After a hacker attack Meat producer JBS pays ransom

Status: 10.06.2021 7:13 a.m.

The world’s largest meat company JBS has apparently paid a ransom of $ 11 million after a cyber attack by hackers. It was another incident in a series of corporate blackmail cases in the United States. The US subsidiary of the Brazilian meat processor JBS paid the equivalent of eleven million dollars in ransom after a hacker attack. The payment was made to prevent further disruption by the hackers and to restore the smooth operation of the affected locations, said the Dallas-based company. According to the US media, the payment was made in Bitcoin. According to the US government, the company had received a ransom note from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. The attack paralyzed JBS production in Australia and affected Canada and the United States.

“A difficult decision”

“This was a very difficult decision for our company and for me personally,” explained Managing Director Andre Nogueira. “However, we felt that this decision had to be made in order to avoid any potential risk to our customers.” The investigations are still ongoing, but preliminary results have suggested “that no company, customer or employee data has been compromised.”

US investigators suspect Russia is behind it

US President Joe Biden said last week that investigators had linked Russia to the JBS case. “JBS USA was in constant contact with government officials throughout the incident,” the company said. In the USA, the state and business are currently fighting a series of attacks with blackmail software known as “ransomware”. The data of the attacked systems are encrypted. The hackers demand cash payments in cryptocurrency so that they can unlock access again and not publish the data.

Ransom payment in Bitcoin

The US utility company was also last month Colonial pipeline The victim of a hacker attack with a blackmail Trojan that temporarily shut down the entire pipeline network. The US Federal Police FBI blames a hacker group called “Darkside” for the attack and later tracked down the ransom of 75 Bitcoin that Colonial had paid – at the time it was worth $ 4.4 million.

After a hacker attack Investigators come to extorted pipeline millions

Status: 08.06.2021 02:12 a.m.

It has been a month since the largest gasoline pipeline in the United States was hacked. The operator paid millions to the extortionists. Now the investigators report a success. After the hacker attack on the largest gasoline pipeline in the United States, investigators recovered most of a ransom payment in the digital currency Bitcoin. The US Department of Justice announced that 63.7 Bitcoin, currently valued at around 2.3 million US dollars, had been seized. The FBI was able to identify a digital wallet that hackers allegedly used to collect a payment from the company concerned, said the agency’s deputy director Paul Abbate.

Hacker from Russia suspected behind the act

The company Colonial Pipeline announced in early May that it had been the victim of a hacker attack. As a result, the pipeline, through which about 45 percent of all fuel consumed on the US east coast runs, was temporarily completely shut down. There were petrol shortages in parts of the country. The capital Washington was particularly hard hit, where at times 88 percent of the gas stations ran out of fuel. “It was an attack on one of our most important national infrastructures,” said Lisa Monaco from the US Department of Justice. The US government suspects hackers from the DarkSide group from Russia behind the crime. Both US authorities and IT security experts strongly advise companies against paying ransom so as not to incentivize cyber criminals to blackmail them. But the pipeline operator paid, as company boss Joseph Blount admitted in the “Wall Street Journal” at the end of May. He authorized a payment of $ 4.4 million. Blount explained the controversial decision by saying that the company was unsure about the extent of the system damage caused. According to the US Department of Justice, Colonial Pipeline had quickly notified the FBI that DarkSide had broken into the computer network and the company had paid the requested ransom of 75 Bitcoin.

Colonial boss praises investigators

In so-called ransomware attacks, data on computers is encrypted – and the attackers usually demand a ransom for the release. Cases in which companies paid were also known before. But it is extremely rare to get the money back. Colonial chief Blount praised the work of the FBI investigators in a statement. He also said the private sector needs to take cyber threats seriously and invest to better defend against them. “Ransomware attacks have increased in scope and sophistication over the past year, targeting our critical infrastructure, businesses of all kinds, entire cities and even law enforcement agencies,” said Monaco from the Justice Department. “Ransomware and digital extortion pose a threat to national and economic security in the United States.” Just a few weeks after the attack on the gasoline pipeline, the world’s largest meat company JBS was hit by a massive cyber attack. Large parts of the production in North America and Australia were paralyzed.

This hacker organization has received ransom from many victims. This shows that data ransom attacks have become a lucrative business for cybercriminals. Bitcoin is increasingly preferred by criminal organizations Earlier this month, Colonial Pipeline suffered a severe attack that forced the company to shut down nearly all of its fuel system supplying the southeastern states of the United States. The FBI confirmed the crime was DarkSide, a cybercrime organization believed to be located in Eastern Europe. Last week, it was reported that Colonial had agreed to pay $ 5 million to DarkSide (in bitcoin) for the data recovery password. Recently, the CEO of the company confirmed this information. DarkSide operates like a business. This group develops malicious code to crack and steal the target’s data, then trains partners, the partners continue to train the hackers. When hackers use this malicious code to carry out successful missions, DarkSide will receive a percentage of those successful attacks. In March 2021, when it announced a new software that can crack data faster than before, DarkSide even released a press release and invited reporters to interview. Hackers often demand ransom in virtual currency. London-based blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has identified a bitcoin wallet that DarkSide uses to receive ransoms from victims. On May 14, London-based blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said it had identified a bitcoin wallet used by DarkSide to collect ransoms from victims. That same day, Intel 471 security researchers said DarkSide closed after losing access to its servers and when the organization’s virtual currency wallets were empty. According to Elliptic, DarkSide and other affiliates of this organization have collected at least $90 million in bitcoin ransoms, and they receive funds through 47 different digital wallets. “To our knowledge, this analysis includes all payments to DarkSide,” said Tom Robinson, Elliptic co-founder and chief scientist. However, there may be other undetected transactions, so this $90 million figure should be considered the lowest limit.” Also according to Elliptic’s research, DarkSide’s bitcoin wallet was holding $5.3 million in cryptocurrency before it was all withdrawn last week. There are some rumors that these bitcoins have been seized by the US government. Of the $90 million ransom, $15.5 million went to the developers of DarkSide and $74.7 million to affiliates. Much of that is being sent to cryptocurrency exchanges and thereby converted into fiat. Bitcoin is increasingly preferred by criminal organizations as crypto traders do not reveal their identities. However, because the digital ledger that underpins bitcoin is public, researchers can keep track of where these funds are going.

According to the Vice , DarkSide’s message does not directly refer to the Colonial Pipeline attack, but is titled “Regarding the Latest News”. The group said its actions were unrelated to politics. The cyber attack on May 7 caused the Colonial Pipeline’s fuel pipeline system to stop working. Photo: Bloomberg. “We are a non-political group, not involved in geopolitics. Don’t tie us to a government or look for other motives… Our aim is to make money, not to cause problems for society,” a DarkSide representative wrote on a website belonging to the dark web. According to the Washington Post , some US officials believe that DarkSide is the hacker group behind the Colonial Pipeline attack. Also in the new statement, DarkSide said it will change the way it works and selects targets. “From today, we will examine and analyze each company that partners want to encrypt to avoid social consequences,” the group wrote. On May 7, Colonial Pipeline announced that it had to disconnect some systems after discovering it was “a victim of a cyber attack”. According to the Business Insider , this move caused more than 8,046 km of fuel pipes and some computer systems of Colonial Pipeline to stop working. In an updated statement on May 8, the company representative confirmed that the software used for the attack was in the form of ransomware, which encrypts files in the system and requires victims to pay if they want to get it. again. The company hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate the severity of the attack. The DarkSide hacker group spoke out after the alleged implementation of a cyber attack against the Colonial Pipeline. Photo: Motherboard. According to information on its website, Colonial Pipeline transports about 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast of the United States. On May 9, the company said that while the main pipelines are still closed, some smaller pipelines have been reactivated. In response to the incident, the US Department of Transportation has declared a state of emergency in 17 states and Washington to lift restrictions on carriers and drivers assisting in fuel shortages. The declaration of emergency will be in effect until the end of the state of affairs, or until 23:59 on June 8 (local time). After the Colonial Pipeline incident, gasoline prices in the US increased more than 3% to $2,217 per gallon – the highest price since May 2018. Experts warn that the price of gas raw materials may increase further if Colonial Pipeline does not reopen the pipeline in the next few days. How did the FBI hack the suspect’s iPhone? Cellebrite has invented a phone-cracking technology that makes it easier for the FBI to investigate.

Accordingly, on the group’s website, DarkSide confirmed that it never intended to interrupt the US fuel supply when attacking the network of the Colonial Pipeline company, headquartered in Georgia, USA. The group also said that it will carefully examine its goals in the future, while emphasizing that the group is not affiliated with any governments when the cyber attack takes place because the group is always acting alone. DarkSide wrote on the website: “We are a non-political organization. We are not tied to a government. Our goal is to make money, not to put society in a difficult situation like it is today. in”. “From today, we will carefully examine each company that our partners want to attack to avoid future consequences,” the DarkSide team stressed. The partners the group refers to are “affiliates” of the group, DarkSide said. This group of hackers acts as a company that specializes in providing “hacking services” and is not directly involved in cyber attacks on companies or governments. The team will develop malware for the cyber attacks and negotiate the ransom with the victim, at the request of their partner. One source believes that DarkSide will receive 20-30% of the ransom for its services.

Accordingly, on the group’s website, DarkSide confirmed that it never intended to interrupt the US fuel supply when attacking the network of the Colonial Pipeline company, headquartered in Georgia, USA. The group also said that it will carefully examine its goals in the future, while emphasizing that the group is not affiliated with any governments when the cyber attack takes place because the group is always acting alone. DarkSide wrote on the website: “We are a non-political organization. We are not tied to a government. Our goal is to make money, not to put society in a difficult situation like it is today. in”. “From today, we will carefully examine each company that our partners want to attack to avoid future consequences,” the DarkSide team stressed. The partners the group refers to are “affiliates” of the group, DarkSide said. This group of hackers acts as a company that specializes in providing “hacking services” and is not directly involved in cyber attacks on companies or governments. The team will develop malware for the cyber attacks and negotiate the ransom with the victim, at the request of their partner. One source believes that DarkSide will receive 20-30% of the ransom for its services.

Users need to be cautious before providing personal information on social networks. According to Kaspersky’s “Building our place in the digital reputation economy”, social media users in Southeast Asia have become more aware of online risks. Netizens in Southeast Asia do not want to share identity information, family directly, where they live and work on their personal pages. Up to 76% of survey participants do not want to upload financial information online. This percentage is highest among Baby Boomers (people born two decades after World War II), accounting for 85%. Gen Z – the youngest generation – is the group with the lowest rate at 68%. Judging by the current tendency of young people to be more open to sharing information on cyberspace, Kaspersky believes that this is the main driver of the development of electronic payments in the region. However, this also poses a risk when young users do not pay much attention to information security. To best ensure privacy on social networks, especially financial information and personal data, Kaspersky has made a number of recommendations to users. The first is not to publish travel information, not to disclose too much personal information such as date of birth or workplace in the profile section. You should also not post your home address or phone number on any public forum. Second, you should check automatic positioning settings in posts, don’t share location publicly if it’s not absolutely necessary. Third, you should not participate in the quiz that appears on social networks. Usually, these games silently extract personal information with simple questions. That is the information commonly used in security questions. If you provide too much, hackers can use them to break into online accounts. Fourth, be wary of the contest or winning information, because they pose the risk of disguising fraud. If you share it on social media, you could inadvertently spread malicious code or pave the way for the disclosure of sensitive data. Hackers can take advantage of security holes on mobile devices to steal information. Artwork: BS Raise awareness about mobile device security According to a Kaspersky report, 71% of survey respondents in Southeast Asia use passwords to protect their mobile devices. However, just over half of them check and change privacy settings regularly and have internet security software installed on their devices. In order to keep financial information and personal data on your device safe, you need to take note of the following recommendations. Specifically, the most basic security method is to lock your phone with a password that is difficult to guess and update the system regularly. You absolutely do not jailbreak or root your phone. This can pave the way for hackers to enter the system and install malicious code. You should only use licensed and verified apps and games on reputable app stores. An application capable of remotely erasing data is also recommended, making it easy to erase information in case your phone is stolen.

The malware affected 128 million iPhone users. The XcodeGhost malware was spread by hackers through the hidden installation of a version of Xcode programming software, then sharing on forums for iOS developers. Some of these malicious applications at that time included many popular names such as WeChat, the Chinese version of Angry Birds 2. Statistics show that about 2500 applications were infected with malware and up to 203 million users who downloaded these anti-malware applications Security experts believe that the XcodeGhost malware can collect information such as infected application name, device model, network information and some other data. Later, Apple said it did not record the data associated with the user’s identity, or the iCloud login password was collected. After the problem was discovered, Apple asked developers to use the official version of Xcode to compile the app before re-releasing it on the App Store. According to the 9to5mac Apple also strengthens the security process when installing Xcode, checking the application’s malicious code before releasing it on the App Store after the incident.

Experts say that in each attack, typically hackers will attack networks or systems, steal personal or sensitive information and then demand ransom to return or unlock them. that information. Although experts say that companies should not pay a ransom to hackers because this action helps to foster legal violations, according to Mimecast statistics, 54% of the companies have paid the ransom. Of these, 76% of the companies got their data back, while 24% couldn’t get it back. Prior to this report, since last year, many entities including major Australian companies have reported being attacked by hackers. The recent victim is Nine Network Television, which makes some programs unable to broadcast as usual. Previously, the Australian National Assembly’s computer network was also attacked a number of times. In response to this situation, Australia’s Cybersecurity Center issued recommendations and procedures to instruct entities on how to secure cyber security. At the same time, experts believe that regular software updates as well as the use of multi-factor authentication are also useful measures for security in a cyberspace environment./.

Recently, on social networks, there has been a situation of buying and selling clips from camera accounts stolen by bad objects. Depending on the quality of the content, the associations that sell the 18+ clip will collect a fee from 100,000 to 250,000 VND per joining. Not only providing depraved content, some groups also share hacked camera access accounts for a package fee of about 3-4 million VND. The fact that cameras are installed everywhere, the number of cameras is constantly increasing, making data from the camera a source of information targeted by many objects. (Artwork: Internet) According to experts of the National Cyber ​​Security Monitoring Center (NCSC), the Information Security Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the sale of account information on social networks is not a new behavior, but it has exported. appeared long ago. However, in the past, normally subjects only sold bank accounts, social networks or accounts containing information such as email, phone number, identity card number … Nowadays, when cameras are installed everywhere, the number is constantly increasing, being a source of information targeted by many audiences, the camera account also becomes “hot goods” on the account trading pages. “This form of purchase is becoming more popular because the number of cameras is increasing. Victims who lost their camera account can be monitored by others through their own camera, ”said the NCSC representative. Many users accidentally revealed the camera system login information According to experts, there are many reasons for the widespread purchase and sale of clips and camera accounts on the network, in part due to regulations and sanctions against acts of buying, selling and distributing personal data. not enough deterrent. Commenting on the reason that the personal camera system is vulnerable to hacker attacks, both subjectively and objectively, NCSC’s representative said: “Subjective is because users accidentally reveal account login information. camera. And objectively, because users use poor quality camera equipment, do not ensure enough information security, leading to the device can be hacked by hackers, thereby getting the login account “. Having the same opinion with the representative of NCSC, a security expert for IoT devices at Viettel Cyber ​​Security, Ha Toan, emphasized: A fundamental reason that makes personal and household cameras easy. Hacker attacks are due to the user’s limited knowledge of using IoT devices or cameras. For example, do not change the default password of the device when it is put into use. According to Toan, another reason is that the camera device of the manufacturer does not have a protection mechanism such as verifying the integrity of the firmware running on the camera device, allowing hackers to buy camera equipment and insert backdoors. (back door – PV) and then sold to the market. “During the work, we also discovered many backdoors allowing remote access in cameras originating in China”, Viettel Cyber ​​Security expert added. Along with that, there are cameras that have vulnerabilities in firmware due to programming errors such as buffer overflow, hardcode login information, logic errors … allowing hackers to exploit to take control of the device. Camera account information can also be revealed because the installation staff deliberately fails to notify the password change during installation or notice the change but does not notice the change of the entire service as mentioned above also includes services RTSP, onVIF. Raise awareness of personal information protection, choose a reputable camera To overcome the widespread situation of buying and selling clips, camera accounts in particular as well as personal information and data, experts say that the Decree on personal data protection should be issued soon and come to life. This draft Decree has regulated heavy fines for violations of personal data protection regulations. “The more penalties for handling violations related to the purchase and sale of personal data will help increase deterrence and reduce the rate of violation”, expert of Vietnam Cyber ​​Security Joint Stock Company (VSEC) Vuong Trong Nhan stated his point of view. But experts also emphasized the limitation in the sense of protecting personal data of users as well as the organization providing services related to user data. Making recommendations to users, VSEC experts advise them to first increase their sense of self-protection by not using the camera manufacturer’s default password, setting a strong password and setting a Private network system is only for indoor security equipment, instead of sharing the same Wi-Fi network. According to representatives of NCSC, individuals and businesses when using cameras need to have strict regulations and decentralization when allowing users to access their camera systems, need to change passwords regularly to avoid in case the login information is known by many people, the risk of leaking is also higher. Emphasizing on the safety factor of the device, experts say that choosing to buy cameras manufactured from major brands, products that have been assessed for information security as well as choose a reputable installation unit. is an effective solution to help users avoid the risk of information insecurity. On the other hand, is it time for camera manufacturers to pay more attention to whether their equipment meets information security requirements?

Quanta is headquartered in Taiwan (China), is the main MacBook manufacturing partner for Apple. The company is also a partner of HP, Facebook, and Alphabet (the parent company of Google). Accordingly, when the event just ended, REvil posted an article containing 15 pictures detailing a device that is supposed to be a MacBook designed in March 2021. Images include the part number, specific sizes and capacities, detailing many of the parts that work inside the Apple laptop. One of the images signed by designer John Andreadis. REvil has asked Apple to pay a ransom of $ 50 million by May 1. Previously, this group posted information on “Happy Blog” – where hackers announced their “victory”. REvil is said to have made an agreement with Quanta before but did not get the victim’s consent, then the new hacker group released the records on the day of the Apple event. Quanta, for its part, admitted the company had suffered a hacker attack but did not detail whether any data was stolen. The Apple partner also reported to law enforcement about the day-to-day attack and said it had immediately activated an information security defense system, upgraded its infrastructure to protect data. Whether. Apple representatives have not released any official comment on the incident. according to Bloomberg

One of the drawings was published by the Revil hacker group, threatening Apple. According to technology experts, it is likely that the group of hackers above got the data after they attacked the network on Quanta Computer, an Apple partner in the production of Macbook. Initially, Quanta Computer was targeted by the Revil team with a $ 50 million ransom request, but the deal broke down then made Apple the victim of hackers. To prove it, the hacker group has posted a few screenshots showing technical drawings of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro and accompanied by a liquidity request before May 1. If Apple doesn’t respond, they’ll reveal more data after each day of transaction delay. It is known that, in addition to Apple, Quanta Computer is also a partner in manufacturing equipment for many other technology companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, BlackBerry, Lenovo, LG … so it is likely that hackers will not stop at demanding. Apple ransom. Currently, the Revil hacker group has not given specific numbers on the ransom they demanded on Apple as well as Apple without any official response.

According to The Record, the hacker gang got this information after a data attack Quanta Computer, one of Apple’s main MacBook manufacturing partners. Several internal technical design drawings for Apple devices such as the MacBook and Apple Watch have been announced by REvil. (Photo: CryptoInsane) The hacker gang behind the ransomware REvil claims to have in-house technical blueprints for Apple devices like the MacBook and Apple Watch, which Quanta Computer uses to assemble products. The hacker group asked Quanta Computer to pay 50 million USD to keep the data confidential. However, due to the unsuccessful agreement, the hacker group asked Apple to pay this ransom. The technical drawings of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro revealed by the hacker group. (Photo: CryptoInsane) (Photo: CryptoInsane) To prove it, the hacker group has posted a few screenshots showing technical drawings of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro and included with the liquidity request before May 1. If Apple doesn’t respond, they’ll reveal more data after each day of transaction delay. According to Estrategia & Negocios, on the REvil website (where the gang publishes stolen data to threaten companies to comply with ransom demands), the hacker group said: “To not have to wait for these Apple’s next presentation, we, the REvil team, will make information about the company’s next upcoming products available to many. Tim Cook can thank Quanta. On our side, we have shown goodwill. Quanta has made it clear to us that they are not interested in customer and employee data, giving permission to publish and sell all the data we have. ” MacBook Pro 2021 image revealed by hacker group. (Photo: 9to5Mac) (Photo: CryptoInsane) 9to5Mac said that in some leaked images there are technical information of two unreleased MacBook Pro models, codenamed J314 and J316. Products equipped with Apple Silicon chip, MagSafe charging port, HDMI and SD card slot. These information are true to what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed in January. According to Bloomberg, the codename J316 is the 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the J314 is the 14-inch version. In the image also appears codenamed J374 and J375, which are said to be the Mac mini with the new M1X processor chip. (Photo: CryptoInsane) The hacker gang also said that they are “negotiating to sell a large amount of confidential drawings, GB of personal data with some major brands”. This means, Apple is likely not the only data attack victim. At the moment, representatives from Apple and Quanta Computer said they are reviewing the matter.

Many security experts warned WhatsApp users not to click on the pink settings link for WhatsApp called WhatsappPink. Many security experts including Mr. Rajesh Rajaharia have voiced a warning about a virus hidden in a fake pink update link for WhatsApp called WhatsappPink. Once a user clicks on the WhatsappPink link, the virus will help hackers break in, take all access to WhatsApp in particular as well as their phones in general. The ultimate goal of a hacker is to steal victims’ personal information and bank passwords. According to Mr. Rajaharia, if a user has clicked on the fake pink update link for WhatsApp and lost access to their account or suspected something unusual happened to their account, they should immediately take action. like uninstall WhatsappPink immediately; uninstall all WhatsApp web services; clear browser cache from settings; double-check access to all applications on your phone; If you suspect losing access to any application try to get it back immediately. Warning about WhatsappPink by security expert Rajesh Rajaharia Experts also warn users to follow the basics and never install other mobile apps than those available on the official Google or Apple app store. For its part, WhatsApp has also warned users through media reports that: “Anyone can receive an unusual or suspicious message through any service, including email, private messages, and so on. text the phone and we strongly encourage everyone to be cautious before answering or participating. WhatsApp also suggests users send them a report about malicious links similar to WhatsappPink if they received it.

On the KrebsOnSecurity blog, cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs issued a warning about the leaked data, including the application user’s email address, phone number, license plate number, customer birth date, and email address. and password. (Photo: Seacoast Online) Information about the data breach was first discovered by the threat intelligence firm Gemini Advisory based in New York City (USA). “Gemini Advisory shared an image showing that my personal data was publicly available on a crime forum, including my ParkMobile account information in screenshots, along with information about the data. stolen. The data contains email addresses and phone numbers, as well as license plates for four different vehicles that I have used in the past 10 years, ”said cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs. (Photo: ParkMobile) On March 26, ParkMobile notified users that they had discovered “a cybersecurity incident related to a vulnerability in the third party software we use.” “We immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of a leading cybersecurity company to resolve the incident. We have also notified the appropriate law enforcement authorities. The investigation is still ongoing and we cannot provide details at this time, “said ParkMobile. (Photo: ParkMobile) According to ParkMobile, no user’s credit card information was stolen. “Our investigation indicated that no sensitive data or credit card information that we encrypted, was affected. We will continue to maintain the security and monitor our systems closely, ”the statement said. According to cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs, if you are already using ParkMobile, quickly change your password. (Artwork: Shutterstock) In the event that this password is used by you with other accounts as well, you should change everything to limit the likelihood of an attack, although it may take a while to complete.

The management of the audio app Clubhouse has raised fresh money from investors. On the one hand, this is intended to cope with the rush of users over the past few months. Clubhouse wants to “welcome more users”, strengthen its infrastructure and “support” the providers of the discussions. The rapid growth meant that the servers were overloaded, and the algorithms were not designed for the high number of users. According to the company, around ten million users are currently on the platform every week. On the other hand, the capital injection should also serve to drive the growth course further. So far, Clubhouse has been above target in this regard: Clubhouse has “grown faster than expected,” the company said.

Success arouses desire

The audio-based social network app had already completed a financing round in January. As reported by financial news agency Bloomberg, Clubhouse is now worth around four billion dollars. That corresponds to around 3.3 billion euros and is four times as much as in January. The success of the app developed by Alpha Explorations in the USA last spring arouses desires and imitators. According to media reports, the news service Twitter is said to have recently been interested in a purchase, and Facebook is said to be working on a clubhouse clone. Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg recently had a look in the virtual salon himself, and Tesla boss Elon Musk was also a guest – this of course increases the attractiveness of the audio offering. Listen to important people once: Many clubhouse users are likely to know these or similar wishes.

Privacy advocates warn

But the success story also has its downsides. Data protection advocates repeatedly express serious concerns. A relevant incident occurred only recently. In a hacker forum, data from 1.3 million clubhouse users emerged. Clubhouse denied being hacked. The data is publicly visible in the profile information that has been tapped in bulk, including name, user name, user ID, profile photos and contact lists. Sensitive data such as credit card information were not included. Such information could be used for targeted phishing attacks, warns the consumer advice center. The data can also be used to create fake accounts in social networks and practically carry out identity theft. The consumer association also criticizes the fact that conversations are recorded and evaluated on the servers in the USA. In addition, the app would have access to all saved contacts in the phone book.

Russian President and US President – documentary photo.

On April 15, the administration of US President Joe Biden intends to impose new sanctions on many Russian individuals and organizations.

The US news agency, citing some well-informed sources, said Washington would punish 30 entities in Russia and expel 10 officials from the United States.

This is part of the US response to Russia over accusations that Moscow is the culprit behind large-scale cyber attacks against US software supply chain SolarWinds in December last year.

Through that attack, the hackers gain access to the data of thousands of companies and government offices that are partners of Solar Winds.

However, the Russian side has always strongly rejected and affirmed that it had prepared the scenario to deal with the worst situations.

Official sources from the White House, the State Department and the US Treasury Department have not officially announced or responded to the leaked information.

If confirmed, this is the “pain” of the US and Russia at the moment when the tense relationship between the two countries is falling into disagreement regarding the hot spot on the Russia-Ukraine border.

Earlier, this disagreement led the US to send two destroyers to the Black Sea towards Russia to show support for Ukraine.

However, after Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden made a phone call and the two sides agreed to hold a summit meeting in the near future, the US stopped the plan to destroy the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS destroyers. Donald Cook into the Black Sea.

Turkey has received notification of this route change. This is a move that is expected to help cool the situation in Ukraine and ease tensions between the US and Russia.

Thus, in combination with the frigate developments and the US administration’s imposition of sanctions on Russia, it can be seen that the Biden administration probably wants to demonstrate the diplomatic stance with Moscow, which he immediately identified. from the beginning.

That is the US will react strongly to protect national interests against Russian actions such as accusations of cyber attacks, election interference … but will not make too much tension in matters related to international affairs. .