By Bogdan Botezatu on Nov 17, 2017 | 

What were the biggest cyber security culprits in the first half of 2017 from a data breach standpoint? Identity theft and poor internal security practices, according to the latest Breach Level Index (BLI) Report by Gemalto.

The index, a global database of public data breaches, showed that the first six months of the year had 918 data breaches that led to 1.9 billion data records being compromised worldwide. Compared with the last six months of 2016, the number of lost, stolen or compromised records increased by a staggering 164%, the report said.

Much of this was due to the 22 largest data breaches, each involving more than one million compromised records. Of the 918 data breaches during the period, more than 500 (59% of all breaches) had an unknown or unaccounted number of compromised data records. 
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It’s all too easy for a malicious app developer to determine a user’s Apple ID password – just by asking for it.
Developer Felix Krause warns users to be on their guard against password-stealing apps that dupe users into entering their sensitive passwords by using fake login dialogs disguised as legitimate requests from the underlying iOS operating system.
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The problem lies in the fact that with just a few lines of code, a third-party app developer can pop up a password prompt that looks identical to a legitimate one created by iOS.

By Luana Pascu on Mar 24, 2017 | 
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​In 2016, the number of ransomware attacks increased 300 percent from 2015, with over 4,000 attacks detected per day, according to US government statistics. Ransomware is among the worst types of infection, as it not only encrypts network data, but in the end may cost victims all their data – even if they pay the ransom. It should be a priority for all businesses and organizations in 2017.
 
Ransomware is not limited to consumer networks; it’s one of the most sophisticated types of malware that targets all internet users, from private individuals to corporate networks to government agencies. Ransomware attacks on enterprises affect shareholders, employees and customers, and could lead to permanent damage caused by loss of confidential information, negative publicity and financial loss.