Russian Influence on Election Reached Billions, Researcher Says

To understand Russia’s meddling in the U.S. election, the frame should not be the reach of the 3,000 ads that Facebook handed over to Congress and that were bought by a single Russian troll farm called the Internet Research Agency, said social media analyst Jonathan Albright. Instead, the frame should be the reach of all the activity of the Russian-controlled accounts — each post, each “like,” each comment and also all of the ads. Looked at this way, the picture shifts dramatically.

Russian Hackers Stole Cyberattack Details from NSA Worker's Computer

Hackers working for the Russian government stole details of how the U.S. penetrates foreign computer networks and defends against cyberattacks after a National Security Agency contractor removed the highly classified material and put it on his home computer, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter.The hackers appear to have targeted the contractor after identifying the files through the contractor’s use of a popular antivirus software made by Russia-based Kaspersky Lab, these people said.

Lawmakers Unveil Bill to Limit Warrantless Internet Surveillance

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled legislation that would overhaul aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program in an effort to install additional privacy protections. The bill is likely to revive debate in Washington over the balance between security and privacy, amid concerns among some lawmakers in both parties that the U.S. government may be too eager to spy on its own citizens.

Facebook Sought Exemptions from FEC for Political Ad Disclosures

Facebook Inc. is pledging greater transparency about who’s behind election-related ads online. For years, the company fought to avoid it. Since 2011, Facebook has asked the Federal Election Commission for blanket exemptions from political advertising disclosure rules -- transparency that could have helped it avoid the current crisis over Russian ad spending ahead of the 2016 U.S. election.

Lawmakers Question Mattel About Child-Focused Smart Hub

Children's health and privacy advocates are petitioning toy giant Mattel not to release a kid-focused smart hub called Aristotle, which they argue gives an unprecedented look into the personal lives of children. The issue has drawn attention from Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), who sent Mattel a letter last week asking the toymaker for more information on how it will store and retain data it collects on children.

EU Taking Ireland to Court in Effort to Collect Unpaid Taxes from Amazon

European competition regulators mounted a push against tax avoidance by Silicon Valley giants, announcing plans to take Ireland to court for failing to collect back taxes from Apple and ordering Luxembourg to claim unpaid taxes from Amazon. The effort, which comes as the European Union considers proposals meant to increase the sums levied on technology companies, is part of a concerted campaign to revamp how taxes are collected in the 28-nation bloc.

White House Official Calls Foreign Gov't Reviews of U.S. Software 'Problematic'

Allowing foreign governments to require reviews of software secrets of technology products built by U.S. companies is “problematic,” the top White House cyber security official said, adding that the increasingly common arrangements presented both security and intellectual property risks. Rob Joyce, the White House cyber security coordinator, said that letting countries inspect source code, the closely guarded internal instructions of software, as a condition for entry into foreign markets was a protectionist effort by certain regimes that threatened a “free and open internet” and could “hobble” a product’s security and privacy features.

EU's Top Court to Receive Case on Data Transfers to United States

Ireland’s High Court said it would ask the EU’s top court to decide whether to ban the way in which Internet firms such as Facebook transfer users’ data to the United States in a case with major implications for companies. The case is the latest to question whether methods used by large tech firms such as Google and Apple to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

Amazon Facing Bill for Hundreds of Millions of Luxembourg Back Taxes

Brussels will hit Amazon with a bill for Luxembourg back taxes worth several hundred million euros in the latest fallout from the EU crackdown on tax avoidance by big multinationals. The European Commission’s move, confirmed by several people familiar with the case, comes on the heels of Apple’s record €13bn bill for Irish back taxes last year, which prompted a fierce political backlash from Washington.

Facebook Provides 3,000 Russian-Linked Ads to Congressional Committees

Under intensifying pressure from Congress and growing public outcry, Facebook turned over more than 3,000 of the Russia-linked advertisements from its site over to the Senate and House intelligence committees, as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee. The material is part of an attempt to learn the depth of what investigators now believe was a sprawling foreign effort spanning years to interfere with the 2016 United States presidential election.

Ex-CEO of Equifax Blames 'Human Error, Technology Failures' for Breach

Equifax Inc. was alerted in March to the software security vulnerability that led to hackers obtaining personal information of more than 140 million Americans but took months to patch it, its former CEO said in testimony to be delivered to Congress. “It appears that the breach occurred because of both human error and technology failures,” former CEO Richard Smith said in written testimony released by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Couple Pleads Guilty to Scheme That Stole $1.2 Million in Amazon Goods

An Indiana couple has pled guilty to charges of federal mail fraud and money laundering resulting from an elaborate plot that fleeced Amazon out of over $1.2 million in merchandise, according to The Star Press. Erin Finan, 38, and Leah Finan, 37, enacted their scheme by taking advantage of Amazon’s accommodating returns policy, which does not always require a broken item be sent back before a replacement is issued.

Google Conducts Probe for Russian Ads Used During Election

Google is conducting a broad internal investigation to determine whether Russian-linked entities used its ads or services to try to manipulate voters ahead of the U.S. election, according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that comes after Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. said Russian actors used their sites. Google, part of Alphabet Inc., is also talking with congressional officials who are investigating Russian efforts to influence the election and plans to share its findings with them once completed, the person said.

Study Says Some Macs Vulnerable to Exploits Even After Updates

An alarming number of Macs remain vulnerable to known exploits that completely undermine their security and are almost impossible to detect or fix even after receiving all security updates available from Apple, a comprehensive study has concluded. The exposure results from known vulnerabilities that remain in the Extensible Firmware Interface, or EFI, which is the software located on a computer motherboard that runs first when a Mac is turned on.

Judge Says FBI Not Required to Disclose Price of iPhone Unlocking

A federal judge has ruled that the FBI does not have to make public how much it paid last year to unlock an iPhone used by one of the apparent perpetrators of a terrorist attack in California that killed 14 people. Three news organizations -- USA Today, The Associated Press and Vice Media -- sued under the Freedom of Information Act to try to force the FBI to reveal the amount of the payment and the identity of the company that received it, but U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that information is exempt from mandatory disclosure under the landmark transparency statute.

U.S. Cyber Command Targets Hackers in North Korea's Military Spy Agency

Early in his administration, President Trump signed a directive outlining a strategy of pressure against North Korea that involved actions across a broad spectrum of government agencies and led to the use of military cyber-capabilities, according to U.S. officials.As part of the campaign, U.S. Cyber Command targeted hackers in North Korea’s military spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, by barraging their computer servers with traffic that choked off Internet access.

Trump Lawyers Want Facebook to Disclose Info on Activists

Trump administration lawyers are demanding the private account information of potentially thousands of Facebook users in three separate search warrants served on the social media giant, according to court documents obtained by CNN. The warrants specifically target the accounts of three Facebook users who are described by their attorneys as "anti-administration activists who have spoken out at organized events, and who are generally very critical of this administration's policies."

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