Security News Update for September 13, 2024

Unregistered Crypto Trading Platform Settles with the SEC

the eToro stock and crypto trading platform settled with the SEC for $1.5 million and agreed to restrict their services for US customers. They were charged with running and unregistered broker and unregistered clearing agency. The feds are slow and there are a lot of crooks, but they are working on the problem. Credit: Web 3 is Going Great

FBI Says Cryptocurrency Losses in 2023 Reached $5.6 Billion

Based on reports to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, losses last year exceeded $5.6 billion. Assuming that only represents a small percentage of the fraud that is actually taking place, the real number might be $10 billion, $15 billion or more. States with the highest losses are California, Texas, Florida and New York.

Credit: Bleeping Computer

Netflix Wins Rights to New Silicon Valley Drama

Which Might not be very Valley Friendly

Netflix hopes to replicate HBO’s Succession with its owner valley thriller, called Thumblite and starring Rosamund Pike. Set in Silicon Valley, it will examine the Valley’s schemes, rivalries and obsessions. While Netflix had to bid against the entertainment giants, some giants, like Amazon and Apple bowed out of the bidding because, likely, it would not put them in a good light. Stay tuned, this could be interesting. Credit: Cybernews

Port of Seattle Warns of Data Leak After Refusing to Pay Ransom

Seattle is still recovering from the hack, which affected the airport and seaport. They said that they are still trying to figure out what data the hackers took, but they do think data was stolen. They say that they were able to get “the majority” of systems back up in a week, but they are still working to recover other systems. This is important to remember – even if you don’t pay the ransom, the fallout from hackers leaking or selling stolen data and the cost to become operational again is significant. Credit: The Record

Even if Your Phone is Secure, the Radio That Runs it May Not be

Under the covers of your phone are lots of little computers that make the big computer that you call your phone, work. One of them runs that actual “radio” that allows the phone to talk to the nearest cell phone tower. Researchers say that they have found a series of security flaws in different radio computers (called the baseband) used in multiple phones. They found bugs in baseband processors made by Samsung, MediaTek and Qualcomm. These processors are used in phones made by Google, OPPO, OnePlus, Motorola and Samsung. Their findings do NOT mean that other phones are safe but rather that they were not tested. Oh, yeah, the attacks require NO USER INTERACTION! Credit: Tech Crunch

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