Apple dismisses political controversy over its security alert
Apple Inc has released a statement acknowledging attempts by state-sponsored actors to breach the devices of its users in various countries, including India. However, the company distanced itself from the ongoing espionage controversy within Indian politics, where the Opposition Congress has alleged that the ruling BJP government was conducting surveillance on its MPs and MLAs for several months. Apple has vehemently denied sending any official alerts related to this espionage to users connected with Indian politics, including prominent figures such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi Tharoor, Rajiv Chandrashekar, Sitaram Yechury, Akhilesh Yadav, and Rahul Gandhi. Screenshots of these alerts sent by Apple Inc have been circulating on the internet.
Cyber Attack on British Library
In a recent development, the British Library experienced a significant IT disruption for the past two days. They confirmed that this disruption was the result of a cyberattack that occurred on October 29, 2023, the day before Halloween. Consequently, the British Library’s website is currently offline, with only its Yorkshire and London facilities open for studying. According to a Reuters report posted on X-Twitter, the incident appears to be linked to a ransomware attack in which hackers exploited a vulnerability in VMware ESXi servers to introduce malware into the library’s network.
Ransomware attack on Toronto public library
Toronto public library of Canada has also fallen victim to a ransomware attack this week, although officials have not yet confirmed the incident. Sources from the cybersecurity insiders suggest that publicly available computers and printing services at several branches were of Toronto Public Library affected, while services like Kanopy, offering online movies and digital archives, remained operational. Additionally, other reading materials were available for rent.
Ransomware payment stoppage initiative
In a global effort to combat ransomware attacks, the United States government, in collaboration with 48 other countries, has pledged not to pay ransoms when their digital assets are targeted by malware. The International Counter Ransomware Initiative, initially drafted in 2021, has received approval under the leadership of President Joe Biden, with the majority of the 48 nations agreeing to refrain from making cryptocurrency payments for ransoms. Notably, there is no plan to impose bans on transactions involving Monero and Bitcoins, as these cryptocurrencies do not effectively prevent the spread of file-encrypting malware. Anne Neuberger, the Deputy National Security Advisor in the Biden Administration, confirmed this development.
