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Weekly Axis Of Easy #222

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Last Week’s Quote was “Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.”  was Charles de Gaulle, no one got it.

This Week’s Quote:  “Some of the most vocal critics of the way things are being done are people who have done nothing themselves, and whose only contributions to society are their complaints and moral exhibitionism.”  …by???

THE RULES: No searching up the answer, must be posted to the blog – the place to post the answer is at the bottom of the post, in the comments section.

The Prize: First person to post the correct answer gets their next domain or hosting renewal on us.

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In this issue:

• Apple sued NSO Group to prevent further spyware attacks on its users
• Meta delays encryption plans for Facebook and Instagram until 2023
• Microsoft Edge’s “buy now, pay later” feature comes with controversy
• Israel reduced its official cyber export list from 102 to 37 countries after excluding autocratic regimes
• Jack Dorsey resigns as Twitter CEO “effective immediately” 

Elsewhere online 

• New UK Law bans default passwords to improve people’s homes security
• Data security concerns prompt Beijing’s pressure on Didi to delist from the U.S
• Ransomware: Industrialized cybercrime is the new normal in 2021
• European countries agree on new rules to limit US tech companies’ power
• A joint cyber security advisory from the US, UK, and Australian agencies warn of attacks targeted at critical infrastructure by Iranian APT groups
  

Apple sued NSO Group to prevent further spyware attacks on its users

Apple has filed a lawsuit against NSO Group to hold it accountable for targeting Apple users with Pegasus spyware. The company wants to prohibit NSO Group from using any Apple software, service, or device in the complaint.

Attacks by the NSO Group target a small number of users across various platforms, including iOS and Android. This spyware has historically targeted researchers, journalists, activists, and academics.
Director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, Ron Deibert, explained that “mercenary spyware firms such as NSO Group have facilitated some of the worst human rights abuses and acts of transnational repression at the same time as they enrich themselves and their investors.”

As part of Apple’s commitment to strengthening efforts like these, the company contributes $10 million to organizations involved in cyber-surveillance research and advocacy.

Read: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/11/apple-sues-nso-group-to-curb-the-abuse-of-state-sponsored-spyware/


Meta delays encryption plans for Facebook and Instagram until 2023

The parent company of Facebook, Meta, has recently announced that it will delay releasing end-to-end encryption features on its app until 2023.

The move comes after child protection groups and politicians raised concerns that the feature could interfere with police investigations of child abuse.
Through encryption, only the sender and recipient of a message can see the text. Law enforcement and the company are not able to see the message. Only a physically unlocked device can be used to read them.

As a default, the technology is only used by Meta’s popular messaging app WhatsApp, also owned by the company.

Read: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59373959


Microsoft Edge’s “buy now, pay later” feature comes with controversy

Amid some controversy, Microsoft pushed ahead with its new “buy now, pay later” e-commerce feature integrated into Edge, which provides the quality through a partnership with Zip, an external payment provider.

The service is similar to those already being offered, such as PayPal. When checking out, it appears as an alternative to a credit or debit card number. Microsoft accounts and Zip accounts can be linked to make the purchasing process more convenient.
Using this option, users can split purchases between $35 and $1,000 into four payments over six weeks. It has, however, brought to attention their displeasure that all transactions are subject to a “$4 flat fee” despite being advertised as “interest-free.”

Read: https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/microsoft-pushes-ahead-with-controversial-buy-now-pay-later-feature-for-edge-browser


Israel reduced its official cyber export list from 102 to 37 countries after excluding autocratic regimes

Israeli authorities have reduced the number of countries where security firms may sell surveillance and hacking tools from 102 to 37.
On the new list that doesn’t include autocratic regimes to which Israeli companies frequently supplied tools, only democracies like these are included:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.
Israel-based companies like the NSO Group have been implicated in human rights abuses in countries that monitor activists, journalists, dissidents, and political rivals using their spyware tools.

Read: https://therecord.media/israel-restricts-cyberweapons-export-list-by-two-thirds-from-102-to-37-countries/


Jack Dorsey resigns as Twitter CEO “effective immediately”

In a surprising move, Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey resigned Monday morning, “effective immediately” and was replaced by now ex Twitter CTO, Parag Agrawal.

When I read “effective immediately” I get a clear picture of someone being walked out by security after being told their personal belongings will be mailed to their current address on file.

Read: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1465347002426867720


Elsewhere online: 


New UK Law bans default passwords to improve people’s homes security

Read: https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/new-uk-iot-law-means-huge-fines-and-a-ban-on-default-passwords/?web_view=true


Data security concerns prompt Beijing’s pressure on Didi to delist from the U.S

Read: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-asks-didi-delist-us-security-fears-bloomberg-news-2021-11-26/


Ransomware: Industrialized cybercrime is the new normal in 2021

Read: https://www.thefastmode.com/services-and-innovations/21561-ransomware-trends-2021-industrialized-cybercrime-is-the-new-normal


European countries agree on new rules to limit US tech companies’ power

Read: https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/eu-countries-agree-on-common-stance-on-new-rules-for-us-tech-giants-1.4738810


A joint cyber security advisory from the US, UK, and Australian agencies warn of attacks targeted at critical infrastructure by Iranian APT groups

Read: https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/us-uk-and-australian-agencies-issue-joint-cybersecurity-advisory-on-iranian-apt-groups-targeting-critical-infrastructure/