Tech

US gov’t will slap contractors with civil lawsuits for hiding breaches

(credit: Stephen Melkisethian) In a groundbreaking initiative announced by the Department of Justice this week, federal contractors will be sued if they fail to report a cyber attack or data breaches. The newly introduced “Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative” will leverage the existing False Claims Act to pursue contractors and grant recipients involved in what the DoJ calls […]

Tech

Canadian VoIP provider hit by DDoS attack, phone calls disrupted

Enlarge (credit: Icons8 Team) Quebec-based provider of telephony services VoIP.ms is facing an aggressive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyber attack, causing a disruption in phone calls and services. The incident began around September 16 and has put a strain on the VoIP provider’s systems, websites, and operations. VoIP.ms serves over 80,000 customers across 125 countries, […]

Tech

$5.9 million ransomware attack on farming co-op may cause food shortage

Enlarge (credit: Raphael Rychetsky) Iowa-based provider of agriculture services NEW Cooperative Inc. has been hit by a ransomware attack, forcing it to take its systems offline. The BlackMatter group that is behind the attack has put forth a $5.9 million ransom demand. The farming cooperative is seen stating the attack could significantly impact the public supply […]

Business

Intelligence officials blame Russia for major hack that targeted U.S. government

U.S. intelligence agencies and the FBI said a major hack of the federal government and some corporations was likely undertaken by Russia — contradicting President Donald Trump’s efforts to suggest China might be responsible — and “will require a sustained and dedicated effort to remediate.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation is still focused on identifying […]