyen Van Truong, of being members of a sophisticated cybercrime group known as FIN9. According to the Department of Justice, FIN9 operated from at least May 2018 through October 2021, targeting victim…

22 Jun

US Bans Kaspersky Antivirus Software Citing National Security Concerns

hightechz.net0 CommentsSecurity, TechnologyAntivirus Software, Kaspersky, technology

The United States government has dealt a blow to Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab by banning the sale of its antivirus software within the country. The move, announced by the Department of Commerce, comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Russia and is based on national security concerns. Famous security software Kaspersky is banned throughout the United States. Photo: Alamy. Kaspersky has long been a popular choice for consumers and businesses alike, offering robust protection against malware and other online threats. However, US officials have expressed concerns that the company's ties to the Russian government could pose a security…

23 May

Durian Malware Targets Cryptocurrency Companies: North Korean Hackers on the Prowl

hightechz.net0 CommentsBlockchain, Securityblockchain, Cryptocurrency, Malware, technology

Cryptocurrency companies are under fire from a new kind of foe: malware. A recent report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed a campaign by the North Korean hacking group Kimsuky, targeting South Korean crypto firms with a previously unknown malware variant called "Durian." Illustration of hackers attacking a user's personal computer. Photo: Cointelegraph Durian's Deceptive Delivery Durian's attack strategy is particularly concerning. It leverages legitimate security software used specifically by South Korean cryptocurrency firms. This grants it a level of trust within the system, making it harder to detect. Once installed, Durian acts as a multi-purpose tool for the attackers. Multifaceted…