DNA testing and genealogy companies are stepping up user account security by mandating the use of two-factor authentication, following the theft of millions of user records from DNA genetic testing giant 23andMe. Ancestry, MyHeritage, and 23andMe have begun notifying customers…
Tag: Security News | TechCrunch
Malwarebytes makes B2B unit spin-off official, launches ThreatDown
U.S.-based cybersecurity giant Malwarebytes today launched ThreatDown, a new brand that encompasses its business software portfolio and B2B-focused unit, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. Earlier this year, Malwarebytes let go of approximately 100 employees as part of a wider plan to…
Online store exposed millions of Chinese citizen IDs
A security researcher said he discovered millions of Chinese citizen identity numbers spilling online after an e-commerce store left its database exposed to the internet. Viktor Markopoulos, a security researcher working for CloudDefense.ai, said he found the database belonging to…
US sanctions Russian accused of laundering Ryuk ransomware funds
The U.S. government has sanctioned a Russian national for allegedly laundering millions of dollars worth of victim ransom payments on behalf of individuals linked to the notorious Ryuk ransomware group. According to an announcement from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of…
Confirmed: Palo Alto has acquired Talon Cyber Security, sources say for $625M
Palo Alto Networks has just confirmed one more major piece of security startup M&A out of Israel: it has acquired Talon Cyber Security, a specialist in building enterprise browsers for securing distributed workforces sources. Source say the deal is valued…
Android’s new real-time app scanning aims to combat malicious sideloaded apps
Android’s in-built security engine Google Play Protect has a new feature that conducts a real-time analysis of an Android app’s code and blocks it from installing the app if it’s considered potentially harmful. Google announced in October the new real-time…
PSA: Your chat and call apps may leak your IP address
Your favorite messaging and calling app could reveal your IP address to the person on the other end of a call. And that, essentially, is because most chat apps default to using peer-to-peer connections — meaning you and the person…
Mortgage and loan giant Mr. Cooper blames cyberattack for ongoing outage
Mortgage and loan giant Mr. Cooper says a “cybersecurity incident” earlier this week was the cause of an ongoing outage, adding that the company is “working to resolve the issue.” The Texas-based company said in a statement on its website that…
Do government sanctions against ransomware groups work?
Earlier this year, the U.S. government imposed sanctions against Russian national Mikhail Matveev, an FBI most-wanted cybercriminal, who authorities accuse of being a “prolific ransomware affiliate” involved in cyberattacks in the United States and overseas. Authorities say Matveev played a…
Boeing confirms ‘cyber incident’ after ransomware gang claims data theft
Aerospace giant Boeing has confirmed that it is dealing with a “cyber incident,” days after the company was listed on the leak site of the LockBit ransomware gang. In a statement given to TechCrunch, Boeing spokesperson Jim Prolux confirmed that…
When generative AI cyberthreats arrive, Wraithwatch will be ready and waiting
Generative AI is pervading just about every industry already, whether we like it or not, and cybersecurity is no exception. The possibility of AI-accelerated malware development and autonomous attacks should alarm any sysadmin even at this early stage. Wraithwatch is…
Xage Security raises $20M more to expand its security platform
While the number of cybersecurity funding deals reached a high point in 2022, that doesn’t mean that the sector’s tapped out — far from it. According to Statista, there were 148 deals in Q2 2023 worth a combined $1.6 billion.…
Lawmakers say Costco’s decision to continue selling banned China surveillance tech is ‘puzzling’
Two U.S. lawmakers have asked retail giant Costco why it continues to sell surveillance equipment made by Lorex, despite warnings of cybersecurity risks and links to human rights abuses. The bipartisan letter dated October 31, sent by Rep. Christopher Smith…
Atlassian urges customers to take ‘immediate action’ to protect against data-loss security bug
Australian software giant Atlassian has warned of a critical security flaw that could lead to “significant data loss” for customers, just weeks after state-backed hackers targeted its products. In an advisory this week, the company urged customers to patch against…
With its exit from Russia complete, Group-IB plans its US expansion
In just a few weeks, Group-IB will be celebrating its twentieth birthday. It’s a momentous occasion for the controversy-marred threat intelligence company, which helps organizations and governments investigate cyberattacks and online fraud. And Group-IB is planning to celebrate in style.…
Security researchers observed ‘deliberate’ takedown of notorious Mozi botnet
Security researchers say they have observed what they believe is a takedown of the notorious Mozi botnet that infiltrated more than a million Internet of Things devices worldwide. In research shared with TechCrunch ahead of publication on Tuesday, researchers at…
Log analysis and security firm Graylog raises $9M in equity, $30M in debt
The decline in VC funding for cybersecurity startups might finally be reversing course after months of discouraging trend lines. Recently, Crunchbase reported that cybersecurity startups raised nearly $1.9 billion through 153 deals in Q3 — a 12% increase from the…
Why ransomware victims can’t stop paying off hackers
In September, MGM Resorts was hit by a devastating ransomware attack, downing operations at some of its most iconic casino hotels in Las Vegas, including the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and the Cosmopolitan. Guests were forced to wait hours to check…
US-led cybersecurity coalition vows to not pay hackers’ ransom demands
The U.S. government and dozens of foreign allies have pledged never to pay ransom demands in a bid to discourage financially motivated hackers and ransomware gangs profiteering from cyberattacks. The joint pledge was announced during the third annual meeting of…
SEC accuses SolarWinds CISO of misleading investors before Russian cyberattack
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged SolarWinds and its top cybersecurity executive Timothy Brown with fraud and internal control failures for allegedly misleading investors about the company’s cybersecurity practices prior to a cyberattack launched by Russian hackers in…