Cybersecurity agencies issue warning over Chinese hacking group

Government cybersecurity authorities in the US and allied nations are sounding the alarm bell again over the Chinese hacking group known as Volt Typhoon.

In a joint advisory issued on Tuesday, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), FBI, and eight international partners warned that the Beijing-backed Volt Typhoon gang may be gearing up for disruptive or destructive cyber strikes targeting critical infrastructure...

20 March 2024 | Legislation & Government

Nations demand tech firms tackle scammers

Governments from around the world have called on telcos and tech giants to strengthen their efforts in combating fraud conducted over their networks and platforms.

The calls were made at the inaugural Global Fraud Summit held at Lancaster House in London this week. Ministers and representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, and the US attended the summit.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said:...

14 March 2024 | Legislation & Government

French government cyber crisis teams ‘useless’ against DDoS

Several French government websites and networks have been crippled by an intense and ongoing series of cyberattacks over the past day, with pro-Russian hacker group Anonymous Sudan mocking the government's cyber defense capabilities as "useless" against the onslaught.

The French prime minister's office confirmed the disruptive attacks on Monday, stating that "since [Sunday], several government departments have been the subject of cyberattacks whose technical methods are...

12 March 2024 | Security

SpaceX probed over Russia’s alleged Starlink use

Democratic lawmakers are investigating SpaceX over reports that Russia is using the company's Starlink satellite internet service in occupied areas of Ukraine, raising concerns about potential violations of US sanctions and export controls.

In a letter sent Wednesday to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California cited intelligence from Ukraine indicating Russian forces have illegally deployed and activated Starlink terminals in...

8 March 2024 | Networks

Viavi to acquire Spirent in $1.2B deal

Viavi Solutions has agreed to acquire Spirent Communications in an all-cash deal valuing Spirent at around $1.2 billion.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Spirent shareholders will receive 175 pence per share—comprising 172.5 pence in cash and a 2.5 pence special dividend. This represents a premium of 61.4 percent over Spirent's closing share price of 108.4 pence on March 4th.

The acquisition will create a combined company that aims to be a global leader in test,...

5 March 2024 | Networks

ASIO chief warns of critical infrastructure sabotage threat

Mike Burgess, Director General of Security at Australia's Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has raised concerns over the potential for sabotage targeting critical infrastructure.

Speaking at ASIO's annual threat assessment, Burgess emphasised the persistent efforts of adversaries to exploit vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure—with a specific focus on disrupting essential services during critical moments.

"The sabotage threat has receded in recent...

29 February 2024 | Networks

GSMA Open Gateway unlocks mobile network capabilities for developers

A new collaboration between the world's leading mobile operators will accelerate innovation across industries from finance and retail to transportation, healthcare, and beyond. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative provides developers simplified access to core network capabilities via open application programming interfaces (APIs).

Initially focused on security, new APIs for number verification and SIM swap detection are being implemented by operator groups across 42 countries so far....

23 February 2024 | 5G

Widespread cellular outage hits the US

A cellular outage has swept across large portions of the US, causing disruptions in services provided by major telecom companies including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Data collected from outage tracking website Downdetector revealed that more than 32,000 incidents were reported with AT&T's service around 4:30am Eastern Time. The outage affected cities including San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago, according to information displayed on the website.

Users of...

22 February 2024 | 5G

Toshiba and Orange demo quantum-secure fibre data transmission

Toshiba and Orange have achieved significant milestones in quantum-secure data transmission. Through a meticulous series of evaluations, the two companies have showcased the practicality of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology in safeguarding data transmitted over fibre optic networks.

The evaluations, which were carried out in laboratory settings, encompassed several key achievements. 

Initially, the tests demonstrated the co-existence of QKD alongside a high...

22 February 2024 | Broadband

IBM reveals surge in cyberattacks leveraging compromised accounts

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting valid user accounts to gain access to corporate networks, making this tactic a preferred weapon of choice for threat actors.

The findings come from IBM's 2024 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index released today. The report, based on insights from monitoring over 150 billion security events per day across more than 130 countries, reveals that cybercriminals are generating more opportunities to "log in" to enterprise systems through...

21 February 2024 | Networks