For the love of furry children. US community college suffers ransomware attack. Scope of HWL Ebsworth ransomware attack continues to grow.

At a glance.

• For the love of furry children.
• US community college suffers ransomware attack.
• Scope of HWL Ebsworth ransomware attack continues to grow.

For the love of furry children.

Smart gadgets like pet cams, GPS-equipped collars, and self-cleaning litter boxes have become commonplace for pet owners looking to give their furry friends the very best. Just how far will pet owners go to make sure dear Fido or Whiskers has access to the latest in pet technology? Secure Data Recovery asked over one thousand Americans about their use of pet tech products and found that nearly half (46%) of pet owners are willing to sacrifice personal privacy and security in exchange for access to the latest pet tech. And just in case anyone thinks this is all about making sure Sparky is living his best life, 68% of respondents said the products they use are more for themselves than for their pet. One in three human masters say the tech keeps their pet safer, but at what cost? In one recently reported incident, a pet owner’s Furbo pet cam was hacked, allowing the attackers potential access to more than just little Spot’s bathroom habits. Nearly half of respondents said they worry their data might be compromised as a result of using these products, but apparently that’s not enough to deter them from using them. 

US community college suffers ransomware attack.

Chattanooga State Community College, a public community college located in the US state of Tennessee, says it experienced a ransomware attack that impacted 1,244 individuals. When the school detected the breach on May 6, it took its computer systems offline, resulting in about two weeks of canceled classes and a delay of the summer session. On May 23, the Snatch ransomware gang posted a listing for data stolen from the school, including the names, phone numbers, and emails of school administrators. Chattanooga State spokesperson Nancy Patterson told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the school is not negotiating payment with the cybercriminals, heeding the advice of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Emsisoft cyber threat analyst Brett Callow says Chattanooga State’s swift response in locking down the school’s network likely kept the number of impacted individuals from being much higher. "That's actually the way it should be," Callow said. "When you design a network you can segment, which is similar to locking the interior doors in your house to stop a burglar from being able to easily move from one room to another."

Scope of HWL Ebsworth ransomware attack continues to grow.

Australia has been experiencing an unprecedented surge in high-profile cyberattacks, and experts say that one of the most recent incidents, targeting prominent law firm HWL Ebsworth, could be the worst in the nation’s history. As CPO Magazine explains, HWL Ebsworth’s clients are exclusively government agencies, banks, and large businesses, and some of the stolen data has already been published online by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. Although the firm has secured an injunction to restrict the media from reporting on details of the exposed data, many high-profile clients, including the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and Australia’s “big four” banks (National Australia Bank, Westpac, the Commonwealth Bank, and ANZ) have already disclosed they were impacted by the breach. It’s also possible that sensitive military data from the Department of Defence were compromised. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; other victims include the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Human Services, the Taxation Office, the National Disability Insurance Agency, and the state government of Tasmania, and the list could grow. Reportedly the attackers have demanded a ransom of AUD 5 million, which HWL Ebsworth has refused to pay.