Search This Blog
Powered by Blogger.

Blog Archive

Labels

Load More
Trendy Right Now

Popular Posts

Showing posts with label AFP. Show all posts
uber
AFP Cyberattacks Cybersecurity data threat Email Phishing Privacy uber

Uber's Costly Mistake: AUS$412,500 Fine for Spam Emails in Australia

 


There are many services offered by Uber Technologies, Inc., commonly known as Uber, which is a multinational company that offers a wide array of services, like ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight transportation, to its customers. 

Founded in California, the company is located in around 70 countries around the world, providing its services in over 10,500 cities around the globe, from its headquarters in San Francisco. On a global scale, Uber brings together more than 6 million active drivers and couriers daily, which gives the app an extremely high user base, with more than 131 million active users every month. 

The platform facilitates an estimated 25 million trips on a typical day, which is a record for the platform. The United States' largest ride-sharing company, Uber, has played a significant role in enabling a remarkable 42 billion trips since its establishment in 2010. Uber has also made a significant contribution to enabling a large share economy through opportunities such as the sharing economy. 

AFP reported that Uber was fined Aus$412,500 ($260,000) by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for sending more than two million emails to customers in violation of anti-spam laws, as the company had violated anti-spam laws by sending over two million emails.  

There was a bulk email campaign distributed in January that marketed a new service that delivered alcohol to people at their homes. Furthermore, the company did not provide the option for customers to unsubscribe from the mailing list. Further, over 500,000 emails were sent to recipients who previously indicated that they did not want to receive marketing emails from us in the future. 

There are explicit laws in the Australian laws that prohibit companies from sending marketing emails without receiving the express consent of the recipient. Additionally, these laws require that the email recipients be provided with a clear option to unsubscribe from these mailings.

It has been noted that Nerida O'Loughlin, the chair of the ACMA, described Uber's actions as an 'avoidable error' and that the importance of respecting the preferences of customers cannot be overstated, given that customers are becoming increasingly frustrated when their requests are not met. 

As a response to these violations, Uber has apologized for sending these marketing emails, admitting that they had made an error in sending these emails. According to their apology, Uber acknowledged that they had made an error in this regard as well. 

According to ACMA reports, over the past 18 months, the total amount of penalties and fines paid by Australian businesses for violating spam and telemarketing laws has been over Aus$11 million. Accordingly, Uber has been fined an amount of Australian dollars 412,500 (equivalent to US dollars 260,000) in response to these violations. 
Read more »
Volkswagen
AFP Audi Cyberattacks Cybersecurity DPA IT Problem Porsche Technology Volkswagen

Volkswagen Faces Production Standstill in Germany Due to IT Problem

 


There was a major IT outage at several of Volkswagen Group's German plants on Thursday, which halted production at most of them and caused the global production network to become unresponsive. This incident has affected VW's entire group, which includes Porsche and Audi, and has shown the vulnerability of VW's network infrastructure, which is very apparent as the incident began early on Wednesday morning. It highlights the vulnerability of VW's network infrastructure.    

According to a report by the German news agency DPA, the company has revealed that the IT infrastructure problems that occurred over the night have been resolved and production is beginning again. 

The company said that there was no indication that the disruption was caused by anything external. It has been confirmed that the entire Volkswagen group, including Porsche AG (P911_p.DE) and Audi brands, has been affected, the top carmaker in Europe said. 

According to a spokesperson for Audi, the production at the division has also been affected, although details about the extent of the impact are still being analyzed, however. It is already evident that the carmaker faces a diminished demand at its all-electric Zwickau plant, where a long-standing three-shift system that has been in place for decades may have to change due to muted demand for battery-powered cars. 

Reuters reported Volkswagen had a "problem" with the IT components at its global headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany after the company reported an unspecified "IT malfunction".  Aside from Emden, Osnabrueck, Hanover, Dresden, and Zwickau, the outage affected several other German sites, including factories in Braunschweig, Kassel, Chemnitz, and Salzgitter, which manufacture components for the company. 

"There has been an issue with the line since 12:30 p.m. (CET) and the trouble is currently being investigated. There could be implications for the plants that produce cars," according to the group. It has been reported that some Volkswagen offices have been taken out of operation as a result of the incident. 

Volkswagen maintains that, as a result of the ongoing analysis, an external attack on its internal network is unlikely, and that computer systems and email networks are currently offline. There is still no known cause for this widespread "system malfunction", but efforts are still being made to fix the problem and bring the company's activities back on track. As a result, the company's activity is now back on track. 

VW recently announced that it would be cutting 269 temporary jobs at its Zwickau electric car plant in the early part of this month, according to AFP. As the electric vehicle segment gains momentum, the 10-brand group -- whose marques include Audi, Seat and Skoda -- faces intense competition, especially in China, one of the key markets. 

According to Volkswagen, their deliveries of cars to China in the first half of 2023 decreased by 1.2 per cent compared to the previous half of 2021. Several Volkswagen offices have been left offline due to this incident, which has caused a malfunction of computer systems and email networks. 

The company says that, based on its ongoing analysis, it is unlikely that an external attack will affect its internal systems. There are still no definitive answers as to the cause of this widespread "system malfunction," but efforts are ongoing to resolve it and return the company's activities to normal. 

The new IT incident will likely affect Volkswagen's quarterly results since the automaker has already been struggling with lower-than-expected production levels at its all-electric Zwickau plant. Over the past few years, Volkswagen has dealt with both stolen customer contract information and leaks of confidential information about factory robots built for automobiles. 

Recent reports suggest that the company (along with Audi, as well as other 25 brands) is a "data privacy nightmare on wheels" and is being criticized by Mozilla. Although the German manufacturer claims that the incident was not caused by an external attack, The Register suggests that it could have been the result of Russia's efforts to undermine nations that support Ukraine. 

There has been a pattern of DDoS attacks against German infrastructures and organizations by Russian hacktivists, or even Kremlin-sponsored cyber-crackers.
Read more »
Scumbags
AFP Australia Cyber Attacks CyberCrime Hackers Medibank Russia Scumbags

Medibank's Hackers will be Hacked in Australia

 


Threat actors behind the Medibank hack that compromised nearly 10 million customers' private information are being hunted by the Australian government, cyber security minister Clare O'Neil said. 
A hack on Medibank's computer, which was attributed to Russian cybercriminals, was announced by the Australian Federal Police on Friday afternoon. 

AFP identified Russian criminals as the culprits without contacting Russian officials before the public announcement, as the embassy in Australia has expressed disappointment that the AFP has identified Russian-based criminals as the culprits without contacting Russian officials. 

In the statement released by the Consulate on Friday evening, the consulate mentioned that it encouraged the AFP to promptly contact the respective Russian law enforcement agencies to seek assistance. 

Combating cybercrime that adversely affects the lives of citizens and damages businesses is a complex task that demands a cooperative, non-political and responsible approach from all members of the international community. 

It was announced on Saturday that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) have signed an agreement on the creation of a comprehensive policing model which will take into account both the Optus and Medicare data breaches and effectively deal with the criminals behind them. 

"Around 100 officers from these two organizations will be a part of this joint standing operation, and many of these officers will be physically co-located with the Australian Signals Directorate," she said.

As Ms. O'Neil pointed out, officers report to work every day of the week. The goal is to deal with these gangs and thugs in the most effective manner possible. 

Ms. Saunders explained, With this partnership, the Australian Government has formalized a standing body which will be responsible for the day-to-day pursuit and prosecution of the con men responsible for these malicious crimes against innocent people and who will, day in and day out, hunt them down. 

A group of the smartest and most determined people in Australia will be collaborating to track down the hackers. 

A New Permanent Policing Model 

In a statement, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus described the situation as "extremely distressing."

In response to the attack, the government released a statement stating that it would do everything it could to limit the impact of this horrible crime. It would also provide support and comfort to the families and friends of those who are affected. 

Dreyfus said in his remarks that the updated partnership between the AFP and the ASD aimed at fighting cyber criminals will be a permanent and formal agreement. 

The AFP, he explained, works full-time on this issue, and they are working with international partners, such as the FBI, which has done great work on this problem, with the assistance of their international partners, including the United Nations. 

As part of the investigation, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Friday said officers were also working with Interpol to track down the perpetrators of the crime. 

"We know who you are," he said. In the area of bringing overseas offenders back to Australia to face the justice system, it has been noted that the AFP has been doing a good job on the scoreboard. 

A Review of Australia's Diplomatic Relations With Russia is Currently Taking Place

There will be no slowdown in the work of the national security agencies because diplomatic channels with Russia will remain open concerning extradition, according to Mr. Dreyfus. 

According to the president of the Russian Federation, Russia should do all that it can to protect its citizens from engaging in these kinds of crimes, while within its borders. 

In a statement, Mr. Dreyfus said that his government is taking a close look at the options available to it. This is because it wants to maintain Russia's diplomatic profile in Australia. 

In regards to our diplomatic channels, we would like to maintain them as long as they are appropriate for our national interests. However, diplomatic profiles must always be consistent with that. 

A spokesman for the opposition's cyber security wing, James Paterson, said that the disclosure could have broad implications for Australia's Magnitsky regime. Those who violate the law are subject to this.

With the passage of the regime with bipartisan support, which was passed with the support of the Republican and Democratic Parties, it becomes possible to impose targeted financial sanctions and travel bans in response to serious corruption and significant cyberattacks. 

At a press conference earlier today, Prime Minister Albanese told reporters he was dismayed and disgusted by the actions of those who committed this crime. He authorized AFP officials to release the details as a matter of public interest. 

In the recent past, hackers have released more information about some of the medical records of their customers on the dark web, including information about abortions and alcoholism. 

A ransomware attack was carried out by a criminal group targeting Medibank's data, which resulted in close to 500,000 health claims, along with personal information, being stolen. 

There are several mental health and other support services available through Medibank's Resources Page, which is available to affected customers.
Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)