Leaders of 'OneCoin' Accused of Operating Multibillion-Dollar Pyramid Scheme

U.S. authorities announced criminal charges against the alleged leaders of an multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme involving the sale of a fraudulent cryptocurrency, OneCoin. Konstantin Ignatov, who runs OneCoin Ltd, and his older sister Ruja Ignatova, who co-founded OneCoin and is known as “Cryptoqueen,” were accused of swindling investors coveting big returns and low risk, in a scheme conceived as a fraud.

Thousands Rally in Moscow Against Proposal for Tighter Internet Restrictions

Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities to rally against tighter Internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years. Lawmakers last month backed tighter Internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia’s affairs. But some Russian media likened it to an online “iron curtain” and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent.

Warren Says Breaking Up Tech Giants Would 'Keep Marketplace Competitive'

Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren said breaking up giant tech companies would “keep the marketplace competitive,” during an appearance at one of the biggest technology events in the U.S. The Massachusetts senator spoke Saturday at the annual South by Southwest cultural festival in Austin, Texas, a day after proposing to take steps to break up companies like Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Co.’s Google if she’s elected.

Hackers Breach System Used by Three Colleges for Tracking Applicants

Hackers breached the system that houses applicant information for three U.S. colleges in recent days and demanded thousands of dollars in ransom from prospective students for personal information they claimed to have stolen. The schools include Oberlin College in Ohio, Grinnell College in Iowa and Hamilton College in New York. All three use a system called Slate to track information about students who have applied for admission.

Spotify, Google, Pandora, Amazon Appeal Copyright Song Fee Ruling

Spotify, Google, Pandora and Amazon have teamed up to appeal a controversial ruling by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board that, if it goes through, would increase payouts to songwriters by 44%, Variety has learned. A joint statement from the first three of those companies reads: “The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), in a split decision, recently issued the U.S. mechanical statutory rates in a manner that raises serious procedural and substantive concerns.”

Facebook Removes Fake Accounts for Engaging in Hate Speech

Facebook Inc. said it had removed 137 fake pages, groups and Instagram accounts in the United Kingdom and a further 31 in Romania for engaging in hate speech and making divisive comments. The individuals behind these accounts represented themselves as far-right and anti-far-right activists in the UK, Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Facebook's cybersecurity policy, wrote here in a blog post.

Zuckerberg Says Facebook to Emphasize 'Privacy-Focused Communications'

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced a sweeping reorientation toward privacy, explaining in a lengthy essay posted to his account that he would spend the coming years focusing the company’s distinct apps — WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook — on content that is encrypted, meaning data is scrambled so that outsiders, and even Facebook, cannot read it. But the shift, which shows how the embattled company is positioning itself for an uncertain future marked by consumer distrust, declining growth on its core social network and ongoing fights with regulators around the world, could cause an upheaval in Facebook’s business model of mining people’s information to show them ads.

Iranian-Linked Cyberattacks Targeted Thousands of People, Microsoft Says

Cyberattacks linked to Iranian hackers have targeted thousands of people at more than 200 companies over the past two years, Microsoft Corp. said, part of a wave of computer intrusions from the country that researchers say has hit businesses and government entities around the globe. The campaign, the scope of which hadn’t previously been reported, stole corporate secrets and wiped data from computers.

Foreign Influence Campaigns on Social Media Thriving, FBI Director Says

FBI Director Christopher Wray said that while the U.S. had not seen a "material impact on election infrastructure" from foreign adversaries in the recent midterm elections, foreign influence campaigns pitting Americans against each other on social media have continued "virtually unabated." Wray, speaking at the RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco, said the FBI has been working closely with the social media companies to counter the threat, and that the cooperation had been a "great example of how the government and private sector can work together in a common defense."

  • Read the article: CNN

Chinese Hackers Target Universities to Steal Maritime Secrets for Military Use

Chinese hackers have targeted more than two dozen universities in the U.S. and around the globe as part of an elaborate scheme to steal research about maritime technology being developed for military use, cybersecurity experts and current and former U.S. officials said. The University of Hawaii, the University of Washington and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are among at least 27 universities in the U.S., Canada and Southeast Asia that Beijing has targeted, according to iDefense, a cybersecurity intelligence unit of Accenture Security.

Russian Lawmakers Pushing 'Sovereign Internet' to Control Information Flows

Backed by President Vladimir Putin, lawmakers in Moscow are pushing a bill through parliament dubbed “Sovereign Internet” that’s designed to create a single command post from which authorities can manage and, if needed, halt information flows across Russian cyberspace. Putin is touting the initiative as a defensive response to the Trump Administration’s new cyber strategy, which permits offensive measures against Russia and other designated adversaries. But industry insiders, security experts and even senior officials say political upheaval is the bigger concern.

Huawei Urges Governments, Industry to Cooperate on Cybersecurity Standards

Huawei, in the spotlight over the security risks of its telecom equipment gear, urged governments, the telecoms industry and regulators to work together to create a common set of cybersecurity standards. The call by Huawei Chairman Ken Hu came as the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker opened a cyber security center in Brussels, allowing its customers and governments to test Huawei’s source code, software and product solutions.

House Democrats Plan to Unveil Bill to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules

Democrats in the U.S. Congress plan to unveil legislation to reinstate “net neutrality” rules that were repealed by the Trump administration in December 2017, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. Pelosi told lawmakers in a letter that House Democrats, who won control of the chamber in the November 2018 elections, would work with their colleagues in the U.S. Senate to pass the “Save The Internet Act.”

Twitter Suspends Fake Accounts Supporting Howard Schultz's Campaign

Since January, Twitter has suspended at least six pro-Schultz accounts for violating its fake accounts policies, according to a source familiar with the bans who was not authorized to speak publicly. Those accounts and others like them that are still active, and they provide a preview of the kind of fakery researchers expect to see on social media during the 2020 election.

Huawei Planning to Sue U.S. Government for Ban on Work with Federal Agencies

The Chinese electronics giant Huawei is preparing to sue the United States government for barring federal agencies from using the company’s products, according to two people familiar with the matter. The lawsuit is to be filed in the Eastern District of Texas, where Huawei has its American headquarters, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential plans.

The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.