Bluesky Has Seen A Significant Influx Of Users Now That Twitter Is Banned In Brazil

Posted in Commentary with tags , on August 31, 2024 by itnerd

Adding to the problems related to Elon Musk successfully getting his dying social media platform that used to be known as Twitter banned in Brazil, he now has a new one. Competing social media platform Bluesky is seeing an significant influx of users:

The fact that you are seeing these users joining Bluesky means that Brazilians do not have any loyalty to Twitter. There might be other factors at play here. For example, people or businesses using means such as VPNs to access Twitter could be fined $12,000 CAD. And this ban on Twitter stays in effect until Twitter names a new legal representative and pays the fines that our outstanding for breaking Brazilian law. Based on this Tweet from Elon, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Elon is seriously pathetic. There’s simply no other way of putting it. I hope he loses every user in Brazil.

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BREAKING: Twitter Gets Banned In Brazil Thanks To Elon Musk Playing A Game Of F**k Around And Find Out

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 30, 2024 by itnerd

Elon has been playing games with Brazil for a while now. Now he may be reconsidering his life choices as Twitter is now officially banned in Brazil:

Brazil’s supreme court just declared that social media site X will be banned and shut down within 24 hours. 

Minister Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court (STF) made the decision and the announcement. The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) still has to carry out the measure. They were given 24 hours to remove access to the website.

Phone stores and platforms were given just five days to remove the app. 

I haven’t seen anything on Elon’s Twitter feed reacting to this. But it’s a safe bet he will flip out in some way that is not appropriate and will only make the situation worse for him.

I for one am happy that Brazil is standing up to Elon. He to be frank is finding out what happens when he behaves badly.

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Pwned By Hackers

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 30, 2024 by itnerd

American retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods has apparently been pwned by hackers who have forced the company to take down their email, phone system, and lock employees accounts as a result. Here’s the details from Bleeping Computer:

According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company has hired outside cybersecurity experts to help contain the security breach and assess the cyberattack’s impact.

“On August 21, 2024, the Company discovered unauthorized third-party access to its information systems, including portions of its systems containing certain confidential information,” the retailer giant said.

“Immediately upon detecting the incident, the Company activated its cybersecurity response plan and engaged with its external cybersecurity experts to investigate, isolate, and contain the threat.”

According to a source who requested anonymity to speak freely, the company has provided few details about the breach and is telling employees not to discuss it publicly or put anything in writing.

The same source told BleepingComputer that email systems had been shut down, likely to isolate the attack, and all employees had been locked out of their accounts. IT staff is now manually validating employees’ identities on camera before they can regain access to internal systems.

What that implies is that the threat actors used an employee account or accounts to gain access. And the account or accounts in question had enough power to let the threat actor do damage. That shows the need for companies to implement either MFA solutions or passwordless solutions as either would make it difficult to impossible for a threat actor to pull something like this off. I say that because I am going to guess that Dick’s did not have either of those implemented, which is why we’re talking about that today. Perhaps they should be considering such a solution, after they get back online of course.

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Trump Media Stock Appears To Be In Free Fall

Posted in Commentary with tags , on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

I’ve been saying for a while that Trump Media was a meme stock. Meaning that the stock of the company that owns Donald Trump’s barely relevant social media platform Truth Social was trading way above its actual value and would eventually fall back to earth and do so in a brutal way. In the process financially hurting individuals who didn’t get the memo.

It now appears the falling back to earth part in a brutal way is happening:

As I type this, the stock over the last month has fallen by a third of its value. In the process, wiping out millions of dollars from the portfolios of anyone who is unfortunate enough to hold the stock.

What’s even more interesting is that Trump isn’t allowed to sell or borrow against any or all of his $2.3 billion stake until September 25th. But if at time he does decide to sell or borrow against that stake to say fund his presidential campaign, pay his legal bills, or settle any of the numerous lawsuits that he’s lost, he could crash the stock. And then it’s likely game over for the stock and Truth Social.

But why is the stock tanking like this? Well, the easy explanation is that Trump is so toxic that it’s killing the stock value. But I think there’s more to it than that. Insiders are selling the stock at a significant rate. For example:

Note that all of this happened last week. Clearly something is up and they made the decision to get their money out. Because the smart rats leave the sinking ship first. And Trump Media is truly a ship that is sinking fast. The question is, where’s the bottom going to be?

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A Threat To Ban Twitter In Brazil Has Made Elon Musk Do Dumb Things…. Again

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

Well, this should be interesting. You might recall that I posted a story about Brazil threatening to ban Twitter in the country after Elon Musk defied a court order by reinstating accounts that were previously banned. Well, fast forward to today and we get this via Reuters:

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Wednesday ordered billionaire Elon Musk to name a legal representative for his messaging platform X in Brazil within 24 hours or face the site’s suspension in the country.

That brings me to the other part of this story. Elon decided to pull Twitter staff out of the country in retaliation for what the court ordered him to do. But the service was still available to Brazilians. Though it appears that by later tonight, that won’t be the case.

Here’s how Elon Musk responded to this development:

And this was spotted by a Twitter user:

Elon really don’t get it does he.

This sort of juvenile BS really does little if anything to help his cause. I can easily see a scenario where Brazil not only follow through on their threat to ban Twitter in the country, but they also decide to go after Elon himself. Sooner or later his antics will catch up to him, and he will find out what accountability looks like.

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Deepfake scams are on the rise in Canada and globally: Palo Alto

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

Today, Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 released research on dozens of scam campaigns using deepfake videos featuring the likeness of various public figures, including CEOs, news anchors and top government officials.

The research found that these campaigns appear in a variety of languages, with each typically targeting victims in a single country, including Canada, Mexico, France, Italy, Turkey, and more. While 2024 is predicted to be the largest voting year in history, the impact of deepfakes is not limited to the political domain. 

Highlights include:

  • As of June 2024, Unit 42 discovered hundreds of domains being used to promote these campaigns, with each having been accessed an average of 114,000 times since going live
  • Unlike typical phishing or malware domains, these domains are relatively long-lived, with an average active time of 142 days
  • These campaigns appear in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Turkish, Czech and Russian
  • Due to their infrastructural and tactical similarities, it’s believed these campaigns likely stem from a single threat actor group
  • The campaigns leverage numerous prominent figures, including Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson

You can find the full research report here: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/dynamics-of-deepfake-scams/

In addition to today’s research, Palo Alto Networks most recent Canadian Ransomware Barometer which found that Canadian IT decision-makers are concerned with the potential threat artificial intelligence (AI) poses to their organizations.  More than two-thirds of respondents (69%) believe the emergence of more AI technologies has increased the threat level to their organizations.

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Here’s A Fido Text Messaging #Scam That You Should Be Aware Of

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a text messaging scam cross my desk. This specific one that I am bringing you is from a threat actor that claims to be Rogers flanker brand Fido:

If you look at the web address at the bottom of the text message, it’s not something that is related to Fido as Fido’s web address is http://www.fido.ca. That of course is ignoring the fact that Fido would never contact you in this manner to accept a payment. They would simply credit your account and you would see it on your next bill. But let’s follow the link (which to be clear, you should never do):

Ah yes. This is a scam that is meant to swipe your banking credentials so that the threat actor can log in and steal your money. This is confirmed when I choose a random bank to see what happens next:

I will admit that this is a very good replication of the CIBC website. But it’s not the real CIBC website as evidenced by the fact that one look at the address bar shows that it’s not going to cibc.com. It’s still going to the threat actors website. I didn’t go any further as it’s pretty clear what the game is here. Which means that if you get this text message, delete it and move on with your life.

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Cybertech NYC 2024: Leading Experts to Tackle Election Misinformation and Digital Deception

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

Cybertech NYC 2024, East Coast’s premier cybersecurity event, will take place on September 5, 2024 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, New York. With an impressive lineup of speakers and a comprehensive agenda, Cybertech NYC 2024 is poised to be an essential gathering for those dedicated to secure and credible information in the digital age.

This year’s conference will delve into the urgent issues of election misinformation and fake news— threats that continue to endanger democracies around the world. Attendees can expect a series of powerful discussions and actionable insights, including:

  • Panel: New World of Fake and Truth
    • Led by Rebecca Blumenstein, President of NBC News Editorial, this panel will dissect the evolving landscape of fake news and its impact on society. Esteemed speakers such as Andrew Keen (Author), Steve Rosenbaum (Co-Founder, Sustainable Media Center), Douglas Rushkoff (Author, Professor of Media studies at CUNY, Host of Team Human), and Amy Mitchell (Executive Director, Center for News Technology and Innovation) will share their perspectives on navigating the digital maze of truth and deception.
  • Session: Hacking the Truth – Fake News and Elections 
    • Chaired by Yossi Vardi, Conference Chairman (Cybertech Israel), this session will explore the specific challenges of fake news in election contexts. Industry leaders, such as Noam Schwartz (Co-Founder and CEO, ActiveFence), David Sable (Vice-Chairman, Stagwell Global), Alexey Khitrov (Chief Technology Officer, Mitek), and Ryan Lasalle (CEO, Nisos) will reveal the latest tools and strategies to safeguard electoral processes from misinformation.
  • Session: Hacking the Truth – Fake News and Elections 
    • Chaired by Yossi Vardi, Conference Chairman (Cybertech Israel), this session will explore the specific challenges of fake news in election contexts. Industry leaders, such as Noam Schwartz (Co-Founder and CEO, ActiveFence), David Sable (Vice-Chairman, Stagwell Global), Alexey Khitrov (Chief Technology Officer, Mitek), and Ryan Lasalle (CEO, Nisos) will reveal the latest tools and strategies to safeguard electoral processes from misinformation. The session will also include discussions around fake news and the Trump assassination attempt, with specific examples to be shown.
  • Workshop: AI for Cyber – Special Workshop by Nvidia
    • This hands-on workshop will focus on how artificial intelligence can be leveraged in revolutionizing cybersecurity, particularly in identifying and mitigating the spread of fake news.

Special Events: Igniting Innovation and Cultivating Talent

In addition to its core discussions and workshops, Cybertech NYC 2024 will host exclusive events designed to spark innovation and nurture the next generation of cybersecurity talent, reinforcing the event’s commitment to advancing both technological progress and workforce development.

  • Invest in the Best
    • This elite global platform will connect top investors with the most promising startups. Participants will gain insights from international experts and enjoy unparalleled networking opportunities, positioning themselves to invest in the future of cybersecurity innovation.
  • Cybertech Talent Competition
    • In collaboration with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), this competition will spotlight emerging NYC talent, including students eager to launch careers in cybersecurity. The event will feature pitches and presentations, with winners earning recognition and support from industry leaders, underscoring New York City’s dedication to building a strong cybersecurity workforce.

For the full agenda, visit the Cybertech NYC 2024 Agenda.

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Telegram CEO Charged With Complicity In Spreading Sexual Images Of Children Among Other Alleged Crimes

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 29, 2024 by itnerd

Things just got real for Pavel Durov who is the CEO of Telegram. You might recall that French law enforcement picked him up at a French airport as part of an investigation into crime on the Telegram platform. Now Wired among others is reporting that French law enforcement have laid criminal charges:

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is forbidden from leaving French territory after being charged for complicity in running an online platform that allegedly enabled the spread of sexual images of children, creating an uncertain future for the messaging app that has become one of the world’s biggest social media platforms.

Durov was arrested on Saturday at 8 pm local time after his private jet landed at an airport near Paris. He was then detained for four days as part of an investigation into alleged criminal activity taking place on TelegramOn Wednesday evening, local time, he was indicted and forbidden from leaving the country, according to a statement released by the Paris Prosecutor. He was released under judicial supervision, the statement said, and must post a €5 million ($5.5 million) bail and report to a police station in France twice a week.

The Telegram founder was placed under formal investigation for a range of charges related to child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, importing cryptology without prior declaration, as well as a “near-total absence” of cooperation with French authorities, Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, said on Wednesday.

French authorities noted an “almost total lack of response from Telegram to legal requests,” Beccuau noted. “This is what led JUNALCO [the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime] to open an investigation into the possible criminal liability of this messaging service’s executives in the commission of these offenses,” she said. The preliminary investigation began in February 2024 and initial investigations were coordinated by the OFMIN, an agency set up to prevent violence against minors, her statement added.

This is significant because if the French can make these charges stick, it will send a clear message to other online platforms that they have to play ball in terms of moderating content on their platforms, as well as playing nice with law enforcement. So that begs the question if Elon Musk, who has been outspoken about this case, is paying attention? Because if not, he could be next to get picked up by French law enforcement the next time he goes to France. Perhaps he might want to start rethinking his stance on free speech because Durov is as much of a free speech fanboy as Elon is, and look where that got him.

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Elon Musk Takes A Optimus Robot To A Robot Expo In China…. And It Does NOTHING While Other Robots Actually Work

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 28, 2024 by itnerd

You have to ask yourself why Elon Musk insists on doing thing that make him look stupid. The latest case in point is his trip to the World Robot Conference in Beijing. He brought his Optimus robot to show it off. But according to Gizmodo, here’s what happened:

The World Robot Conference in Beijing was a show floor of wonder last week. Humanoid Chinese robots played the zither, folded laundry, and bested humans at the board game Go. As these modern miracles unfolded, Tesla’s Optimus robot looked on, unmoving, from inside a glass box.

And:

While these machines puttered around, Tesla’s Optimus stared at them from a glass cage surrounded by the company’s electric vehicles. Optimus is a sleek looking humanoid robot but it hasn’t done well in its product demos.

Elon Musk famously unveiled Tesla’s venture into robotics in the summer of 2021 by promising the company would soon put humanoid robots in people’s homes. During the presentation, a stiff looking machine walked on stage with Musk. It turned out it was just a guy in a suit. In a video Musk posted to X showing Optimus folding laundry, someone is just off camera operating the machine remotely.

So in short, while other robots were doing robot things, Elon’s robot did nothing. Likely because it can’t do anything interesting. Or perhaps anything at all. That’s not a surprise from a guy who is famous for playing fast and loose with the truth when it comes to the products his companies make. So perhaps Elon might want to focus on making his products actually work and match what he promises via Twitter rather than showing up somewhere with something that is non functional which makes him look like a liar and a loser. Just a thought.

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