SecurityWeek’s cybersecurity news roundup provides a concise compilation of noteworthy stories that might have slipped under the radar.
We provide a valuable summary of stories that may not warrant an entire article, but are nonetheless important for a comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity landscape.
Each week, we curate and present a collection of noteworthy developments, ranging from the latest vulnerability discoveries and emerging attack techniques to significant policy changes and industry reports.
Here are this week’s stories:
UN cybercrime treaty signed by 70 countries, but not the US
More than 70 countries recently signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which aims to provide a “comprehensive approach to prevent and combat the global problem of cybercrime while including human rights safeguards”. The US has yet to sign it, only saying that it “continues to review the treaty”. However, digital rights groups are concerned that the treaty could be exploited by authoritarian regimes to justify mass surveillance and crackdowns on online expression.
Surge in NFC relay malware targeting mobile devices
Zimperium has warned of a surge in NFC relay malware targeting mobile devices. These malicious applications abuse NFC and host card emulation (HCE) to obtain payment data from infected devices and conduct fraudulent transactions. The company has seen over 760 malicious applications in the wild.
Criminal complaint filed against Clearview AI in Europe
Noyb, a European NGO fighting for digital rights, has filed a criminal complaint against US-based facial recognition firm Clearview AI, accusing it of ignoring data protection authorities in the European Union. Noyb pointed out that Clearview AI has been fined by several countries, but it has been able to “dodge the law” because authorities have failed to find a way to enforce fines and bans.
Meduza malware developers arrested in Russia
Russian authorities have arrested several individuals accused of developing and distributing the Meduza malware, which is designed to steal credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and other information from compromised systems. Recorded Future reported recently that Russian cybercriminals are no longer just tolerated by the country’s government, but managed by it.
GhostGrab Android malware
Cyfirma has released a report on GhostGrab, an Android malware that combines covert cryptocurrency mining with data exfiltration capabilities. The malware can steal banking credentials, payment card details, personal information, and other information. It employs several advanced persistence and stealth techniques.
Mastercard launches threat intelligence solution
Following its acquisition of Recorded Future, Mastercard this week unveiled a threat intelligence solution designed to combat payment fraud at scale. Key features include detection of fraudulent payment card test transactions, digital skimmer impact assessments, and disruption of card-related malware. The solution also provides merchant and payment ecosystem threat intelligence.
WhatsApp launching passkey encrypted backups
WhatsApp has announced that on both Android and iOS devices users can now encrypt chat backups using passkeys. Users can now use a lockscreen code, their face, or fingerprint to protect chat backups instead of having to memorize a password or encryption key. The feature will be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks and months.
Herodotus Android malware mimics humans
ThreatFabric has detailed Herodotus, a new Android malware designed to steal sensitive data and give attackers access to the compromised device. Used in campaigns aimed at Italy and Brazil, Herodotus is noteworthy due to its attempts to mimic human behavior to escape detection. The threat, described as a “device-takeover banking trojan”, is still under development.
Related: In Other News: CrowdStrike Vulnerabilities, CISA Layoffs, Mango Data Breach
