TORONTO – The LockBit ransomware gang – which uses sophisticated viruses to “lock up” data until the organization under attack pays up – has apologized for targeting the Hospital for Sick Children and released a decryptor for free. According to reports on the Internet, the group’s members are prohibited from attacking healthcare organizations.

It said that one of its partners had attacked SickKids, violating its rules, so it blocked the affiliate.

“We formally apologize for the attack on sikkids.ca and give back the decryptor for free, the partner who attacked this hospital violated our rules, is blocked and is no longer in our affiliate program,” reads the message published by Lockbit on its Tor leak site.

On December 18th, SickKids suffered a ransomware attack that impacted internal and corporate systems, hospital phone lines, and the website.

While the attack only encrypted a few systems, SickKids stated that the incident caused delays in receiving lab and imaging results and resulted in longer patient wait times. On December 29th, SickKids announced that it had restored 50 percent of its priority systems, including those causing diagnostic or treatment delays. By January 1, the hospital said it had restored 60 percent of the priority systems.

It also responded to the offer of a decryptor in a short statement on the hospital website: “The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is aware of the statement issued online by a ransomware group that included an offer of a free decryptor to restore systems impacted by the cybersecurity incident. We have engaged our third-party experts to validate and assess the use of the decryptor.

“As of January 1, SickKids has already restored over 60 percent of priority systems; restoration efforts are ongoing and progressing well. There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted. SickKids has not made a ransomware payment.”

The National Post newspaper reported that, “Even if SickKids decided to use a LockBit decryptor, experts say the hospital still faces a number of hurdles. Ransomware groups are good at scrambling files, said Chester Wisniewski, a Vancouver-based principal research scientist with cyber-security firm Sophos. “They’re not so good at unscrambling them,” he said.

Healthcare organizations who use a ransomware group’s decryptor, because they paid a ransom or otherwise, recover on average about two-thirds of their files, said Wisniewski, citing a Sophos survey of hundreds of organizations. The protracted and expensive work of decryption is also left to the organization itself, not to mention the cost of hiring third-party experts to review, investigate and rebuild after the hack.

The LockBit operation runs as Ransomware-as-a-Service, where the operators maintain the encryptors and websites, and the operation’s affiliates, or members, breach victims’ networks, steal data, and encrypt devices.

As part of this arrangement, the LockBit operators keep approximately 20 percent of all ransom payments and the rest goes to the affiliate, according to the netsecurity.com website.

The threat of ransomware was a top concern of corporate executives in the fall of 2021, reported Gartner, a technology research and consulting firm. Just over a year later, organizations find themselves facing an escalation of that very threat with the rise of professional cyber-criminals.

The Cybereason.com website contends that new ransomware gangs have surfaced within the past few months, bringing new techniques with them.

Between January and March 2022, two ransomware gangs were quite active: Lockbit 2.0 and Conti, with Lockbit 2.0 responsible for 38% of ransomware attacks within that time frame, and Conti making up another 20%.

Both groups are known for threatening to post compromised data on leak sites in double extortion schemes unless the ransom is paid.

Inside the past year, we’ve also seen these less active (but no less dangerous) ransomware gangs disrupting organizations around the world:

BlackCat/ ALPHV, a Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) platform, has been around since last November and plays off stolen user credentials while consistently implementing a double extortion strategy as well as occasionally resorting to triple extortion with a DDoS attack. Believed to be a descendent of BlackMatter and targeting no less than 60 organizations in March 2022 alone, BlackCat caused enough trouble to warrant its own FBI flash alert.
Hive, not to be outdone, apparently outranked even BlackCat in the growth of its operations, ranking third in activity in March 2022 with 188% growth overall since February. It focuses over 30% of its efforts on the industrial sector, but is not afraid to target schools and healthcare, even forcing a hospital to use paper charts last June that caused the cancellation of urgent medical procedures. The FBI and CISA had to step in to help respond to the incident, which ultimately resulted in the hospital paying the ransom demand. Hive also employs a double extortion scheme, encrypting victims’ data and threatening to release it on its Tor site in the event of non-payment.
Vice Society, around since June of 2021 is also responsible for attacks on hospitals that have culminated in leaked patient information. It is similar to Hive in that both run a site where leaked data will be published if the ransom isn’t paid.
BlackByte took down the San Francisco 49ers’ corporate IT network a day after the FBI released a warning about the group. The attackers gained access via a known vulnerability within Microsoft Exchange, resulting in lateral movement across the network and file exfiltration and encryption. It falls under the category of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) and does not target Russia or former Soviet Bloc regions.
Hello Kitty, also known as Five Hands, was responsible for a ransomware note left with game developer CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077 and the Witcher trilogy. Their method: demand a ransom, then run DDoS interference if the victim refuses to pay, compromising their ability to organize an effective response.
Lapsus$ was also very active in the first quarter of 2022. While the group made it widely into the media, they are suspected of having exaggerated claims and made dubiously backed allegations to increase their notoriety and put increased pressure on victims. Largely an extortionist gang (as opposed to one that would encrypt files), they were known for leaking victim information on their Telegram chat.
Night Sky, first observed during the last week of 2021, is yet another ransomware gang capitalizing on the double extortion model made popular by Maze in 2019 and in use ever since by at least 16 different groups. They exfiltrate your data, encrypt it and, as if that wasn’t enough, threaten to leak or sell your data should you refuse to pay.
Stormous is another ransomware group making headlines in 2022, largely by publicly pledging to support the Russian government in the wake of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Known as a “scavenger operation,” the group targets past victims of successful ransomware attacks by other groups and seeks to extort them again, but some security researchers were unable to verify many of their claims to compromise.
Zeon, yet another double extortion operator, was discovered by Twitter user dnwls0719 (a cybersecurity analyst) and is known for encrypting the victim’s files then fairly reliably delivering the decryption key upon payment.
Pandora is another ransomware gang that has made headlines. Over a weekend in March of 2022, multibillion dollar automotive company Denso reported being attacked by the group, resulting in unauthorized access and the subsequent shutdown of all affected devices on the network. It is yet another in the growing pool of double-extortion attackers.
Sugar, another Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) platform, targets individual computers and is known to some as Encoded01. This particular gang was discovered by the Walmart Security Team and has been active since November of last year. RaaS is a light-weight service option for cybercriminals lacking heavy skills to leverage cheap ransomware attack services.
And last but not least, the recently emerged Quantum Locker ransomware. First seen in August of 2021, their attacks are known for being incredibly fast, leaving their victims virtually defenseless. “The threat actors are using the IcedID malware as one of their initial access vectors, which deploys Cobalt Strike for remote access and leads to data theft and encryption using Quantum Locker,” states Bleeping Computer.

As Gartner notes, “the ransomware business model has become more specialized and otherwise efficient, including ‘ransomware-as-a-service,’ and demand for bitcoin payouts, resulting in a proliferation of attacks. The technology for the attacks themselves also evolves, with viruses that linger and infect backup systems, do not rely on phishing as a vector, harder-to-identify viruses such as ‘fileless’ and ‘crypto-jacking’ attacks.”

The post Cyber-criminals apologize for attacking SickKids first appeared on Canadian Healthcare Technology.

More information about The Last of Us’ standalone multiplayer game is still coming in 2023.

In a recent blog post, The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann revealed the news, teasing a new piece of concept art for the upcoming multiplayer title. Druckmann also looks back at the past 10 years of the franchise, the recent release of The Last of Us Part I for the PlayStation 5 and HBO’s TV adaptation of the series that launches on January 15th.

The new concept art shows two characters in what seems to be a ruined coastal city looking at a giant cruise ship. Previously released concept art showed two characters, one with a molotov cocktail and another with a sniper rifle, standing on what appears to be a balcony.

In the blog post, Druckmann says that later in 2023, Naughty Dog “will begin to offer” additional “details” about The Last of Us’ multiplayer game. Beyond this, nothing else is revealed about the upcoming title.

A multiplayer mode called ‘Factions’ was featured in the original release of The Last of Us on PS3 and the remaster for the PS4, but it skipped the more recent PS5 remake of the title.

Image credit: Naughty Dog

Source: Naughty Dog

Samsung’s flagship S series smartphones aren’t expected to launch until next month, but ahead of their reveal, the company has shown off its new budget phone — the Galaxy A14 5G.

The Galaxy A14 5G features a 5,000mAh battery, a 13-megapixel selfie camera and a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary, 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro and 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth camera.

The display sports a 6.6-inch size with a FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.  Additionally, the Galaxy A14 features 64GB of onboard storage with the ability to expand to 1TB with a microSD card, and a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor.

Further, there’s a new Security and Privacy Dashboard and a built-in Samsung Health app to track body composition, sleep patterns, and exercise regimen that can be synced with other devices like the Galaxy Watch 5.

In Canada the A14 costs $329.99 and releases on January 27th.

There was an era several years ago when smart lights were pretty rare, and Toronto-based Nanoleaf and Philips Hue were two of the only players in the space.

However, there are countless smart light manufacturers now, making it difficult to stand out in the crowded market. Still, Nanoleaf always finds a way to grab attention when it comes to its designs, and its latest announcements at CES 2023 are no exception.

4D TV light

Nanoleaf’s 4D lighting system features a Screen Mirror Camera that mounts above or below your TV screen and extends the colour of your display. Nanoleaf says this system is powered by its new Sync+ technology and Matter-compatible LED light strip that features 50 lighting zones.

Nanoleaf says its 4D TV Smarter Kit will launch in Q2 2023 and features two options for 55-inch to 65-inch and 70-inch to 80-inch televisions. The company hasn’t revealed pricing yet.

Skylight

Though other smart light makers have sold ceiling-mounted lights for years, the Skylight is Nanoleaf’s first entry in the space. These modular light tiles mount flush against the ceiling and feature a square design.

The Skylight will release in early 2023.

Sense+ Controls and Nala Learning Bridge

Joining nearly every other smart lighting company out there, Nanoleaf now offers hardwired and wireless switch controls for its lights. These switches can turn lights on and off, change the brightness level and switch between preset scenes. The light switches also feature an ambient light that makes them easier to find in the dark, comes in a wireless version, and, more importantly, it’s Matter compliant. The Sense+ launches in Q3 2023.

The Nala Learning Bridge is capable of learning your lightning routines, including when you turn your lights on/off and the brightness/colour you prefer, says Nanoleaf. This is a lofty claim, but if accurate, the Nala Learning Bridge could remove the need to set schedules for your smart lights manually. The bridge also acts as a Thread Border Router, allowing you to use it as the hub for your smart home.

The Nala Learning Bridge launches in Q3 2023.

Essentials Bulbs and Lightstrips

All of NanoLeafs Essentials smart lights, including the A19, BR30, GU10, its Lightstrips and more, are getting updated releases with Matter support. On the other hand, Elements, Canvas Shapes and Lines lights will receive an update later this year that includes matter support.  Nanoleaf’s Essentials Smart Bulbs and Lightstrips will release in early 2023.

One thing worth noting about Nanoleaf’s products is that they have a reputation for sometimes featuring shoddy hardware. For example, the control module for my Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon has fried twice, and they often lose connection to my Wi-Fi. While it’s unclear if the company has ironed out its hardware problems with its new devices, hopefully, the addition of Matter at least solves their connectivity problems.

For those who are unaware, Thread is a mesh network protocol supported by tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google and more, that makes it easier for smart home devices to communicate with each other, while also offering better reliability and security. Not every device features Matter yet, but support is improving.

Image credit: Nanoleaf

Source: Nanoleaf

By Christine Persaud
With certain technology, it is possible for able-bodied and minded seniors to remain living at home while still being monitored and remotely cared for by family. But the reality is that this isn’t the case for every senior. Some require 24/7 monitoring and care. In these situations, the solution is Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities. But there are ways tech can help there, too.

At CES 2023, Roku revealed that it’s finally building its own televisions.

The 11 HD and 4K televisions will range from 24 inches to 75 inches and cost in the range of $119 to $999 USD (roughly $160 to $1,315 CAD). This means that the streaming company is mainly targeting the lower-end TV market and that its televisions aren’t designed to compete with the majority of TCL’s and HiSense’s Roku-powered TVs.

Roku hasn’t revealed many technical details about its first-ever in-house TVs, but don’t expect bright OLED panels or mini LED technology given their price point.

What we do know is that the TVs will include voice remotes and that its Plus Series TVs will come with the Roku Voice Remote Pro that features USB charging instead of being powered by two AAA batteries alongside a headphone jack.

Along with the new TVs, Roku also revealed a new wireless soundbar and an OLED television reference design at CES 2023. Roku says it will launch its TVs this spring in the United States.

It’s unclear if the company will release these televisions in Canada at the same time as the U.S. (Roku devices often make their way here a few months later).

Image credit: Roku

Source: Roku

On Jan. 3 at CES, Intel announced its 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processors and introduced 32 new processors with a plethora of features and capabilities for various laptop segments.  

“The 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processor family delivers unrivaled, scalable performance for leadership platforms across all laptop segments,” said Michelle Johnston Holthaus, executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group at Intel. “With our industry-leading technologies and unmatched global partner ecosystem, people can expect a high-caliber mobile experience in new and unique form factors – so they can game or create from anywhere.”

Intel’s launch of the 13th Gen Intel Core H-series mobile processors includes the first 24-core processor for a laptop. 

The new processor features:

Up to 5.6 gigahertz (GHz) turbo frequency – the highest clock speed available for the laptop market and full memory support of up to 128 gigabyte (GB) total for DDR5 (up to 5,600 megahertz) and DDR4 (up to 3,200 MHz).

The processors also offer the Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+), providing faster internet speeds with no legacy Wi-Fi channel interference. Bluetooth connectivity features include Intel Bluetooth LE Audio and Bluetooth 5.2 supporting faster speeds and multiple device connections with lower power consumption.

The processor family comes with improved integrated graphics experiences based on an improved driver stack and key learnings from Intel’s work with discrete graphics.

13th Gen Intel Core P-series and U-series Processors Performance to Thin-and-Light Laptops

Additionally, at CES, Intel introduced 13th Gen Intel Core P-series and U-series mobile processors. According to the company this is ideal for users who want high performance on “sleek, thin systems.” 

Features include:

Up to 14 cores (6 Performance-cores, 8 Efficient-cores) and enhanced Intel Thread Director, new Intel Iris Xe Graphics features including endurance gaming, XeSS Super Sampling and Intel Arc Control.  

The processors offer up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports for a quick and simple cable connection to any dock, display or accessory.

Select designs based on 13th Gen Intel Core processors will now feature the Intel Movidius vision processing unit (VPU). Resulting from deep co-engineering with Microsoft on its new Windows Studio Effects, the VPU allows AI-heavy tasks required for professional-grade collaboration and streaming to be offloaded to it, freeing the CPU and GPU for additional work.

Across H-, P- and U-Series, the mobile processors will enhance performance for thin-and-light laptops, foldables, 2-in-1s and other form factors. Intel says that over 300 designs are expected to be released in 2023 from companies such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and others.

For the IoT edge, 13th Gen Intel Core processors deliver new industrial features, extended temperature operations, and higher performing CPUs with more graphics capabilities and AI performance. Intel says this is ideal for retail, education, healthcare, aerospace, industrial, and smart cities, since the new processors provide better workload consolidation with more cores and threads, enabling more applications to run on a single device.

Intel Evo

Today’s announcements also included new Intel Evo laptop specification that features longer real-world battery life and a new multi-device experience, Intel Unison.

The new specifications offer three key experiences:

Consistent responsiveness while unplugged, longer real-world battery life, instant wake and fast charge.

Enhanced videoconferencing, leveraging technologies such as Intel Connectivity Performance Suite and Intel Bluetooth LE Audio. 

Intel Unison: A multidevice experience enabling text messages, phone calls, phone notifications and file transfer from PC to an Android- or iOS-enabled phone.

Today, Intel also introduced a new Intel Processor and Intel Core i3 in the N-series family of products. The products are specifically designed for the education segment, entry-level computing and IoT edge native applications.

Some of the features include:

Twenty eight per cent better application performance and 64 per cent better graphics performance on the Intel processor compared to the previous generation. In addition, the N-series offers up to 10-hour HD video playback without recharging, as well as a high-resolution display engine and improved IPU and MIPI camera support.

During the CES showcase, Intel demonstrated how the processors enable mobile gaming performance with enhanced connectivity. When combined with features such as support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, best-in-class connectivity and PCIe Gen 5, 13th Gen HX processors deliver what the company calls the world’s best mobile gaming platform.

Source: IntelThe post CES 2023: Intel unveils new mobile processors first appeared on IT World Canada.

GPU and chipmaker Nvidia and electronics manufacturer Foxconn announced a partnership to develop platforms/software for autonomous driving vehicles.

According to Foxconn, it intends to manufacture electronic control units (ECUs) for autonomous vehicles based on Nvidia’s Drive Orin chip, which is made specifically for computing in connected and autonomous vehicles, as reported by Reuters. The ECUs Foxconn plans to make would serve the entire global autonomous automotive market.

On the other hand, according to Nvidia, its Drive Orin chip technology will help Foxconn manufacture ECUs that can process information from sensors in real-time and alleviate some of the issues faced by companies developing electric and autonomous vehicles, including difficulties in ramping up production due to rising costs.

Foxconn, which has a car-making plant in Ohio, announced that its cars will have autonomous driving ECUs based on Nvidia’s DRIVE Orin and DRIVE Hyperion sensors.

Currently, Foxconn makes electric vehicles for Lordstown Motors Corp, and reportedly has a contract to manufacture Fisker second car model, PEAR. Most notably, Foxconn also manufactures several of Apple’s products.

Foxconn has said that it intends to manufacture Tesla’s vehicles eventually.

Via: Reuters

New state privacy laws start in the U.S., an international train parts manufacturer starts notifying data breach victims and more.

Welcome to Cyber Security Today. It’s Wednesday, January 4th, 2023. I’m Howard Solomon, contributing reporter on cybersecurity for ITWorldCanada.com.

The New Year started with new privacy laws coming into effect in two U.S. states. Companies doing business in the U.S. should pay attention. In California, a new Privacy Protection Agency is now the lead authority on violations of the state’s privacy law. In addition to the rights consumers have under the existing law individuals can ask businesses to correct inaccurate personal information and tell businesses to only use their sensitive personal information for limited purposes. Regulations that organizations will have to follow are expected to be released around the end of this month, and begin taking effect perhaps in April. Enforcement of those regulations would start in July. Until then existing regulations prevail. Also on January 1st, Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act came into force.

A U.S.-headquartered manufacturer of parts for trains called Wabtec has started notifying employees in four countries about a data theft. A ransomware gang copied personal data in an attack that started last March. The incident was detected in June, and the theft of personal information was confirmed in November. Data stolen includes names, dates of birth, employee photos, biometric information, social insurance numbers or their equivalents for U.S. and non-U.S. employees, passport numbers and more. Staff in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Brazil are being notified. The LockBit ransomware gang has taken credit for this attack.

LockBit has also taken credit for recently stealing data from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. According to a cybersecurity news site The Record, on New Year’s eve LockBit said it stole 15TB of data. It has given the housing authority until January 12th to pay a ransom.

Attention IT administrators with Synology VPN Plus Servers in their environments: The company has issued upgrades to close a critical vulnerability. The upgrades are for SRM 1.3 and 1.2. If this hole isn’t closed an attacker could execute remote commands. This warning was published four days ago so action should have been taken by now. Separately, Netgear issued security patches for nine of its Nighthawk and AC home and small business wireless routers. If you have one of these check here.

I don’t report a lot on cryptocurrency thefts because digital currencies are high-risk. I don’t want to be seen as encouraging that kind of investment. But an organization that sets up a crypto exchange better have top security because it will be a prime target for attackers. The latest victim is an Estonian-based cryptocurrency trading service called 3Commas. According to a news site called Decrypt, 3Commas’ CEO has now acknowledged someone stole about 100,000 security API digital keys used by customers and offered them for sale. The story says 44 3Commas customers lost more than US$44 million worth of cryptocurrencies because of the stolen digital keys.

Finally, another helpful internet-connected home device has been found to have a security vulnerability. This time it’s the Google Home smart speaker. The vulnerability allows an unapproved user to be added to the device’s account. If not patched a nearby attacker can wirelessly install a backdoor and take control of the device — including turning on its microphone and getting the Wi-Fi password. A security researcher says he was paid over US$107,000 by Google under its bug bounty program for discovering the vulnerability.

Follow Cyber Security Today on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or add us to your Flash Briefing on your smart speaker.

The post Cyber Security Today, Jan. 4, 2023 — Two new U.S. state privacy laws , manufacturer starts notifying data breach victims and more first appeared on IT World Canada.

South Korea fines Tesla, experts warn about smart toys and data collection, and an Apple AirTag locates missing luggage and catches an airline in a lie. 

 

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Wednesday, January 4th, and I am your host, Ashee Pamma.

South Korea’s antitrust regulator said it would impose a $2.2 million fine on Tesla because the company failed to tell its customers about the shorter driving range of its electric vehicles in lower temperatures. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said that Tesla had exaggerated the driving ranges of its car on a single charge. The driving range of Tesla’s drop in cold weather by up to 50.5 per cent versus how they are advertised online. According to a Reuters report, Tesla provides winter driving tips, such as pre-conditioning vehicles with external power sources, but it fails to mention the loss of driving range in sub-zero temperatures.

Experts are warning against smart toys, suggesting such items could be gathering data on kids and selling it without the parents knowledge. According to Inquirer.Net, This discovery has led various groups to call on government institutions to eliminate this type of surveillance of children. Certain toys, such as the “Fuzzible Friend” doll, can collect significant data due to their built-in cameras and mics. Companies can then sell the data to advertisers to create profiles on children. Human Rights Watch also cautioned consumers about similar issues with educational tech products. It analyzed 163 educational computer learning products endorsed by 49 countries. It found that 146 of the products “put at risk or directly violated children’s privacy…for purposes unrelated to their education.” The Electronic Privacy Information Center asked the US Federal Trade Commission to strictly regulate data collection on children. 

And Apple AirTag was able to catch United Airlines in a lie about missing luggage. A woman used multiple locations of AirTags she put in her luggage before traveling to catch United Airlines lying about the security of her bags. United Airlines had assured her that her bag would be delivered safely, but the AirTags showed that the luggage was actually near a dumpster behind a residential apartment. Apple Insider reported that photographs, perhaps from Google Street View, show other United Airlines luggage strewn by the dumpster and apparently emptied. After informing the airline the location of the luggage due to her AirTags, they still repeated that she was wrong, and the “bag is safe at the Delivery services distribution center.”

In a secret location in Ukraine, engineering students are working to build drones for the front line. An article written by Telegraph reports that students modify commercial drones to turn them into weapons of war. They are also creating drones from scratch, with their own designs. This makeshift production line sprung up following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has since produced 2,500 unmanned aircraft for the front. Founder Maksym Sheremet says that most of the engineers in his lab are barely 18-years-old. Sheremet’s Drone Lab takes orders from commanders on the front line, to build drones. 

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Ashee Pamma.

The post Hashtag Trending Jan 4 – South Korea fines Tesla; Smart toys and data collection; AirTag catches airline in a lie first appeared on IT World Canada.