This week in InfoSec thanks the first amendment for easily accessible porn Rant of the Week Is a pot calling the kettle black Billy Big Balls is a US vs Russia tug of war Industry News brings us the latest and greatest security news stories from around the world And Tweet of the Week Asks the value of a lock screen
This week in InfoSec (11:36)
With content liberated from the “today in infosec” twitter account and further afield
26th June 1997: Communications Decency Act Declared Unconstitutional
The US Supreme Court ruled the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional on a 7-2 vote. The act, passed by both houses of Congress, sought to control the content of the Internet in an effort to keep pornography from minors. In an opinion written by Justice John Paul Stevens, the Supreme Court ruled the act a violation of free speech as guaranteed by the US Constitution.
29th June 2007: The phone that changed everything
Nearly 6 months after it was introduced, Apple’s highly-anticipated iPhone goes on sale. Generally downplayed by Old Word Technology pundits after its introduction, the iPhone was greeted by long lines of buyers around the country on that first day. Quickly becoming an overnight phenomenon, one million iPhones were sold in only 74 days. Since those early days, the ensuing iPhone models have continued to set sales records and have completely changed not only the smartphone and technology industries, but the world as well.
Rant of the Week (19:19)
Miscreants leak texts and info siphoned by Android stalkerware app LetMeSpy
It's bad enough there's some Android stalkerware out there with the not-at-all-creepy moniker LetMeSpy. Now someone's got hold of the information the app collects – such as victims' text messages and call logs – as well as the email addresses of those who sought out the software, and leaked it all.
The stolen data has been circulating online for at least a few days, we're told, and the spyware's users – those who got the app to put on someone else's device – reportedly include government workers and a ton of US college students.
The Polish developer of the app said the information was swiped in a "security incident" that happened on June 21, when someone obtained "unauthorised access" to its website's databases.
Yes, we appreciate the irony of the maker of a phone-monitoring app that boasts about secretly collecting call logs, text messages, and whereabouts while remaining "invisible to the user" admitting that someone else gained unauthorised access to their information.
Billy Big Balls of the Week (28:33)
Network security guy in extradition tug of war between US and Russia
A Russian network security specialist and former editor of Hacker magazine who is wanted by the US and Russia on cybercrime charges has been detained in Kazakhstan as the two governments seek his extradition.
Nikita Kislitsin, an employee of Russian infosec shop FACCT, was detained on June 22 at the request of the US, according to a statement by his employer.
"According to the information we have, the claims against Kislitsin are not related to his work at FACCT, but are related to a case more than ten years ago when Nikita worked as a journalist and independent researcher," the statement reads.
"We are convinced that there are no legal grounds for detention on the territory of Kazakhstan."
FACCT is not under investigation and has not been charged with any wrongdoing, the org added. It has has hired lawyers to defend Kislitsin, and has also sent an appeal to the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kazakhstan "to assist in protecting our employee," according to the statement.
Industry News (34:27)
Are GPT-Based Models the Right Fit for AI-Powered Cybersecurity?
Over Half of UK Banks Are Exposing Customers to Email Fraud
Submarine Cables at Growing Risk of Cyber-Attacks
Third-Party Vendor Hack Exposes Data at American, Southwest Airlines
EncroChat Bust Leads to 6500 Arrests in Three Years
VPN and RDP Exploitation the Most Common Attack Technique
LockBit Dominates Ransomware World, New Report Finds
Charming Kitten’s PowerStar Malware Evolves with Advanced Techniques
MIT Publishes Framework to Evaluate Cybersecurity Methods
Tweet of the Week (43:14)
https://twitter.com/UK_Daniel_Card/status/1674094965348073474