In the Americas, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to advance a proposed ban on approvals for telecommunications equipment from Chinese firms deemed a national security threat. The FBI warned that some followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory could engage in ‘real-world violence’ against Democrats and other political opposition as the group’s predictions fail to materialise.
NBC News recently disclosed that a threat actor launched a cyberattack in January 2021 that aimed to poison a water treatment plant serving parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. The attacker used the username and password for a former employee’s TeamViewer account to gain access to the system.
In Europe, the German interior ministry has warned that elections in September may be targeted by cyberattacks from Russia-based threat actors. In France, IKEA was ordered to pay a EUR1 million fine by a court after the Swedish furniture retailer was found guilty of spying on staff in the county.
Cybercriminals associated with the Cl0p ransomware gang have been arrested in Ukraine. A statement from Ukrainian law enforcement did not specify whether the detainees were core members of the group or affiliates. However, it has been suggested that those arrested were involved in money laundering for the main group, which is likely based in Russia.
UK-based baked goods chain, Cake Box, disclosed a data breach to customers following an incident that the company became aware of on 27 April 2020. Personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data were stolen via malware on the Cake Box website. The malware could copy information provided by customers when making purchases.
Medical data of approximately 7.4 million Italian citizens, including COVID-19 vaccination records, have been sold on a hacking forum. This data was originally stolen in May and includes a significant amount of personally identifiable information (PII).
In Asia, North Korean cyber threat actors known as Kimsuky breached the network of South Korean state-run nuclear energy think tank the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). China’s most senior official in Hong Kong called countering what he termed ‘foreign forces’ his main priority. Â
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