In-brief: a report from the firm CrowdStrike finds sophisticated nation-backed hacking groups were very active in 2014, with attacks on governments, pro-democracy advocates as well as banks and retailers.
Top Stories
Report: Chaos of Sony Response Prompts Creation of New Cyber Agency | The Washington Post
In-brief: The Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration will announce the creation of a new agency to coordinate intelligence about cyber attacks. The move is, in part, a response to confusion following the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in November.
In Smart TV Land, Eavesdropping is Nothing New
In-brief: Samsung isn’t alone in asking customers to consent to the collection and transmission of “voice data.” But questions about the ethics and legality of the practice remain.
Who gets to talk to your Fridge? | O’Reilly Radar
In-brief: an article on O’Reilly’s Radar site raises important questions about what kinds of connections and data sharing should be allowed on the Internet of Things – and how consumer privacy can be protected.
New Ransomware, FessLeak, Taps Adobe Flash Flaws
In-brief: A new and sophisticated ransomware family dubbed “Fessleak” is spreading in malicious advertising (or “malvertising”) campaigns by exploiting newly disclosed flaws in Adobe’s Flash technology.