Recent creative crypto scams illustrate some specific things that investors need to be prepared for. A scam involving Squid Game demonstrates how FOMO can catch investors, and a Google Ads scheme used phishing techniques to steal wallets.
Senior Correspondent at CPO Magazine
Scott Ikeda is a technology futurist and writer for more than 15 years. He travels extensively throughout Asia and writes about the impact of technology on the communities he visits. Over the last 5 years, Scott has grown increasingly focused on the future landscape of big data, surveillance, cybersecurity and the right to privacy.
BlackMatter ransomware gang rose to prominence in the criminal underworld this summer after competitors such as DarkSide and REvil fell by the wayside. The upstart group now appears to have suffered the same fate.
Amidst a recent storm of controversy in which leaks have revealed that repressive governments and even criminal groups have wound up with access to its Pegasus spyware, NSO Group now finds itself unwelcome in the US.
Apple's privacy policy changes have already cost other big tech firms nearly $10 billion in lost ad revenue. Research firm Lotame reports that Snap, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have lost a combined $9.85 billion thus far in the third and fourth quarters.
Facebook's opt-in facial recognition system will no longer be available in a matter of weeks, and the templates it relied on to function will be deleted. The decision comes as the social media giant rebrands as "Meta" and looks to keep ahead of regulations.
Facebook is now using device accelerometer data as an alternate means of pinpointing locations and following app users about their day. This happens even if users both opt out of targeted advertising and disable location tracking within the Facebook app.
The biggest names in Big Tech are about to be subject to a new investigation. The CFPB wants to look over their handling of payment data, as a means of providing better protections against things like fraud and data breaches.
If the new rules are approved, a broad range of Chinese companies will be subject to screening of data transfers that involve personal information or pertain to critical infrastructure.
Some threat actors are still willing to take whatever opportunities they can find. A recent ransomware attack on the developing and mostly-rural Papua New Guinea illustrates this.
While Google has put on a public appearance of being more neutral and detached on the issue, a lawsuit revealed that it has quietly been working behind the scenes with Facebook to circumvent Apple’s new privacy protections.
