Cybersecurity & datasec news
January, February & March 2021
The cybersecurity news headlines featured below each link to the cybersec, datasec or privacy-related article, report or download associated with it. Headlines listed were reported in January, February and March of 2021 and deliver an overview primarily of Asia’s cybersecurity news headlines, but also include ‘outside world’ cybersec news for additional points of reference.
The Startup News Asia Q1 2021 cybersecurity news collection draws news from across 17 main locations across South & SE Asia, including Australia and NZ, with the aim of providing an at-a-glance overview of developments and issues in cybersec and cybercrime. We collect cybersecurity news for the Q1 cybersec news round-up with a ‘wide angle’ view, covering implementations and initiatives rather than zeroing in on impacts on a single industry.
Click on any of the cybersecurity news headlines below and you’ll go directly to the free-to-read online article behind them – no middleman service, no interstitial ads, no time wasted.
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- ICYMI: ‘Darknet Cybercrime Threats to Southeast Asia’ report released by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- “If central bank digital cash is to rapidly replace banknotes, a shadow economy worth trillions of dollars may creep deeper into the darkness.”
- “Rather than relying on lone hackers…today’s cybercriminals function as part of a kind of cooperative shadow industry that rewards innovation and reputation.”
- Agritech: “Net- and IoT-connected agriculture could help feed 8.5BN by 2030 – but also may be broadly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.”
- Cybersecurity: Trend Micro Cloud App Security Threat Report 2020 now online
- Download: The Accenture 2020 Cyber Threatscape Report, looking at 5 key factors expected to influence the cyber landscape into the future (pdf)
- Cybersec: Brave browser found to leak addresses in DNS server logs, regardless of Tor mode
- Cybersecurity: 2020 Vulnerability Intelligence Report from Rapid7, looking at 50 vulnerabilities from the year past
- Cybersecurity: Highlights from the 2021 Unit 42 Ransomware Threat Report
- Cybersecurity: Users of NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway report that hackers stole digital artwork worth thousands of dollars from their accounts
- Cybersecurity: Google launches Open Source Vulnerabilities, a way for users of open source software to find out which vulnerabilities impact them
- ICYMI: European Union Agency for Cybersecurity report highlights AI security risks for autonomous cars
- Download: Principles for Board Governance of Cyber Risk available now, produced by the World Economic Forum
- Cybersecurity: Microsoft adds nation-state attack alerts to Defender for Office 365 dashboard, enabling firms to take quicker action in the event of a hack attempt
- ICYMI: INTERPOL releases report charting the top cyberthreats in Southeast Asia
- ICYMI: Credit card hacking forum Carding Mafia reportedly gets hacked, exposing account details of 300K hackers
- Cybersecurity: Malicious Firefox browser extension found to be targeting Tibetan organizations globally, aiming for GMail account access
- Download: eset Cybersecurity Trends 2021 (pdf)
- Black Hat Asia 2021 online conference set for May 4-7, delivering technical skill-building sessions alongside briefings on the latest infosec risks and trends
- ICYMI: Some Intel 11th Gen processors will be able to detect ransomware attacks at the hardware level, layers below antivirus software’s ability
- Download: Weaponizing Digital Trade – Creating a Digital Trade Zone to Promote Online Freedom and Cybersecurity, via Council on Foreign Relations (pdf)
- ICYMI: Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla ban Kazakhstan government browser certificate used to intercept and decrypt citizenry’s internet use, for the second time
- ICYMI: Near 100 vulnerabilities found in Hikvision firmware, listed in new report from Lithuanian gov’t, finding more in newer versions than in older versions
- Cybercrime: A list of connections charting how cybercrime groups cooperate with each other, pulled together by CrowdStrike
- Download: Threat Insights Report Q4 2020, from HP and Bromium, looking at malware trends and emerging cyber threats (pdf)
- ICYMI: COVID-19 Concerns For Cybersecurity
- “…it’s not just diplomats or central governments who are responsible for cyber defense. Cities, the private sector and individuals have to step in as well.”
- ICYMI: Google to partner global insurers Allianz and Munich Re to cover cyber breaches and related risks for businesses using Google Cloud services
- Cybersecurity and datasec: “If IoT devices are being cyber-certified, why aren’t mobile applications?”
- Download: 2021 Cyber Threat Trends Outlook, from Booz Allen Hamilton (pdf), covering 5G, AI, the cloud and more
- Download: The Cyber Forecast 2021 from CTM360, focusing on 9 major cybersecurity threats predicted for the year (pdf)
- Download: Cyber Risk Index from Nord VPN – 50 countries ranked in terms of vulnerability to cybercrime
- The line between browsers and password managers continues to blur, with Microsoft rolling out new password generator, and Google beefing up existing manager
- Download: Data Security and Privacy Predictions for 2021 – 6 Issues to Watch (pdf)
- Download: Digital Fraud Trends Report 2021, from DataVisor (pdf)
- Microsoft’s take on 2020 in terms of passwordless technology, and what to expect from the growing field in 2021
- A 2-page round-up of recent data security and cybersec news and info items, linked from PDF for online reading and QR coded for reading from print
- ICYMI: UN report finds North Korean hackers stole over $300M in 2020, targeting virtual currency-exchanges and global financial institutions
- Download: Cybersecurity Challenges In The Uptake Of Artificial Intelligence In Autonomous Driving (pdf)
- Download: Cybersecurity Challenges In The Uptake Of Artificial Intelligence In Autonomous Driving
- Cybercrime & cybersec: “Ransomware was the biggest threat, making up 40% of all attacks in India” with Asia Pacific region experiencing 25% of global attacks
- Cyber Security Agency of Singapore to launch SG Cyber Safe Programme to help Singapore’s enterprises raise their cybersecurity posture
- “At least 6 major Chinese universities with…connections to gov’t-backed hacking groups have been conducting research on the intersection of cybersecurity and machine learning.”
- Australia: Supplier of one of Northern Territory Government’s cloud-based IT systems hit by ransomware attack, forcing the system offline for 3 weeks
- Australia: NSW Cyber Security Standards Harmonisation Taskforce releases report and recommendations, urging Australia-wide adoption of global standards
- Australia: AustCyber to merge with Stone and Chalk in bid to boost Australia’s domestic industrial capability in critical and emerging technologies
- Australia: $26.5M Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Fund to provide industry and education with funding to improve quality or availability of cyber security professionals
- Download: Australia’s International Cyber Engagement Strategy, covering digital trade, cybercrime, human rights, democracy and more
- Download: Data Security and Privacy Predictions for 2021 – 6 Issues to Watch (pdf)
- Microsoft’s take on 2020 in terms of passwordless technology, and what to expect from the growing field in 2021
- A 2-page round-up of recent data security and cybersec news and info items, linked from PDF for online reading and QR coded for reading from print
- With online-gaming set to reach near $200BN in revenue by 2022, the industry has become a lucrative target for cyber criminals
- India: Researchers testing 30 mobile health apps for clinicians found all had vulnerable APIs, potentially leaving 23M app users vulnerable
- India: Ministry of Road Transport advises associated bodies and auto makers to boost IT security systems in response to possible cyber attacks targeting the transport sector
- Japan: Gov’t and increasing number of local bodies halt use of Line messaging app following data breach making user personal data accessible
- Malaysian Armed Forces establishes Cyber Warfare Signals Regiment to strengthen capacity and preparedness around cybersecurity challenges and cyber threats
- ICYMI: The Malwarebytes Labs 2020 State of Malware Report, available to download
- New Zealand: Third-party data systems used by Reserve Bank of New Zealand breached, potentially exposing commercially and personally sensitive information
- New Zealand: “…[in Q3 2020] 281 Kiwis business reported cyber security breaches and many others are likely to have suffered the same fate, without reporting it”
- Singapore: CyberTech Asia 2021 Conference set for July 21-23
- Taiwan: “Faced with cyberthreats and related challenges, Taiwan has actively promoted policies built around the concept that information security is national security.”
- Taiwan: Gov’t to establish ministry of digital development in 2022 to drive digital transformation, boost digital economy and improve info and communications security
- Cisco Taiwan establishes its first Asia Pacific DevNet center at Startup Terrace to provide information security training and talent incubation
- Australian Securities and Investment Commission server compromised due to use of same software that recently exposed NZ’s central bank
- Microsoft to launch public preview of Azure Active Directory verifiable credentials platform, digital wallet-like platform for identifiers – transcripts, diplomas, professional credentials
- “These laws compel…businesses and citizens…academic institutions, research service providers and investors…to support and facilitate…gov’t access to collection, transmission and storage of data”
- ICYMI: Lithuanian gov’t blocks contract with China’s Nuctech for baggage X-ray scanning at 3 main airports, saying data will become available to Chinese intelligence services
- India: Facial recognition systems installed in gov’t-funded schools in Delhi, raising children’s privacy concerns amid lack of regulation around data collection and use
- India: Procurement rules set for June likely to block the country’s mobile carriers from using equipment made by Huawei, citing national security concerns
- ICYMI: PayPal continues moves into crypto space with acquisition deal for Curv cryptocurrency security storage startup
- China’s National Internet Information Office and Indonesia’s National Cyber and Cryptographic Bureau ink MoU on cybersecurity capacity building and technical cooperation
- ICYMI: Singtel telco giant suffered a set of coordinated, wide-ranging cyber-attacks using unpatched security bugs in Accellion legacy file-transfer platform
- China: Ant Group, digital payments arm of Alibaba, to sell EyeVerify, US-based biometric security firm, due to tightening scrutiny over US user data
- TikTok reportedly planning major e-commerce push into the US to take on Facebook, adding live-streamed shopping, mobile TV shopping channels and more
- China: Government proposes establishing a joint venture with domestic tech giants to oversee data collected from hundreds of millions of consumers, led by central bank
- ICYMI: UK gov’t outlines trust framework and first-stage policy paper around proposed digital identity system
- ICYMI: PrivacyTools, a repository of services, tools and knowledge helping you protect your privacy in the face of tech-driven surveillance
- China: US gov’t adds 9 companies to investment blacklist, including Xiaomi smartphone giant, citing activities as a ‘Communist Chinese military company’
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