Aduna and EnStream partner to unlock Canada’s telecom network APIs for global innovation

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

Aduna, a landmark venture between some of the world’s leading telecom operators and Ericsson have announced a strategic partnership with Canada’s EnStream LP, marking a comprehensive Canadian expansion of its network API ecosystem.

The collaboration will enable seamless access to telecom network APIs from Bell, Rogers, and TELUS – Canada’s three leading nationwide operators – empowering developers and enterprises worldwide to build and scale next-generation digital services with greater security and efficiency.

EnStream, a joint venture between Bell, Rogers, and TELUS, has been instrumental in positioning Canada as a global leader in network APIs. By leveraging mobile data across the country’s largest telecom providers, EnStream has facilitated secure, frictionless authentication and fraud prevention solutions for businesses, including major financial institutions.

Through this partnership, EnStream’s powerful APIs will be integrated into Aduna’s platform, accelerating global adoption of telecom-enabled security and verification services. Among these are:

  • Number Verification: A seamless, silent authentication method that enhances user experience while strengthening security
  • SIM Swap Protection:A critical fraud prevention tool that detects potential account takeovers, helping businesses mitigate identity theft and cyber threats.

With full nationwide coverage exceeding 90 percent, Canada stands as a core innovation hub within Aduna’s ecosystem. Global enterprises will now have access to a live testbed for telecom-driven authentication and fraud prevention, gaining insights that can be scaled internationally through Aduna’s standardized (CAMARA-based) global network APIs.

This expansion reinforces Aduna’s footprint across North America – covering Canada, the U.S., and Mexico – a major region for the global network API market. Additionally, telecom operators worldwide can leverage insights from Canada’s real-world implementations to enhance their own network API strategies.

This partnership cements Canada’s role as a springboard for global network API success, offering enterprises unparalleled access to real-time, telecom-powered intelligence to drive security, innovation, and seamless digital experiences worldwide.

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Cleveland Court shut down after being hit with a ‘Cyber incident’

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

For the fourth day in a row, the Cleveland Municipal Court has posted a statement on its Facebook page that it is still closed due to a cybersecurity incident. 

  “As a precautionary measure, the Court has shut down the affected systems while we focus on securing and restoring services safely. 

  “These systems will remain offline until we have a better understanding of the situation.

  “All internal systems and software platforms will be shut down until further notice. 

  “The Cleveland Municipal Court will be closed on Thursday, February 27, 2025, except for essential staff and normal business will not be conducted with the public,” the social media page post reads for the fourth day in a row.

This comes on the heels of officials in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which is home to more than half a million people, operating with limited internet access after a weekend cyberattack prompted the county to shut down operations and close offices on Monday forcing non-emergency government employees to work remotely.

Although offices reopened Tuesday, officials said they were taking a “proactive approach” until they’re able to safely restore operations and eligible employees were encouraged to work remotely due to potential internet connectivity issues.

Emily Phelps, Director, Cyware had this to say:

  “Disruptions like these underscore the critical need for robust threat intelligence and response strategies. Cyber incidents can happen to any organization, and swift action to contain and mitigate damage is essential. However, reactive measures alone aren’t enough—having the right intelligence to anticipate and prevent threats before they escalate is just as crucial. As attacks continue to disrupt municipal services, it’s clear that cybersecurity resilience isn’t just about response but about proactively managing risks through intelligence-driven security operations. Public sector organizations, often targeted due to their essential services and sensitive data, must prioritize threat visibility and collaboration to stay ahead of adversaries. A well-integrated approach to threat intelligence can help prevent extended shutdowns and ensure continuity of critical operations.”

Attacks like these are becoming more and more disruptive. That can be very costly and not just from a dollars and cents perspective. Which is why there needs to be a focus on doing everything possible to not get pwned in the first place.

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Fubo expands local programming with launch of CHCH TV

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

 Fubo has announced today the launch of CHCH TV, bringing original Canadian-made local news and popular entertainment programming to Fubo subscribers in Canada.  

Starting today, Fubo subscribers in Canada can enjoy CHCH TV’s diverse offerings, including the best TV shows, blockbuster movies, retro fan favorites, and comprehensive news coverage from Hamilton to Niagara. This partnership with CHCH TV’s parent company, Channel Zero, significantly expands Fubo’s regional Canadian content and underscores its commitment to serving local communities. 

Subscribers can stream CHCH TV and more Fubo programming in Canada anywhere and at any time, from their mobile device, connected TV or web browser. The Fubo app is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android, GoogleTV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung and Xbox One.   

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CIRA’s Net Good Grants champion community-led initiatives to strengthen Canada’s internet

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

The time has never been better to help build a resilient internet in Canada, something that CIRA has been championing for years and has taken on a whole new level of urgency. A strong internet empowers Canada’s economy and provides opportunity for people across the country to build digital skills, start new businesses and advocate for their communities. This year, CIRA is launching the 12th edition of its Net Good Grants program offering over $1,000,000 in grant funding to boost community-led responses to Canada’s digital divide and strengthen our economy.

CIRA’s Net Good Grants provide financial support to organizations looking to research and develop solutions that get communities online safely, affordably and resiliently. CIRA empowers community-led initiatives to take the lead on addressing access and affordability challenges head on, with a focus on ensuring rural, Northern and Indigenous communities are heard and served. Communities and projects like these have benefitted from CIRA funding:

  • Fort Smith Metis Council in Northwest Territories now have connectivity that offers emergency communications, safety, data mapping and enhanced recreational activities in the campsite area well outside the Fort Smith townsite, used year-round by youth camps, elders and tourists
  • Malahat Nation in British Columbia is now running their own sovereign fibre internet service to community buildings and households that plugs into the single main line coming from the external ISP
  • The first-ever Canadian Youth Internet Governance Forum, a platform for young Canadians, convened to discuss and advocate around internet policy, access to connectivity and youth leadership

CIRA Net Good Grants 

For its 12th edition, CIRA’s Net Good Grants will award each project up to $100,000 with a total investment of over $1,000,000. This investment is a key part of Net Good by CIRA’s commitment to build a more sustainable online future for Canadians everywhere. The funding will power essential projects in three core areas: 

  • Infrastructure: connectivity research, network planning and solutions to improve internet access, speed and affordability. 
  • Policy engagement: events, research and policy ecosystem work that broadens public awareness in domestic internet policy and governance. 
  • Online safety: research, educational frameworks, tools, consultations and training programs that increase Canadians’ safety against cybersecurity threats. 

Applications will be accepted from every province and territory with a focus on projects that benefit rural, Northern or Indigenous communities or K-12 and post-secondary students. CIRA especially encourages applications for eligible projects in the Prairies, Quebec, the North and the Maritimes to help ensure funding reaches traditionally underserved communities. 

 Who is eligible to apply? 

  • Organizations recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities; 
  • Not-for-profit organizations; 
  • Indigenous communities; and 
  • Academics and researchers affiliated with a Canadian university or college. 

Last year, CIRA awarded a total of $1.25 million in grant funding to 15 community-led internet initiatives that improve the lives of Canadians online. For the 2025 edition, a distinguished cross-Canada panel will review, select funding applications and notify all applicants of the grant decisions by July. Organizations are encouraged to submit their application before the deadline on April 9, at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. A webinar in English on March 4 at 1 p.m. ET and in French on March 5 at 1 p.m. ET will be hosted for all interested applicants.

Additional information 

About CIRA  

CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada’s internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA advocates for Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet. 

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Disrupt.com to invest $100M to fuel next generation of AI startup

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

 While venture capital funding contracted globally in 2024, three founders who turned their bootstrapped startup into a $350M exit are taking a contrarian approach. Today, UAE-based venture builder Disrupt.com announces a $100M commitment to build and back AI-first technology ventures globally.

Founded by Aaqib Gadit, Uzair Gadit, and Umair Gadit – three university friends who grew up in the same household – Disrupt.com represents the founders’ reinvestment of capital following their successful 2022 exit of cloud hosting platform Cloudways to US-listed Digital Ocean Holdings. The $350M acquisition marked the largest exit in Pakistan’s technology sector to date, with the founders now channeling their entrepreneurial expertise and capital back into the ecosystem through a unique venture building approach from their UAE headquarters.

Having already deployed over $40M across their portfolio – including in four growth-stage companies built from idea stage, seven investments in early-stage companies, and an exit valued at $350 million – this new $100M commitment represents a significant expansion of their venture building activities. With a dedicated team of 650+ professionals, Disrupt.com provides not just capital but also the technical and operational expertise startups need to scale.

Unlike traditional venture capital firms, Disrupt.com employs a three-pronged approach to creating value: building their own startups from scratch, co-building ventures alongside external founders, and making strategic investments in early-stage startups and VC funds. Through their unique ‘CoBuild’ model, they function as fractional co-founders, providing dedicated engineering, go-to-market, and operations teams to drive early adoption in a capital-efficient way.

The firm’s $100M commitment targets five strategic sectors: artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting theme, plus cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology, and retail innovation. Disrupt.com primarily targets pre-seed to Series A stage startups that demonstrate strong organic growth potential and clear paths to profitability, rather than pursuing growth at all costs.

The announcement comes as regional funding has declined sharply, with MENA venture capital investment down 29% to just under $2B in 2024, according to Magnitt. Saudi startups saw a 44% funding drop to $750M, while UAE funding decreased 8% to $613M, creating a challenging environment for early-stage ventures.

Disrupt.com’s current portfolio showcases their model’s effectiveness, including ZigChain, a Web3.0 platform that has scaled to 500,000+ users and hundreds of millions in managed assets; PureSquare, a cybersecurity venture; and UAE-homegrown fitness apparel brand Squatwolf. The firm has already deployed capital as a strategic investor in several AI-focused startups including organizational transformation platform Agentnoon and climate action scaling tool Ahya.

Looking ahead, Disrupt.com will direct its $100M commitment toward ventures with strong product-market fit, well-researched idea-market alignment, and robust unit economics pointing toward profitability.

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New Research: Duolingo Mascot Death Scams Report – Newly Registered Fraudulent Crypto Domains

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 27, 2025 by itnerd

BforeAI will publish its latest report around Duolingo announcing the death of their owl mascot “Duo” at the hands of a Tesla Cybertruck driver, which created an opportunity for cybercriminals to leverage the incident and its subsequent virality to level various related online scams. 

The threat research team at BforeAI analyzed a variety of newly registered domains that emerged in the week following the announcement to reveal insights into their prevalence, structure, and the types of scams they facilitate.

You can read the report here.

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“TgToxic” PW stealer uses SMS Text To Hack phones

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 26, 2025 by itnerd

A Feb. 24 analysis by Intel471 threat intelligence researchers details upgrades to the TgToxic Android info-stealing trojan, enhancing its evasion tactics and attack scope. Though first observed by security experts in July 2002, Intel471’s report highlights a newly updated version detected in the wild.

TgToxic was designed from the ground up to steal user credentials and originally targeted Southeast Asian users. This new version has expanded its geographic reach, and as of October 2024, it includes both Europe and Latin America.

Ted Miracco, Approov CEO had this to say:

  “TgToxic stands out as a highly sophisticated Android banking trojan due to its advanced anti-analysis techniques, including obfuscation, payload encryption, and anti-emulation mechanisms that evade detection by security tools. Its use of dynamic command-and-control (C2) strategies, such as domain generation algorithms (DGA), and its automation capabilities enable it to hijack user interfaces, steal credentials, and perform unauthorized transactions with stealth and resilience against countermeasures.

  “Mitigating threats like TgToxic demand an advanced security approach. While MFA is essential, it’s no longer sufficient on its own. Implementing Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) for real-time threat detection and leveraging device attestation to verify integrity are critical steps to ensure robust security in today’s evolving threat landscape. Over-the-air (OTA) updates should also be mandatory security practices for mobile fintech applications as you must react quickly to new threats and cannot be dependent upon AppStores to release updates. “

I would suggest that those responsible for managing devices in their organization read the mitigation section of this report by Intel471 as they offer a lot of good advice in terms of how not to be a victim of this threat. And of course, everyone should practice good computing habits to stay safe.

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Apple Rolls Back Advanced Data Protection Due To UK Government Demands

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 26, 2025 by itnerd

Apple has a really cool feature for those who are paranoid about their security called advanced data protection. Here’s what Apple says it does:

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an optional setting that offers Apple’s highest level of cloud data security. When a user turns on Advanced Data Protection, their trusted devices retain sole access to the encryption keys for the majority of their iCloud data, thereby protecting it with end-to-end encryption. For users who turn on Advanced Data Protection, the total number of data categories protected using end-to-end encryption rises from 14 to 23 and includes iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.

The problem with that, if you want to call it a problem, is that nobody including Apple can look at your data. That was a problem for the UK government apparently who demanded a “backdoor” so that they could look at anything that they wanted. Apple’s response to that was to pull the feature from the UK. That’s a non-trivial move. And Vincentas Baubonis, Head of Security Research at Cybernews agrees:

“Apple’s decision to drop Advanced Data Protection in the UK is a massive step backward for user privacy. End-to-end encryption is what keeps personal data truly safe – without it, iCloud backups become a goldmine for hackers, governments, and anyone looking to exploit sensitive information.

The biggest concern here is that Apple made this decision under government pressure. If the UK can force one of the world’s most powerful tech companies to weaken security, other governments will take note and may push for similar concessions. This could lead to a domino effect where encryption is gradually abandoned, and that would put users everywhere at greater risk.

In cases like this, it’s not just law enforcement that benefits – cybercriminals do too. A single security vulnerability can open the floodgates to mass data breaches, identity theft, and financial fraud. Now, millions of UK users have fewer options to secure their personal data compared to users in other countries – at a time when cyber threats are escalating for both individuals and businesses.

Instead of increasing safety, stripping encryption protections makes people more vulnerable. If governments truly want to protect their citizens, they should be pushing for stronger encryption, not weaker.”

Now nobody knows what Apple’s reasoning for pulling this feature might be. And we may never know. But it would have been nice to have Apple stand up to the UK government on this because every citizen deserves privacy. Including from their governments.

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NordLayer unveils plans for revolutionary enterprise browser

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 26, 2025 by itnerd

NordLayer, a toggle-ready network security platform for business from the cybersecurity powerhouse that created NordVPN, is preparing to launch a new-generation enterprise browser. The upcoming NordLayer Enterprise Browser, built on years of experience developing tools to combat cyber threats, will feature a wide range of security capabilities to protect modern businesses as their daily tasks shift to the web.

Gartner predicts that by 2030, enterprise browsers will be the go-to platform for productivity and security. They’ll work across both managed and unmanaged devices, making hybrid work smoother than ever. 

The NordLayer Enterprise Browser will help organizations to navigate and combat the cybersecurity challenges emerging from current workplace trends, such as the shift to a web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) application environment. According to research, 50% of employees claim they can complete all of their work using a web browser, and 80% rely on one for most tasks due to the growing transition to the web. 

The switch from desktop to web-based apps requires more safety measures in the browser itself. The enterprise browser will provide defense against critical web-based threats, including phishing attacks, malware infiltration, unauthorized data sharing, and dangerous file transfer vulnerabilities. NordLayer’s solution will offer centralized security control for CISOs and security teams. It will make setting up and enforcing advanced security policies in the browser easier, safeguarding sensitive business data. Additionally, the product will provide high-level observability and quicker incident response, while the built-in security features will ensure stronger threat prevention. 

The enterprise browser will also address the risks associated with the increasing adoption of the bring your own device (BYOD) policy. Two-thirds of surveyed organizations estimate that at least 50% of devices on their network are unmanaged. The NordLayer Enterprise Browser will simplify network security for organizations with unmanaged devices. It will eliminate the need to deploy and maintain other endpoint software on personal hardware and lower the expenses of containing unmanaged devices on an organization’s network. Consequently, the browser will refine device oversight by allowing companies to transition from fully managed to partially or unmanaged hardware, reducing device management costs in general.

The product will further support BYOD equipment, ensuring employees can securely access the organization’s resources through the browser alone without installing additional intrusive security apps on personal devices, providing a user-friendly experience.  

Key capabilities to expect from the NordLayer Enterprise Browser:

  • Enhanced security measures and more control. The solution will offer high-level observability and full-scale response features — all in one package.
  • A combination of ZTNA and SWG for a unified solution. The browser will merge years of NordLayer experience and capability to combine zero trust network access (ZTNA) and secure web gateway (SWG) features into one solution.
  • Data loss prevention (DLP). Controls for copy-paste functionality as well as camera and microphone use and prevention of unauthorized downloads and uploads will help protect sensitive company information. 
  • Centralized control. The enterprise browser will allow CISOs and security teams to establish and enforce advanced security policies for all users effortlessly.
  • Support for business growth. Designed to scale with businesses, it will ensure security without disrupting workflows or compromising employee productivity. 

To join the waitlist, please visit NordLayer’s website.

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BlueCat appoints Peter Brennan as Chief Revenue Officer

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 26, 2025 by itnerd

BlueCat Networks has announced Peter Brennan as its new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

Brennan, who joined the company in January, is responsible for driving revenue growth and providing leadership for field teams, including sales, technical, channel, and alliances. Previously, he was the CEO for Scality, Inc., a leader in software-defined storage and data management, and the worldwide CRO for Scality, Grp.

Earlier in his career, Brennan achieved record growth over two decades in executive roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and VMware.

In October, BlueCat announced it was acquiring LiveAction, Inc., a global provider of network observability and intelligence solutions. Adding LiveAction’s industry-leading network performance monitoring, packet capture, and forensics offerings has strengthened BlueCat’s mission-critical DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (together known as DDI) and network infrastructure management solutions. Audax Private Equity is a strategic growth investor in BlueCat Networks.

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