The KnowledgeFlow Newsletter – 7th Ed.
Hand-picked headlines from KnowledgeFlow’s dedicated cybersafety curators.
Top Story
GLOBAL NEWS: Rideau Hall Internal Cyber Network Hit by ‘Breach’ – Effects Unclear
The Governor General’s office at Rideau Hall confirms that there has been a breach of the internal networks at their office, but the actual impact is thus far unclear. The statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General said there had been “an unauthorized access to its internal network.” The nature and scope of the breach are still unclear, and the OSGG is working with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to investigate the incident.
Ransomware
WE LIVE SECURITY: What to Do if You Receive a Data Breach Notice
Cyberattacks and data breaches have become more and more common over the past few years. While you may hope that you will never be the victim, it’s possible that you will be, and it’s best to be prepared in case it happens. Here is a rundown of some of the steps you should take when you receive the notice that you’ve been the victim of a data breach.
Smart Home Devices
SLATE: How Big Tech Turns Privacy Laws Into Privacy Theatre
How do Big Tech companies actually approach privacy? According to Ari Ezra Waldman, lawyer and researcher, privacy compliance is generally completed to the bare minimum and privacy impact assessments are considered as mere checkboxes. The phrase “Your privacy is important” gets thrown around a lot, but tech companies systematically co-opt both their employees and the law so that everything serves their data extractive needs.
Phone Security
THE VERGE: Qualcomm’s New Always-On Smartphone Camera is a Potential Privacy Nightmare
The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip from Qualcomm Technologies, set to be in many top-shelf Android phones next year, will introduce an always-on camera function. This function has some new use cases, such as being able to instantly lock your phone when not pointed toward your face, but there is a danger that this new technology could create privacy problems.
Cyber Crime
GLOBAL NEWS: ‘Epidemic of Cybercrime’ Underway in Midst of Pandemic: Security Expert
According to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in cyber threats, many directed toward healthcare and medical research facilities. In June, Toronto’s Humber River Hospital suffered a ransomware attack that briefly disabled services, and recently Newfoundland and Labrador’s health system was attacked. Experts argue that this is an ongoing epidemic that could continue to get worse.
