Justice Department to Elevate Investigations of Ransomware Attacks

The U.S. Department of Justice is elevating investigations of ransomware attacks to a similar priority as terrorism in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline hack and mounting damage caused by cyber criminals, a senior department official told Reuters. Internal guidance sent to U.S. attorney’s offices across the country said information about ransomware investigations in the field should be centrally coordinated with a recently created task force in Washington.

U.S. to Impose Tariffs on Five Countries in Technology Tax Dispute

The U.S. said it will impose tariffs on the U.K. and five other countries in response to their taxes on U.S. technology companies, but will suspend the levies for six months as it seeks to negotiate an international resolution. U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai said investigations determined that tariffs were justified because of digital-services taxes imposed on U.S. companies by the U.K., Austria, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

Amazon Reaches Agreement to License E-Books to Libraries

Amazon reached a deal to license its e-books to libraries nationwide shortly before a Maryland state bill became law that would force the e-commerce giant to make that material available to libraries in the state. “The fact that Amazon is working with libraries at all is to be celebrated. They've been holding out, and now they are. Are there things that could be better, yes,” Michael Blackwell, director of St. Mary’s County Library in Maryland, told The Hill.

Advocacy Group Wants Review of Facebook Actions Before Capitol Siege

A nonprofit advocacy group with close ties to President Joe Biden joined calls for Facebook to review whether its actions contributed to the spread of unfounded election fraud claims leading up to the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. Building Back Together, an outside coalition formed by top Biden allies and campaign advisers, urged Facebook in a letter reviewed by Politico to commit to an internal probe of the matter, something the company's oversight board recommended last month.

Massachusetts Ferry Service in Cape Cod Affected by Ransomware Attack

The Steamship Authority of Massachusetts ferry service fell victim to a ransomware attack, the latest cyber assault affecting logistics and services in the United States. The Steamship Authority is the largest ferry service offering daily fares from Cape Cod to neighboring islands Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, according to the company’s website.

  • Read the article: CNBC

Hacking Group Linked to Chinese Government Accessed MTA's Computers

A hacking group believed to have links to the Chinese government penetrated the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s computer systems in April, exposing vulnerabilities in a vast transportation network that carries millions of people every day, according to an M.T.A. document that outlined the breach. The hackers did not gain access to systems that control train cars and rider safety was not at risk, transit officials said, adding that the intrusion appeared to have done little, if any, damage.

U.S. Says Ransomware Attack on Meat Processor 'Likely Based in Russia'

A ransomware attack hitting the world’s largest meat processing company, JBS, was from a “criminal organization likely based in Russia,” the company has told the White House. “The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary, said.

Justice Department Seizes Two Domain Names Used in Spear-Phishing Attacks

The U.S. Justice Department said that it had seized two Internet domains that had been used in spear-phishing attacks that mimicked email communications from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Justice Department said that it seized two command-and-control (C2) and malware distribution domains on May 28 after winning a court order to do so.

SEC Said Musk's Tweets Violated Court-Ordered Policy Requiring Approval

Securities regulators told Tesla Inc. last year that Chief Executive Elon Musk’s use of Twitter had twice violated a court-ordered policy requiring his tweets to be preapproved by company lawyers, according to records obtained by The Wall Street Journal. Tesla and the Securities and Exchange Commission settled an enforcement action in 2018 alleging that Mr. Musk had committed fraud by tweeting about a potential buyout of his company.

EU Lawmaker Says Rules Should Target Only Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple

Draft rules aimed at reining in the power of Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc. unit Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. should only target these U.S. tech giants, a leading EU lawmaker said, signaling a tougher stand than EU antitrust regulators. Proposed by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager last year, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) could force U.S. tech giants to change their lucrative business models and ensure a level playing field for smaller rivals.

SEC Charges Five People with Promoting Unregistered Digital Asset Securities

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it has charged five individuals for promoting a global unregistered digital asset securities offering that raised over $2 billion from retail investors. BitConnect allegedly organized a global network of promoters through referral commissions and used the network to sell the securities without registering them as required by federal securities laws, the SEC said.

Amnesty International Says Kenyan Security Guard Targeted in Phishing Attack

A Kenyan security guard now facing charges in Qatar after writing compelling, anonymous accounts of being a low-paid worker there found himself targeted by a phishing attack that could have revealed his location just before his arrest, analysts say. While analysts from Amnesty International and Citizen Lab said they were unable to say who targeted Malcolm Bidali, the phishing attack mirrored others previously carried out by Gulf Arab sheikhdoms targeting dissidents and political opposition.

Google Hid Location Settings on Purpose, Lawsuit Alleges

Google made location settings harder to find in its Android phone software so people wouldn't turn them off, a move aimed at preserving the data collection efforts that power the tech giant's lucrative ad business, according to court documents. The decision came after Google conducted research that found a "substantial increase" in devices disabled the settings when they were presented with easily accessible options, the documents claim.

  • Read the article: CNET

Social Media Firms, But Not Twitter, Comply with India's New IT Rules

Google, Facebook, Telegram, LinkedIn and Tiger Global-backed Indian startups ShareChat and Koo have either fully or partially complied with the South Asian nation’s new IT rules, according to two people familiar with the matter and a government note obtained by TechCrunch. India’s new IT rules, unveiled in February this year, require firms to appoint and share contact details of representatives tasked with compliance, nodal point of reference and grievance redressals to address on-ground concerns.

Instagram Changes Algorithm for Reshared Posts After Palestinian Complaints

Instagram has confirmed to the Financial Times that it's changing its algorithm to rank reshared posts in Stories on an equal level to originals after Palestinians accused the company of censoring content. A Facebook spokesperson told Engadget there was no intended censorship, and that the tweak was a response to overall problems with the reach of reshared content, not just Palestinian material.

U.S. Soldiers in Europe May Have Exposed Nuclear Info via Flashcard Apps

U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe may have accidentally exposed information about the United States’ nuclear weapons stockpile when they used flashcard apps to help them remember details about the information, according to a report from open-source intelligence outlet Bellingcat. Foeke Postma, a researcher with Bellingcat, wrote that the soldiers used study apps such as Chegg, Cram, and Quizlet to create flashcards where they stored information about bases in Europe where US nuclear weapons were likely located, secret codes, passwords, and other details about security.

Newly Discovered Russian Hack Sought to Access Email of U.S. Agency

A newly disclosed effort by Russian intelligence to hijack the email system of a United States government agency prompted leading Democrats to urge stronger action against Moscow for accelerating cyberattacks ahead of President Biden’s summit next month with President Vladimir V. Putin. The latest hack, brought to light by Microsoft and other private firms, exposed how Russia’s S.V.R., the same intelligence agency that Washington has blamed for a range of cyberattacks on American networks over the past decade, infiltrated the communications company that distributes emails on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development.

Engagement with Disinformation on Twitter, Facebook Drops 60%

Engagement with disinformation on Twitter and Facebook dropped in the first three months of 2021 compared to historic highs the year before, according to an analysis released by the German Marshall Fund’s Digital New Deal initiative. The analysis found a 60 percent quarterly decline in the sharing of content from “deceptive sites” by verified accounts on Twitter, and a smaller 15 percent decline on user interactions with content from deceptive sites on Facebook.

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.