This week in our roundup for the top cybersecurity news from around the world, we discuss how the TikTok and Tencent ban was considered a cybersecurity nightmare, how a member of the Dark Overlord group was sent to jail for 5 years, and how 500,000 Call of Duty accounts were hacked.
The TikTok Ban is a Joke. It’s Not about Cybersecurity at All
Are you living in the United States? Do you use TikTok every day to create stupid videos with your girlfriend? Sounds great! But if you are thinking that you can just install TikTok before the Trump administration will ban it from the App stores and continue using it afterward then we have some bad news for you… it’s not gonna happen.
For the past few weeks, we have seen Donald Trump closely keeping an eye on China and finding ways to sideline its business presence in the US. This can be a big move before the US Presidential Elections 2020 because the existing President wants to win voters. And Trump is paranoid that way: he thinks China can intervene in the elections and might be able to use TikTok to change the decisions of young voters. Who knows, he might be right on his verdict. (Of course, we think banning TikTok and upsetting young minds might have the same impact, but that’s just our opinion.)
Remember what happened in Belarus?
Maybe the Trump administration will do the same on November 3rd, Election Day, to ensure no one screws up; the TikTok ban is a way to block all possible ways for rigging. We’re still not exactly sure how that will happen, but Trump seems paranoid enough and we’re watching from the sidelines with popcorn in our laps.
What May Happen?…
After the ban, TikTok users in the United States will not be able to use the app even if they have pre-installed it on their devices. That’s right; this is some heavy duty stuff coming out of the White House. However, if you know how to use a VPN then you can change your region to Canada or France to use TikTok. The problem is, not many people know how to use a VPN app, let alone sideload the app.
On the other hand, the US will not be completely banning TikTok, which means you can still use the app but can’t update it over time. The Trump administration was furiously pushing TikTok and Tencent to move under the thumb of American companies. This shows that the US is not particularly looking to destabilize the Chinese market but actually cares about securing data.
Whatever Trump was thinking about the TikTok ban, we can safely say that he will continue to choke Chinese apps and may build an internet firewall (especially for China) if he wins the elections.
BREAKING: Federal judge temporarily suspends President Trump’s order that would have banned popular app TikTok from app stores on Sunday. https://t.co/lSWlR1imp9
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 28, 2020
Well, at least we thought this was happening. It’s temporary, so this is good news (for now) for TikTok fans in the US. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is busy arguing with Joe Biden on the better candidate for the new US President and his administration fights with China. We are yet to see how the next two Presidential debates turn out and what happens in the November Elections. Will China or Russia have the power to intervene in US Presidential elections through mobile apps? Where on earth did Trump get that idea anyway?
The Dark Overlord is Finally Behind Bars…
A fancy name for a hacker, lol. The Dark Overload is not a single guy but a group of English hackers who target American companies. More precisely, their target is healthcare professionals. The US government recently extradited a member from the group and he is finally in prison for five years on account of data theft and robbery.
This Is Not Going to Stop
Hackers are going to continue doing what they are doing: steal data and ask for a ransom. The hackers have collected millions of dollars from Garmin. This is the reason why some companies are hiring white hat hackers to help them identify bugs in the system.
The general rule of thumb is to keep updating the system in place. Healthcare organizations are quite frankly overloaded with patients’ data, be it from COVID-19, cancer, or emergencies. If you are not constantly looking after your back then hackers are going to find a way to penetrate the system.
If you have seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix, then you will understand how important your private data is to the government and hackers too. There is a reason why countries are trying to sideline each other based on data theft.
Moreover, the US and UK can extradite citizens as both of these countries belong to the Five Eyes Alliance. But what if the hackers belong to Russia or China, countries where the US has no clear jurisdiction to prosecute a similar group of hackers like the Dark Overlord? What will the American companies do?
The simplest way is to strengthen your walls! Cyberattacks are going to continue in the future and the only way to prevent ransomware attacks is to be security-driven. Countries like Russia and China may not allow their citizens to be prosecuted in US courts even if they are guilty of data theft and manipulation. So you need to #BeCyberSmart.
More Bad News…
More than 500,000 Activision accounts were hacked, and while many players reported the incident, Activision has downright denied the claim, saying no accounts have been hacked but also advising players to use 2FA (2-Factor Authentication).
Activision also released a detailed step-by-step guide on how to protect and secure your account. 500,000 accounts is definitely a huge number considering the hackers can easily launch phishing attacks and gather important information. It was a credential stuffing attack as we know online players want to enjoy playing and security is not really a priority in such cases.
Case in point, this guy:
Did I really get shadow banned. I get my account hacked I and make a new one then I’m in 350ms lobbies because I know how to play. I’m a streamer and I cant even stream warzone or any multiplayer @InfinityWard @Activision @ATVIAssist https://t.co/hOV8OV2DeM
— Vile (@FB_YoungVile) October 1, 2020
This is unimaginable! Call of Duty is a popular online game and you can’t expect every player to practice high security. Games are supposed to be fun, right? But not when hackers are after your data like bloodhounds. Every internet user has to ensure his or her own safety.
The Bottom Line is…
No one is safe… and we have been sharing such news every week to remind internet users how vulnerable they are when it comes to using online devices. To avoid such unfortunate events, you can be a part of NCSAM, which is the National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and start sharing #BeCyberSmart on your Twitter timelines.
Show us that you’re with us and ready to take the appropriate actions to surf the ‘net wisely.
Sameed Ajax
November 24, 2022
1 year ago
