US economy plunged 31.4 percent in Q2, big bounce back expected | US & Canada News

The United States economy plunged at an unprecedented rate this spring and even with a record rebound expected in the just-ended third quarter, the US economy will likely shrink this year for the first time since the Great Recession. Gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the economy’s total output of goods and services, fell at a rate of 31.4 percent in the April-June quarter, only

Cisco Issues Patches For 2 High-Severity IOS XR Flaws Under Active Attacks

Cisco yesterday released security patches for two high-severity vulnerabilities affecting its IOS XR software that were found exploited in the wild a month ago. Tracked as CVE-2020-3566 and CVE-2020-3569, details for both zero-day unauthenticated DoS vulnerabilities were made public by Cisco late last month when the company found hackers actively exploiting Cisco IOS XR Software that is

Chinese APT Group Targets Media, Finance, and Electronics Sectors

Cybersecurity researchers on Tuesday uncovered a new espionage campaign targeting media, construction, engineering, electronics, and finance sectors in Japan, Taiwan, the U.S., and China. Linking the attacks to Palmerworm (aka BlackTech) — likely a China-based advanced persistent threat (APT) — Symantec’s Threat Hunter Team said the first wave of activity associated with this campaign began

Higher taxes, fairer society: UK survey shows desire for equality | United Kingdom News

Authors of new report call for radical change to economy, recognition of unpaid care work, usually done by women. People in the United Kingdom would be happy to pay higher taxes for a fairer, more caring and gender-equal society as the coronavirus pandemic transforms people’s views about the world they want to live in, economists said on Wednesday. In a report to be presented to

Efforts to unify soldiers in South Sudan ‘stuck’: UN envoy | South Sudan

Troops brought together at joint training sites across South Sudan were deserting because of a lack of food, UN says. The United Nations special envoy to South Sudan on Tuesday said almost no progress has been made in unifying the country’s warring forces under one army, as promised under a hard-fought peace deal. The pledge to bring government and rebel soldiers under a national banner was a

LIVE Webinar on Zerologon Vulnerability: Technical Analysis and Detection

I am sure that many of you have by now heard of a recently disclosed critical Windows server vulnerability—called Zerologon—that could let hackers completely take over enterprise networks. For those unaware, in brief, all supported versions of the Windows Server operating systems are vulnerable to a critical privilege escalation bug that resides in the Netlogon Remote Control Protocol for

Australia sends troops to help contain coronavirus on cargo ship | Australia

At least 17 of the 21-crew members of an ore carrier, which last changed crews in Manila, tested positive for COVID-19. Australian soldiers are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the seafaring city of Manila. Seventeen of the 21-crew members on the ship have

Tax evasion and theft ‘rob Africa’ of $89bn a year: UN study | Africa News

Nearly half of the total annual figure of $88.6bn is accounted for by the export of commodities such as gold, diamonds and platinum, the report found. Africa is losing nearly $89bn a year in illicit financial flows such as tax evasion and theft, amounting to more than it receives in development aid, a new UN study shows. The estimate, published on Monday in the United Nations Conference on

Researchers Uncover Cyber Espionage Operation Aimed At Indian Army

Cybersecurity researchers uncovered fresh evidence of an ongoing cyberespionage campaign against Indian defense units and armed forces personnel at least since 2019 with an aim to steal sensitive information. Dubbed “Operation SideCopy” by Indian cybersecurity firm Quick Heal, the attacks have been attributed to an advanced persistent threat (APT) group that has successfully managed to stay

Red Team — Automation or Simulation?

What is the difference between a penetration test and a red team exercise? The common understanding is that a red team exercise is a pen-test on steroids, but what does that mean? While both programs are performed by ethical hackers, whether they are in-house residents or contracted externally, the difference runs deeper. In a nutshell, a pen-test is performed to discover exploitable

‘The future is uncertain’: India coronavirus cases top 6 million | India

India’s coronavirus case tally passed 6 million on Monday after it reported 82,170 new infections in the last 24 hours, as the pandemic rages across the vast South Asian nation. With 6.1 million infections according to the health ministry, India is on course to pass the United States in the coming weeks as the country with the most cases. COVID-19 deaths rose by 1,039 in the last 24 hours to

Belarus: Tens of thousands protest in ‘people’s inauguration’ | Europe

Belarusian police detained about 200 people as tens of thousands took to the streets in support of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, days after the country’s strongman president staged a secret inauguration. Ahead of Sunday’s march, the top opposition Telegram channel, Nexta Live, which has more than two million subscribers, urged Belarusians to stage a symbolic “people’s inauguration of

The power of smell: Learning to feel through scent | Australia News

On our first family holiday to the Blue Mountains, we were surrounded by thick bush. Early mornings smelled of eucalyptus oil from the gum trees. It was winter and cold, but I delighted in running through the rooms with my brother, pulling on the long cords hanging down from the high ceilings to turn the lights on and off. My joy did not last. In the disinfectant soaked emergency room, the

Paris stabbing suspect says he aimed to target Charlie Hebdo | France

The 18-year-old suspect says he carried out the attack in anger over republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. The chief suspect in a double stabbing in Paris told investigators he carried out the attack outside the former offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in anger over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad it recently republished. The 18-year-old suspect said he intended to target the

African court requests Gbagbo be added to I Coast electoral roll | Ivory Coast

Former president’s candidacy rejected by Ivory Coast’s Constitutional Council on the grounds that he was handed a 20-year jail term by an Ivorian court last November. The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has said Ivory Coast should allow former President Laurent Gbagbo, who has been barred from running in October’s presidential election, to participate in the high-stakes poll. The

Microsoft Windows XP Source Code Reportedly Leaked Online

Microsoft’s long-lived operating system Windows XP—that still powers over 1% of all laptops and desktop computers worldwide—has had its source code leaked online, allegedly, along with Windows Server 2003. Yes, you heard that right. The source code for Microsoft’s 19-year-old operating system was published as a torrent file on notorious bulletin board website 4chan, and it’s for the very first

US teen charged in Kenosha shootings fights extradition | News

Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with killing two protesters and injuring another during demonstrations about race and justice in Kenosha, Wisconsin last month, will fight extradition from the US state of Illinois, his lawyer told a court hearing on Friday. Rittenhouse, 17, has been charged by Kenosha County’s district attorney with six criminal counts in connection with the shooting of

FinSpy Spyware for Mac and Linux OS Targets Egyptian Organisations

Amnesty International today exposed details of a new surveillance campaign that targeted Egyptian civil society organizations with previously undisclosed versions of FinSpy spyware designed to target Linux and macOS systems. Developed by a German company, FinSpy is extremely powerful spying software that is being sold as a legal law enforcement tool to governments around the world but has also

Fortinet VPN with Default Settings Leave 200,000 Businesses Open to Hackers

As the pandemic continues to accelerate the shift towards working from home, a slew of digital threats have capitalized on the health concern to exploit weaknesses in the remote work infrastructure and carry out malicious attacks. Now according to network security platform provider SAM Seamless Network, over 200,000 businesses that have deployed the Fortigate VPN solution to enable employees to

Hong Kong legislators protest against China’s arrest of activists | Asia Pacific

Pro-democracy politicians call for the release of 12 Hong Kong activists arrested at sea by Chinese authorities. Opposition politicians in Hong Kong have staged a protest in the city’s legislature, calling for the release of 12 activists arrested at sea by China as international concern grows over the status of the detainees. About a dozen members of Hong Kong’s legislature surrounded Chief

In Pictures: Life still precarious for pangolins in Vietnam | Vietnam

Head keeper Tran Van Truong gently takes a curled-up pangolin into his arms, comforting the shy creature that was rescued months earlier from traffickers in Vietnam. Life remains precarious for the world’s most-trafficked mammal despite the country’s renewed promise to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade that many blame for the coronavirus pandemic. Arrests, prosecutions and wildlife

Major Instagram App Bug Could’ve Given Hackers Remote Access to Your Phone

Ever wonder how hackers can hack your smartphone remotely? In a report shared with The Hacker News today, Check Point researchers disclosed details about a critical vulnerability in Instagram’s Android app that could have allowed remote attackers to take control over a targeted device just by sending victims a specially crafted image. What’s more worrisome is that the flaw not only lets

China running 380 detention centres in Xinjiang: Researchers | Australia

Australian study finds camps have expanded, despite claims that Uighurs were being released. China’s network of detention centres in the northwest Xinjiang region is much bigger than previously thought and is being expanded, even as Beijing says it is winding down a “re-education” programme for ethnic Uighurs that has been condemned internationally, new research released by an Australian

Detecting and Preventing Critical ZeroLogon Windows Server Vulnerability

If you’re administrating Windows Server, make sure it’s up to date with all recent patches issued by Microsoft, especially the one that fixes a recently patched critical vulnerability that could allow unauthenticated attackers to compromise the domain controller. Dubbed ‘Zerologon’ (CVE-2020-1472) and discovered by Tom Tervoort of Secura, the privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to the

Trump admin slaps sanctions on imports of Cuban rum, cigars | Latin America News

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced new sanctions on Cuba restricting imports of Cuban rum and cigars and banning Americans from staying at properties owned by the Cuban government. The move comes as Trump is trying to lock in the Cuban American vote in the key battleground state of Florida before the November 3 presidential election. Trump won Florida in 2016 by just 1.2

A New Hacking Group Hitting Russian Companies With Ransomware

As ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure continue to spike in recent months, cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new entrant that has been actively trying to conduct multistage attacks on large corporate networks of medical labs, banks, manufacturers, and software developers in Russia. The ransomware gang, codenamed “OldGremlin” and believed to be a Russian-speaking threat

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim says has majority to form new government | Malaysia

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday he had secured a “strong majority” from lawmakers to form a new government, seven months after a power grab within the ruling coalition brought down the administration elected in May 2018. Anwar said he had been “approached by a number of MPs from various parties” who were unhappy with the existing leadership of Prime Minister

British Hacker Sentenced to 5 Years for Blackmailing U.S. Companies

A UK man who threatened to publicly release stolen confidential information unless the victims agreed to fulfill his digital extortion demands has finally pleaded guilty on Monday at U.S. federal district court in St. Louis, Missouri. Nathan Francis Wyatt , 39, who is a key member of the infamous international hacking group ‘The Dark Overlord,’ has been sentenced to five years in prison and

US elections live news: Romney for filling Supreme Court vacancy | USA News

Senator Mitt Romney said on Tuesday he supports filling a Supreme Court vacancy before the election, all-but-assuring Republicans have the needed votes to confirm a potential nominee. Trump campaigns in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the vacant Supreme Court seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sparks a new rallying cry among supporters: “Fill that seat”.   Democratic vice-presidential

Unsecured Microsoft Bing Server Exposed Users’ Search Queries and Location

A back-end server associated with Microsoft Bing exposed sensitive data of the search engine’s mobile application users, including search queries, device details, and GPS coordinates, among others. The logging database, however, doesn’t include any personal details such as names or addresses. The data leak, discovered by Ata Hakcil of WizCase on September 12, is a massive 6.5TB cache of log

Redefining anti-Semitism on Facebook | Israel

With its 2.7 billion users, Facebook is the world’s largest and arguably most influential social media platform. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that right-wing Zionist organisations have identified it as a key platform to promote their agenda. Several years ago, for example, the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs alongside students from IDC, an Israeli university in Herzliya, helped

UN marks 75th anniversary amid coronavirus pandemic: Live updates | Coronavirus pandemic News

The United Nations has marked its 75th anniversary, celebrating the mantra that “multilateralism is not an option but a necessity” – even as the coronavirus pandemic underscores the fragility of international cooperation. The anniversary kicked off on Monday at the global body’s annual UN General Assembly (UNGA), when normally leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries gather en masse

A Patient Dies After Ransomware Attack Paralyzes German Hospital Systems

German authorities last week disclosed that a ransomware attack on the University Hospital of Düsseldorf (UKD) caused a failure of IT systems, resulting in the death of a woman who had to be sent to another hospital that was 20 miles away. The incident marks the first recorded casualty as a consequence of cyberattacks on critical healthcare facilities, which has ramped up in recent months. The

Anti-gov’t protests in Egypt’s Giza amid tight security presence | News

Dozens of anti-government protesters took to the streets in the Egyptian governorate of Giza on Sunday, despite heightened security in the country in advance of anticipated demonstrations. Video clips circulating on social media showed the demonstrators holding banners and chanting slogans calling on Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi to step down. Others set a police car on fire while some

Covington receives call from Trump after UFC win, slams BLM | USA News

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Colby Covington was in the middle of a news conference following his victory over Tyron Woodley when he was interrupted by a phone call that he could not ignore. It was the US president. Donald Trump told Covington he had rushed from his Saturday night rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina to watch the fight. “I’m proud of you man, I’m a big fan and

Australia reports lowest coronavirus cases in three months: Live | News

Australia reported 14 new cases on Sunday – the lowest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in three months as strict lockdown in Melbourne reduces infections sharply. Brazil and Argentina have announced that they are joining a global alliance seeking to pool the purchase and distribution of future COVID-19 vaccines. Despite threats of heavy fines up to almost $1,300, more than a

A Bug Could Let Attackers Hijack Firefox for Android via Wi-Fi Network

Dear Android users, if you use the Firefox web browser on your smartphones, make sure it has been updated to version 80 or the latest available version on the Google Play Store. ESET security researcher Lukas Stefanko yesterday tweeted an alert demonstrating the exploitation of a recently disclosed high-risk remote command execution vulnerability affecting the Firefox app for Android.

Iranian tenants increasingly pushed to the brink as prices soar | News

Tehran, Iran– “We were lucky,” says 58-year-old Leila, whose family of four lives in an average-sized unit in an apartment complex in western Tehran. She explained that her landlord recently imposed a 15 percent rent increase and no increase in the annual down payment. “I know next year we’ll have the same concerns all over again, but I couldn’t even imagine having to move right now,” she told

Researchers Uncover 6-Year Cyber Espionage Campaign Targeting Iranian Dissidents

Capping off a busy week of charges and sanctions against Iranian hackers, a new research offers insight into what’s a six-year-long ongoing surveillance campaign targeting Iranian expats and dissidents with an intention to pilfer sensitive information. The threat actor, suspected to be of Iranian origin, is said to have orchestrated the campaign with at least two different moving parts — one

Australia records fewest coronavirus cases since June: Live news | News

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has tested positive for COVID-19, as has France’s Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire. France logged a record daily jump of more than 13,000 new cases; Spain ordered a partial lockdown in its capital, Madrid, and the surrounding region, while Ireland and Greece tightened restrictions in their respective capitals amid surges in infections. UK Prime Minister

Bolivian interim President Anez withdraws from election race | News

Jeanine Anez, Bolivia’s right-wing interim president has said she will not run in the upcoming election next month, in a move that is expected to strengthen opposition against the party of the longtime former president, Evo Morales. In a video message addressed to the nation late on Thursday, Anez, who took over as president in a power vacuum last year promising swift new elections, cited the

Android 11 — 5 New Security and Privacy Features You Need to Know

After a long wait and months of beta testing, Google last week finally released Android 11, the latest version of the Android mobile operating system—with features offering billions of its users more control over their data security and privacy. Android security is always a hot topic and almost always for the wrong reason, including Google’s failure to prevent malicious apps from being

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Hacking Group Backed by Iranian Intelligence

The U.S. government on Thursday imposed sweeping sanctions against an Iranian threat actor backed by the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) for carrying out malware campaigns targeting Iranian dissidents, journalists, and international companies in the telecom and travel sectors. According to the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the sanctions

Global coronavirus cases pass 30 million: Live news | News

More than 30 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and 943,515 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Some 20.4 million people have recovered. New Zealand reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in five weeks as Australia’s hotspot of Victoria logged a spike in infections amid an ease in restrictions.  Canada could lose its

U.S. Announces Charges Against 2 Russian and 2 Iranian Hackers

Immediately after revealing criminal charges against 5 Chinese and 2 Malaysian hackers, the United States government yesterday also made two separate announcements charging two Iranian and two Russian hackers and added them to the FBI’s most-wanted list. The two Russian nationals—Danil Potekhin and Dmitrii Karasavidi—are accused of stealing $16.8 million worth of cryptocurrencies in a series of

Canada ‘could lose ability’ to manage coronavirus pandemic: Live | News

Canada could lose its ability to manage the pandemic due to a spike in new COVID-19 cases, the country’s top medical officer has said. One in seven cases of COVID-19 reported to the WHO is a health worker and in some countries that figure rises to one in three, according to the organisation. President Donald Trump continues to claim there will be a coronavirus vaccine in weeks, contradicting

A Simple Web Scraping Solution for Penetration Testers

Did you ever try extracting any information from any website? Well, if you have then you have surely enacted web scraping functions without even knowing it! To put in simpler terms, Web scraping, or also known as web data extraction, is the process of recouping or sweeping data from web-pages. It is a much faster and easier process of retrieving data without undergoing the time-consuming

‘End of the road’ for pro-India politicians in Kashmir | India News

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Sakina Itoo used to motivate Kashmiris to believe that India is better for their future. But the 48-year-old pro-India politician says New Delhi’s decision to strip the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy last August has made her lose face and vulnerable. “We don’t know how to go to people again. We have no answers ourselves, what will we tell them,” Itoo, a

FBI adds 5 Chinese APT41 hackers to its Cyber’s Most Wanted List

The United States government today announced charges against 5 alleged members of a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group and 2 Malaysian hackers that are responsible for hacking than 100 companies throughout the world. Named as APT41 and also known as ‘Barium,’ ‘Winnti, ‘Wicked Panda,’ and ‘Wicked Spider,’ the cyber-espionage group has been operating since at least 2012 and is not just

US sanctions ‘ruining lives’, Iran tells United Nations court | US-Iran escalation News

Iran urged the UN’s top court on Wednesday to hear its bid to overturn US nuclear sanctions, saying they were destroying the Iranian economy and “ruining millions of lives”. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is hearing arguments this week from Tehran and Washington before deciding whether it has jurisdiction to deal with the case. Iran dragged the United States to the ICJ in