Cybersec & datasec news in August 2020
The cybersecurity news collection below is drawn from online coverage of cybersec, datasec and privacy-technologies, and their applications, reported online in August of 2020.
The cybersecurity news items listed are the headlines; each cybersec news headline is linked to the original news article behind that cybersecurity headline, allowing you to gain an at-a-glance understanding of recent cybersec and datasec news, and also to instantly read those privacy-related articles that interest you the most.
Our monthly cybersecurity news collections are drawn from Startup News Asia’s daily startup news updates, which cover technology news from across 17 primary locations across Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
- Cybersecurity: ioc2rpz tool unveiled, turning the Domain Name System into a security layer, potentially adding defense against 80% of malware
- Global cybersecurity spending is approaching $200BN per year, “without actually preventing advanced persistent threats, ransomware, or other web-based malicious code”
- Security in a Cloud-First World’ online seminar from GovInsider set for August 18th
- Cybersecurity: An overview of ‘white SIMs’, making social engineering attacks like those that struck Twitter last month easier to execute
- Cybersecurity: Mintegral SDK, mobile ad platform used by over 1200 AppStore apps with downloads in region of 300M per month found to contain malicious code
- Cybersecurity: The Cyber Operations Tracker, from the Council on Foreign Relations – online database of publicly known state-sponsored incidents since 2005
- Cybersecurity: An intro to DiceKeys, creating a lifelong master password with one roll of 25 cubes in a plastic box and a web app
- The FBI assesses that the cyber-actors’ persistent attempts to silently remove the malware is not a sign of resignation. Rather, it is an effort to hide their capabilities.
- 5G: “…intelligence and cybersecurity agency officials warn that moving more core functions to the edge of networks could create a larger attack surface for adversaries…
- Australia: Gov’t to increase cybersecurity spending to $1.6BN and push for expanded police powers in bid to reduce crime on dark web
- Download: Australian Government Cyber Security Strategy 2020 (pdf)
- Australia: AusCERT Cyber Security Conference set for September 15-18, running virtually this year
- Australia: Defence Industry Competitive Evaluation Research Agreement to offer SMEs opportunity and grants up to $300K to investigate projects improving defence industry
- Report on Huawei’s development of Papua New Guinea National Data Centre “…is the first to document its complicity in Beijing’s cyber espionage activities
- India: Paytm Mall e-commerce platform denies reports of massive data breach, with hackers gaining unrestricted access to company data and demanding ransom
- IoT device security: A brief overview of security considerations for cellular, LoRa and WiFi connections and devices
- New Zealand Stock Exchange hit by 4th daily cyber-attack, halting trading; Security Bureau to investigate offshore source of attacks
- Taiwan: “…Operation Skeleton Key…appeared aimed at stealing as much intellectual property as possible, including source code, software development kits, and chip designs.”
- How cyber-sovereignty splits what was once the World Wide Web
- South Korea: Rowem launches integrated authentication platform to simplify online identification for web-and-mobile authentication and payments
- Australia: Government to invest up to Au$1.3BN in new Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems development program, boosting situational awareness across coastline
- Taiwan: American Institute in Taiwan to host 5G Policy Forum to jointly declare determination of US and Taiwan to work together to safeguard internet security
- Donald Trump signs Executive Order banning transactions with China’s TikTok, WeChat and parent companies ByteDance and Tencent
- India: IDEMIA launches iCube incubator program to boost ‘augmented identity’ startups, those working on secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions via biometrics
- India: Gov’t considers enabling public, startups, researchers and others to request anonymized data from companies for use in national security, economic and public interest purposes
- Google unveils Nearby Share, competitor to Apple’s AirDrop, file sharing that chooses the best protocol at the time – Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, WebRTC or P2P WiFi
- A primer on what’s meant by a ‘51% attack’ on blockchain and cryptocurrency mining systems
- Beyond TikTok: “For instance, what of WeChat parent company TenCent’s holdings in American companies like Spotify?”
- Australia: Former PM Turnbull suggests lack of a specific minister responsible for cybersecurity is a key weakness in government’s strategy and cyber policies
- South Korea: Government to implement blockchain-based service in 2021, aiming to strengthen security of non-face-to-face medical and educational data
- Taiwan: “…Operation Skeleton Key…appeared aimed at stealing as much intellectual property as possible, including source code, software development kits, and chip designs.”
- China: Huawei Cloud launches Go Cloud Festival in enterprize-focused bid to help companies migrate operations to the cloud
In Other news
Other subject-specific news from across South and Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region:
• Blockchain news across Asia-Pacific
• Artificial Intelligence news, Asia
• Cybersecurity and data security news
Asia’s tech news, daily
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