TikTok is getting banned from a growing number of federal and state devices, underscoring how political winds are turning against the platform given worries about China and raising questions about its future. The latest development is the decision by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to include a measure banning TikTok from devices used by federal employees in the $1.7…
Author: Ines Kagubare
Hillicon Valley — FCC proposes $300 million fine for robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission is recommending a $300 million fine following the biggest robocall operation the agency has ever investigated. Meanwhile, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be released from jail after securing a $250 million bail as he awaits trial. This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber…
Wyden urges FTC probe into ‘sensitive internet metadata’ sold to US government
Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether a sale of Americans’ data by a tech company to taxpayer-funded entities violated privacy laws. In his letter, Wyden asked the agency to look into whether Neustar, the tech firm, violated privacy rights when it sold sensitive…
Putin to choose cyber warfare before nuclear weapons, former NSA chief says
Retired Gen. Keith Alexander, the former National Security Agency director and head of U.S. Cyber Command, said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to continue using cyberattacks against Ukraine before using nuclear weapons. Alexander explained that although Russia hasn’t done significant damage so far on the cyber front, Putin is not prepared…
GOP rep urges Musk to relocate Twitter HQ to Florida
Republican Rep. Carlos Giménez (Fla.) sent a letter Monday to Elon Musk recommending that he relocate Twitter’s headquarters from San Francisco to Miami. Giménez suggested that the move would create “good-paying jobs” and strengthen Miami’s “tech ecosystem.” He also mentioned that relocating to Florida would free the company from a city that he said has become “openly hostile…
How the US has helped counter destructive Russian cyberattacks amid Ukraine war
The U.S.’s increased efforts to assist Ukraine and other Eastern European countries in shoring up their cyber defenses amid Moscow’s war on Kyiv appear to have been successful in countering destructive Russian cyberattacks and mitigating their impact. The U.S. and its European allies provided significant cyber expertise to Ukraine and other Eastern European nations prior to the war, but experts said those efforts seem to…
Major cloud, email hosting provider blames ransomware attack for outage
Email hosting provider Rackspace Technology confirmed on Tuesday that a ransomware attack is behind an outage that has been disrupting its email service since Friday. The company said it has retained a cyber defense firm to investigate the attack and has since discovered that the incident only impacted its Hosted Exchange business while its other…
DHS cyber board to examine hacking extortion group Lapsus$
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that its Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) will begin conducting a review of recent hacks associated with Lapsus$, a global extortion hacking group that has been tied to numerous data breaches targeting major tech firms. DHS said the cyber criminal group has reportedly used various techniques…
Election security a success, but more improvements needed, experts say
Despite the myriad threats that faced the nation during the 2022 midterms, experts say security for the election proved successful overall. They warned, however, that some improvements are still needed in certain areas. Experts praised election officials for being well-prepared and efficient at managing ongoing threats while communicating with voters on how to spot disinformation. “This was a remarkably smooth election given everything that…
Musk says he’s done with Twitter layoffs
Elon Musk is reportedly done with Twitter layoffs and is now looking to hire again after slashing nearly half of the company’s workforce earlier this month. According to information obtained by The Verge, Musk told employees during a meeting on Monday that the company was ceasing layoffs and actively hiring for positions specifically in sales…