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Image: Getty Cybersecurity analysts have released a decryptor for BianLian ransomware that could allow victims to retrieve their encrypted files for free — and avoid paying a ransom demand to cyber criminals. BianLian first appeared in August last year, with a series of attacks claiming victims in industries including media, manufacturing, and healthcare. The attacks […] More
Image: Getty Images/Dani Serrano UK consumer advocacy body Which? is calling on big name smart device makers to guarantee security updates for more than just two years. The organization points out that household appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and TVs are expected to last for a decade, yet many big brands are now offering smart […] More
Flipper Zero running DarkFlipper and running Wi-Fi Marauder Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET I’ve talked a lot about the Flipper Zero, the multi-functional cybersecurity tool that slips into your pocket and looks like a toy. For the price, it’s opens up a lot of doors, and can be used as both a serious pentesting tool, and also a […] More
Three law firms in Australia have teamed up to run a “landmark” case against Medibank involving last October’s data breach. Comprising Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Bannister Law Class Actions, and Centennial Lawyers, the trio will jointly seek compensation for affected customers. Specifically, they will push through a complaint filed with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to secure the compensation. Maurice Blackburn last November initiated the formal representative complaint with OAIC, which has the authority to issue the directive for compensation. The three law firms said in a joint statement Monday that “tens of thousands” of affected customers already had registered for the class action suit. Medibank last October revealed a security incident that compromised the data of 9.7 million current and former customers, including 1.8 million international customers. After the health insurer refused to pay the ransom demands, hackers dumped large batches of the data on the dark web, claiming the files contained all of the data they took in the heist.The data security incident, alongside others such as the Optus’ breach, prompted the Australian government to push for stiffer penalties. The country’s legislation eventually was revised, increasing maximum fines for serious or repeated breaches to AU$50 million or three times the value of any benefit obtained through the data misuse, or 30% of the company’s adjusted turnover in the relevant period, whichever is greater. Bannister Law Class Actions’ principal Charles Bannister expressed hope the joint cooperation would lead to swift compensation payments for Medibank customers impacted in the breach. “We believe the data breach is a betrayal of Medibank’s customers and a breach of the Privacy Act,” Bannister said. “Medibank has a duty to keep this kind of information confidential.” Centennial Lawyers’ adjunct professor George Newhouse added that the data breach revealed the lack of safeguards that should have been in place, to prevent private and personal data from being accessed by hackers. Describing the law firms’ cooperation as a significant development, Maurice Blackburn’s head of class actions Andrew Watson said the agreement would ensure all three firms worked together with the common goal of obtaining compensation as quickly as possible. Maurice Blackburn also filed a representative complaint to the OAIC against Optus with regards to the telco’s data breach. RELATED COVERAGE More
Image: Getty/Erikona It’s a new year, a time when many people look to turnover a new leaf and make some positive changes. Sadly, not everyone. In particular, it seems that ransomware gangs show no signs of letting up on their criminal activity in 2023. Then again, why would they? Ransomware was one of the major cybersecurity issues […] More
It had you at hello. Getty Images It’s quite a privilege being one of the last, whole humans. more Technically Incorrect I’m conscious that in the tangible future, the artists formerly known as humans will be a touching hybrid of flesh and chips. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, then, when Microsoft’s researchers came along […] More
Getty/Guillaume This is the second article in what’s becoming a series exploring the issues of AI-generated text. In this installment, my AI buddy and I are looking at the question of whether it’s possible to fight back against AI-generated plagiarism, and how that might work. Also: What is ChatGPT and why does it matter? Here’s what […] More
SkillUp/Shutterstock While trolling through the dark web this week, I found my Twitter account’s data. A dark web site this month released a data set of 200 million Twitter profiles. That’s where I found my account’s data. I know my data hadn’t been revealed in earlier releases because I’d checked then. In my business, I […] More
