At a glance.
- Geofencing and privacy.
- Data breach at a Singapore eye clinic.
- T-Mobile's communication over its data breach.
- Bangkok Airways sustains ransomware attack.
Geofencing requests on the rise.
Wired examines US law enforcement’s use of geofencing, a controversial investigation method that gives police access to data from all users’ mobile devices at the scene of a crime. A new transparency report from Google shows a massive spike in warrants for geofencing over the past three years, with requests increasing as much as tenfold in some US states, and the numbers show geofencing currently comprises more than 25% of all data requests from police. Because geofencing casts such a wide net, it can pull data from the devices of individuals who just happen to be in the vicinity at the time of the incident but have no connection to the crime, and privacy advocates contend the technique is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Google maintains that it aims to uphold privacy while still assisting law enforcement: “We developed a process specifically for these requests that is designed to honor our legal obligations while narrowing the scope of data disclosed.”
Singaporean clinic hit between the eyes.
Eye & Retina Surgeons (ERS), a Singapore-based eye clinic, suffered a ransomware attack that exposed the data of over 73,000 patients, the Daily Swig reports. Details are limited, but ERS is working with police, the Personal Data Protection Commission, and Singapore’s Computer Emergency Response Team to investigate. A statement from officials reads, “The government takes a serious view of any cyber-attack, illegal access of data, or action that compromises the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data and IT systems in Singapore.”
T-Mobile attempts to save face.
In the wake of T-Mobile’s recent breach that exposed the data of millions of users, the US wireless giant is extending a mea culpa in an effort to reassure customers of its commitment to security. CEO Mike Sievert stated, “Keeping our customers’ data safe is a responsibility we take incredibly seriously and preventing this type of event from happening has always been a top priority of ours.” The Verge notes that the company is teaming up with cybersecurity experts at Mandiant and KPMG to beef up security, but given that this breach is just the latest of five experienced by T-Mobile in the past three years, some experts argue the company’s reputation might be tarnished beyond repair. And if the stock market is any indication, they could be right, as Bloomberg points out that T-Mobile’s share price has dipped 4% since the breach became public.
Thai airline has its data wings clipped.
Bangkok Airways has confirmed a cyberattack that “resulted in unauthorized and unlawful access to its information system.” Though the airline has not yet disclosed how many passengers were impacted, ZDNet explains that the data compromised includes names, passport information, phone numbers, email addresses, and partial credit card information. Fortunately the attack did not affect the airline’s operational or aeronautical security systems. TTR Weekly adds that the airline has urged passengers to keep an eye on their financial accounts and to change passwords as a precautionary measure.