A tech company known for keeping websites with extreme content online was bought by a secretive company, Registered Agents Inc., which may provide its customers with another layer of anonymity. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is developing a feature to allow users to message across apps while maintaining end-to-end encryption. A false story about cybercriminals infecting 3 million internet-connected toothbrushes with malware was debunked by cybersecurity professionals. Finally, the US FBI, NSA, and CISA warned that China’s hacker group Volt Typhoon had maintained access to some US critical infrastructure networks for up to five years.
Key takeaways:
- AI surveillance software has been used to track thousands of people on the London Underground to detect crime and unsafe situations, but the trial has had errors such as misidentifying children as fare evaders.
- Ransomware payments in 2023 reached over $1.1 billion, the highest annual total ever recorded, due to the high number of ransomware attacks and the large sums demanded by hackers.
- WhatsApp is developing a feature to allow its users to message across apps while maintaining secure end-to-end encryption, potentially allowing users to chat with people on WhatsApp using apps like Signal or Telegram.
- The US Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have warned that China’s hacker group known as Volt Typhoon has maintained access to some US critical infrastructure networks for up to half a decade.