A week in security (January 6 – 12)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we told readers how to check the safety of websites and their related files, explored the shady behavior taking place within the billion-dollar search industry, broke down the top six ways that hackers target retail businesses, and put a spotlight on the ransomware family Phobos.

We also broke a major new story when we discovered that a government-subsidized mobile phone is being shipped with pre-installed, unremovable malware.  

Other cybersecurity news

  • Hackers convinced telecommunications employees to run malicious software on their machines that gave hackers the ability to take over customer cell phone numbers. (Source: Motherboard)
  • Ring fired four employees who inappropriately accessed customers’ videos. (Source: Threatpost)
  • Cybersecurity researchers at Google discovered a remote exploit to hack iPhones. (Source: HackRead)
  • A report by Society for Information Management found that, while IT executives are aware of cybersecurity concerns, they may not always know how to act. (Source: Dark Reading)
  • A ransomware attack on Pittsburg Unified School District in Pennsylvania led to a lack of Internet access for students, who were forced to learn as they did “back in the day,” one teacher wrote. (Source: Infosecurity)
  • A secretive surveillance company that works with US law enforcement agencies marketed hidden cameras embedded inside gravestones, baby car seats, and vacuum cleaners. (Source: Motherboard)
  • A now-patched TikTok vulnerability allowed hackers to send malware through SMS. (Source: HackRead)
  • Gizmodo shared the weirdest and worst moments of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. (Source: Gizmodo)

Stay safe, everyone!

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