BianLian ransomware group disputed Air Canada's claim that data breach impacted only limited personal information of some employees and certain records. Ransomware group claims to have stolen 210 GB of technical and operational data spanning from 2008 to 2023.
Cyber Security
Cyber criminals, state-sponsored hackers and even the occasional disgruntled employee are constantly looking to gain unauthorized access for a variety of purposes: theft of money, cyber espionage, personal information for sale or for use in scams, and damage to critical infrastructure for just a few of the most common.
So how does an organization mitigate an entire world full of continual cyber attacks? Just as buildings have a number of necessary elements of physical security: access control, cameras, alarms and so on; there are similar key elements of cyber security that are absolutely vital for just about any modern business.
It starts with identifying and closing the most common doors that attackers use. For example, phishing attacks on employees are far and away the most common initial point of entry. The breach of even a low-level employee account can quickly turn into an escalation in access privileges and the ability to reach sensitive information. This is also true of smart devices, which are generally more poorly secured than computers and phones.
The White House’s 2025 fiscal plan includes a request for $13 billion to the federal cybersecurity budget, a substantial increase from the current $11.8 billion number that is still being negotiated.
Recent cyber attacks that have done damage to critical infrastructure could be a pretext for a "real shooting war," according to Joe Biden, as the president addressed the growing threats to national security in the cyber sphere.
A new executive order from the Biden administration addresses a wide range of the potential harms that AI can cause, putting new safeguards in place for everything from biological materials engineering to deepfakes.
The Biden administration has announced a 100-day plan aimed at rapid improvement of US power grid cybersecurity. The administration made reference to "bold" moves and laid out some of its general proposals.
Much of the new cybersecurity strategy addresses critical infrastructure companies, which were already in the administration's crosshairs, but software creators are also facing the prospect of a much greater degree of liability than in the past.
The Biden administration is examining the possible national security risks of having thousands of Chinese smart cars on US roadways. One possibility is that all of these cars could be remotely disabled at once, but there are also data privacy concerns.
While the Executive Order primarily focuses on concrete steps the federal government must take to adopt cybersecurity best practices, there are several provisions that will also significantly impact government contractors, subcontractors and other private sector entities.
As ransomware attacks surge and hackers become increasingly bold, the Biden administration is forging ahead with a package of new measures that includes up to $10 million for information that leads to the identification of attackers that hit critical infrastructure.
Biden's Executive Order 14110 of Oct. 30, 2023 was aimed at developers of "the most powerful" AI systems. It required reporting of potential AI risks and sharing of results of their red-team safety tests with federal agencies.










