Cyber security act

LONDON: U.S. travel management firm CWT paid US$4.5 million this week to hackers who stole reams of sensitive corporate files and said they had knocked 30,000 computers offline, according to a record of the ransom negotiations seen by Reuters. The attackers used a strain of ransomware called Ragnar Locker, which encrypts computer files and renders them unusable until the victim pays for access to be restored. The ensuing negotiations between the hackers and a CWT representative remained publicly accessible in an online chat group, providing a rare insight into the fraught relationship between cyber criminals and their corporate victims. CWT, which posted revenues of US$1.5 billion last year and says it represents more than a third of companies on the S&P 500 U.S. stock index, confirmed the attack but declined to comment on the details of what it said was an ongoing investigation. "We can confirm that after temporarily shutting down our systems as a precautionary measure, … [Read more...] about ‘Payment sent’: Travel giant CWT pays US$4.5m ransom to cyber criminals

SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) could deploy four unmanned surface vessels (USV) for maritime security by the end of this year, depending on the progress of final sea trials. Once operational, the USVs will conduct round-the-clock patrols, investigate, as well as intercept suspicious vessels in Singapore waters. They are equipped with long-range loudhailers, strobe and search lights, as well as a 12.7mm gun. They also come with advanced navigation and anti-collision systems to avoid obstacles and move fully autonomously in the congested waters of the Singapore Strait. The USV is not limited by a communications range, meaning it can technically be operated from anywhere. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a factsheet on Monday (Mar 1) that two crew members will operate a USV from shore, with a “user-centric” mission control system to quickly plan and execute patrol profiles, track vessels of interest and warn or query vessels. READ: Defence budget … [Read more...] about Navy could deploy unmanned maritime security ships that can self-navigate, avoid obstacles by end-2021

On February 1, 2021, in the wake of the intensification of the farmers’ protests and reports of violent incidents on January 26 – a number of Twitter accounts became inaccessible in India . These included (among many others) the accounts of The Caravan magazine, the actor Sushant Singh, and the Kisan Ekta Morcha handle, which was chronicling the protests. In the beginning, it was unclear whether this was Twitter’s decision, based on its belief that the accounts had violated its Terms of Service (the reason for its permanent suspension of Donald Trump from its platform, for example), or whether Twitter had been ordered to do so by the government, or by a court. As outrage mounted, the Government of India clarified that it had invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, and ordered Twitter to block access to these accounts. The reason, it appeared, was the use of the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide, which was deemed a threat to public order. The merits of this … [Read more...] about Fuzzy law, unclear jurisprudence, trampled rights

NEW DELHI: A government audit of India's flagship payments processor last year found more than 40 security vulnerabilities including several it called "critical" and "high" risk, according to an internal government document seen by Reuters. The audit, which took place over four months to February 2019, highlighted a lack of encryption of personal data at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) which forms the backbone of the country's digital payments system and operates the RuPay card network championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The March 2019 government document cited the storing of 16-digit card numbers and other personal information such as customer names, account numbers and national identity numbers in "plain text" in some databases, leaving the data unprotected if the system was breached. The audit has not previously been reported. The NPCI said in a statement to Reuters it is regularly audited in the interests of security and senior management reviews … [Read more...] about India found cybersecurity lapses at National Payments Corp in 2019: Govt document

ADELAIDE: Back in the 1990s – a lifetime ago in internet terms – the Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells published several books charting the rise of information networks. He predicted that in the networked age, more value would accrue in controlling flows of information than in controlling the content itself. In other words, those who positioned themselves as network hubs – the routers and switchers of information – would become the gatekeepers of power in the digital age. With the rise of internet juggernauts Google, Facebook, Amazon and others, this insight seems obvious now. But over the past two decades, a fundamentally new business model emerged which even Castells had not foreseen – one in which attracting users onto digital platforms takes precedence over everything else, including what the user might say, do, or buy on that platform. THE RISE OF BIG TECH Gathering information became the dominant imperative for tech giants – aided willingly by users charmed … [Read more...] about Commentary: The incredible rise of Big Tech giants and how they became gatekeepers of power