Category Archives: Internet Security

Judicial Watch Sues Homeland Security for Records Tied to Election … – Judicial Watch

June 20, 2023|Judicial Watch

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for all records of communications tied to the Election Integrity Partnership (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:23-cv-01698)).

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the DHSs Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency failed to comply with an October 27, 2022, FOIA request for:

1. All emails, direct messages, task management alerts, or other records of communication related to the work of the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) sent via the Atlassian Jira platform between any official or employee of the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency and any member, officer, employee, or representative of any of the following:

2. All memoranda of understanding, guidelines, or similar records related to the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agencys use of the Atlassian Jira platform for work related to the Election Integrity Partnership.

Jira is a software application developed by the Australian company Atlassian. The Atlassian websitestates: Jira helps teams plan, assign, track, report, and manage work. It brings teams together for everything from agile software development, customer support, start-ups, and enterprises.

Based on representations from the Election Integrity Partnership (see here and here), the federal government, social media companies, the EIP, the Center for Internet Security (a non-profit organization funded partly by DHS and the Defense Department) and numerous other leftist groups communicated privately via the Jira platform.

In a July 2022 blog, the Election Integrity Partnership states: The EIPs core conveners are the Stanford Internet Observatory and the University of Washingtons Center for an Informed Public. We work in collaboration with some of the nations leading institutions focused on analysis of online harms, including the National Conference on Citizenship, Graphika, and the Digital Forensic Research Lab.

To be blunt, the Biden DHS is unlawfully hiding evidence of their election interference and censorship of Americans, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Judicial Watch in January 2023 sued the DOJ for records of communications between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and social media sites regarding foreign influence in elections, as well as the Hunter Biden laptop story.

In September 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Secretary of State of the State of California for having YouTube censor a Judicial Watch election integrity video.

In May 2022, YouTube censored a Judicial Watch video about Biden corruption and election integrity issues in the 2020 election. The video, titled Impeach? Biden Corruption Threatens National Security, was falsely determined to be election misinformation and removed by YouTube, and Judicial Watchs YouTube account was suspended for a week. The video featured an interview of Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. Judicial Watch continues to postits videocontent on its Rumble channel (https://rumble.com/vz7aof-fitton-impeach-biden-corruption-threatens-national-security.html).

In April 2021, Judicial Watch publisheddocuments revealinghow California state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google (YouTube)) to censor posts about the 2020 election.

In May 2021, Judicial Watch revealeddocuments showing that Iowa state officials pressured social media companies Twitter and Facebook to censor posts about the 2020 election.

In July 2021, Judicial Watch uncoveredrecords from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which revealed that Facebook coordinated closely with the CDC to control the COVID narrative and misinformation and that over $3.5 million in free advertising given to the CDC by social media companies.

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Judicial Watch Sues Homeland Security for Records Tied to Election ... - Judicial Watch

Secret map on your phone that shows you everywhere you’ve gone – and how to disable it – Daily Mail

Years ago you might've been branded a conspiracy theorist for claiming your cellphone is tracking you - but not anymore.

Your iPhone has been keeping track of everywhere you've ever been, and you can view it in map form with a few clicks.

It can be quite a handy feature if you are forgetful. For example, your phone can automatically generate directions home or find your parked car.

So it makes sense that the phone keeps an internal log of your whereabouts. But if this is something you're not comfortable with, read on.

The tracking function is part of location services, and a more in-depth thing called Significant Locations.

Want to know how to access it and, if you'd like, turn it off? Here are the steps:

Open your iPhone's settings.

Tap Privacy & Security.

Select Location Services.

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Scroll down and tap System Services.

Scroll until you see Significant Locations and tap that.

After entering your password or opening your phone with FaceID, you'll see a list of locations you've visited.

Some may seem a bit off to you, but that's because the location is not always precise.

Tap on a place and it will open a page with more specifics, including a map that shows where it thought you were. It would have you in the area even if it didn't peg you precisely right.

It's also possible to eliminate your Significant Locations history. Here's how:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services, then tap Significant Locations.

Tap Clear History. This action clears all your Significant Locations on any devices signed in with the same Apple ID.

If you don't want your iPhone to keep track of your whereabouts, you can disable Significant Locations. Here's how:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services, then tap Significant Locations.

Slide the toggle next to Significant Locations to the left to disable the setting.

If you've used Google Maps for years, there's probably a startling amount of info about everywhere you've gone. Check it out:

When signed in, click on your profile picture, then select Manage your Google Account. Or go to your Google Account page here.

On the left, click on Data & privacy.

Under 'History Settings,' click on Location History.

At the bottom, click Manage history.

You'll see a map with details like your saved home, work locations, and trips. You can search by year or down to a specific day in the Timeline box in the top left corner.

Pick a date from a couple of years ago just for fun. You'll see a blue bar if a trip was recorded. Click a day to see everywhere you went, down to the time and mileage.

Maybe you enjoyed the walk down memory lane. Or perhaps it gave you the creeps. You can adjust your settings to stop Google from tracking all your trips.

Go back to your Google Account page.

On the left, click on Data & privacy.

Under 'History Settings,' choose Location History. Click Turn off.

According to Apple, this feature exists so the phone can learn places that are significant to us and therefore be able to provide personalized services, like predictive traffic routing and improved Photos Memories.

That said, it seems like an invasion of privacy and could lead to real problems. If the phone tracks our whereabouts, who else may know about them?

According to Apple, no one. It says the data that goes between your cloud-connected devices is encrypted. Unless someone steals your phone and password, there is nothing they can do to access it.

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Secret map on your phone that shows you everywhere you've gone - and how to disable it - Daily Mail

Avery Dennison takes leading role in cybersecurity – Packaging Gateway

Avery Dennison, a Fortune 500 company specialising in the design and manufacture of labelling and functional materials, has been rated by GlobalData as the best-performing packaging company in the cybersecurity theme, and is poised for excellent future performance.

With an estimated ICT spend of $371.2m in 2022, the label and adhesive behemoth has made several strategic advances towards becoming a digital-first company over the years, having launched atma.io cloud-based platform in 2021 a platform that assigns unique digital IDs to products, enabling improved tracking, storage and management.

Other major IT investments over recent years include $230m in Williots Internet of Things and Cloud technologies, $38.9m in RoadRunner Recyclings AI/ML-based technology, and a $1.45bn acquisition of Vestcom, the provider of data-integrated, shelf-edge labelling and pricing solutions for consumer-packaged goods companies.

The increased digitisation of supply chains and cloud-based environments, however, poses new cybersecurity threats to companies, as more and more data is stored virtually. And, if cloud data is compromised, companies risk multiple losses, including loss of revenue, reputation and business continuity. According to IBM, manufacturing has felt the brunt of cyberattacks over the past few years, receiving 23% of attacks in 2021, ahead of finance and insurance.

A notable cybersecurity breach took place in January 2021, when WestRock Company, the paper and packaging solutions provider, was subject to a ransomware attack that disrupted its IT and operational technology systems. The company said that the impact on net sales in the second quarter of 2021 was $189m, whilst $20m was incurred in ransomware recovery costs.

All this comes as the Allianz Risk Barometer 2023 survey finds that cyber incidents and business interruption rank as the most pressing company concerns for the second year running.

Avery Dennison has a presence across multiple cloud platforms, including Kubernetes, Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. However, cloud computing brings its own unique set of risks: for example, cloud services rely on APIs which are particularly prone to cyberattacks, and the easy accessibility and data migration capabilities of the cloud also makes it vulnerable to data loss and malware attacks.

Our cloud journey is revolutionising the company, so its critical were able to secure it, explains Jeremy Smith, Avery Dennisons information security officer.

This commitment to greater cybersecurity has been borne out in the companys estimated 2022 ICT budget, with $4.59m allocated to security software, $2.07m to security equipment hardware, $3.13m to security consulting, and $2.31m to security and privacy services, according to GlobalData.

As part of its cloud-specific cybersecurity strategy, Avery Dennison has partnered with Wiz, which provides a singular view of its multi-cloud environment, allowing for easy identification of misconfigurations and providing context on vulnerabilities.

Smith said that prior to the Avery Dennison-Wiz partnership, it was difficult to piece together solutions from different cloud providers to come up with a good cloud security posture even understanding misconfiguration was hard within these tools.

Researchers from Stanford University and a top cybersecurity organisation found that approximately 88% of all data breaches are caused by human error.

Recognising this human factor as a significant aspect of cybersecurity, Avery Dennison launched its DataSafe initiative in 2019, which enlists all employees in an enterprise-wide effort to protect company data. Prior to this, the packaging powerhouse had adopted a more conventional approach to data loss prevention, with a focus on specialists implementing firewalls and constraining policies.

However, the company soon realised that increased reliance on cloud resources made its data more vulnerable, especially given the potential for human error. It was often thought that security was securitys problem. But enabling your employees to act as security partners to protect their own data is as critical as any security tool you may have, Smith says.

In consultation with cybersecurity experts, Avery Dennison therefore developed and adopted a three-pronged initiative. The first component was to identify and inventory the most critical business data and assets (namely, intellectual property and customer order information), while the second component was to measure and plan for success.

The third component involved selecting and deploying technologies to prevent data loss and ensure regulatory compliance. For this, the company chose Sekure, a cloud-native data governance solution that automatically identifies, classifies, monitors and protects sensitive business data. Additionally, it provides employees with the necessary tools to protect data effectively.

Indeed, DataSafe now requires employees to classify files at the time of creation according to the companys four-point system for data security. It forced people to think about whether the data was important, and if distributed too permissively whether it would cause risk to the organisation. It got people thinking about the data itself and to be more careful about how they handle it, Smith says.

In terms of endpoint security, the company has also adopted fingerprint, facial and biometric recognition technologies that have eliminated the need for passwords to log into workplace applications.

The result has been a robust data protection programme that empowers employees and incorporates customised technologies, specifically designed to protect the companys most critical business data and assets.

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Avery Dennison takes leading role in cybersecurity - Packaging Gateway

Fullerton Health, vendor fined $68k in total after data leaked for sale … – The Straits Times

SINGAPORE Fullerton Health Group, which runs at least 30 clinics here and many of the Covid-19 vaccination centres here at the height of the pandemic, has been fined $58,000 over a data leak in 2021 which exposed the personal details of patients and the employees of corporate clients.

The customer data it shared with a vendor was left exposed without password protection for months.

This led to the personal data of 133,866 patients and 23,034 employees of its corporate clients being leaked, including their NRIC numbers, contact details, bank account numbers and codes and health information, said the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) in its case findings on Thursday.

Agape Connecting People, the vendor Fullerton Health hired to provide call centre and appointment booking services, was fined $10,000 for failing to secure the customer data entrusted to it by the healthcare group.

The data was found peddled on the Dark Web in late 2021, which prompted Fullerton Health and Agape to request investigations to be handled by the PDPC in January 2022.

The PDPCs written judgment found that Fullerton Health had worsened the situation by providing personal data to Agape that the vendor did not require. It had also lapsed in its responsibility of supervising the vendor.

As part of its social enterprise initiatives, Agape engaged inmates from the Changi Womens Prison to assist with the services on behalf of Fullerton Health, said the PDPC.

The group shared the personal data of its customers with Agape via Microsoft SharePoint, a cloud-based document management system, which could be accessed by only a computer issued to Agape by Fullerton Health.

As part of the procedure, customer data was downloaded from this computer to a separate online drive that was linked to the Internet. Only selected inmates could access the files.

The investigation found that while Agape conducted periodic security checks on its IT systems, it did not check the file server that stored data from Fullerton Health, which was a legacy feature unique to the partnership, and not implemented for Agapes other clients.

The password for the drive had also been disabled for about 20 months and there was also no expiry date set.

Agape admitted that this caused the online drive to become an open directory listing on the Internet with no password protection, and highly vulnerable to unauthorised access, modification and similar risks over an excessive period of time, said the PDPC.

It added that the cause of leaving the drive without a password could not be established.

The case came to light on Oct 15, 2021, when Fullerton Health realised its customer data had been sold on a Dark Web forum.

Its cyber-security consultants contacted the seller, who claimed that the data had been stolen from Agapes file servers. The Dark Web listing was removed by Oct 22 that year and the online drive was suspended.

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Fullerton Health, vendor fined $68k in total after data leaked for sale ... - The Straits Times

BA, BBC and Boots hit by cyber security breach with contact and bank details exposed – Sky News

By James Sillars, Business reporter @SkyNewsBiz

Monday 5 June 2023 22:01, UK

The BBC, British Airways , Boots and Aer Lingus have been caught up in a cyber incident that has exposed employee personal data, including bank and contact details, to hackers.

A ransomware group named Clop has claimed responsibility for the breaches centred around the MOVEit file transfer software.

In an email to Reuters on Monday, the hackers said "it was our attack" and that victims who refused to pay a ransom would be named and shamed on the group's website.

Work by Microsoft had earlier suggested that the Russian-speaking ransomware gang was behind the attack.

It emerged last week that a so-called zero-day vulnerability - a flaw - in the file transfer system MOVEit, produced by Progress Software, had been exploited by cyber criminals.

It had allowed the hackers to access information on a range of global companies using MOVEit Transfer.

Thousands of firms are understood to be affected.

UK-based payroll provider Zellis confirmed on Monday that eight of its clients were among them.

It did not name the organisations.

BA, however, confirmed it had been caught up in the affair.

The airline employs 34,000 people in the UK.

The BBC and Boots, which has 50,000 staff, said they had been affected too.

The broadcaster did not believe its employees' bank details had been exposed though company ID and national insurance numbers were compromised.

Current and former staff at Aer Lingus have also been affected, the airline said, but no financial or bank details nor phone numbers were compromised in the incident.

Analysis: Origins 'appear to have Russian links'

Experts said corporate victims could expect the group responsible to make contact with a list of demands within weeks.

In this instance, the compromised information included contact details, national insurance numbers and bank details.

BA told Sky News: "We have been informed that we are one of the companies impacted by Zellis's cybersecurity incident which occurred via one of their third-party suppliers called MOVEit.

"Zellis provides payroll support services to hundreds of companies in the UK, of which we are one.

"This incident happened because of a new and previously unknown vulnerability in a widely used MOVEit file transfer tool. We have notified those colleagues whose personal information has been compromised to provide support and advice."

A Boots spokesperson said: "A global data vulnerability, which affected a third-party software used by one of our payroll providers, included some of our team members' personal details.

"Our provider assured us that immediate steps were taken to disable the server, and as a priority we have made our team members aware."

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Zellis said in its own statement: "A large number of companies around the world have been affected by a zero-day vulnerability in Progress Software's MOVEit Transfer product.

"We can confirm that a small number of our customers have been impacted by this global issue and we are actively working to support them.

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"All Zellis-owned software is unaffected and there are no associated incidents or compromises to any other part of our IT estate.

"Once we became aware of this incident we took immediate action, disconnecting the server that utilises MOVEit software and engaging an expert external security incident response team to assist with forensic analysis and ongoing monitoring."

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Google cyber security specialist Mandiant Consulting, said: "At this stage it is critical for victim organisations to prepare for potential extortion, publication of stolen data, and victim shaming.

"It is likely that the threat actor will soon begin to make contact with extortion demands and begin to work through their list of victims.

"Mandiant's investigations into prior campaigns from the suspected threat actor show that extortion demands are usually in the 7- or 8-figure range, including a few demands for more than $35m.

"Any organisation that had the MOVEit web interface exposed to the internet should perform a forensic analysis of the system, irrespective of when the software was patched," he warned.

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"Watch out for scammers too. Some of our clients impacted by the MOVEit exploitation received extortion emails over the weekend.

"The extortion emails were unrelated to the MOVEit exploitation and were just scams, but organisations could easily confuse them as being authentic."

A MOVEit spokesperson said: "Our customers have been, and will always be, our top priority. When we discovered the vulnerability, we promptly launched an investigation, alerted MOVEit customers about the issue and provided immediate mitigation steps."

"We disabled web access to MOVEit Cloud to protect our cloud customers, developed a security patch to address the vulnerability, made it available to our MOVEit Transfer customers, and patched and re-enabled MOVEit cloud, all within 48 hours. We have also implemented a series of third-party validations to ensure the patch has corrected the exploit."

"We are continuing to work with industry-leading cybersecurity experts to investigate the issue and ensure we take all appropriate response measures. We have engaged with federal law enforcement and other agencies with respect to the vulnerability."

"We are also committed to playing a leading and collaborative role in the industry-wide effort to combat increasingly sophisticated and persistent cybercriminals intent on maliciously exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used software products."

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BA, BBC and Boots hit by cyber security breach with contact and bank details exposed - Sky News

Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organizations Fight Back with … – MSSP Alert

by D. Howard Kass Jun 9, 2023

Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting an organizations employees, figuring to trick an untrained staffer to click on a malicious link that begins a malware attack, Fortinet said in a newly released study of security awareness and training.

Results of the cybersecurity providers survey of some 1,800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers from 29 different locations, entitled 2023 Security Awareness and Training Global Research Brief, highlight the importance of building a cyber-aware workforce to strengthen security posture and reduce cyber risk.

Fortinets research revealed that more than 90% of the surveys respondents believe that increased employee cybersecurity awareness would help decrease the occurrence of cyberattacks. As organizations face increasing cyber risks, employees serving as an organizations first line of defense in protecting their organization from cybercrime becomes of paramount importance, Fortinet said.

Here are key findings from Fortinets research:

Commenting on the employee cyber training programs, John Maddison, products executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Fortinet, said:

Our 2023 Security Awareness and Training Global Research Brief underscores the crucial role employees play in preventing cyberattacks. It also highlights the critical need for organizations to prioritize security awareness and training services to ensure employees serve as the first line of defense.

For organizations looking to implement cybersecurity awareness training for their employees or those evaluating the effectiveness of their current program, Fortinet offers its Security Awareness and Training service to develop a cyber-aware workforce.

The service aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines to further ensure key topics are covered including, information security, data privacy, physical security, password protection and internet security.

Fortinet has also tailored this service for educators. It is available for free to school districts across the United States and local education authorities in the United Kingdom, with plans to continue increasing access globally.

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Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organizations Fight Back with ... - MSSP Alert

Zscaler Inc’s Price Target Increased by Piper Sandler Analysts … – Best Stocks

Zscaler Inc, a leading cloud-based internet security platform provider, saw its price objective increase from $130.00 to $145.00 by Piper Sandler analysts in their latest research note issued last Friday. However, Piper Sandlers price target also indicates a potential downside of 2.57% from the companys current price.

The latest earnings data for Zscaler was released on Thursday, June 1st, which reported an EPS of $0.48 per share for the quarter beating consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.06 and generating revenue of $418.80 million compared to expectations of $411.55 million.

Despite facing tough competition in the cloud-based security industry, Zscaler continues to innovate and diversify its offerings that include; Zero Trust Exchange, Zscaler Client Connector, Zscaler Internet Access, Zscaler Private Access, Zscaler B2B, Zscaler Cloud Protection and Zscaler Digital Experience.

It is no secret that cyber threats have increased exponentially during the pandemic as businesses transitioned to remote work- it is therefore commendable for any company within the cloud-based security industry who has managed to succeed in these unprecedented times.

In conclusion, while there may be some challenges ahead for Zscaler given its current market valuation and position alongside stronger competitors like CyberArk Software (NASDAQ: CYBR) and Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW), the companys ability to adapt in todays fast-paced digital transformation landscape should not be understated with sell-side analysts predicting expected gains or even holding steady depending on adjustments made over this years trading period.

Current $150.84

Concensus $232.83

Low $125.00

Median $210.00

High $415.00

Social SentimentsWe did not find social sentiment data for this stock

Zscaler, Inc is a prominent cloud-based internet security platform provider. Recently, the NASDAQ-listed stock opened at $148.82. Its 50-day moving average is $113.69, while its 200-day moving average stands at $118.19. Despite this growth, the firm has witnessed a market capitalization of $21.60 billion with PE ratio of -78.74 and a beta of 0.84, being recently labeled as Moderate Buy. The companys leading product portfolio includes Zero Trust Exchange, Zscaler Client Connector, Zscaler Internet Access, Zscaler Private Access, Zscaler B2B, Zscaler Cloud Protection and Zscaler Digital Experience.

The stock has attracted significantly high ratings from several equities analysts who are keen on the growth potential of the company. Needham & Company LLC and Loop Capital have reaffirmed their positive rating for Zsacaler by raising their price objectives to $210.00 and $135 respectively in an effort to capitalize on investors confidence in the companys future growth prospects.

Oppenheimer started coverage on Zscaler by giving it an outperform rating with a target price set at $180 per share along Rosenblatt Securities that assumed coverage of the stock at a buy rating with a price target set at $135.

In addition to good news from analysts about investment potential and positive trajectory for growth driven by investors confidence after buying shares into getting a piece ownership stake in such promising technology progress made possible through cloud computing evolution- insiders Robert Schlossman (the companys insider) sold 3,645 shares worth over US$389k while CFO Remo Canessa also sold 6,229 shares worth US$665k from which each made gains totaling millions since they both own lots more stock options than what would be required under SEC rules indicating lengthy management loyalty commitment toward growth as a primary goal. Several hedge funds and institutional investors, such as Vanguard Group Inc., Artisan Partners Limited Partnership, WestBridge Capital Management LLC, First Trust Advisors LP, and Champlain Investment Partners LLC have increased their position in the company.

To sum it up, Zscalers position in the cybersecurity industry has been strengthened by some of these recent developments. The firms stock remains an attractive option for investors who are keen on betting on a reliable long-term tech partner that promises to deliver value through cloud-based internet security solutions. With a 12-month high of $194.21 per share and several favourable ratings from equity analysts, Zscaler looks promising regarding future wealth accumulation opportunities for prospective long term investors.

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Zscaler Inc's Price Target Increased by Piper Sandler Analysts ... - Best Stocks

VirnetX and Envoy Sign Agreement – PR Newswire

Data Security Company to Sell VirnetX Matrix

ZEPHYR COVE, Nev., June 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --VirnetX Holding Corporation(NYSE: VHC) ("VirnetX") today announced that it has signed a non-exclusive agreement with Envoy Data Corporation to sell VirnetX's family of products, including VirnetX Matrix, to their 500 small-to-medium-size business customers in Healthcare, Manufacturing, Banking and Agriculture. They will also sell VirnetX Matrixto their 400+ existing channel partners ranging from System Integrators, VARS, MSPs and MSSPs.

"We are extremely pleased to have Envoy selling our products," said Kendall Larsen, VirnetX CEO and President. "Envoy is a leader in data security, expanding across the Country, delivering premier cybersecurity solutions to their impressive clientele."

"VirnetX Matrix is a great addition to our cybersecurity product arsenal," said Jeff Ciraulo, Envoy Data Principle and VP of Product Management Security Division. "VirnetX Matrix will bolster our Networking Security solutions as well as help customers strengthen their critical security needs across their business."

"Our staff said that our previous VPN solution was cumbersome and limited their ability to work," said Glen Davis, Envoy Data Chief Operating Officer. "The flexibility, capability and ease of use and management is exactly what we knew we could achieve with VirnetX Matrix.The difference was immediate once our remote users used VirnetX Matrix.We see what our customers will appreciate."

About VirnetX

VirnetX Holding Corporationis an Internet security software and technology company with patented technology for Zero Trust Network Access ("ZTNA") based secure network communications.VirnetX'ssoftware and technology solutions, including its Secure Domain Name Registry and Technology, VirnetX One, VirnetX War Room, VirnetX Matrix, and Gabriel Connection Technology, are designed to be device and location independent, and enable a secure real-time communication environment for all types of enterprise applications, services, and critical infrastructures. The Company's patent portfolio includes over 200 U.S. and foreign granted patents, validations, and pending applications. For more information, please visitwww.virnetx.com

About Envoy Data Security

Envoy Data Security is the first choice for protecting small-to-medium-size businesses and the public sector by effectively delivering comprehensive, best-in-class cybersecurity solutions that mitigate costly threats. Customers trust Envoy Data Security because of our people, our relationships, and the ease of doing business. For more information, please visit https://envoydata.com/

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release should be read in conjunction with our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements herein may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and beliefs concerning future events and conditions and may discuss, among other things, expectations regarding the product and its impact on security solutions. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result in," and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside our control, and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and from our historical results and experience. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Readers are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results and that the risks described herein should not be considered a complete list. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made.

EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, WE UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE.

Investor RelationsVirnetX Holding Corporation415.505.0456[emailprotected]

SOURCE VirnetX Holding Corporation

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VirnetX and Envoy Sign Agreement - PR Newswire

IDC Chair Bilirakis Opening Statement on Strengthening American … – Energy and Commerce Committee

Washington, D.C. Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered opening remarks at todays Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled Building Blockchains: Exploring Web3 and Other Applications for Distributed Ledger Technologies.

Excerpts and highlights below:

THE IMPORTANCE OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES

Cryptocurrencies and certain financial aspects of blockchains have hijacked the publics attention when it comes to this emerging technology.

Todays hearing will highlight that blockchains are not just impacting Wall Street but are also changing Silicon Valley, and the internet as a whole.

It is essential that Congress accurately understand what it is regulating before it does so.

This is a complicated topic, which is why Im looking forward to the superb panel of experts educating us here today.

The core issue is about how data is organized, preserved, and protected, which is the jurisdiction of this subcommittee.

As I understand it, a blockchain is a linked list, or ledger, of transactions stored on a network of computers.

Blockchains are composed of building blocks of data chained together cryptographically.

We will walk through these technical components today and discuss what it means for blockchains to be decentralized, immutable, and open.

But to step back from these terms, what we are really discussing here is a new, foundational technology that can provide individuals and businesses new ways to access, record, and validate digital activity online.

BLOCKCHAINS PROVIDE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Web 1.0, the original World Wide Web, lasted from roughly 1993 to 2004, and was characterized by dial up and AOL.

It was replaced by Web 2, which is the current internet we know well, and has been characterized by smartphones and Big Tech platforms.

Web3, which encompasses nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and other use cases, is the emerging internet built on top of blockchains and is characterized by increased user control, decentralization, and transparency.

Using these technologies, developers are building new decentralized social media, new messaging apps, new ways to stream music, and new privacy enhancing technologies just to name a few.

Blockchains are not a crypto casino.In fact, according to one report, despite crypto prices falling roughly $2 trilliona 70 percent declineblockchain developers have only declined 10 percent.

There are respected developers who arent trying to make a fast buck, but rather theyre building a new evolution of the internet.

But this technology goes beyond just Silicon Valley. Blockchains, Web3, and other distributed ledger technologies are just tools.

Like the internet, blockchains will impact many areas of our jurisdiction and can help address challenges with our current internet ecosystem, bolster supply chains, verify information, and increase efficiency for businesses.

THE FTC SHOULD LEAD AGAINST BAD ACTORS

However, we shouldnt treat this technology as a cure-all.

There are still technical challenges such as scaling, data availability, and cybersecurity. There are also human challenges such as fraudsters and compliance with law enforcement.

As with any new technology, scams do existin the blockchain ecosystem.

As this committee knows well, the number one federal regulator of scams and fraud is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and thats where we want its focus.

Instead of diverting resources to fight legal battles over possible competition theories, the FTC should focus on protecting Americans from fraudsters, as these bad actors migrate from older technologies to these new technologies.

Last Congress, my bill the RANSOMWARE Act was signed into law. This legislation requires the FTC to increase cooperation with foreign law enforcement and report on Ransomware and other cyber-security-related attacks.

When international hackers target Americans using blockchains, the FTC should take a lead role in ensuring they are made whole.

Blockchains present an incredible opportunity, but also come with unique challenges.

Regardless, the United States must lead on the international stage so our adversaries do not have an opportunity to set the rules of the road.

We must lead with our values for freedom, human rights, and human dignity.

I look forward to working with members on both sides of the aisle to ensure these technologies are anchored here in the U.S. and we are central to that discussion.

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6 internet habits that can compromise your cybersecurity The … – The European Sting

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This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration ofThe European Stingwith theWorld Economic Forum.

Author: Check Point

Nowadays we cannot live without the Internet, a basic resource among the new generations. Remember looking for information in an encyclopedia or going to a travel agency to buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation? It seems like ages ago, but the truth is that the network of networks has changed the way we do many tasks and has opened the doors to new possibilities that allow us, for example, to work from anywhere or make a bank transfer from our phone in just one click.

Unfortunately, this relentless evolution is also present in the multiple threats posed by cybercriminals. We have moved on from viruses distributed on floppy disks and Morris, the first worm to infect the Internet in 1988, to the emergence of Trojans, spyware and ransomware, the main protagonists of todays cybercrime scene. According to the Security Report 2023 from Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading global cyber security specialist provider, cyberattacks have increased by 38% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with an average of 1,168 attacks per week per organization and a situation that looks set to continue to worsen over the coming years.

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What is the World Economic Forum doing on cybersecurity?

The World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity drives global action to address systemic cybersecurity challenges. It is an independent and impartial platform fostering collaboration on cybersecurity in the public and private sectors. Here are some examples of the impact delivered by the centre:

Cybersecurity training: Salesforce, Fortinet, and the Global Cyber Alliance, in collaboration with the Forum, provide free and accessible training to the next generation of cybersecurity experts worldwide.

Cyber resilience: Working its partners, the Centre is playing a pivotal role in enhancing cyber resilience across multiple industries: Oil and Gas, Electricity, Manufacturing and Aviation.

IoT security: The Council on the Connected World, led by the Forum, has established IoT security requirements for consumer-facing devices, safeguarding them against cyber threats. This initiative calls upon major manufacturers and vendors globally to prioritize better IoT security measures.

Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace: The Forum is proud to be a signatory of the Paris Call, which aims to ensure global digital peace and security, emphasizing the importance of trust and collaboration in cyberspace.

Contact us for more information on how to get involved.

All of this makes it clear that we need to be prepared to face these threats, which is why Check Point Software has assembled this list of tips to remind us of the bad habits that we continue to maintain and that affect our digital security:

This is one of the most common mistakes, and yet one of the practices that most affects the maintenance of proper cybersecurity. We all find it easier to recycle passwords and use the same one for work and personal emails, but we are putting important data at risk. It is also very common to share them Netflix or Spotify passwords, for example and oftentimes we write them down or send them in a message or email to family or close friends. This reality translates into millions of users who every year see their accounts breached because they do not take care of their passwords. To avoid this, it is advisable to create secure passwords, with at least 12 characters and a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Likewise, it is always recommended to update them every few months, and not to reuse them on several different platforms or accounts.

All systems and devices have regular updates designed not only to improve or correct usability, but also to apply patches for possible vulnerabilities. The message to update often appears at inconvenient times or when we do not have a Wi-Fi connection and we usually end up postponing or even ignoring its installation, unconsciously leaving an open door for cyberattacks. Just by keeping our devices up to date, we can avoid many of the vulnerabilities that can occur.

While most cyberattacks today focus on data theft, there has recently been a growth in hacktivist practices and other state-related threats. This type of practice often includes the distribution of disinformation with fake news or biased and incomplete messages that prey on the emotional side of users to generate discord. For this reason, it is advisable to use several sources when informing ourselves, as well as to check any news or chain message before falling into practices such as mass dissemination. One of the main pillars of Internet security is common sense.

To avoid using up your own data, it is increasingly common to surf between hot spots and free Wi-Fi networks in restaurants, airports, train or metro stations, hotels and even public or private transport. However, security researchers have demonstrated on numerous occasions that these types of wireless networks have little or no security. It is advisable not to access an unknown network, but if you must, limit your use to basic browsing, avoid entering passwords or using sensitive applications such as payment platforms or banking access.

Who ever reads the terms and conditions of data use? These lengthy and difficult to understand texts encourage most people to accept all the terms of use for any application without further ado. While this allows us to start enjoying them more quickly, it can lead to a serious security problem and even a breach of all our data. On the one hand, cybercriminals often use some popular applications or programs to spread their malicious code, while some malicious developers hide some clauses for the transfer of permissions to collect, store and even trade with this data. By taking a few minutes to review the permissions and conditions before installing a program, we can avoid falling victim to deception or exposure of our personal information.

A way to identify this type of fraudulent website is to look for small errors such as typos, poorly written text or the presence of misleading or poor-quality images. However, the most effective method is undoubtedly the analysis of the URL, with security indicators such as SSL certificates (indicated by the presence of a padlock next to the web address); or alerts, such as the presence of irregular characters or subdomains.

Although the Internet is still a fairly young tool, we already have a lot of experience at our disposal to avoid becoming victims of cyber attackers. Once again, we must call for education and common sense, as education and knowledge are key to achieving a safe digital space for everyone.

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