Tag Archive for: Boosts

Hillicon Valley – Biden budget boosts antitrust funding


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President Biden is proposing funding increases for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s antitrust division as part of his $5.8 trillion proposal released Monday. 

Biden’s 2023 budget would increase the DOJ’s antitrust division funding by $88 million and the FTC’s by $139 million. 

The White House called it a “historic” increase in a fact sheet, saying it “reflects the Administration’s commitment to vigorous marketplace competition through robust enforcement of antitrust law.” 

The requests to increase the funding come as the DOJ and FTC push forward with antitrust cases against tech giants, including Google and Facebook parent company Meta. 

Recent White House warnings urging the private sector to shore up its cyber defenses have experts questioning why U.S. officials haven’t already defined what constitutes cyberwarfare.  

Although the experts praised the warnings, they said that the Biden administration should also prioritize defining what the thresholds are for retaliating against a major cyberattack.  

“We have to set up rules of engagement that are absolute, saying any cyberattack that is associated with a [hacking group] loosely tied with the Russian government or the Chinese government will immediately trigger the following actions,” said Emil Sayegh, president and CEO of data security firm Ntirety.  

The experts were weighing in on recent warnings issued by the White House urging critical sectors to prepare for possible Russian cyberattacks following new U.S. intelligence suggesting that the Kremlin is exploring “options for potential cyberattacks” against critical infrastructure. 

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South Korea boosts laws after hacker sells nude videos from smart home devices for bitcoin


  • Hundreds of apartment buildings across the country were targeted, with compromising footage of residents’ private lives sold on the dark web
  • The incident has prompted the government to strengthen cybersecurity rules to protect residents in a country where 63 per cent of people live in flats

South Korea is reviewing online security regulations after a hacker targeted hundreds of smart home devices and sold intimate video footage of residents on the dark web in exchange for bitcoin.

Alerted by the Korea Internet Security Agency to the case, police last week launched an investigation and confirmed hacked video footage from apartments across the country were leaked online.

Thumbnail images of the video clips on the dark web showed scenes of private home life, naked bodies and sex scenes, said IT Chosun, a tech news website that exposed the hacking this month.

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Hong Kong cybersecurity expert warns of risks posed by smart home devices

A reporter posing as a buyer contacted the hacker, who said in an encrypted email that it cost 0.1 bitcoin (about US$5,736) to gain video access to an apartment for 24 hours. The hacker reportedly supplied the writer a long list of flats to choose from.

Smart home features installed in Korean apartments first began as intercom systems, but grew to have expanded functions. Many new flats today have smart home devices, including wall pad door locks, lights, heaters, refrigerators, laundry machines and air conditioners that can be controlled by smartphones remotely.

Some systems include surveillance cameras, which the incident shows is vulnerable to invasion of privacy. If a hacker succeeds in breaching the security of one home, they can also access footage of neighbouring apartments connected through the building’s network, IT Chosun said.

In South Korea, 63 per cent of households live in flats.



Many new homes in South Korea come with smart home systems installed. Photo: Shutterstock


© Provided by South China Morning Post
Many new homes in South Korea come with smart home systems installed….

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Free McAfee Gamer Security Offering Protects and Boosts U.S. PC Gamer Experience


SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, McAfee announced that it will offer a free 1-year subscription for McAfee Gamer Security to new and existing U.S. multi-device security customers. Gaming has become one of the primary sources of entertainment for consumers in the wake of the global pandemic, and with the shift to a digital-first lifestyle, McAfee continues to focus on protecting consumers during moments that matter – when opportunistic hackers find an entry point – especially as gaming PC sales growing 16.2% in 2020.

Launched in 2019, McAfee Gamer Security delivers a unique combination of performance and protection through its built-from-ground-up feature set, considering the needs of the wide spectrum of PC gaming – from families with children that game to PC gamers themselves. Even though PC gamers are the most connected online users, they often forgo necessary security protocols which potentially exposes them to threats such as malware, ransomware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and other threats in favor of squeezing more performance for gaming. According to McAfee’s 2021 Consumer Security Mindset: Gamer Edition, nearly 2 in 3 (65%) Americans admitted that it never occurred to them that they might need to use security solutions while gaming.

We knew that it was imperative that we meet PC gamers where they are as tech-savvy, performance-centric individuals. They know that they need online protection, but aren’t willing to compromise their experience for it,” said Baker Nanduru, Head of Consumer Products at McAfee. “Consumers are looking to gaming as a release from everyday stresses, and McAfee is giving them one less thing to worry about. With this new offering of McAfee Gamer Security, our greater U.S. customer base can enjoy a smoother, safer gaming experience.”

Key Features and Benefits of McAfee Gamer Security Include:

  • Minimal Security Resource Consumption: With a new product architecture and a smaller resource footprint, gamers will enjoy low-impact security protection at all times. Security features can even be paused during gaming mode for further performance gains.
  • Game Mode: Automatically boosts and optimizes resources…

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Mexico boosts border security to stop child migrants


posted March 22, 2021 at 09:00 am

by 
AFP

Mexico will step up security along its southern border with Guatemala to stop child migrants crossing on their way to the United States, the authorities said Friday.

The announcement comes after an increase in flows of undocumented migrants heading north following US President Joe Biden’s immigration reforms.

The operations on the southern border are aimed at protecting child migrants who are “exploited by criminal networks,” the National Migration Institute (NMI) said.

Patrols will use drones and night vision equipment for surveillance in areas where undocumented migrants are known to cross the border, it said.

Since January more than 4,000 Central American minors have been identified who “traveled irregularly in Mexican territory,” according to the NMI.

People traffickers are telling migrants to bring children to make it easier to enter Mexico and the United States, it said.

According to social workers in Mexico’s northeastern city of Matamoros, children are brought by parents or relatives to the border and sent over the border alone.

Once across, they are handed over to the Department of Health and Human Services, which helps them connect with family contacts inside the United States.

Mothers with small children are also sometimes allowed to stay, while undocumented adults crossing over alone are swiftly deported.

Facing growing political pressure, Biden this week urged migrants not to come.

Mexico’s southern border has been patrolled since 2019 by the National Guard to stop migrant caravans crossing over.

On Thursday Mexico announced restrictions on non-essential land traffic at the frontier with Guatemala that it said were aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

The move coincided with a pledge by the United States to send AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines to Mexico to help alleviate a shortage of doses.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said…

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