All news with #pii tag

Hackers Blackmail Massage Parlour Clients in Korea

🔒 South Korean police uncovered a criminal network that used a malicious app to steal customer data from massage parlours and extort clients. The group tricked nine business owners into installing software that exfiltrated names, phone numbers, call logs and text messages, then sent threatening messages claiming to have video footage. About 36 victims paid between 1.5M and 47M KRW, with attempted extortion near 200M KRW. Authorities traced activity to January 2022 across Seoul, Gyeonggi and Daegu and made arrests in August 2023.

Half of Satellite Traffic Unencrypted, Exposing Data

🔭 Researchers at UC San Diego and the University of Maryland showed that a <$750 motorized satellite‑TV kit can intercept large volumes of geostationary traffic. They captured 3.7TB from 411 transponders across 39 satellites and found roughly half of sensitive streams — including VoIP, SMS, in‑flight Wi‑Fi and military telemetry — were unencrypted. Some operators patched rapidly, but many did not respond. Users should adopt VPNs, end‑to‑end messaging and prefer encrypted cellular services.

Operation Chargeback: Dismantling Global Card-Fraud Rings

🔍 Operation Chargeback led to coordinated raids and arrests targeting three alleged international fraud and money-laundering networks that exploited stolen payment data from more than 4.3 million cardholders across 193 countries. Authorities executed 60 searches and 18 arrest warrants after nearly five years of investigation, seizing assets and digital evidence. Investigators say the groups generated roughly 19 million fraudulent subscription charges, abused payment-provider systems and used shell companies to launder proceeds while masking low-value recurring fees to avoid detection.

WhatsApp screen-sharing scam: risks and protections

🔒 A growing scam exploits WhatsApp’s screen-sharing feature to trick users into exposing verification codes, passwords and banking details during video calls. Attackers pose as banks, service providers or contacts, create urgency, then request screen sharing or the installation of remote-access apps like AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Once granted, they capture OTPs, install malware or coerce transfers, enabling account takeover and financial theft. Stay skeptical: never share screens, passwords or verification codes with strangers.

Data Breach at Major Swedish Supplier Exposes 1.5M Records

🔒 Miljödata, an IT systems supplier for roughly 80% of Sweden's municipalities, disclosed an August 25 cyberattack that exposed personal data tied to 1.5 million people and included a 1.5 BTC extortion demand. The incident disrupted services across multiple regions and prompted immediate involvement from CERT‑SE, police and the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY). Investigations will prioritize Miljödata's security and municipal data handling, with special attention to children's data and protected identities.

Nikkei Slack Compromise Exposes Data of 17,368 People

🔐 Nikkei disclosed that unauthorized actors accessed employee Slack accounts after an employee's computer was infected with malware and credentials were stolen. The breach exposed the names, email addresses, and chat histories of 17,368 registered users. Nikkei discovered the incident in September, enforced mandatory password resets, and voluntarily notified the Personal Information Protection Commission, stating that journalist sources and reporting data were not compromised.

BankBot-YNRK and DeliveryRAT: New Android Banking Threats

🔒 Cybersecurity researchers CYFIRMA and independent analyst F6 have disclosed two active Android trojans—BankBot‑YNRK and DeliveryRAT—that harvest financial and device data from compromised phones. BankBot‑YNRK impersonates an Indonesian government app, performs device fingerprinting and anti-emulation checks, abuses accessibility services to steal credentials and automate transactions, and communicates with a command server. DeliveryRAT, promoted via a Telegram bot, lures Russian users with fake delivery and marketplace apps and delivers malware-as-a-service variants that collect notifications, SMS and call logs and can hide their launchers. Users should avoid untrusted APKs, review permissions, and keep devices updated—Android 14 reduces some accessibility-based abuses.

Ground Zero: Five Critical Steps After a Cyberattack

🛡️ Rapid, methodical incident response is essential when you suspect unauthorized access. Activating a rehearsed IR plan and notifying a cross-functional incident team (including HR, PR, legal and executives) helps you quickly establish scope, preserve evidence and maintain chain of custody. Contain affected systems without destroying forensic data, protect offline backups, notify regulators, insurers and law enforcement, then proceed to eradication, recovery and hardening.

4th Circuit Lowers Proof Threshold in Data Breach Suits

🔒 In October the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that listing stolen consumer data on the dark web can be sufficient to let plaintiffs proceed in data-breach lawsuits. The panel determined that dark-web publication — paywalled or not — increases the risk of fraud and is therefore materially different from mere theft. CISOs should monitor dark-web exposure and preserve evidence of publicization to assess legal and financial risk.

Pennsylvania: Hacker Claims 1.2M Donor Records Breach

🔐 A threat actor claims to have compromised University of Pennsylvania systems and exfiltrated data for roughly 1.2 million students, alumni, and donors, including names, dates of birth, contact details, estimated net worth, donation histories, and sensitive demographic data. The attacker said they gained access via a compromised PennKey SSO account and accessed VPN, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Qlik, SAP, SharePoint, and Box. After access was revoked on October 31 the actor used Marketing Cloud to send offensive emails to about 700,000 recipients and published a 1.7-GB archive of files. Penn says it is investigating; donors should watch for targeted phishing and verify solicitations directly with the university.

Conduent Breach Exposes Data of Over 10.5 Million People

🔒 Conduent has confirmed a breach affecting more than 10.5 million individuals, with customer notices sent in October 2025 after the incident was discovered on 13 January 2025. Unauthorized access reportedly began on 21 October 2024 and persisted for nearly three months. The criminal group SafePay claimed responsibility and said it exfiltrated large volumes of data, potentially including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and medical and insurance information.

Clearview AI Faces Criminal Complaint in Austria Over GDPR

🔍 Clearview AI has been hit with a criminal complaint filed in Austria by the European Center for Digital Rights (noyb), alleging that the company ignored decisions by several EU data protection authorities. The complaint invokes GDPR provisions allowing criminal sanctions under Article 84 and seeks prosecution of executives, potentially including jail time and personal liability when traveling to Europe. The action follows fines and bans from multiple DPAs and ongoing appeals, notably only in the UK.

Human Cost of UK Government's Afghan Data Leak Exposed

🔓 A leaked Ministry of Defence spreadsheet in February 2022 exposed thousands of Afghan nationals who assisted UK forces, and research from the charity Refugee Legal Support shows the fallout continues. Survivors report murder, torture, repeated home searches and persistent Taliban threats; 49 people are reported to have lost relatives or colleagues. Only a minority were offered relocation to the UK, underscoring how data leaks and inadequate responses can cause real, ongoing harm.

Protecting Older Family Members From Financial Scams

🔒Elder fraud is rising sharply: in 2024 Americans aged 60+ reported nearly $4.9 billion lost to online scams, with an average loss of about $83,000 per victim. Effective protection pairs ongoing, shame-free family communication with practical technical measures and a clear remediation plan. Teach relatives to use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication, block popups and robocalls, keep devices updated, and verify any urgent financial request before acting.

Social Media Privacy Ranking 2025: Platforms Compared

🔒 Incogni’s Social Media Privacy Ranking 2025 evaluates 15 major platforms across data collection, resale, AI training, privacy settings, and regulatory fines. The analysis identifies Pinterest and Quora as the most privacy-conscious, while TikTok and Facebook rank lowest, driven by extensive data use and historical penalties. The report highlights practical differences in opt-outs, data-sharing, and default settings and recommends users review privacy controls and use Kaspersky’s Privacy Checker.

BSI: Tens of Thousands of German Exchange Servers Vulnerable

⚠️ The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) warns that the majority of an estimated 33,000 publicly reachable Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 installations still operate without vendor support after 14 October 2025. Without security updates, new critical Exchange vulnerabilities cannot be patched and affected systems may need to be taken offline to avoid compromise. The BSI highlights rapid network-wide compromise and ransomware risk and urges prompt upgrades, migrations, or protective measures such as VPNs or IP restrictions.

Dentsu Confirms Data Breach at U.S. Subsidiary Merkle

🔒 Dentsu disclosed a cybersecurity incident at its U.S. subsidiary Merkle, saying attackers accessed and stole files containing client, supplier, and employee information. The company detected abnormal activity, proactively took certain systems offline, and initiated incident response procedures while engaging third‑party responders. A circulated memo indicated exposed payroll and bank details, salary and National Insurance numbers, and personal contact details; impacted individuals are being notified and authorities in affected countries have been informed. Dentsu said Japan-based systems were not impacted and that the full scope and financial impact remain under investigation; no ransomware group has claimed responsibility so far.

Investment Scams Mimicking Crypto and Forex Surge in Asia

🔍 Group-IB's research warns of a rapid rise in fake investment platforms across Asia that mimic cryptocurrency and forex exchanges to defraud victims. Organized, cross-border groups recruit via social media and messaging apps, deploying polished trading interfaces, automated chatbots and complex back-end systems to extract payments. The report maps two analytical models — Victim Manipulation Flow and Multi-Actor Fraud Network — and urges banks and regulators to monitor reused infrastructure and tighten KYC controls.

Quarter of Scam Victims Report Considering Self-Harm

⚠️ A new 2025 Consumer Impact Report from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) finds identity fraud is driving severe mental and financial harm, with one quarter of surveyed consumers saying they seriously considered self-harm after an incident. The figure rises to 68% among self-identified victims but falls to 14% for those who contacted the ITRC, underscoring the value of professional support. The study of 1,033 general consumers also highlights rising repeat victimisation, large monetary losses — including more than 20% losing over $100,000 and 10% losing at least $1m — social media account takeovers as the most common crime, and widespread concern that AI will be a major battleground for identity security.

Volvo Third-Party Breach Highlights Forensic Readiness Gaps

🔒 In August 2025 Volvo Group North America disclosed a breach that originated in its third‑party HR provider, Miljödata, and a slow timeline of detection and notification has raised questions about forensic readiness. Reported exposed records included Social Security numbers and sensitive employee identifiers, and Volvo offered 18 months of identity‑protection services. The author provides five practical recommendations to preserve evidentiary integrity: embed forensics from day zero, align IR and forensic priorities, automate collection and triage, contractually manage vendor response, and coordinate legal messaging to reduce litigation and regulatory risk.