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Apple explains how it alerts targets of state-sponsored spyware attacks
Apple has detailed how it will notify targets of state-sponsored spyware attacks.
Twitter bans thousands of state-backed accounts spreading misinformation
Twitter has suspended thousands of accounts linked with state-backed misinformation campaigns. In a transparency report shared today, Twitter says it removed 4,248 accounts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 273 accounts from the UAE and Egypt, 1,019 accounts based in Ecuador, 265 accounts from Spain and six accounts from Saudi Arabia. It also released more data on 4,301 of the 200,000 accounts from China and Hong Kong that were suspended for stoking unrest around the Hong Kong protests.
Microsoft will warn users targeted by government hackers (update)
Microsoft promises to notify its users if it believes that the government's targeting their account. In its announcement post, the company says it already notifies subscribers if an unauthorized person's trying to access their Outlook email and OneDrive. But from now on, it will also specify if it suspects the attacker is sponsored by a government.Microsoft VP Scott Charney writes:We're taking this additional step of specifically letting you know if we have evidence that the attacker may be "state-sponsored" because it is likely that the attack could be more sophisticated or more sustained than attacks from cybercriminals and others. These notifications do not mean that Microsoft's own systems have in any way been compromised.
Twitter warns users targeted by state-sponsored attacks
Facebook and Google already warn you if they think you're the victim of a state-sponsored cyberattack, and now Twitter is joining the fray. The social network recently alerted some users that that they "may have been targeted" by government attackers trying to get email addresses, network connections and phone numbers. Twitter doesn't think the intruders got any account info, but it's offering suggestions (including using Tor) to anyone worried their personal info is out in the wild.
Google starts warning affected users about state-sponsored cyber attacks
The fallout from malware like Stuxnet and Flame might soon be rearing its head at a Google Plus page or Gmail inbox near you. A post on its online security blog states that Google will now issue warnings in the form of a strip placed just below the upper menu bar to users being targeted by suspected state-sponsored cyber attacks. Google stressed that such warnings don't mean that its systems have been compromised but it does make it highly likely that the recipient may be the target of state-sponsored phishing or malware. How exactly does Google know this to be the case? The company declined to offer specifics, only saying that data from victim reports and its own analysis strongly point toward the involvement of states or state-sponsored groups. Google also didn't mention how often it sees such malicious activity, though coverage of Stuxnet and Flame certainly has put a spotlight on cyber warfare involving nations. In the meantime, feel free to hit the source link below for Google's tips on how to secure your account.
