This Week's [in]Security - Issue 173

Welcome to This Week’s [in]Security. Twitter Hack Week 2. Fallout from US Unrest. Covid-19: Spread, Curves, Spikes & Waves. Lockdown, Reopening, & The New Normal. Vaccine Progress. More of the Good, Bad, and Ugly. Inside a Carding Forum. New ATM Jackpotting Attack. New breaches: CouchSurfing 17M. Promo.com 14M, Dave.com 3M, Universities/Blackbaud, Instacart. Family Tree Maker. GEDmatch DNA. 407 ETR. Ransomware: Garamin. Contact tracing app problems. Plaid Class Action. PACT At. Post-quantum Crypto Update. ML & the CFAA. MS TLS sunset. Ontario. Code Freezer. Quantum Internet. Cyber-skills. Anti-Facial Recognition. BadPower attack. PDF Shadow Attack. Alexa Naughtiness. Adobe patches. Inecure apps. Botnet Vigilante. Twilio and DeepSource Code Compromised. Meow DB Attack. Unexpected Packages. FBI and NSA warnings. Biases & Risk. Supply Chain Risk. AI Parody. And more.

Trending news and COVID-19 updates.

The COVID related articles here fit together. Other COVID articles will appear under our normal section headings like regulations, privacy, breaches, and other risks. We have been following coronavirus risks since https://controlgap.com/blog/this-weeks-insecurity-issue-147.

• Twitter Hack Week 2:

  • Twitter Alerts Irish Privacy Regulator About Hacker Attack https://www.databreaches.net/twitter-alerts-irish-privacy-regulator-about-hacker-attack/
  • Schneier On the Twitter Hack https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/07/on_the_twitter_.html
  • Twitter Hacking for Profit and the LoLs https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/07/twitter-hacking-for-profit-and-the-lols/
  • Hackers obtained Twitter DMs for 36 high-profile account holders https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/hackers-obtained-twitter-dms-for-36-high-profile-account-holders/ and https://threatpost.com/twitter-hackers-private-messages-elite-accounts/157657/
  • Former Twitter Employees: More Than 1K Staffers, Contractors Could Have Hacked Accounts https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2020/twitter-hack-employees-account-access/
  • 'Crypto' Scammers Weren't the First to Crack Twitter https://www.databreachtoday.com/blogs/crypto-scammers-werent-first-to-crack-twitter-p-2918

• Fallout from US Unrest:

  • Twitter says advertisers stopped spending money in reaction to protests https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/23/21334006/twitter-ad-revenue-falls-protests-pandemic-q2-2020-earnings

• The spread, curves, spikes, and waves:

  • Record number of COVID-19 cases reported to the World Health Organization in the past 24 hours https://www.businessinsider.com/who-record-number-of-reported-coronavirus-cases-2020-7
  • US records its 4 millionth coronavirus case only 2 weeks after hitting 3 million https://www.businessinsider.com/us-records-4-million-covid-cases-2-weeks-3-million-2020-7
  • Opinion: Canadians should not get smug about the U.S. https://globalnews.ca/news/7199203/canada-coronavirus-face-masks/
  • Young people behind spike in COVID-19 numbers, says OPH https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid-19-july-19-1.5655381
  • Young adults given new warnings as coronavirus cases spike across Canada https://globalnews.ca/news/7203491/coronavirus-canada-young-adult-spikes/
  • ‘We’re going to run out of time’: Health experts sound alarm as Canada’s coronavirus cases rise https://globalnews.ca/news/7204676/canada-coronavirus-cases-rise-july-22/
  • ‘Explosive’ growth in COVID-19 cases could be on the way in B.C. if behaviour doesn’t change https://globalnews.ca/news/7198298/bc-covid-19-explosive-growth/
  • Canada sees 574 new coronavirus cases as global count approaches 15 million https://globalnews.ca/news/7202600/coronavirus-canada-july-21/
  • At least 561 flights in Canada had possible coronavirus exposures since pandemic began https://globalnews.ca/news/7206531/coronavirus-flights-canada-international-exposure/
  • 445 new coronavirus cases pushes Canada past 111,000 as curve begins to rise https://globalnews.ca/news/7199083/canada-coronavirus-cases-july-20/
  • More coronavirus deaths at for-profit nursing homes in Ontario https://globalnews.ca/news/7206832/coronavirus-ontario-for-profit-nursing-homes/
  • Brazil's Coronavirus Catastrophe Is Spreading Into the Country's Vulnerable Interior https://theintercept.com/2020/07/21/coronavirus-brazil-interior-bolsonaro/
  • Scientists chart SARS-CoV-2 origin and transmission in Brazil, harboring one of fastest growing COVID-19 epidemics in the world https://scienmag.com/scientists-chart-sars-cov-2-origin-and-transmission-in-brazil-harboring-one-of-fastest-growing-covid-19-epidemics-in-the-world/
  • Scientists publish findings from 1st statewide COVID-19 random sample study in US https://scienmag.com/scientists-publish-findings-from-1st-statewide-covid-19-random-sample-study-in-us/
  • ‘All the makings of a disaster’: How Florida became a coronavirus epicentre https://globalnews.ca/news/7196622/florida-coronavirus-epicentre/
  • Purolator confirms COVID-19 outbreak at Toronto facility https://globalnews.ca/news/7204444/purolator-toronto-covid19-outbreak/

• Lockdown, reopening, and The New Normal:

  • Most locations of potential COVID-19 exposure in B.C. are now listed online https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-19-exposure-events-locations-websites-1.5660393
  • Model shows how many COVID-19 infected travellers could arrive at U.S. border in Ontario https://globalnews.ca/news/7217407/coronavirus-canada-us-border-modelling/
  • American travellers banned from visiting the Bahamas https://globalnews.ca/news/7197225/bahamas-us-travel-ban/
  • Here's a running list of countries barring American tourists from entering as the US coronavirus outbreak surges to new heights https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-where-can-us-tourists-go-countries-block-them-2020-7
  • Winnipeg pub turning away out-of-town customers over coronavirus concerns https://globalnews.ca/news/7196223/coronavirus-winnipeg-pub-turning-away-out-of-town-customers-covid-19/
  • Toronto mayor says mask bylaw could be brought in if apartment, condo buildings don’t comply https://globalnews.ca/news/7208830/mask-bylaw-possible-toronto-condos-apartment-buildings/
  • Canadian truckers worry about entering U.S. due to coronavirus https://globalnews.ca/news/7194604/im-not-willing-to-go-canadian-truckers-worry-about-entering-u-s-due-to-coronavirus/
  • 31 States On New York Tri-State Quarantine List https://www.pymnts.com/coronavirus/2020/31-states-on-new-york-tri-state-quarantine-list/

• Treatments, Testing, Triage, and Trials, and things we learned:

  • Coronavirus: 30-year-old Toronto man who spent 8 weeks on ventilator, lost 130 pounds warns others https://globalnews.ca/news/7213956/covid-coronavirus-toronto-young-man-humber-river/
  • How many COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic? Research shows it may be a lot more than thought https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-many-covid-19-infections-are-asymptomatic-research-shows-it-may-be-a-lot-more-than-thought/
  • Can wearables like Fitbit devices be used to help detect COVID-19? https://scienmag.com/can-wearables-like-fitbit-devices-be-used-to-help-detect-covid-19/
  • COVID-19 Regional Safety Assessment covering 20 countries/regions https://analytics.dkv.global/covid-regional-assessment-infographic-summary.pdf
  • World War II's Warsaw Ghetto Holds Lifesaving Lessons for COVID-19 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/world-war-iis-warsaw-ghetto-holds-lifesaving-lessons-for-covid-19/
  • Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial shows promise https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53469839
  • Early results find U.K. coronavirus vaccine ‘safe and induces an immune reaction’ https://globalnews.ca/news/7195979/uk-coronavirus-vaccine/
  • Coronavirus vaccine: UK government signs deals for 90 million doses https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53469269
  • Here’s when experts say Oxford University’s coronavirus vaccine could be ready https://globalnews.ca/news/7198108/coronavirus-oxford-vaccine-trials/
  • Replicating RNA vaccine has robust response in nonhuman primates https://scienmag.com/covid-19-replicating-rna-vaccine-has-robust-response-in-nonhuman-primates/
  • Chinese phase 2 trial finds vaccine is safe and induces an immune response https://scienmag.com/the-lancet-chinese-phase-2-trial-finds-vaccine-is-safe-and-induces-an-immune-response/
  • Canadian-led study to examine antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients as treatment for others https://globalnews.ca/news/7205513/canadian-led-study-covid-19-antibodies/
  • This Promising New COVID-19 Treatment Could Reduce Patient Deaths https://www.sciencealert.com/promising-new-covid-19-treatment-slashed-death-risk-in-randomised-trial
  • New study sheds light on why cats can get COVID-19, but dogs can't https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/covid-19-study-dalhousie-university-cats-dogs-1.5656228
  • Bats Can Survive Carrying Deadly Viruses, And We're Starting to Figure Out How https://www.sciencealert.com/bat-genomes-may-hold-clues-to-their-deadly-virus-resisting-superpowers

• Behaviour - the good, the bad, and the ugly:

  • Kentucky couple on house arrest after refusing to sign coronavirus self-isolation order https://globalnews.ca/news/7196979/house-arrest-coronavirus/
  • Charges laid as more victims come forward after Calgary spitting incidents https://globalnews.ca/news/7198340/calgary-spitting-charges/

• Masks, anti-maskers, and distancing:

  • Scientists Test Which Masks Work Best by Filming People Coughing And Sneezing in Them https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-test-which-face-mask-works-better-by-filming-coughs-and-sneezes
  • American, Southwest say medical exemptions can't be used to avoid masks https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/23/american-southwest-say-medical-exemptions-cant-be-used-to-avoid-masks.html
  • Passengers Clap as Woman Kicked off Flight for Refusing to Wear Face Mask https://www.newsweek.com/american-airlines-face-masks-1519963
  • Facebook suspends anti-mask group for spreading COVID-19 misinformation https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/20/21331060/anti-mask-groups-facebook-misinformation
  • Retailers With Mask Requirements Won’t Turn Away Non-Compliant Shoppers https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2020/retailers-mask-requirements-noncompliant-shoppers/
  • 3 of 4 Americans want masks to be mandatory amid coronavirus pandemic: poll https://globalnews.ca/news/7213040/us-coronavirus-masks-poll/
  • Ontario nurse under investigation over anti-mask, conspiracy theory Facebook posts https://globalnews.ca/news/7210573/ontario-nurse-coronavirus-conspiracy-facebook-posts/

PCI Compliance and Payments

News and announcements relating to Payment Security, PCI, Card Brands, Payments, Payment Malware and Fraud.

• PCI SSC Online events updated https://events.pcisecuritystandards.org/
• No honor among cyber thieves - a look inside Carding Forums https://news.wsu.edu/2020/07/22/no-honor-among-cyber-thieves/
• Crooks have acquired proprietary Diebold software to “jackpot” ATMs https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/crooks-are-using-a-new-way-to-jackpot-atms-made-by-diebold/
• Hackers use recycled backdoor to keep a hold on hacked e-commerce server https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/hackers-use-recycled-backdoor-to-keep-a-hold-on-hacked-ecommerce-server/

Breaches / Ransomware / Leaks

Covering breaches, leaks, data exposures, ransomware (as potential breach), and their fallout.

• New breaches:

  • CouchSurfing investigates data breach after 17m user records appear on hacking forum https://www.zdnet.com/article/couchsurfing-investigates-data-breach-after-17m-user-records-appear-on-hacking-forum
  • Promo.com - new breach - 14,610,585 breached accounts added to HIBP https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites#Promo
  • Dave.com admits to security breach of 7.5M records https://www.zdnet.com/article/tech-unicorn-dave-admits-to-security-breach-impacting-7-5-million-users/
  • Dave - 2,964,182 breached accounts added to HIBP https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites#Dave
  • Canada's Western University 'regrets' ransomware attack and data breach that affected school https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/western-regrets-ransomware-attack-and-data-breach-that-affected-school
  • University of York discloses data breach, staff and student records stolen https://www.zdnet.com/article/university-of-york-discloses-data-breach-staff-and-student-records-stolen/
  • Blackbaud hack: More UK universities confirm breach https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53528329
  • Blackbaud believes your data is safe from further misuse. Do you? https://www.databreaches.net/blackbaud-believes-your-data-is-safe-from-further-misuse-do-you/
  • 278k Instacart customer records reportedly hacked, includes order history https://www.databreaches.net/278k-instacart-customer-records-reportedly-hacked-includes-order-history/
  • Instacart Denies Breach and Blames Reused Passwords For Account Hacks https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2020/instacart-blames-reused-passwords-for-account-hacks/
  • ElasticSearch Leak Exposes Private Data of Family Tree Maker Genealogy Service Users https://threatpost.com/leak-exposes-private-data-of-genealogy-service-users/157612/
  • Website Security Breach Exposes 1 Million DNA Profiles https://www.securityweek.com/website-security-breach-exposes-1-million-dna-profiles
  • Employee charged in 407 ETR data breach involving 60,000 customers https://www.databreaches.net/ca-employee-charged-in-407-etr-data-breach-involving-60000-customers/

• New Ransomware:

  • Garmin services and production go down after ransomware attack https://www.zdnet.com/article/garmin-services-and-production-go-down-after-ransomware-attack/
  • Garmin's outage, ransomware attack response lacking as earnings loom https://www.zdnet.com/article/garmins-outage-ransomware-attack-response-lacking-as-earnings-loom/
  • TX: County judge: Public’s info compromised in REvil cyberattack https://www.databreaches.net/tx-county-judge-publics-info-compromised-in-revil-cyberattack/
  • Argentina’s Largest Telecom Reportedly a Victim to Monero (XMR) Ransomware https://cryptopotato.com/argentinas-largest-telecom-reportedly-a-victim-to-monero-xmr-ransomware/
  • Football club's turnstiles locked out https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-attack-locked-a-football-clubs-turnstiles-almost-leading-to-cancelled-match/

• Follow-ups:

  • NY Charges First American Financial for Massive Data Leak https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/07/ny-charges-first-american-financial-for-massive-data-leak/
  • How BeerAdvocate Learned They'd Been Pwned https://www.troyhunt.com/how-beeradvocate-learned-theyd-been-pwned/
  • FoxRothschild: U.S. States And Territories Data Breach Statutes (Updated) https://www.databreaches.net/foxrothschild-u-s-states-and-territories-data-breach-statutes-updated/
  • Wattpad warns of data breach that stole user info https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/wattpad-data-breach-1.5657724
  • Keizer discloses costs of recovering from recent ransomware attack https://www.databreaches.net/keizer-discloses-costs-of-recovering-from-recent-ransomware-attack/
  • Email Breach Leads to HIPAA Fine for Small Clinic https://www.databreachtoday.com/email-breach-leads-to-hipaa-fine-for-small-clinic-a-14693

Privacy

Articles about privacy related news, risks, and trends.

• COVID-19 Contact tracing and surveillance:

  • How Ireland built its COVID-19 contract tracing app, which is so successful that US states want to use it https://www.businessinsider.com/how-nearform-built-ireland-contract-tracing-app-2020-7
  • UK.gov admits it has not performed legally required data protection checks for COVID-19 tracing system https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/20/uk_test_trace_data_protection/
  • EU the great contact-tracing apps mystery https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53485569
  • Google Virus Apps Give it Way to Access Location Data https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/20/technology/google-virus-app-location.html
  • Feds mum on launch date for contact-tracing app after Ontario pilot delayed https://globalnews.ca/news/7200520/coronavirus-feds-mum-date-contact-tracing-app/
  • National contact tracing app begins beta testing after delay https://globalnews.ca/news/7211187/coronavirus-contact-tracing-app-beta/
  • Contact Tracing, a Key Way to Slow COVID-19, Is Badly Underused by the U.S. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/contact-tracing-a-key-way-to-slow-covid-19-is-badly-underused-by-the-u-s/
• New Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Plaid Violated User Privacy https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2020/new-class-action-lawsuit-alleges-plaid-violated-user-privacy/
• Team with Canadian military intelligence unit data-mined social media accounts of Ontarians during pandemic https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/team-with-canadian-military-intelligence-unit-data-mined-social-media-accounts-of-ontarians-d

Laws & Regulations / Standards

News about laws, regulations, and standards affecting security, privacy,  technology, and public interest.

• White House Tells EPIC to Delete COVID-19 Records, EPIC Declines https://epic.org/2020/07/white-house-tells-epic-to-dele.html
• The PACT Act’s Attempt to Help Internet Users Hold Platforms Accountable Will End Up Hurting Online Speakers https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/pact-acts-attempt-help-internet-users-hold-platforms-accountable-will-end-hurting
• Japan, Britain to protect encryption keys in trade pact, Nikkei says https://ca.reuters.com/article/idCAKCN24Q03N-OCATC
• NIST Announces 3rd Round Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization Candidates https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIST/bulletins/296eed6 and https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/07/update_on_nists.html
• NIST Security Guidelines for Storage Infrastructure: Draft SP 800-209 Available for Comment https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-209/draft
• Canada court rules US 'not safe' for asylum seekers https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53494561
• US immunity 'loophole' closed after Briton's death https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53500449
• EFF to Court: Removal of Open Technology Fund Leadership Is Unlawful https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-court-trump-appointees-removal-open-technology-fund-leadership-unlawfu
• Adversarial Machine Learning and the CFAA https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/07/adversarial_mac_1.html
• U.K. suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong amid security law dispute https://globalnews.ca/news/7196761/britain-extradition-treaty-hong-kong/
• Steve Wozniak sues YouTube over ongoing bitcoin scams https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/23/21335554/steve-wozniak-youtube-lawsuit-bitcoin-scam-cryptocurrency-apple

Defense / Techniques / Solutions

Covering developments and opportunities that may help improve security.

• Experimental Blood Test Detects Cancer up to Four Years before Symptoms Appear https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experimental-blood-test-detects-cancer-up-to-four-years-before-symptoms-appear/
• Microsoft delay killing off TLS 1.0, 1.1 is over https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/20/microsoft_roundup/
• New Security Capabilities Announced for Microsoft 365, Azure https://www.securityweek.com/new-security-capabilities-announced-microsoft-365-azure
• The Ontario Health Data Platform (OHDP) COVID-19 inititive is intended to a balanced tool for fighting COVID that incorporates security and privacy https://computeontario.ca/covid-19-health/about-ohdp/overview/
• Ontario launches intellectual property action plan to keep ideas, innovations in province https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/ontario-intellectual-property-action-plan-1.5653899
• A Staggering 21TB of Source Code Were Just Buried in The Arctic For an Unknown Future https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-21tb-haul-of-source-code-buried-in-arctic-mineshaft-vault-for-an-unknown-future
• ndisasm (disassembler)update 2.15 https://isc.sans.edu/diary/rss/26388
• US Just Unveiled Its Blueprint For a "Virtually Unhackable" Quantum Internet https://www.sciencealert.com/us-begins-planning-for-a-virtually-unhackable-internet-using-quantum-computing
• Thinking of a Cybersecurity Career? Read This https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/07/thinking-of-a-cybersecurity-career-read-this/
• Fawkes protects your identity from facial recognition systems, pixel by pixel https://www.zdnet.com/article/pixel-by-pixel-fawkes-tries-to-protect-your-identity-from-facial-recognition-tools

Bugs / Design Flaws / Vulnerabilities / Research

Articles about newly discovered vulnerabilities and research.

• BadPower attack corrupts fast chargers to melt or set your device on fire https://www.zdnet.com/article/badpower-attack-corrupts-fast-chargers-to-melt-or-set-your-device-on-fire/
• Schneier on BadPower https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/07/hacking_a_power.html
• New 'Shadow Attack' can replace content in digitally signed PDF files https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-shadow-attack-can-replace-content-in-digitally-signed-pdf-files/
• Academics smuggle 234 policy-violating skills on the Alexa Skills Store https://www.zdnet.com/article/academics-smuggle-234-policy-violating-skills-on-the-alexa-skills-store/
• Exposure Alert: Unsecured Internet Protocol Use Persists https://www.databreachtoday.com/exposure-alert-unsecured-internet-protocol-use-persists-a-14657
• Adobe issues emergency fixes for critical vulnerabilities in Photoshop, Bridge, Prelude https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-issues-emergency-fixes-for-vulnerabilities-in-photoshop-prelude
• Cisco Network Security Flaw in ASA & FTD Leaks Sensitive Data https://threatpost.com/network-security-cisco-flaw-leaks-sensitive-data/157691/
• PoC Released for Critical Vulnerability Exposing SharePoint Servers to Attacks https://www.securityweek.com/poc-released-critical-vulnerability-exposing-sharepoint-servers-attacks
• Researchers Reveal New Severity 7.5 Security Flaw Affecting China's DJI Drones https://thehackernews.com/2020/07/dji-drone-hacking_24.html
• MMS Exploit: Effective Fuzzing of the Qmage Codec https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/2020/07/mms-exploit-part-1-introduction-to-qmage.html and https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/2020/07/mms-exploit-part-2-effective-fuzzing-qmage.html
• TikTok under scrutiny in Australia over security, data concerns https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/tiktok-australia-security-data-1.5655786
• Doublicat: New app lets you put your face on GIFs - but is it safe? https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/doublicat-gif-safe-app-deep-fake-celebrities-a9628906.html
• Pakistan bans one Chinese app and gives TikTok a final warning to clean up its act https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/22/pakistan_bans_bigo_warns_tiktok/
• Malicious ‘Blur’ Photo App Campaign Discovered on Google Play https://threatpost.com/malicious-photo-app-campaign-google-play/157712/

Hacking / Malware / Cybercrime / Exploitation

News covering active trends and events.

• A vigilante is sabotaging the Emotet botnet by replacing malware payloads with GIFs https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-vigilante-is-sabotaging-the-emotet-botnet-by-replacing-malware-payloads-with-gifs/
• Twilio: Someone waltzed into our unsecured AWS S3 silo, added dodgy code to our JavaScript SDK for customers https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/21/twilio_javascript_sdk_code_injection/
• DeepSource Says Hackers Compromised Its GitHub Application https://www.securityweek.com/deepsource-says-hackers-compromised-its-github-application
• Ongoing Meow attack has nuked >1,000 databases without telling anyone why https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/more-than-1000-databases-have-been-nuked-by-mystery-meow-attack/
• Copy-Paste Compromises: Threat Actors Target Telerik UI, Citrix, and SharePoint Vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-18935) https://www.tenable.com/blog/copy-paste-compromises-threat-actors-target-telerik-ui-citrix-sharepoint-cve-2019-18935
• Amazon ‘brushing’ scam arrives on Calgary doorsteps https://globalnews.ca/news/7210846/amazon-brushing-scam-in-calgary/
• Russia’s GRU hackers hit US government and energy targets https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/russias-gru-hackers-hit-us-government-and-energy-targets/
• DOJ: Chinese Hackers Targeted COVID-19 Vaccine Research https://www.databreachtoday.com/doj-chinese-hackers-targeted-covid-19-vaccine-research-a-14670
• Bad: US govt says Chinese duo hacked, stole blueprints from just about everyone. Also bad: They extorted cash https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/21/feds_charge_chinese_hackers/ and https://thehackernews.com/2020/07/chinese-hackers-covid19.html
• US Takes Down $25 Million Unlicensed Bitcoin ATM Operation, Seizes 17 Machines https://news.bitcoin.com/us-25-million-bitcoin-atm-operation-seizes-17-machines/
• Chinese fugitive taken into custody as US claims Houston consulate was a part of espionage network https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/politics/us-china-consulate-accuse-espionage-network/index.html
• Going Down the Spyware Rabbit Hole with SilkBean Mobile Malware https://threatpost.com/going-down-the-spyware-rabbit-hole-with-silkbean-mobile-malware/157619/
• Lazarus Group Surfaces with Advanced Malware Framework https://threatpost.com/lazarus-group-advanced-malware-framework/157636/
• US Offers $2mn Bounty for Ukrainian SEC Hackers https://www.securityweek.com/us-offers-2mn-bounty-ukrainian-sec-hackers
• FBI warns US companies about recent discovery of backdoors in China's mandated tax software https://www.zdnet.com/article/fbi-warns-us-companies-about-backdoors-in-chinese-tax-software/
• NSA Urgently Warns on Industrial Cyberattacks, Triconex Critical Bug https://threatpost.com/nsa-urgent-warning-industrial-cyberattacks-triconex/157723/
• Raytheon techie who took home radar secrets gets 18 months in the clink in surprise time fraud probe twist https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/24/raytheon_techie_jailed/

Other Security / Risk

Articles covering other types of risks.

• COVID-19 Other risks and impact:

  • Nearly 16,000 restaurants have permanently closed https://www.businessinsider.com/yelp-report-60-of-restaurant-closures-permanent-more-will-close-2020-7
  • The federal ban on evictions ends today, leaving nearly 28 million Americans Vulnerable https://www.businessinsider.com/millions-could-lose-homes-as-federal-eviction-ban-ends-2020-7
  • Jobless Claims Rise To 1.4M After 15 Straight Weeks Of Declines https://www.pymnts.com/economy/2020/jobless-claims-rise-to-1-4m-after-15-straight-weeks-of-declines/
  • More Americans eye move to Canada as COVID-19 cases surge in U.S https://globalnews.ca/news/7195561/americans-immigration-canada-coronavirus/
  • Nearly half-billion in CERB cheques went to Canadians that weren’t eligible https://torontosun.com/news/national/nearly-half-billion-in-cerb-cheques-went-to-canadians-that-werent-eligible
  • Study estimates impact of COVID-19 pandemic on UK mental health after first month of lockdown https://scienmag.com/the-lancet-psychiatry-study-estimates-impact-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-uk-mental-health-after-first-month-of-lockdown/
  • Microsoft told employees to work from home. One consequence was brutal https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-told-employees-to-work-from-home-one-consequence-was-brutal/
  • Preventing the next pandemic https://scienmag.com/preventing-the-next-pandemic/
  • Lone Star ticks with Heartland virus in Illinois - COVID confusion https://scienmag.com/lone-star-ticks-in-illinois-can-carry-transmit-heartland-virus/
• Top 5 Biases in Data Science to Know for Model’s Accuracy (wider application to risk analysis) https://www.analyticsinsight.net/top-5-biases-data-science/
• The AI InfoSec Barrier https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/the-infosec-barrier-to-ai/a/d-id/1338401
• Facebook will study whether its algorithms are racially biased https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/21/21333405/facebook-instagram-racial-bias-equity-team-formed-ai-algorithms
• Facebook is simulating users’ bad behavior using AI https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/23/21333854/facebook-ai-simulation-bad-behavior-ww-web-base-simulator
• What SMBs Risk When They let Supply Chain Threats Linger https://www.pymnts.com/news/b2b-payments/2020/crossword-cybersecurity-third-party-risk/
• Most Canadians want social media companies to do more about racism, hate online: Ipsos https://globalnews.ca/news/7193541/social-media-racism-canada/
• Twitter announces broad crackdown on QAnon accounts and content https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/21/twitter-broad-crackdown-qanon-accounts-content
• Getting rid of QAnon won’t be as easy as Twitter might think https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/7/23/21334255/twitter-qanon-ban-facebook-policy-enforcement-political-candidates
• Russia report: Long-awaited publication to detail threat to UK https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53480682
• Chinese consulate in Houston ordered to close by US https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53497193
• Microsoft's Remote Web Access feature is down for small-business users working from home https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-remote-web-access-feature-is-down-for-small-business-users-working-from-home/
• The South Atlantic Anomaly May Go Back Far Longer Than Anybody Knew https://www.sciencealert.com/the-mysterious-magnetic-anomaly-in-the-south-atlantic-existed-millions-of-years-ago
• A researcher created a 'Weird A.I. Yancovic' algorithm that generates parodies of existing songs, and now the record industry is accusing him of copyright violations https://www.businessinsider.com/weird-ai-yancovic-algorithm-parody-song-fair-use-2020-7
• Calgary Police urge drivers not to park under overpasses during storms https://globalnews.ca/news/7215603/calgary-police-urge-drivers-not-to-park-in-overpasses/
• Some U.S. police forces are experimenting with putting cameras on their guns https://globalnews.ca/news/7205532/us-police-cameras-guns/
• Russia just tested satellite-destroying tech in space https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/23/21335506/russia-anti-satellite-weapon-test-kosmos-2543
• The November Election Is Going to Be a Mess https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/november-election-going-be-mess/614296/
• France To Outlaw Huawei 5G Equipment Within 8 Years https://www.pymnts.com/mobile/2020/france-to-outlaw-huawei-5g-equipment-within-8-years/
• German Naval Enigma 4 Rotor Machine Sells for $437K https://www.zdnet.com/article/rare-and-hardest-to-crack-enigma-code-machine-sells-for-437000/

Off-Topic / Science & Tech / Lighter Side

A variety of scientific, technical, historical, and more light-hearted news.

• Chocolate is good for the heart https://scienmag.com/chocolate-is-good-for-the-heart/
• Chemists make tough plastics recyclable https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chemists-tough-plastics-recyclable.html
• Solar-driven membrane distillation technology that can double drinking water production https://scienmag.com/solar-driven-membrane-distillation-technology-that-can-double-drinking-water-production/
• Speaker System Blocks City Noise https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/speaker-system-blocks-city-noise/
• Sony's Wearable Air Conditioner Will Keep You Cool in Any Weather https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/626857/sony-reon-pocket-wearable-air-conditioner
• Junk DNA might be really, really useful for biocomputing https://scienmag.com/junk-dna-might-be-really-really-useful-for-biocomputing/
• Researchers Embark to Explore Mysterious 'Blue Hole' Hidden Off The Coast of Florida https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-embark-to-explore-mysterious-blue-hole-hidden-off-the-coast-of-florida
• "Lassie, point north." New Study Shows Dogs Can Use Earth's Magnetic Field to Navigate https://www.sciencealert.com/we-just-got-the-first-evidence-that-dogs-use-earth-s-magnetic-field-to-find-their-way-home
• Mount Everest, Seen from Space! https://www.universetoday.com/147074/mount-everest-seen-from-space/
• Amusing Twitter feud Microsoft cruelly mocked by, oh, Velveeta cheese https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-cruelly-mocked-by-oh-velveeta-cheese/
• AI Weirdness - Choose Your Quarantine House https://aiweirdness.com/post/624445709546029056
• Recently active volcanic structures found on Venus https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/volcanic-structures-venus-1.5657074
• UAE's Amal spacecraft rockets toward Mars in Arab world 1st https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/mars-spacecraft-united-arab-emirates-amal-1.5655657
• They’re In! The First Images From ESA’s Solar Orbiter https://www.universetoday.com/147111/theyre-in-the-first-images-from-esas-solar-orbiter/
• Astronomers Reveal First-Ever Direct Image of Planets Around a Sun-Like Star https://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-the-first-ever-direct-image-of-a-multi-planet-system-around-a-sun-like-star
• Astronomers are Starting to Find Planets in Much Longer Orbits. Cooler, More Habitable Planets https://www.universetoday.com/147135/astronomers-are-starting-to-find-planets-in-much-longer-orbits-cooler-more-habitable-planets/
• Did Betelgeuse eat another star? https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/did-betelgeuse-eat-another-star
• "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" anyone - APOD: 2020 July 21 - Iron in the Butterfly Nebula https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200721.html
• 76 years ago, the first jet fighter changed aerial combat forever https://www.businessinsider.com/nazi-germany-me-262-jet-fighter-changed-aerial-combat-2020-7