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Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts

Friday, 6 October 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - October 5, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

Saudi Arabia recently removed its 2013 ban on internet and voice over internet protocols (VoIP). According to the country’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), “This decision comes in line with recent trends in the ICT sector; the reliance on data revenues (Internet delivery) and added services is the global trend that operators in the Kingdom should take.”

Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

A leading Chinese messaging app, WeChat, has revealed that it will release the private information of users, including contacts and online searches, to Chinese authorities. WeChat currently boasts 662 million users.

Cryptography experts have found a flaw in the United States National Security Agency’s push for Simon and Speck encryption protocols to become global industry standards: although the NSA maintains these are secure protocols, the organization can, in fact, break them.

China has added messaging app WhatsApp to its list of Facebook products banned in the country. The ban is seen as a measure to limit communication leading up to October 18’s Communist Party congress, which will determine future leadership.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

The continent of Africa now has its own internet domain: .africa. Users in Africa see the measure as a step towards “cyber independence” and fostering a continent-wide “internet community”.

The 2017 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa was held in South Africa, marking the first time it was not hosted by Uganda. This year’s event recognized the second annual International Day for Universal Access to Information.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe recently held its second Internet Governance Multi-Stakeholder Conference. Noted digital security trainer, Natasha Msonza, “There is no digital world and a real world, just as there are no human rights and digital rights. The two are not mutually exclusive.”

Australia plans to build a cybersecurity cooperative research center (CRC) with funding from government, industry, and research partners. The CRC is, in part, a response to the fact that Australia ranks second to last in the world for collaboration.

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

United Kingdom-based “Big Four” accounting firm Deloitte has suffered a cyberattack. The company reports that it has contacted “each of the very few clients impacted.”

All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

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SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy, Secure Messenger, and Stash provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!

Friday, 18 August 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - August 18, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

The United Kingdom has a new data protection bill: “The new data protection bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, sets of data laws in the world. It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit” reported digital minister Matt Hancock. The bill, which includes a ban on the reidentification of anonymized individuals, would protect journalists and whistleblowers, but not researchers.

Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

Chinese social media platforms Weibo, WeChat, and Baidu Tieba are under investigation for potential violations of cybersecurity laws. The Cyberspace Administration alleges that users are “spreading violence, terror, false rumours, pornography and other hazards to national security, public safety, [and] social order.”

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

The United Arab Emirates plan to protect the government from “advanced persistent threats” with the Federal Network (FEDNet), an advanced cyber security network that will service 35 federal entities. The technology is the UAE’s response to WannaCry and Petya, viruses that hit government bodies earlier this year.

The United States’ Palo Alto Networks has become the first cybersecurity company to engage in a Data Exchange Agreement (DEA) with INTERPOL. Sean Duca of Palo Alto Networks acknowledged, “This collaboration marks a mutual commitment to information sharing, which is necessary for preventing successful cyberattacks. Together with INTERPOL, we can continue to raise awareness and educate business leaders and reduce the collective cybersecurity risk over time.”

United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has pushed back against Apple’s decision to comply with China’s request to remove Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) from its app store. Kaye requested “that Apple states a point of view and speaks up in the context of restrictions on fundamental rights.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has spoken out against Australia’s proposal to require device and internet companies to provide “appropriate assistance” to government agencies in accessing encrypted communications. Said Elaine Pearson of HRW Australia, “Unfortunately, Prime Minister Turnbull’s proposal could undermine cybersecurity and human rights worldwide.”

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

The Mamba ransomware is back. In 2016, it took over 2,000 computers belonging to San Francisco’s municipal railway; now, it is after Brazilian and Saudi corporations.

Russian hackers are using the American government-made exploit ETERNALBLUE to spy on hotel guests in the Middle East and Europe. ETERNALBLUE was leaked online in April; the campaign marks its first live use.

IT systems of an Indian infrastructure company were recently compromised by Chinese hackers. The goal of the attack was to “just observe” while gaining access to sensitive information.

An investigative study has revealed that CopyKittens, an Iran-backed cyber-espionage group, is increasingly focused on attacks in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Germany, and the United States. The group targets governments and institutions in support of Tehran, Iran.

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Thursday, 29 June 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - June 29, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

In a break with previous policy, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere has announced that Germany is in the process of creating a law that would allow the government to decipher and read the private encrypted messages of apps such as WhatsApp and Signal. “We can’t allow there to be areas that are practically outside the law,” stated de Maiziere.

A terrorist attack in London has prompted British Prime Minister Theresa May to call for greater international “regulation” of cyberspace. Specifically, May is calling for companies such as Facebook and WhatsApp to provide the British government with backdoor access to messages sent by terrorism suspects.

In a vote of 363-0, Russia’s State Duma has approved legislation that would outlaw anonymizing software. News source Meduza explained, “The bill’s sponsors would give the owners of VPN networks and internet anonymizers access to Russia’s registry of blocked online resources, so they could cut access to these websites. Any Internet circumvention tools that refuse to block access to banned resources would themselves be blocked.”

A draft report from the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs has proposed end-to-end encryption for all “electronic communication data”. The legislation aims to protect communication such as “calls, internet access, instant messaging applications, email, internet phone calls and messaging provided through social media.”

Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

Pakistani man Taimoor Raza has been sentenced to death for committing an act of blasphemy on Facebook when he unknowingly engaged in an online debate about Islam with a counterterrorism officer. Raza is one of 15 individuals to be arrested in a recent crackdown on internet blasphemy.

Tweets from Pavel Durov of Russia's Telegram indicate that United States intelligence agencies have tried to bribe the company to weaken its messaging app’s encryption. Durov stated that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has similarly pressured his company.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

A Bangkok agreement marks the beginning of increased cybercrime cooperation between Australia, Thailand, Singapore and China. Said Australia’s Tobias Feakin, “Criminals and nefarious actors can adapt and absorb all [this information] so much quicker than governments. So if we’re not talking about it, sharing best practice and keeping on the move as well then we will soon find ourselves behind by quite a margin.”

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

A “sustained and determined” cyberattack took advantage of weak email passwords used by members of the British parliament recently. Said Liam Fox, minister for international trade, “We know that our public services are attacked so it’s not at all surprising that there should be an attempt to hack into parliamentary emails.”

All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

Want more emerging economy cyber alerts? Read on!

Want Emerging Economy Cyber Alerts sent to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter ("Security Tips and News" at bottom of page).

Have valuable insight to share from your part of the world? Write for us!

SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!

Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - May 10, 2017

Wait For It - Change Is Coming to SumRando!

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

A new Rwandan draft law has established the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA). The Bill intends to protect private and government information from cyberattacks and cybercrime.

Kenya expects the president will sign a Computer and Cybercrime Bill into law before 2018. The Bill will address illegal online access, online fraud, money laundering, phishing, cyber-stalking and child abuse.

New metadata retention laws in Australia are sending many internet users straight to their nearest VPN. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telco companies are now required to collect and retain customer metadata, including personal information and mode, location, and length of communication.

A draft Russian bill hopes to block anonymous proxies and VPN services that continue to provide access to forbidden websites. Currently, 100 ban-bypassing resources are blocked in Russia.

Privacy, Surveillance, and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed that it can share encrypted data regarding terrorists and criminals with India via the internet. “Sometimes, the data comes in months or years, and sometimes, by the time we approach the authorities there, private companies don’t keep backup, or it is not possible to decrypt everything on the internet,” clarified a National Investigation Agency official.

Israel’s NSO Group is thought to be responsible for the Chrysaor malware. The malware is an adaptation of Pegasus and is used to spy on Android phones.

Turkey recently blocked access to Wikipedia, in protest of the online encyclopedia’s inclusion of articles that link Ankara to terrorism. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales countered the decision: “Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you to fight for this right.”

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

In a European first, the United Kingdom’s Cardiff University has launched the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Analytics. In conjunction with Airbus, the center will study machine learning, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

Want more emerging economy cyber alerts? Read on!

Want Emerging Economy Cyber Alerts sent to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter ("Security Tips and News" at bottom of page).

Have valuable insight to share from your part of the world? Write for us!

SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!

Friday, 10 February 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - February 10, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

After much talk of efforts to enhance United States government cybersecurity capabilities, United States President Donald Trump did not follow through on signing a cybersecurity overhaul executive order. The event marks the second time in a week that the president has neglected to sign an executive action.

Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship

when government isn't on your side

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and Citizen Lab have concluded that Egyptian human rights groups are being targeted by an Egyptian intelligence agency phishing campaign. Those targeted are NGOs accused by the government of receiving illegal foreign funding.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

Australia and Indonesia have agreed to fight terrorism through strengthened mutual cybersecurity. Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto of Indonesia noted that he expects “tighter and stronger cooperation in law and security.”

ISACA, an association previously known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, will host information technology and cybersecurity events in the African countries of Egypt and Ghana this year. The Best of Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX) will take place in Cairo in July; the Africa Computer Audit, Control and Security (CACS) will be held in Accra in September.

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

The United States Treasury Department is allowing new cybersecurity transactions with the Russian Federal Security Service. According to the Russian Duma’s Nikolai Kovalyov, “This shows that actual joint work on establishing an anti-terrorism coalition is about to begin,” but United States Representative Eric Swalwell had different ideas: “This is the same group that, just a month ago, our intelligence community determined was responsible for the attack on our democracy. We just made it easier for the same group to import into Russia the tools they could use to hack us or our allies again.”

Looking Back

a new glimpse at past alerts

#TurnOnVPN has countered concerns that all VPN usage is now illegal in China. According to the non-partisan organization, Chinese businesses are forbidden from using VPNs, but individuals are not.

All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

Want more emerging economy cyber alerts? Read on!

Want Emerging Economy Cyber Alerts sent to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter ("Security Tips and News" at bottom of page).

Have valuable insight to share from your part of the world? Write for us!

SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!

Friday, 27 January 2017

SumTips: 4 Countries Concerned with Cybersecurity in 2017

As 2017 begins to take shape, one thing is clear: this year will not be the year of the massive, unexpected data breach. Rather, it very well could be the year of accepting cybersecurity weaknesses and looking to enact much-needed protective measures. In just the past week, four countries worldwide have highlighted areas in need of cyber attention:

Australia: Intelligence officials fear Australian political party leaders will be the next victims of cyberespionage. Cyber Security Minister Dan Tehan acknowledged, “The use of cyber to maliciously influence the democratic process is a recent development in statecraft and we need the proper protections in place in Australia to prevent it happening here.”

Canada: increased opposition to pipelines has only heightened the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s warning to domestic energy companies about the risk of cyber espionage and attacks. “You should expect your networks to be hit if you are involved in any significant financial interactions with certain foreign states,” stated a CSIS briefing.

India: A turn to digital payments has brought scrutiny to India’s lack of cybersecurity: “While India does have an early warning system and a national computer emergency response team, there is no clear national incident management structure for responding to cyber-security incidents,” reported the Software Alliance (BSA).

United Kingdom: a shortage of cybersecurity experts has the potential to put businesses in the UK at cyber risk. Reported Mariano Mamertino, “Sadly the supply of skilled workers isn’t keeping up with employer demand, and Britain’s cyber security skills gap, already the second worst in the world, is getting worse. The problem is fast approaching crisis point, and British businesses will inevitably be put at risk if they can’t find the expertise they need to mitigate the threat.”

Know your risks, surf secure and stay Rando!

Image credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

Want more SumTips? Read on!

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SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!

Friday, 16 October 2015

Australia's New Law: A Honey Pot for Hackers

Australia, Scott Ludlam, Telecom Amendment Bill of 2015, Malcolm Turnbull, VPN, Tor, Secure Messenger

Australia’s new data retention law has been labeled a honey pot for hackers and it’s not hard to see why.

The Telecom Amendment Bill of 2015, which went into effect this past Tuesday, requires phone and internet service providers to keep a 2 year record of Australians’ metadata, including phone numbers called and texted; time, date and location of calls; and emails sent and received. This information can then be turned over to predetermined government agencies, as well as any public or private agency publicly declared by the Attorney General, without a warrant.

Sadly, the law merely codifies what has largely been in place for years, as the Attorney General reminded us: "Data retention does not provide new powers for agencies to access metadata. It simply obliges telecommunications companies to retain and secure a limited set of records for two years."

Journalists have their own concerns to bear. A last-minute clause was added to require a warrant prior to using metadata in identifying journalists’ sources, but has already come under criticism. All requests submitted to telecommunications companies will look identical and all journalist warrants will be kept secret, leaving companies to simply trust that the behind-the-scenes warrants actually exist.

Fortunately, no one is pretending that Australians are required to simply accept their new status quo, as the law’s passage has already seen the internet littered with tips to avoid such data collection, as well as reminders that doing so is perfectly legal. Senator Scott Ludlam, who has shifted from fighting the legislation to promoting ways around it, made a point of acknowledging that “There is nothing illegal about circumventing data retention” for all those unsure if now is the time to be proactive.

In fact, Malcolm Turnbull, journalist turned Communications Minister turned Prime Minister, could not have agreed more in a March interview: “If you have a device, a phone, a smartphone, and if I call you through the mobile phone network then there will be a record at my carrier. Let’s say my phone’s with Telstra, then there’s a record with Telstra that I’ve called your number. If on the other hand I communicate with you via Skype for a voice call or Viber, or I send you a message on WhatsApp or Wickr or Threema or Signal or Telegrammer — there’s a gazillion of them — or indeed if we have a FaceTime call, then all the telco can see is that my device has had a connection with the Skype server or the WhatsApp server. It doesn’t see anything happening with you…There are always ways for people to get around things, but of course a lot of people don’t.”

Turnbull’s simultaneous support of data retention legislation and encouragement to work around it raises some significant questions. The Australian government is moving forward with a system that it knows is beatable. Does it hope to undermine the average citizen who does not think to protect himself, saving his data for a rainy day when it might be useful? Or is the next step to crack down on the secure messenger apps and VPNs that are currently keeping communication secure?

For now, it’s best to take what precautions we can and Senator Ludlam’s tips are a good place to start: create strong passwords, use a secure messenger instead of texting, incorporate a VPN and Tor into regular internet usage and stay educated about ever-evolving laws and resources. Of course, there are certain secure messengers and VPNs we would suggest over others but ultimately, we just want you to surf secure and stay Rando!

SumRando Cybersecurity is a South Africa-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider.

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Social Media Post Leads to Australian Government Threatening Johnny Depp’s Dogs With Death

We all know to think before posting on Facebook, but Australia’s ‘War on Terrier’ proves just how powerful the most innocent of posts can be.


Pistol and Boo at Happy Dogz. Photo: Gold Coast Bulletin

Johnny Depp’s dogs, Pistol and Boo, made international headlines last week when Australian Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce gave the Yorkshire terriers until Saturday to leave Australia or face death. Depp and wife Amber Heard had flown on a private jet with the dogs to Queensland, but made no attempt to declare the pooches’ entry into the import law-heavy country.

In a public statement last Thursday, Joyce showed little sympathy for the plight of Pistol and Boo: “[Depp] has decided to bring into our nation two dogs without actually getting the proper certification and the proper permits required. Basically it looks like he snuck them in. We found out he snuck them in because we saw them taken into a poodle groomer. Now, Mr. Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we’re going to have to euthanize them. He’s now got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs.” Joyce continued to cite the threat of disease and an unwillingness to bend the law for celebrities as reasons for taking such extreme measures.

It should come as little surprise that Facebook played a role in the Australian government finding these dogs. Pistol and Boo were dropped off at Happy Dogz salon, dog groomer Lianne Kent posted a picture of an article featuring her with the dogs on Facebook, and the rest is history: enter Barnaby Joyce, Kyle Sandilands, John Oliver, and, finally, a $400,000 rescue mission.

Our actions are increasingly traceable these days. No longer can we make an off-color comment or sneak a dog or two into a country, because there is always someone watching. As such, there is no excuse for ignoring the realities of the modern era: we must be informed of the laws, know when we are following or breaking them, and take what precautions we can to maintain and protect our privacy.