The U.S. Department of Justice has said it will launch civil legal action against federal contractors if they fail to report cyberattacks or data breaches. The Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, introduced by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco this week, will leverage the existing False Claims Act (FCA) to “pursue cybersecurity-related fraud by government contractors and […]
EU warns Russia over ‘Ghostwriter’ hacking ahead of German elections
The European Union has warned it may take action over Russia’s involvement in “malicious cyber activities” against several EU member states. The “Ghostwriter” campaign targeted “numerous members of Parliaments, government officials, politicians, and members of the press and civil society in the EU”, according to a press release from the European Council on Friday, and was […]
Cybersecurity startup Sternum raises $27M to ‘immunize’ IoT devices
Sternum, a three-year-old IoT cybersecurity startup based in Tel Aviv, has secured $27 million in Series B funding, led by Spark Capital. Internet of Things devices are more popular than ever, yet cybersecurity remains a looming concern. The number of attacks on IoT devices more than doubled during the first six months of 2021, according to […]
Web host Epik was warned of a critical security flaw weeks before it was hacked
Hackers associated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous say they have leaked gigabytes of data from Epik, a web host and domain registrar that provides services to far-right sites like Gab, Parler and 8chan, which found refuge in Epik after they were booted from mainstream platforms. In a statement attached to a torrent file of the […]
BitSight raises $250M from Moody’s and acquires cyber risk startup VisibleRisk
BitSight, a startup that assesses the likelihood that an organization will be breached, has received a $250 million investment from credit rating giant Moody’s, and acquired Israeli cyber risk assessment startup VisibleRisk for an undisclosed sum. Boston-based BitSight says the investment from Moody’s, which has long warned that cyber risk can impact credit ratings, will […]
Thoma Bravo takes a stake in threat intelligence provider Intel 471
Private equity giant Thoma Bravo has taken a stake in Intel 471, a provider of cyber threat intelligence for enterprises and governments. The strategic growth investment, which comes as organizations double-down on cybersecurity amid a pandemic-fueled rise in cyber threats, will enable Intel 471 to evolve its product suite, broaden its go-to-market strategy and continue […]
A popular smart home security system can be remotely disarmed, researchers say
A cybersecurity company says a popular smart home security system has a pair of vulnerabilities that can be exploited to disarm the system altogether. Rapid7 found the vulnerabilities in the Fortress S03, a home security system that relies on Wi-Fi to connect cameras, motion sensors and sirens to the internet, allowing owners to remotely monitor […]
Cybersecurity VC funding surges to a record $11.5B in 2021
The pandemic completely upended the threat landscape as we know it. Ransomware accounted for an estimated 2.9 million attacks so far in 2021, and supply-chain attacks that targeted Kaseya and SolarWinds have increased fourfold over 2020, according to the European Union’s cybersecurity agency, ENISA, which recently warned that the more traditional cybersecurity protections are no longer […]
Insider hacks to streamline your SOC 3 certification application
If you’re a tech company offering anyone a service, somewhere in your future is a security assessment giving you the seal of approval to manage clients’ data and operate on your devices.
A bug in a medical startup’s website put thousands of COVID-19 test results at risk
A California-based medical startup that provides COVID-19 testing across Los Angeles has pulled down a website it used to allow customers to access their test results after a customer found a vulnerability that allowed access to other people’s personal information. Total Testing Solutions has ten COVID-19 testing sites across Los Angeles, and processes “thousands” of […]