News July 24, 2024
How IT Departments Scrambled to Address the CrowdStrike Chaos
As the clock struck 1:00 am local time on Friday, a system administrator for a West Coast funeral and mortuary services company was suddenly jolted awake by his computer screen’s eerie glow. The phone was flooded with messages from colleagues about a network issue that threatened to disrupt funerals and burials. It soon became clear that the CrowdStrike outage was the culprit, causing chaos worldwide after distributing faulty software to its Falcon monitoring platform. The administrator worked tirelessly for nearly 20 hours, manually resetting dozens of computers at mortuaries to resolve the problem. With funeral scheduling and hospital communication hanging in the balance, every minute counted. “People are grieving,” he emphasized, as the team scrambled to get systems back online.
A Hacker ‘Ghost’ Network Is Quietly Spreading Malware on GitHub
A clandestine network of approximately 3,000 “ghost” accounts on GitHub has been quietly manipulating pages on the platform to promote malicious code and phishing links, according to a recent study seen by WIRED. Since at least June last year, a cybercriminal known as “Stargazer Goblin” has been hosting repositories containing malware on the Microsoft-owned website, which is home to millions of developers’ work. The persona behind this network uses fake accounts to make malicious pages appear popular and genuine by “starring,” “forking,” and “watching” them. This coordinated effort is facilitated through a cybercrime-linked Telegram channel and criminal marketplaces, where hackers can purchase and sell repositories and services. The Stargazer Ghost Network has been spreading malware-laden GitHub repositories that offer downloads of social media, gaming, and cryptocurrency tools, targeting Windows users who may be searching for free software online.
This Machine Exposes Privacy Violations
As I sit in my home office, surrounded by towering monitors and clicking away at my desktop, I can’t help but feel a sense of frustration and urgency. You see, the web is not a level playing field, far from it. In fact, it’s more like a minefield, where our every move is tracked and monitored by companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. They collect our data, gather extensive information about us, and then send it upstream to their partners and affiliates. And we, the ordinary internet users, have no idea what’s being collected or how it’s being used.
But there are those who are fighting back, like Tim Libert, a former Google engineer turned privacy researcher. He’s developed a tool called webXray, which allows you to search for specific terms or websites and see which ones are tracking you and where that data goes. It’s a powerful tool, one that could level the playing field and give privacy enforcers the same technology as privacy violators.
Libert knows a thing or two about both search engines and digital privacy. He was a staff engineer on Google’s privacy team until last year, and he’s been researching how websites track their users for over a decade. His work has taken him to some dark places, like medical websites that share data about our health conditions with third parties, and porn sites that leak sensitive information.
But Libert is not one to give up easily. He’s launching webXray to the public soon, along with a premium tier for regulators and attorneys who can use the tool to assess privacy violations and address them. It’s a bold move, one that could change the game for online privacy. As he says, “I want to give privacy enforcers equal technology as privacy violators.” And with webXray, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
New ‘Cuckoo’ trailer teases Hunter Schafer trapped in an eerie mountain nightmare
As the second trailer for Tilman Singer’s chilling horror film, Cuckoo, unfolds, we’re treated to even more unsettling glimpses of Dan Stevens’ eccentric antics and Hunter Schafer’s desperate flight from a sinister figure lurking in the shadows of a remote German Alps resort. The story centers around Gretchen (Schafer), who takes a job at a nearby hotel only to be confronted by a terrifying hooded presence that threatens to consume her sanity. With each passing moment, Schafer’s physical and emotional state deteriorates, rendering her a masterful anchor for the film’s most unnerving moments. Her performance is nothing short of remarkable, elevating Cuckoo from mere horror fare to something truly unforgettable. If you’re ready to immerse yourself in a world of creeping dread, mark your calendars for May 3 when Cuckoo hits theaters nationwide.
How to watch Uzbekistan vs. Spain at Paris 2024 online for free
Get ready to catch the thrilling match between Uzbekistan and Spain at Paris 2024, live streamed for free on BBC iPlayer! The highly anticipated game takes place on July 24 at 9:00 a.m. ET at Parc des Princes in Paris. Since BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, you’ll need a VPN like ExpressVPN to unblock it from anywhere in the world. With ExpressVPN, you can easily access the free streaming platform and enjoy the match without any hassle.