TechLetters #53 - software and security is fragile, Cyber operations against Central-Eastern European politics by Belarus, should targeted ads be banned?
Éditorial
Security
CEE hacking. Recent wave of cyber and information operations (hack-and-leak, hacking of government sites, accounts of politicians, journalists / etc.) attributed to Belarus. Major implications for sovereignty violations in the Central-Eastern Europe region I highlight the successful influence of the cyber/information operations on domestic politics. The most significant politically or militarily motivated cyberoperation targeting the Eastern parts of the European Union Privacy.
Iran group. Cyberattack campaign (to deploy ransomware/etc) linked by US and UK with (Iran) state-supported group
About Conti. One of the most “famous” current ransomware group. This report tracks the group and identifies some infrastructural details: servers, passwords…
Linux Random Number Generator? Very important for security of a lot of internet/world will ship soon. Random numbers are key component in cybersecurity even if ordinary users do not need to know what /dev/random even is.
Cyber uninsurance. In reverse? "Insurers have halved the amount of cyber cover they provide to customers after a surge in ransomware". “90%-plus profit margin from ransomware attacks in 2021”.
Fragility of software and systems. Want proof? Until two weeks ago anybody could update any npm, package, something that big chunks of the internet rely upon. Infecting those could attain majestic level of compromise. “vulnerability that would allow an attacker to publish new versions of any npm package using an account without proper authorization”
Privacy
Ban on targeted ads? European data protection regulators call for: "online targeted advertising should be regulated more strictly", "a prohibition of targeted advertising on the basis of pervasive tracking".
Other
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