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Showing posts with label South Asia. Show all posts

Friday, 1 September 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - September 1, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

“Privacy is the constitutional core of human dignity,” says India’s Supreme Court. The country joins the United States, Canada, South Africa, the European Union and the United Kingdom in recognizing this fundamental right.

China has a new internet policy: “For users who have not given identifying information, platforms for and providers of online communities may not allow posting of any kind.” In other words, real names must be used when posting online.

Privacy, Surveillance, and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

Seven members of the United States’ National Infrastructure Advisory Council have resigned. Their letter of resignation accuses President Trump of giving “insufficient attention to the growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which all Americans depend.”

In compliance with United States sanctions against Iran, Apple is “moving aggressively” to remove Iranian apps from its store. Most recently, the ride-hailing app Snapp was eliminated.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

One thousand Russians protested censorship last week. The demonstration responds to measures such as a recent Putin-approved ban on VPNs, which will go into effect in November.

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

A sustained cyber spying campaign has been carried out against India and Pakistan. Several groups working on behalf of an unnamed nation state are thought to be responsible.

introducing

SumRando Stash

SumRando Stash allows you to temporarily store files securely and anonymously for file transfer and file sharing needs. With SumRando Stash, mail providers are prevented from scanning your attachments and gaining insight into your personal activities, and you don't have to worry about fumbling with USB storage devices or multiple devices. Files automatically self-destruct in 1, 7, or 30 days. SumRando Stash is currently available for Android and the web - try it today!

All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.

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Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - August 25, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

Donald Trump has raised the status of the United States Cyber Command to that of a Unified Combatant Command. According to the American president's statement, the Obama-era policy “will strengthen our cyberspace operations and create more opportunities to improve our Nation’s defense.”

Privacy, Surveillance, and Censorship

government isn't always on your side

Human rights groups are calling for the release of Radio France Internationale correspondent Ahmed Abba, who is serving a ten-year sentence in Cameroon for coverage related to the activities of Boko Haram. Said Reporters Without Borders’ Clea Kahn-Sriber, “The campaign will grow in strength if the authorities do not free Ahmed Abba.” #FreeAhmedAbba

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

The second Japan-India Cyber Dialogue has strengthened the two nations’ commitment to an “open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible” cyberspace. The dialogue will continue in Tokyo in 2018.

United States-based Apple has added an ‘Emergency SOS’ feature to its iPhone; hitting the power button 5 times will lock the fingerprint scanner and call the police, prohibiting attackers from forcing a phone to be unlocked.

China now has a cybercourt—a place to resolve online disputes. Said cybercourt Chief Justice Du Qian, “Not only will this make lawsuits as convenient as online shopping, but it will also give online shopping the same degree of judicial protection as consumption at bricks-and-mortar stores.”

Dr. Darren Wilkins, Managing Director of the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation, took advantage of a national cybersecurity forum to ask that greater attention be paid to digital safety: “We live in a time of rapid technology and social changes. The uncomfortable and inconvenient truth is that the more we experience these technological and social changes, the more we are vulnerable to cyber threats.”

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

State-owned and private Ukrainian lenders have been warned of a new malware threat: “The nature of this malicious code, its mass distribution, and the fact that at the time of its distribution it was not detected by any anti-virus software, suggest that this attack is preparation for a mass cyber-attack on the corporate networks of Ukrainian businesses,” stated a letter from the Ukrainian central bank.

introducing

SumRando Stash

All cyber alert images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com; SumRando Stash image credit of sumrando.com.

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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.

introducing

SumRando Stash

SumRando Stash allows you to temporarily store files securely and anonymously for file transfer and file sharing needs. With SumRando Stash, mail providers are prevented from scanning your attachments and gaining insight into your personal activities, and you don't have to worry about fumbling with USB storage devices or multiple devices. Files automatically self-destruct in 1, 7, or 30 days. SumRando Stash is currently available for Android and the web - try it today!

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!

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, 22 February 2017

Digital Divide: World Cyber Alerts - February 21, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has announced that it will create a commission to establish cybersecurity policies and reviews. Internet products and services that affect national security or the public interest will be subject to a security review.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

India's Software Freedom Law Centre now maintains an online Internet Shutdown Tracker. Says the organization, "We aim to stand strong with the message that the information superhighway that is the Internet is essential for the holistic socio-economic and cultural development of the country. #KeepItOn."

IBM’s Digital-Nation Africa is launching in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt. The project aims to prepare individuals for careers in cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have formed a joint project known as the Bio-Inspired Agile Cyber Security Assurance Framework (BICSAF). Professor Lam Khin Yong reported the project “will be able to develop innovative methods for combating one of the most complicated problems in cyber security – Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).”

Finland, a country known for its internet security, will open a cybersecurity hub in Helsinki this year. The center will work to stop cyberwarfare threats and will involve the cooperation of the United States, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and the Baltic States.

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

Cybercrime cost Kenya Sh17.7 billion, or .28% of its GDP, in 2016, the highest of all African countries. The east African nation is ranked as the 69th most vulnerable country in the Global Threat Index.

Lion Soldiers Team, a Turkish hacking group, has claimed responsibility for an attack that disrupted the website of the Austrian parliament. On Facebook, the group announced, “Our reaction will be harsh in response to this racism of Austria against Muslims!!! (Parliament down.).”

Japan experienced a record-setting 128.1 billion cyberattacks in 2016. The highest number of attacks from any single country came from China.

Looking Back

a new glimpse at past alerts

An unsigned United States cybersecurity executive order has been revised to reflect a more moderate agenda: “Much of this quite literally could have been written by the Obama administration,” reported Paul Rosenzweig, a former member of the Department of Homeland Security. Whether or when President Trump will sign the revamped executive order remains uncertain.

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!

Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Digital Divide: Cyber Alerts Worldwide - January 31, 2017

Policy

their legislation today could be yours tomorrow

South Africa’s new Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill is on its way to Parliament; Michalsons law firm is amongst those concerned: “The Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill gives the South African Police and the State Security Agency extensive powers to investigate, search, access, and seize just about anything.”

Draft regulations look to further crackdown on internet freedom in China: “Any overseas connections that are not approved will be blocked. Once the communication is cut off, it is the equivalent of a wall; there will be no holes for VPN to drill through,” reported the Hong Kong Internet Society.

Research and Initiatives

making your world a more cybersecure place

United States-based encrypted email service Lavabit was relaunched last week, offering three levels of security: Trustful, Cautious and Paranoid. In 2013, when faced with a government request for access to Edward Snowden’s account, Lavabit shut down rather than compromise its users’ security.

Indian companies such as Innefu have begun to shift from using human intelligence to using artificial intelligence to analyze data. “Cyber warfare isn’t a movie, it’s happening right now…We lost out on the industrial revolution, we lost out on the defence revolution – let’s not lose out in the cyber revolution,” argued Innefu’s Tarun Wig.

The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, a partnership between the University of New Brunswick and IBM, opened last week. The institute will serve as a center for research and to develop cybersecurity professionals.

Cyberattacks

the threats we all face

Indian horse racing website, Racingpulse.in, was recently hacked with the Dharma Ransomware Trojan in an attack that seized all of the website’s files. Website editor Sharan Kumar plans to move the website’s servers, currently located in the United States, elsewhere.

A December power outage in Ukraine has been determined to be a cyber attack. Hackers worked undetected in power supplier Ukregergo’s IT network for six months before launching an attack considered to be one of the first to affect civilian access to heat and light.

Looking Back

a new glimpse at past alerts

United States-based WhatsApp has denied the security vulnerability reported by Tobias Boelter, but Steffen Tor Jensen of the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights disagrees: “WhatsApp can effectively continue flipping the security keys when devices are offline and re-sending the message, without letting users know of the change [until] after it has been made, providing an extremely insecure platform.”

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!