Russian hacking group REvil attacks 200 networks in the U.S., audio software Audacity is being called a spyware and Google removes nine apps from the Play Store for infiltrating Facebook logins.
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It’s all the biz/tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Tuesday, July 6 and I’m your host Tom Li.
A ransomware attack led by the Russian hacking gang REvil hit the networks of 200 U.S. companies. According to security firm Huntress Labs, the group targeted software supplier Kaseya, and used its network management package to spread the malware through cloud-service providers. Kaseya said the attack affected a “small number” of its customers but immediately urged users to shut down their on-prem servers. The attack also seemed to happen at a convenient time for the hackers, as the fourth of July weekend in the U.S. sees fewer employees and shorter workdays. REvil was also the group linked to the attack on JBS, a global meat processor. [LinkedIn] [npr]
Popular open source Audio software Audacity is being called a spyware. A report from yesterday revealed that it contains a data-collection tool and shares them with external firms. Audacity was bought by Muse Group in May, and changes in the amended online support documents showed that the software is indeed collecting user data. Some of the data being collected includes IP addresses, operating system and version, non-fatal error codes, crash reports and the processor in use. The software has also collected quote “data necessary for law enforcement, litigation, and authorities’ requests (if any).” [Reddit] [Apple Insider]
And lastly, Google has removed nine Android apps from the Play Store after learning the apps were stealing Facebook login credentials. Some of the apps removed had over 5.8 million downloads and included horoscope and photos apps. The apps were able to trick users by loading the Facebook sign in page which would lead to loading JavaScript from a command and control server to “hijack” credentials and pass them along to the app. Five malware variants were found within the removed apps. Google also banned all the app developers so they will not be able to create new apps and make similar moves. [Reddit] [Engadget]
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 Briefing 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 Friday at 3 pm. Thanks for listening, I’m Tom Li.
