New York Adds Limits to Ransom Payments to Cybersecurity Regulations

New York’s financial watchdog published significant updates to its cybersecurity regulations, adding strict provisions around board oversight and ransom payments that go further than recent federal rules. The New York State Department of Financial Services, which oversees banks, insurance firms, mortgage brokers and other financial institutions, expanded its initial cybersecurity rules, published in 2017, because rising cyberattacks require stronger protections, said Adrienne Harris, superintendent of financial services, in a statement.

Lawmakers Want Biden Administration to Respond to China's Use of RISC-V Chips

A wider bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is asking the Biden administration about its plans to respond to China's rising use of RISC-V chip design technology after Reuters last month reported on growing concerns about it in both houses of Congress. RISC-V, pronounced "risk five," is a free open-source technology that competes with costly proprietary technology from British semiconductor and software design company Arm Holdings, and Intel Corp. It can be used as a key part of anything from a smartphone chip to advanced processors for artificial intelligence.

YouTube Limits Recommendations to Teenagers for Sensitive Topics

YouTube has imposed restrictions on how often teens receive repeated video recommendations related to sensitive topics like body image, the company announced. YouTube says the new safeguards are the result of its partnership with the Youth and Families Advisory Committee, which consists of psychologists, researchers, and other experts in child development, children’s media, and digital learning.

Boeing Discloses 'Cyber Incident' Affecting Parts and Distribution Business

Boeing Co. confirmed it is dealing with a “cyber incident” that targeted elements of the parts and distribution business run by its global services division. Flight safety isn’t affected, Boeing said in an emailed statement, adding, “We are actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities.”

Iranian Hackers Attack Key Defense, Intelligence Targets in Middle East

Iranian hackers are waging a sophisticated espionage campaign targeting the country’s rivals across the Middle East and attacking key defense and intelligence agencies, according to a leading Israeli-American cybersecurity company, a sign of how Iran’s quickly improving cyberattacks have become a new, important prong in a shadow war. Over the past year, the hackers struck at countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a monthslong campaign linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to a new report by the company, Check Point.

Apple Says Prominent Indian Politicians, Journalists Targeted by Hackers

Apple has warned at least 20 prominent Indians, including opposition politicians and journalists, that they were the target of state-sponsored cyberattacks, in a development that has revived allegations that the government is using electronic surveillance against its domestic political rivals and critics. Parliament members from several opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, the Indian National Congress and Aam Aadmi, posted on the platform X screenshots of Apple emails informing them that their iPhones had been the target of hacking attempts.

Supreme Court Hears Cases Involving Social Media Use by Public Officials

The Supreme Court wrestled with where to draw the line when it comes to the personal social media accounts of government workers and steps to censor comments or block access for certain individual users. In a pair of cases, citizens who were restricted online by local officials sued them for an alleged violation of their First Amendment right to free speech. But the officials insist their online pages are personal property, not part of their official duties, and not public forums.

Canada Bans WeChat, Kaspersky on Government Devices, Citing Privacy, Security

Canada banned Chinese messaging application WeChat and Russian antivirus program Kaspersky on government-issued mobile devices due to privacy and security risks, but said government information had not been compromised. The ban was announced after an assessment by Canada's chief information officer that Tencent-owned WeChat and applications made by Moscow-based Kaspersky "present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," the Treasury Board of Canada, which oversees public administration, said in a statement.

Judge Dismisses Copyright Infringement Claims Over AI Art Generators

Artists suing generative artificial intelligence art generators have hit a stumbling block in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over the uncompensated and unauthorized use of billions of images downloaded from the internet to train AI systems, with a federal judge’s dismissal of most claims. U.S. District Judge William Orrick found that copyright infringement claims cannot move forward against Midjourney and DeviantArt, concluding the accusations are “defective in numerous respects.”

SEC Sues SolarWinds for Not Publicly Disclosing Alleged Cybersecurity Failures

The Securities and Exchange Commission sued software company SolarWinds for failing to publicly disclose alleged cybersecurity failures that led to one of history’s biggest computer breaches. In a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, the SEC contends that SolarWinds and the company’s chief information security officer, Tim Brown, repeatedly violated the antifraud disclosure and internal controls provisions of federal securities law by not disclosing vulnerabilities that the company knew could lead to a hack.

Biden Signs Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, Seeks Congressional Action

President Biden signed a far-reaching executive order on artificial intelligence, requiring that companies report to the federal government about the risks that their systems could aid countries or terrorists to make weapons of mass destruction. The order also seeks to lessen the dangers of “deep fakes” that could swing elections or swindle consumers.

Apple Faces Watch Ban After ITC Patent Ruling on Blood-Oxygen Feature

A U.S. federal trade agency found that Apple violated the patent of a rival tech company, a ruling that could lead to an import ban for certain models of the company’s smartwatch. The case revolves around medical technology company Masimo, which alleged in a 2021 complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission that Apple violated its patents related to measuring blood-oxygen levels.

Malaysian Official Warns TikTok, Meta About Blocking Palestinian Content

Malaysia's communications minister warned he could take firm action if social media firms TikTok and Meta are blocking pro-Palestinian content on their platforms. Meta said it was not deliberately suppressing voices on its Facebook platform, after Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said social media platforms had been accused of restricting content supporting the Palestinians.

Meta Rejects Oversight Board's Guidance on Posts About Psychedelic Drugs

Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook and Instagram, will ignore some of its ethics watchdog’s advice to tighten up its oversight of drug-related posts, in a decision with widespread ramifications for how people learn about psychedelic drugs. The Oversight Board’s guidance on drugs stems from a 2022 post tagged to a “paid partner” that described a ketamine treatment as a “medicine” and a “magical entry into another dimension.” Meta removed and reinstated the post three times.

Google Disables Live Traffic Conditions in Israel, Gaza Strip for Maps, Waze

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is disabling live traffic conditions in Israel and the Gaza Strip for its Maps and Waze apps at the request of the Israeli military, ahead of a potential ground invasion into Gaza. “As we have done previously in conflict situations and in response to the evolving situation in the region, we have temporarily disabled the ability to see live traffic conditions and busyness information out of consideration for the safety of local communities,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

At White House Event, Apple Says It Supports National Right-to-Repair Law

Apple said that it supports nationwide right-to-repair regulation that would make iPhone parts and tools available to customers, the latest sign of the company’s shift toward supporting independent repair. Apple is an important symbol for the right-to-repair movement because its products are so widely used and because so many users have encountered a cracked iPhone screen or used-up battery that required a trip to a repair or Apple store.

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