en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
Global Law Enforcement Win: Germany Shuts Down Hydra and U.S. Department of Treasury Follows With Sanctions
By Linn Foster Freedman on April 7, 2022
In a win for global law enforcement, Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) announced on April 5, 2022, that it had officially taken down the infrastructure of Hydra, a Russian-based, illegal dark-web marketplace that has allegedly facilitated more than $5 billion in Bitcoin transactions since its inception in 2015. In the process of shutting it down, German authorities…
Vicious Kronos Variant Osiris Malware Recently Released and Proving Dangerous
By Linn Foster Freedman on September 13, 2018
We all remember Kronos—the malicious malware that was sold by Russian underground forums in 2014 for $7,000. If you bought it, you were promised updates and development of new modules.
The Kronos developers recently released a new update (dubbed Osiris), which is presently attacking individuals in Germany, Japan, and Poland, with the U.S. in the…
Privacy Tip #122 – What’s Up with WhatsApp’s Security Flaws?
By Linn Foster Freedman on January 18, 2018
WhatsApp has been applauded for adding end-to-end encryption on its platform to secure conversations of its users two years ago. But encryption has its challenges, despite its security posture.
Recently, a team of German cryptographers found flaws in WhatsApp that they say makes it easier for unauthorized individuals to access group chats. They also found…
US-CERT Warns of New Ransomware: Bad Rabbit
By Linn Foster Freedman on November 2, 2017
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)is warning companies in the U.S. about a new ransomware dubbed “Bad Rabbit.” US-CERT stated that it has received multiple reports of infections by Bad Rabbit in countries around the world.
According to security researchers, Bad Rabbit poses as an Adobe update and when the user clicks on the…
EU-Japan’s Major Trade Pact Includes Agreement to Review Restrictions on Personal Data Flows Between The European Union and Japan
By Kathleen Porter on July 27, 2017
Posted in International Privacy Laws, Websites
Japan and the European Union announced an agreement in principle on major components of a substantial free trade deal on the eve of the recent G20 summit in Hamburg. This free trade deal rivals NAFTA in scope and impact, as it will impact 40 percent of the world’s trade. Once finalized, this free trade pact…
WhatsApp Security Flaw, Lawsuit in Germany
By Kathleen Porter on February 2, 2017
Posted in Data Security
Tobias Boelter, a University of California Berkeley cryptography researcher claims that last year he found a security flaw in WhatsApp’s encrypted smart phone messaging application. The flaw, which relates to the unique security keys exchanged between WhatsApp users, is reported to allow third parties, including governments, to intercept messages in transit.
Mr. Boelter informed Facebook,…
Additional Olympians’ Medical Records Hacked by Fancy Bear
By Linn Foster Freedman on September 29, 2016
We previously reported that several U.S. Olympians’ medical records were posted online by the Russian hacking group Fancy Bear [view related post].
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that the medical records of 25 more Olympic athletes have been accessed and released online. These athletes are from 8 countries, including 10 from the…
New Report finds Executives “placing their heads in the sand” on cybersecurity
By Linn Foster Freedman on April 14, 2016
A new report commissioned by Tanium and Nasdaq finds that 90% of corporate executives admit that they can’t read a cybersecurity report and up to 40% of corporate executives do not feel personally responsible for cybersecurity for their organization. The report was the culmination of a survey of 1,530 nonexecutive directors and C-Suite executives in…
Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca faces leak of 11 million documents exposing thousands of clients
By Kathleen Porter on April 7, 2016
Posted in Data Breach
In late 2014, an anonymous source secretly leaked to a German newspaper reporter nearly four decades of confidential and proprietary data about shell companies registered by the multinational Panamian based law firm Mossack Fonseca.
The German newspaper contacted the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) who assembled more than 100 other international news outlets, including…
Volkswagen refuses to share emails with the U.S. Investigators, citing privacy concerns
By Kathleen Porter on January 14, 2016
Posted in Enforcement + Litigation
German auto manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) is reportedly using German privacy laws to resist turning over its top executives’ internal corporate emails and other communication materials to United States attorneys general and U.S. Justice Department officials investigating the company’s excess emissions scandal.
VW’s position is not surprising. It is well known that Germany’s data privacy laws…
Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Insider
Follow us on Twitter Follow Us on Facebook View Our Linkedin Profile RSS
Robinson+Cole is a law firm serving regional, national and global clients from nine offices throughout the Northeast. Our Data Privacy + Security Team brings together lawyers from the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology, Commercial Litigation, and E-Commerce Groups.
Topics Select Category Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Machines Autonomous Systems Autonomous Vehicles Blockchain Cannabis CCPA Children’s Privacy Coronavirus Cybersecurity Data Breach Data Privacy Data Security Digital Assets Drone Privacy Drones e-Discovery Enforcement + Litigation Events Geolocation Guest Posts Health Information Privacy HIPAA and Health Information Information Governance Insurance Coverage International Privacy Laws Internet of Things Mergers & Acquisitions New + Now Privacy Tips Public-Private Partnerships with Cyber Security Safe Harbor Social Media State Laws Relating to Data Telehealth Telephone Consumer Protection Act Uncategorized Virtual Currency Websites
Archives Select Month September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015