Ransomware strikes AXA shortly after insurer announces it will stop covering extortion fees

Ransomware gangs have now struck two cybersecurity insurers in as many months, with AXA confirming over the weekend that an attack had affected its Asian operations. AXA joins CNA Insurance, which in April confirmed that a ransomware incident had forced the company to take its operations offline. The attack on AXA, though, comes shortly after the French insurer said it would no longer reimburse ransomware payments under new policies it writes in that country, although a source familiar with the attack said there was no connection between AXA’s decision and the attack on its own networks. The so-called Avaddon ransomware operators posted screenshots of information online that they said they obtained from AXA’s Asia Assistance subsidiary. The screenshots include a claim that the operators stole three terabytes of data, such as customer medical reports and claims, customer IDs and bank account papers, payments to customers and other health information. “Asia […]

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Pro-China influence campaign claiming ‘hypocrisy’ of American democracy gains traction

A clumsy social media influence operation that aligns itself with Chinese government interests has started gaining traction online, according to Graphika research published Thursday. Social media activity associated with the campaign, known as Spamouflage Dragon, has typically failed to attract many eyeballs. Some recent tweets, though, have attracted attention from Chinese diplomats, prominent politicians in Venezuela and Pakistan, a senior figure at Huawei Europe and a commentator in the U.K. The campaign’s YouTube following has grown as well in recent months, according to the social media analysis firm Graphika. Spamouflage Dragon, a cross-platform social media influence campaign, has been working for years to spread pro-Chinese government propaganda online, is one of many influence operations that seizes on news of the day to peddle its narratives. While it appears to have significant resourcing, it has largely failed to gain amplification due to its overtly spammy behavior and rudimentary execution. Many of […]

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Spies target gamers with malware inserted into software updates, ESET says

Gamers are familiar targets for hackers, but those operations often are broadly aimed at stealing data, installing nuisances like adware or disrupting the games themselves. Sometimes, though, attackers have other things in mind. A malware operation in Asia appears to be “highly targeted” toward spying on only a handful of users of a popular piece of gaming software, according to cybersecurity researchers at Slovakia-based ESET. The attackers compromised the update mechanism for NoxPlayer, an emulator program that allows Android games to be played on PCs and Macs, ESET says. It’s a supply-chain attack, not unlike others with much bigger footprints and much larger geopolitical effects. The perpetrators appear to have broken into infrastructure at Hong Kong-based BigNox, which makes NoxPlayer, to add the malware to the updates that go to customers. The details get fuzzy from there. About 150 million people, mostly in Asia, use NoxPlayer. ESET says it discovered […]

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Hong Kong startup ICW eyes supply chain diversification demand amid trade war

For American importers, finding suppliers these days can be challenging not only due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The U.S. government’s entity list designations, human rights-related sanctions, among other trade blacklists targeting Chinese firms have also rattled U.S. supply chains. One young company called International Compliance Workshop, or ICW, is determined to make sourcing easier for […] Continue reading Hong Kong startup ICW eyes supply chain diversification demand amid trade war

Massive privacy risk as hacker sold 2 million MyFreeCams user records

By Deeba Ahmed
The same hacker also sold almost 19,000 customers’ records stolen from a Hong Kong-based online shop.
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Zaha Hadid Architects’ student housing to rise on hilly Hong Kong site

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), in collaboration with local firm Leigh & Orange, has unveiled its design for new student residences in Hong Kong. Due for completion in 2023, the development will incorporate rooftop walkways and overcome a tricky hillside … Continue reading Zaha Hadid Architects’ student housing to rise on hilly Hong Kong site

Orchid tree-inspired skyscraper starts to blossom in Hong Kong

Envisioned as an orchid tree about to blossom, the Zaha Hadid Architects-designed 2 Murray Road is under construction in Hong Kong’s Central Business District. The skyscraper will feature a distinctive overall form and sustainable design that prioritiz… Continue reading Orchid tree-inspired skyscraper starts to blossom in Hong Kong

Black Hat 2020: Influence Campaigns Are a Cybersecurity Problem

An inside look at how nation-states use social media to influence, confuse and divide — and why cybersecurity researchers should be involved. Continue reading Black Hat 2020: Influence Campaigns Are a Cybersecurity Problem

Lifetime of lithium-ion batteries boosted by new cathode coating

Despite seemingly-endless advances in experimental battery designs, good old lithium-ion batteries continue to be the frontrunner. There’s still plenty of room for improvement though, and now researchers have identified a new cathode coating that could… Continue reading Lifetime of lithium-ion batteries boosted by new cathode coating