The Biden administration has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security over what it called "malign cyber activity," as the two nations battle to find a way back into the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

The United States Treasury Department stated on Friday that the penalties were in reaction to a cyberattack in July that damaged official websites in Albania and was attributed to Tehran by Washington and Tirana.

“Iran’s cyber attack against Albania disregards norms of responsible peacetime State behavior in cyberspace, which includes a norm on refraining from damaging critical infrastructure that provides services to the public,” Treasury official Brian Nelson said in a statement.

“We will not tolerate Iran’s increasingly aggressive cyber activities targeting the United States or our allies and partners.”

Iran has deemed the claims that it was behind the event as "baseless," and the July cyberattack has led to a diplomatic crisis between Albania and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-halts-deliveries-of-f-35-jets-due-to-the-presence-of-a-chinese-alloy-513947">Iran</a>.

Iran considers Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) to be a "terrorist" organisation that intends to remove the Tehran government by force, while Albania, a NATO member, is where MEK is housed.

The sanctions on Friday, which also included Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, were put in place a day after Washington imposed penalties on a number of Iranian businesses, alleging that they had a hand in the manufacture and transport of drones to Russia for the Ukraine War, as reported by Al Jazeera.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-nuclear-watchdog-says-cant-ensure-irans-nuclear-programme-is-exclusively-peaceful-513885">UN Nuclear watchdog says can't ensure 'Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful'</a>

“The United States is committed to strictly enforcing our sanctions against both Russia and Iran and holding accountable Iran and those supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Nelson said on Thursday.

The targeted persons and businesses will have their assets in the US frozen as a result of the sanctions, and it will be forbidden for US citizens to conduct business with them.

Al Jazeera's request for comment on Friday was not immediately answered by Iran's UN mission. 
Since former President Donald Trump removed the United States from the nuclear agreement in 2018, the US government has increased sanctions against Iran.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral agreement, saw Iran curtail its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international economic sanctions.

After the European Union produced a draught accord referred to as a "final text" last month, the pact's reinstatement seemed close.

The latest Iranian response, however, was rejected earlier this month as "not helpful" by US officials after Tehran and Washington exchanged remarks on the idea. Iran added that their response was "open" and appropriate in turn.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-what-weapons-could-north-korea-send-to-russia-514098">Ukraine war: What weapons could North Korea send to Russia?</a>

Any hope that the JCPOA could be revived before the US midterm elections in November has been dashed by the two parties' exchanging of blame.

Indirect nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran are being led by the US State Department, which on Friday applauded the sanctions against Tehran's Intelligence Ministry and pledged to "use all relevant instruments to prevent cyberattacks" against the US and its allies.

WATCH WION live here:&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

The Biden administration has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security over what it called "malign cyber activity," as the two nations battle to find a way back into the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Biden administration has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security over what it called "malign cyber activity," as the two nations battle to find a way back into the 2015 nuclear deal. The United States Treasury Department stated on Friday that the penalties were in reaction to a cyberattack in July that damaged official websites in Albania and was attributed to Tehran by Washington and Tirana. “Iran’s cyber attack against Albania disregards norms of responsible peacetime State behavior in cyberspace, which includes a norm on refraining from damaging critical infrastructure that provides services to the public,” Treasury official Brian Nelson said in a statement. “We will not tolerate Iran’s increasingly aggressive cyber activities targeting the United States or our allies and partners.” Iran has deemed the claims that it was behind the event as "baseless," and the July cyberattack has led to a diplomatic crisis between Albania and Iran. Iran considers Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) to be a "terrorist" organisation that intends to remove the Tehran government by force, while Albania, a NATO member, is where MEK is housed. The sanctions on Friday, which also included Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, were put in place a day after Washington imposed penalties on a number of Iranian businesses, alleging that they had a hand in the manufacture and transport of drones to Russia for the Ukraine War, as reported by Al Jazeera. Also read | UN Nuclear watchdog says can't ensure 'Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful' “The United States is committed to strictly enforcing our sanctions against both Russia and Iran and holding accountable Iran and those supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Nelson said on Thursday. The targeted persons and businesses will have their assets in the US frozen as a result of the sanctions, and it will be forbidden for US citizens to conduct business with them. Al Jazeera's request for comment on Friday was not immediately answered by Iran's UN mission. Since former President Donald Trump removed the United States from the nuclear agreement in 2018, the US government has increased sanctions against Iran. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral agreement, saw Iran curtail its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international economic sanctions. After the European Union produced a draught accord referred to as a "final text" last month, the pact's reinstatement seemed close. The latest Iranian response, however, was rejected earlier this month as "not helpful" by US officials after Tehran and Washington exchanged remarks on the idea. Iran added that their response was "open" and appropriate in turn. Also read | Ukraine war: What weapons could North Korea send to Russia? Any hope that the JCPOA could be revived before the US midterm elections in November has been dashed by the two parties' exchanging of blame. Indirect nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran are being led by the US State Department, which on Friday applauded the sanctions against Tehran's Intelligence Ministry and pledged to "use all relevant instruments to prevent cyberattacks" against the US and its allies. WATCH WION live here:

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran over Albanian cyberattack

Authorities have reported that hundreds of Taiwanese are among the untold numbers of captives who are being detained against their will and made to labour in telecom fraud networks by human trafficking organisations in south-east Asia, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Major operations have been started by police forces in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/battle-to-protect-our-homeland-taiwan-president-issues-warning-for-china-509321">Taiwan,</a> China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam to rescue their citizens and dismantle the trafficking rings.

The traffickers, many of whom are associated with well-known triads, mostly target young Asians via social media, promising them well-paid jobs and lodging in nations like Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, the report said. When they arrive, their passports are stolen, and they are frequently sold to different organisations and made to work in establishments that engage in unlawful phone or web frauds, it added.

Vietnam and Taiwan appear to have the highest cohorts of casualties. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indiana-governor-eric-holcomb-in-taiwan-following-high-profile-us-visits-509023">Authorities in Taiwan</a> claim that over 5,000 of their nationals have gone to Cambodia and never returned. Although victims claim there are likely many more, police stated that they had identified at least 370 of them as being held against their will.

At least 46 persons have recently travelled back to Taiwan. Some of them claim they or others were forced to sign contracts while others claim they were abused, raped, refused food and water, and regularly threatened. In Cambodia, ineffective law enforcement and corruption have complicated or prevented rescues. The culprits reportedly include Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai, and Cambodian people, according to various accounts.

In recent weeks, news of the trafficking network has received extensive coverage in Asia. A video that went viral last week claimed to show dozens of Vietnamese citizens running out from a casino near the Cambodian border. Guards brandishing sticks pursued the group of individuals as they fled from a building and dove into a river to cross the border into Vietnam by swimming. During the escape, one 16-year-old is said to have drowned.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-safest-cities-in-the-world-right-now-509132#al-fujayrah-(united-arab-emirates)-509069">Safest cities in the world right now</a>

Young Taiwanese woman Yu Tang, who asked the Guardian not to use her last name, claimed that a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-marriage-to-the-death-penalty-lgbtq-rights-across-the-globe-509186#a-crime-in-africa-509179">Taiwanese</a> woman located her in a group for job seekers and contacted her via Facebook in April. A job in call or assistance centres for the online gaming and casino businesses was offered to her.

“I didn’t believe them but then we met in public,” she said. The man appeared “normal”, Yu Tang said. She agreed to take the job and was met at the airport by different individuals, as well as several others also seeking work.

They were met once more by individuals who "claimed they were travel brokers but looked like thugs" at the Phnom Penh airport. The operatives grabbed the groups' passports and claimed they needed them to arrange for sim cards, but they never gave them back.

Yu Tang claimed that once the victims were transferred to Sihanoukville and told they would be engaged in a phone scam operation, all talks with the traffickers were deleted from their phones. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to be released, they would need to find additional recruits and pay US$17,000 in order to do so. Yu Tang claimed that when a man complained, he was knocked out and shocked with a stun pistol. She claimed that man was still missing in Taiwan.

Yu Tang claimed that she was able to get a sim and that she immediately started looking into the trafficking organisation. She discovered information for a local politician's office and contacted them via Facebook, reported the Guardian.

Police and army personnel came to collect her the following day. She claimed that despite the boss's offer to pay them to "pretend nothing had happened," they turned it down. Since then, she has returned to Taiwan.

Yu Tang claimed that she witnessed at least 50 other Taiwanese being detained at the same office where she was taken, and that the neighbourhood was full with similar structures, leading her to assume that there are more more Taiwanese still trapped in Cambodia than the authorities have reported. She claimed that many people were made to sign documents that would be presented to any authorities who inquired about their status and that as detention times increased, people were more afraid to speak up.

Yu Tang claims that now that she is back in Taiwan, she is constantly contacted by the relatives of victims and potential victims asking for her help in assisting them in escaping, as well as the police looking for her inside information. Yu claimed that so far, she has assisted eight people in going back to Taiwan.

In connection with the trafficking ring, Taiwanese police claim to have detained at least 67 people, including 16 on Monday who had alleged ties to local gangs.

Sar Kheng, the interior minister for Cambodia, announced on Friday that his department would conduct a statewide investigation into the statuses of foreigners working in or residing at hotels, rental homes, and casinos.

Also WATCH |&nbsp;Another US delegation in Taiwan amid soaring tensions with China

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/another-us-delegation-in-taiwan-amid-soaring-tensions-with-china-508971/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Authorities have reported that hundreds of Taiwanese are among the untold numbers of captives who are being detained against their will and made to labour in telecom fraud networks by human trafficking organisations in south-east Asia, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Authorities have reported that hundreds of Taiwanese are among the untold numbers of captives who are being detained against their will and made to labour in telecom fraud networks by human trafficking organisations in south-east Asia, The Guardian newspaper reported. Major operations have been started by police forces in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam to rescue their citizens and dismantle the trafficking rings. The traffickers, many of whom are associated with well-known triads, mostly target young Asians via social media, promising them well-paid jobs and lodging in nations like Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, the report said. When they arrive, their passports are stolen, and they are frequently sold to different organisations and made to work in establishments that engage in unlawful phone or web frauds, it added. Vietnam and Taiwan appear to have the highest cohorts of casualties. Authorities in Taiwan claim that over 5,000 of their nationals have gone to Cambodia and never returned. Although victims claim there are likely many more, police stated that they had identified at least 370 of them as being held against their will. At least 46 persons have recently travelled back to Taiwan. Some of them claim they or others were forced to sign contracts while others claim they were abused, raped, refused food and water, and regularly threatened. In Cambodia, ineffective law enforcement and corruption have complicated or prevented rescues. The culprits reportedly include Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai, and Cambodian people, according to various accounts. In recent weeks, news of the trafficking network has received extensive coverage in Asia. A video that went viral last week claimed to show dozens of Vietnamese citizens running out from a casino near the Cambodian border. Guards brandishing sticks pursued the group of individuals as they fled from a building and dove into a river to cross the border into Vietnam by swimming. During the escape, one 16-year-old is said to have drowned. Also read | Safest cities in the world right now Young Taiwanese woman Yu Tang, who asked the Guardian not to use her last name, claimed that a Taiwanese woman located her in a group for job seekers and contacted her via Facebook in April. A job in call or assistance centres for the online gaming and casino businesses was offered to her. “I didn’t believe them but then we met in public,” she said. The man appeared “normal”, Yu Tang said. She agreed to take the job and was met at the airport by different individuals, as well as several others also seeking work. They were met once more by individuals who "claimed they were travel brokers but looked like thugs" at the Phnom Penh airport. The operatives grabbed the groups' passports and claimed they needed them to arrange for sim cards, but they never gave them back. Yu Tang claimed that once the victims were transferred to Sihanoukville and told they would be engaged in a phone scam operation, all talks with the traffickers were deleted from their phones. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to be released, they would need to find additional recruits and pay US$17,000 in order to do so. Yu Tang claimed that when a man complained, he was knocked out and shocked with a stun pistol. She claimed that man was still missing in Taiwan. Yu Tang claimed that she was able to get a sim and that she immediately started looking into the trafficking organisation. She discovered information for a local politician's office and contacted them via Facebook, reported the Guardian. Police and army personnel came to collect her the following day. She claimed that despite the boss's offer to pay them to "pretend nothing had happened," they turned it down. Since then, she has returned to Taiwan. Yu Tang claimed that she witnessed at least 50 other Taiwanese being detained at the same office where she was taken, and that the neighbourhood was full with similar structures, leading her to assume that there are more more Taiwanese still trapped in Cambodia than the authorities have reported. She claimed that many people were made to sign documents that would be presented to any authorities who inquired about their status and that as detention times increased, people were more afraid to speak up. Yu Tang claims that now that she is back in Taiwan, she is constantly contacted by the relatives of victims and potential victims asking for her help in assisting them in escaping, as well as the police looking for her inside information. Yu claimed that so far, she has assisted eight people in going back to Taiwan. In connection with the trafficking ring, Taiwanese police claim to have detained at least 67 people, including 16 on Monday who had alleged ties to local gangs. Sar Kheng, the interior minister for Cambodia, announced on Friday that his department would conduct a statewide investigation into the statuses of foreigners working in or residing at hotels, rental homes, and casinos. Also WATCH | Another US delegation in Taiwan amid soaring tensions with China

Cambodia: Telecom scam gangs traffic Taiwanese, push them into cyber slavery

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION: Estonia repelled the 'most extensive' cyber attack

The US speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent Taiwan visit upset China. Beijing launched its up its biggest drill in the Taiwan strait as a show of force. Cyber attacks launched on Taiwan's public websites.

China adopts hybrid warfare as cyber attacks force Taiwan government websites offline

There are various ways in which cybercriminals can rob people. Among them, and the most prominent one, is phishing emails. These mails are designed to trap innocent and gullible victims by enticing them with fake offers or a cash rewards or sleazy advertisements. The mail contains a link, and once it is clicked, people can lose their sensitive information within a few seconds.

According to Microsoft, these phishing emails, also called adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM), have attempted to target more than 10,000 organisations across the globe since September 2021.

In its blog post, Microsoft said the cybercriminals use phishing mail to steal passwords, hijack users’ sign-in sessions, and bypass the authentication process even if users had enabled multifactor authentication (MFA).

“The attackers then used the stolen credentials and session cookies to access affected users’ mailboxes and perform follow-on business email compromise (BEC) campaigns against other targets,” the company said in the post.

What is phishing?

Phishing is an online scam, wherein malicious actors use sleazy emails, messages, advertisements or other resources to steal sensitive information. In every message there is a link in which some confidential information is asked from you.

How does it work?

To entice the users, the cyberthugs send a mail containing a replica URL of a big website or platform. That URL link is a proxy server between a potential victim and the targeted website so that the users are redirected to lookalike landing pages designed to capture credentials and MFA information.

"The phishing page has two different Transport Layer Security (TLS) sessions — one with the target and another with the actual website the target wants to access," Microsoft explained.

"These sessions mean that the phishing page practically functions as an AitM agent, intercepting the whole authentication process and extracting valuable data from the HTTP requests such as passwords and, more importantly, session cookies."

Once in possession of this information, the attackers injected the cookies into their own browsers to circumvent the authentication process, regardless of whether the victim had enabled MFA protections, it said.

"The session cookie is proof for the web server that the user has been authenticated and has an ongoing session on the website," Microsoft explained.

"In AitM phishing, an attacker attempts to obtain a target user's session cookie so they can skip the whole authentication process and act on the latter’s behalf."

How to protect yourself from phishing?

Speaking to DNA news website, a Delhi-based lawyer, Anurag, who monitors cases related to cybercrime, said that some important things should be taken care of to avoid phishing.

Do not click on any unverified link. If clicked, then do not fill the details. No company benefits you unnecessarily.&nbsp;No company gives the desired amount.&nbsp;Never fall for such calls, calls or emails, in which you are being offered with a bang.&nbsp;Do not share your banking details with anyone.&nbsp;

&nbsp;If you keep these things in mind, then you can avoid being a victim of phishing, he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

There are various ways in which cybercriminals can rob people. Among them, and the most prominent one, is phishing emails. These mails are designed to trap innocent and gullible victims by enticing them with fake offers or a cash rewards or sleazy advertisements.

There are various ways in which cybercriminals can rob people. Among them, and the most prominent one, is phishing emails. These mails are designed to trap innocent and gullible victims by enticing them with fake offers or a cash rewards or sleazy advertisements. The mail contains a link, and once it is clicked, people can lose their sensitive information within a few seconds. According to Microsoft, these phishing emails, also called adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM), have attempted to target more than 10,000 organisations across the globe since September 2021. In its blog post, Microsoft said the cybercriminals use phishing mail to steal passwords, hijack users’ sign-in sessions, and bypass the authentication process even if users had enabled multifactor authentication (MFA). “The attackers then used the stolen credentials and session cookies to access affected users’ mailboxes and perform follow-on business email compromise (BEC) campaigns against other targets,” the company said in the post. What is phishing? Phishing is an online scam, wherein malicious actors use sleazy emails, messages, advertisements or other resources to steal sensitive information. In every message there is a link in which some confidential information is asked from you. How does it work? To entice the users, the cyberthugs send a mail containing a replica URL of a big website or platform. That URL link is a proxy server between a potential victim and the targeted website so that the users are redirected to lookalike landing pages designed to capture credentials and MFA information. "The phishing page has two different Transport Layer Security (TLS) sessions — one with the target and another with the actual website the target wants to access," Microsoft explained. "These sessions mean that the phishing page practically functions as an AitM agent, intercepting the whole authentication process and extracting valuable data from the HTTP requests such as passwords and, more importantly, session cookies." Once in possession of this information, the attackers injected the cookies into their own browsers to circumvent the authentication process, regardless of whether the victim had enabled MFA protections, it said. "The session cookie is proof for the web server that the user has been authenticated and has an ongoing session on the website," Microsoft explained. "In AitM phishing, an attacker attempts to obtain a target user's session cookie so they can skip the whole authentication process and act on the latter’s behalf." How to protect yourself from phishing? Speaking to DNA news website, a Delhi-based lawyer, Anurag, who monitors cases related to cybercrime, said that some important things should be taken care of to avoid phishing. Do not click on any unverified link. If clicked, then do not fill the details. No company benefits you unnecessarily. No company gives the desired amount. Never fall for such calls, calls or emails, in which you are being offered with a bang. Do not share your banking details with anyone. If you keep these things in mind, then you can avoid being a victim of phishing, he said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

What is phishing and how do cyberthugs con gullible victims?

British Army has fallen victim to a major hacking incident over the weekend. YouTube and Twitter accounts were targeted to promote cryptocurrency and NFTs. The hacking lasted for a short period of time and the army soon regained control of its various handles authorities.

UK Army regains control of its Twitter, several posts about NFTs retweeted

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.&nbsp;

The United Kingdom's defence ministry said on Tuesday (April 26) that it is probing a Russian hack that is targeting its army recruits.

According to a report published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the main suspect of the cyberattack was "feared to have been a Russian agent."&nbsp;

''The incident is a very poor reflection on our own IT,'' said James Heappey, UK's minister of armed forces, said in response.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-rockets-target-residential-buildings-in-kharkiv-5-dead-several-injured-473950/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The country's defence ministry has "ordered an urgent review of our IT security as a consequence," he added.

Russian hackers illegally accessed the personal records of 124 army candidates as per the report.

''But it is thought hundreds more could have been at risk," the report stated.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-unleashes-string-of-attack-against-ukraines-rail-fuel-facilities-473702" hreflang="en">Russia unleashes string of attacks against Ukraine's rail, fuel facilities</a>

Earlier, Heappey downplayed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's warning about the real threat of World War III breaking out.

Lavrov said, "It is real, you can't underestimate it."

"Lavrov's trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don't think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation," BBC reported Heappey as saying.

"What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well-calibrated," he added.

Russia has accused NATO of providing military aid to Ukraine, which Heappey denied saying the alliance is only reinforcing its eastern flank.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NATO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NATO</a> Allies have increased the number of fighter jets on alert✈️ 
 
They’re conducting around the clock air patrols over Bulgaria 🇧🇬, Estonia 🇪🇪, Latvia 🇱🇻, Lithuania 🇱🇹, Poland🇵🇱 and Romania 🇷🇴 to secure Allied air space <a href="https://t.co/q794ny35mA">pic.twitter.com/q794ny35mA</a>
— NATO (@NATO) <a href="https://twitter.com/NATO/status/1514548998316736515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"It suits the Kremlin's narrative to claim that they are somehow in a confrontation with NATO. They were saying that before the war even began, but that is nonsense and Lavrov knows it," Heappey said.

He believes that NATO should not underestimate the considerable risks of nuclear conflict.

Watch WION live TV here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The UK, along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States is a part of the ''Five Eyes'' intelligence-sharing network.

Last week, it issued a warning that all countries supporting Ukraine will face powerful cyberattacks by Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Moscow's attack on Ukraine a ''special military operation'' to disarm and ''denazify'' it.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos. The United Kingdom's defence ministry said on Tuesday (April 26) that it is probing a Russian hack that is targeting its army recruits. According to a report published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the main suspect of the cyberattack was "feared to have been a Russian agent." ''The incident is a very poor reflection on our own IT,'' said James Heappey, UK's minister of armed forces, said in response. The country's defence ministry has "ordered an urgent review of our IT security as a consequence," he added. Russian hackers illegally accessed the personal records of 124 army candidates as per the report. ''But it is thought hundreds more could have been at risk," the report stated. Also read | Russia unleashes string of attacks against Ukraine's rail, fuel facilities Earlier, Heappey downplayed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's warning about the real threat of World War III breaking out. Lavrov said, "It is real, you can't underestimate it." "Lavrov's trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don't think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation," BBC reported Heappey as saying. "What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well-calibrated," he added. Russia has accused NATO of providing military aid to Ukraine, which Heappey denied saying the alliance is only reinforcing its eastern flank. #NATO Allies have increased the number of fighter jets on alert✈️ They’re conducting around the clock air patrols over Bulgaria 🇧🇬, Estonia 🇪🇪, Latvia 🇱🇻, Lithuania 🇱🇹, Poland🇵🇱 and Romania 🇷🇴 to secure Allied air space pic.twitter.com/q794ny35mA — NATO (@NATO) April 14, 2022 × "It suits the Kremlin's narrative to claim that they are somehow in a confrontation with NATO. They were saying that before the war even began, but that is nonsense and Lavrov knows it," Heappey said. He believes that NATO should not underestimate the considerable risks of nuclear conflict. Watch WION live TV here: The UK, along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States is a part of the ''Five Eyes'' intelligence-sharing network. Last week, it issued a warning that all countries supporting Ukraine will face powerful cyberattacks by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Moscow's attack on Ukraine a ''special military operation'' to disarm and ''denazify'' it. (With inputs from agencies)

United Kingdom's defence ministry investigating Russian hack targeting its army recruits

&nbsp;A number of Israeli government websites went down in an apparent cyberattack as the country's cyber authority confirmed it was a DDos attack that had blocked access to government websites, and that all websites were back online. 
 
According to Haaretz, the websites of the interior, health, justice and welfare ministries had been taken offline, as was that of the Prime Minister's Office.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-it-foiled-sabotage-by-an-israeli-recruited-network-at-a-nuclear-facility-462400">&nbsp;Iran says it foiled sabotage by an Israeli-recruited network at a nuclear facility</a> 
 
Earlier on Monday, a senior defence official confirmed to Haaretz that a massive cyberattack was carried out on Monday evening against Israeli government websites, and cyber security industry sources said that the operation was a wide-scale distributed denial of service (DDos) attack. 
 
A defence establishment source claims that this was the largest-ever cyber attack carried out against Israel. They believe that a state actor or large organization carried out the attack, but cannot yet determine who is behind it, the report said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sanctioned-oligarch-abramovichs-private-jet-in-israel-source-462166">Sanctioned oligarch Abramovich's private jet in Israel - Source</a> 
 
The defence establishment and the National Cyber Directorate have declared a state of emergency in order to study the extent of the damage, while checking strategic Israeli websites and government infrastructure, such as Israel's electric and water companies, to see whether they were also attacked.

Watch |&nbsp;Iran accuses Israel of planning sabotage on Fordow nuclear plant

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-accuses-israel-of-planning-sabotage-on-fordow-nuclear-plant-462373/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The defence establishment claims that the attack hit websites using the .GOV.IL domain, which is used for all government websites save for defence-related ones. Another website that uses this domain is the government database. Despite this, some of the websites can still be accessed via smartphone.

A number of Israeli government websites went down in an apparent cyberattack as the country's cyber authority confirmed it was a DDos attack that had blocked access to government websites, and that all websites were back online.

A number of Israeli government websites went down in an apparent cyberattack as the country's cyber authority confirmed it was a DDos attack that had blocked access to government websites, and that all websites were back online. According to Haaretz, the websites of the interior, health, justice and welfare ministries had been taken offline, as was that of the Prime Minister's Office. Also read | Iran says it foiled sabotage by an Israeli-recruited network at a nuclear facility Earlier on Monday, a senior defence official confirmed to Haaretz that a massive cyberattack was carried out on Monday evening against Israeli government websites, and cyber security industry sources said that the operation was a wide-scale distributed denial of service (DDos) attack. A defence establishment source claims that this was the largest-ever cyber attack carried out against Israel. They believe that a state actor or large organization carried out the attack, but cannot yet determine who is behind it, the report said. Also read | Sanctioned oligarch Abramovich's private jet in Israel - Source The defence establishment and the National Cyber Directorate have declared a state of emergency in order to study the extent of the damage, while checking strategic Israeli websites and government infrastructure, such as Israel's electric and water companies, to see whether they were also attacked. Watch | Iran accuses Israel of planning sabotage on Fordow nuclear plant The defence establishment claims that the attack hit websites using the .GOV.IL domain, which is used for all government websites save for defence-related ones. Another website that uses this domain is the government database. Despite this, some of the websites can still be accessed via smartphone.

Israeli govt sites crash in 'largest-ever' cyberattack, National Cyber Directorate declares State of Emergency

Ukraine on Tuesday said that websites of the country’s defence ministry, armed forces and two banks came under a cyber attack.

The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which is part of the culture ministry, issued a statement suggesting that the perpetrator may have Russian origins.

“It is not ruled out that the aggressor used tactics of little dirty tricks because its aggressive plans are not working out on a large scale,” it said.

A message on the home page of the Ukrainian defence ministry website said it was under maintenance. The ministry tweeted that its website was apparently under a cyber attack and it was working on restoring access to it.

Kyiv has blamed Moscow for similar attacks in the past, since Russia began massing more than 100,000 troops near the frontier.

The latest attack came hours after Russia indicated de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, with President Vladimir Putin asserting that his country does not seek war.

The Kremlin confirmed the pullback of some forces from Ukraine's borders, but said the move was planned and stressed Russia would continue to move troops across the country as it saw fit.

However, in a strange coincidence, US intelligence had predicted that cyber attacks would precede Russia’s Ukraine invasion on February 16.

According to POLITICO, President Joe Biden is reported to have informed allies over the phone that Russia will start a physical assault on Ukraine as soon as February 16.

He reportedly claimed that the invasion would be preceded by a barrage of missile strikes and cyber attacks

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine on Tuesday said that websites of the country’s defence ministry, armed forces and two banks came under a cyber attack. The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which is part of the culture ministry, issued a statement suggesting that the perpetrator may have Russian origins.

Ukraine on Tuesday said that websites of the country’s defence ministry, armed forces and two banks came under a cyber attack. The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which is part of the culture ministry, issued a statement suggesting that the perpetrator may have Russian origins. “It is not ruled out that the aggressor used tactics of little dirty tricks because its aggressive plans are not working out on a large scale,” it said. A message on the home page of the Ukrainian defence ministry website said it was under maintenance. The ministry tweeted that its website was apparently under a cyber attack and it was working on restoring access to it. Kyiv has blamed Moscow for similar attacks in the past, since Russia began massing more than 100,000 troops near the frontier. The latest attack came hours after Russia indicated de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, with President Vladimir Putin asserting that his country does not seek war. The Kremlin confirmed the pullback of some forces from Ukraine's borders, but said the move was planned and stressed Russia would continue to move troops across the country as it saw fit. However, in a strange coincidence, US intelligence had predicted that cyber attacks would precede Russia’s Ukraine invasion on February 16. According to POLITICO, President Joe Biden is reported to have informed allies over the phone that Russia will start a physical assault on Ukraine as soon as February 16. He reportedly claimed that the invasion would be preceded by a barrage of missile strikes and cyber attacks (With inputs from agencies)

As predicted by US, Ukraine hit by cyber attacks amid Russian invasion fears

From MNCs to government entities to International organization, companies are falling prey to cyber attacks in recent months. The latest is International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it revealed that the company was hit with a cyberattack this week that compromised the personal data of "more than 515,000 highly vulnerable people."

Red Cross falls victim to cyber attack, confidential data exposed

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning.

Though it was unknown from where the cyber attack was launched, officials in the Ukraine government pointed out a “long record” of Russian cyber assaults against Kyiv.

"It's too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long record of Russian (cyber) assaults against Ukraine in the past," the foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters.

The incident follows almost a week after the tense security talks between Moscow and the US and NATO ended in stalemate.

Among the targets of the cyber attack were websites of the ministerial cabinet, the foreign, education, agriculture, emergency, energy, veterans affairs and environment ministries.

Apart from that the websites of the state treasury and the Diia electronic public services platform, where vaccination certificates and electronic passports are stored were also out of service.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-ukraine-tensions-russia-unveils-white-swan-strategic-bomber-444279">Amid Ukraine tensions, Russia unveils ‘White Swan’ strategic bomber</a>

According to reports, suspected Russian hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website.

"Ukrainian! All your personal data was uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore it," said a message visible on the hacked government websites, written in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.

"All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-enlists-meteorologists-to-predict-russias-ukraine-invasion-plan-report-444048">Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report</a>

The message reproduced the Ukrainian flag and map crossed out. It mentioned the Ukrainian insurgent army, or UPA, which fought against the Soviet Union during the second world war. There was also a reference to “historical land”.

Russia had warned of possible “catastrophic consequences” if there was no agreement on the proposed security pact, but Kremlin asserted that it had not given up on diplomacy.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war between Kyiv's forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that same year.

United States on Thursday said Russia might be trying to create a pretext to launch a new military assault on Ukraine, comparing the situation to the circumstances in 2014.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning.

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning. Though it was unknown from where the cyber attack was launched, officials in the Ukraine government pointed out a “long record” of Russian cyber assaults against Kyiv. "It's too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long record of Russian (cyber) assaults against Ukraine in the past," the foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters. The incident follows almost a week after the tense security talks between Moscow and the US and NATO ended in stalemate. Among the targets of the cyber attack were websites of the ministerial cabinet, the foreign, education, agriculture, emergency, energy, veterans affairs and environment ministries. Apart from that the websites of the state treasury and the Diia electronic public services platform, where vaccination certificates and electronic passports are stored were also out of service. Also read | Amid Ukraine tensions, Russia unveils ‘White Swan’ strategic bomber According to reports, suspected Russian hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website. "Ukrainian! All your personal data was uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore it," said a message visible on the hacked government websites, written in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. "All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future." Also read | Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report The message reproduced the Ukrainian flag and map crossed out. It mentioned the Ukrainian insurgent army, or UPA, which fought against the Soviet Union during the second world war. There was also a reference to “historical land”. Russia had warned of possible “catastrophic consequences” if there was no agreement on the proposed security pact, but Kremlin asserted that it had not given up on diplomacy. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war between Kyiv's forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that same year. United States on Thursday said Russia might be trying to create a pretext to launch a new military assault on Ukraine, comparing the situation to the circumstances in 2014. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian govt websites fall prey to ‘massive cyber attack’, Russian hand suspected

A new "apocalyptic" cyberattack has the potential to wipe out the Internet, putting NASA, televisions, and Minecraft in jeopardy.

Everything from NASA helicopters to Amazon and Google is now vulnerable to a sophisticated hacking attack, making the 'worst-ever' Internet security flaw 'apocalyptic' for the computer industry.

The "worst-ever" Internet security vulnerability has been found, with consequences for Amazon, NASA, Minecraft, and smart TVs.&nbsp;

The flaw, which may allow hackers to take control of nearly everything on the Internet, has apparently made IT giants nervous.

According to the Seattle Times, employees at Silicon Valley corporations have been working all-nighters to guarantee their code is secure. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/what-is-log4j-the-biggest-computer-vulnerability-in-decades-436791">Also read | What is Log4j, the biggest computer vulnerability in decades?</a>

According to a Google employee, more than 500 engineers have been working overtime to guarantee that their software is up to date.

The security hole known as log4j, according to Jen Easterly, the US Cybersecurity Director, is "the most significant vulnerability I have seen in my decades-long career."&nbsp;

Log4j is a piece of code that powers vast portions of the Internet.

This assists various software in logging and tracking past activity. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/software-flaw-log4shell-may-be-worst-computer-vulnerability-in-a-decade-436306">Also read | Software flaw 'Log4Shell' may be worst computer vulnerability in a decade</a>

Cybersecurity specialists have discovered that all hackers need to do is make the application log a line of malicious code, and the programme will execute it, giving them complete control of entire servers.

Log4j is a big concern because it is one of the most extensively used pieces of code on the Internet.&nbsp;

It's a component of the Java programming language, which is used in almost all software.

Importantly, online behemoths like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle are affected, putting every other website or corporation that relies on their services at risk.

This includes Minecraft, most smart TVs, and even NASA's Ingenuity Mars chopper.

According to reports, the weakness has existed for years, and Iranian-backed hackers have attempted to use it to get into the Israeli government.

The US government has set a deadline for correcting the problem for Christmas Eve, but even if it is fixed in time, hackers may have already obtained access to thousands of apps and services.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A new "apocalyptic" cyberattack has the potential to wipe out the Internet, putting NASA, televisions, and Minecraft in jeopardy. Everything from NASA helicopters to Amazon and Google is now vulnerable to a sophisticated hacking attack, making the 'worst-ever' Internet security flaw 'apocalyptic' for the computer industry.

A new "apocalyptic" cyberattack has the potential to wipe out the Internet, putting NASA, televisions, and Minecraft in jeopardy. Everything from NASA helicopters to Amazon and Google is now vulnerable to a sophisticated hacking attack, making the 'worst-ever' Internet security flaw 'apocalyptic' for the computer industry. The "worst-ever" Internet security vulnerability has been found, with consequences for Amazon, NASA, Minecraft, and smart TVs. The flaw, which may allow hackers to take control of nearly everything on the Internet, has apparently made IT giants nervous. According to the Seattle Times, employees at Silicon Valley corporations have been working all-nighters to guarantee their code is secure. Also read | What is Log4j, the biggest computer vulnerability in decades? According to a Google employee, more than 500 engineers have been working overtime to guarantee that their software is up to date. The security hole known as log4j, according to Jen Easterly, the US Cybersecurity Director, is "the most significant vulnerability I have seen in my decades-long career." Log4j is a piece of code that powers vast portions of the Internet. This assists various software in logging and tracking past activity. Also read | Software flaw 'Log4Shell' may be worst computer vulnerability in a decade Cybersecurity specialists have discovered that all hackers need to do is make the application log a line of malicious code, and the programme will execute it, giving them complete control of entire servers. Log4j is a big concern because it is one of the most extensively used pieces of code on the Internet. It's a component of the Java programming language, which is used in almost all software. Importantly, online behemoths like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle are affected, putting every other website or corporation that relies on their services at risk. This includes Minecraft, most smart TVs, and even NASA's Ingenuity Mars chopper. According to reports, the weakness has existed for years, and Iranian-backed hackers have attempted to use it to get into the Israeli government. The US government has set a deadline for correcting the problem for Christmas Eve, but even if it is fixed in time, hackers may have already obtained access to thousands of apps and services. (With inputs from agencies)

This cyber attack could wipe out the internet. Here's why

In a shocking reveal, a Taiwanese minister told the Taiwanese parliament that government agencies faced around five million cyber attacks a day. The minister's statement came after a report warned of increasing Chinese warfare targetting Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials have said earlier that the island faces millions cyber attacks every month. They have said that around half of these attacks are believed to have originated from China.

Speaking in parliament, cyber security department director Chien Hung-wei said Taiwan's government network faces "five million attacks and scans a day".&nbsp;

In the field of cyber security, a scan refers to an attempt to locate weakness in a server.

"We are strengthening the government's defensive measures and collecting relevant data for analysis in a bid to stop the attacks when they are initiated," Chien told lawmakers.

Taiwan accuses that China ramped up its cyber warfare against the island nation post 2016 when Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen as its president. Tsai Ing-wen views Taiwan as an independent nation.

Beijing views democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.

In a report released on Tuesday, Taiwan's defence ministry warned that China has been "vigorously enhancing" its cyber warfare capabilities as part of the strategy to bring the island to heel.

The ministry's information security and protection centre detected and handled around 1.4 billion "anomalies" from 2019 to August 2021 to prevent potential hacking, according to the report.

In July, Taiwan's police launched an investigation after the Line messaging app reported abnormal account activities to the authorities.&nbsp;

Local media said the hacked accounts belonged to "high ranking officials" in various government branches.

Last year, Taiwanese authorities said Chinese hackers infiltrated at least 10 Taiwan government agencies and gained access to around 6,000 email accounts in an attempt to steal data.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In a shocking reveal, a Taiwanese minister told the Taiwanese parliament that government agencies faced around five million cyber attacks a day. The minister's statement came after a report warned of increasing Chinese warfare targetting Taiwan.

In a shocking reveal, a Taiwanese minister told the Taiwanese parliament that government agencies faced around five million cyber attacks a day. The minister's statement came after a report warned of increasing Chinese warfare targetting Taiwan. Taiwanese officials have said earlier that the island faces millions cyber attacks every month. They have said that around half of these attacks are believed to have originated from China. Speaking in parliament, cyber security department director Chien Hung-wei said Taiwan's government network faces "five million attacks and scans a day". In the field of cyber security, a scan refers to an attempt to locate weakness in a server. "We are strengthening the government's defensive measures and collecting relevant data for analysis in a bid to stop the attacks when they are initiated," Chien told lawmakers. Taiwan accuses that China ramped up its cyber warfare against the island nation post 2016 when Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen as its president. Tsai Ing-wen views Taiwan as an independent nation. Beijing views democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary. In a report released on Tuesday, Taiwan's defence ministry warned that China has been "vigorously enhancing" its cyber warfare capabilities as part of the strategy to bring the island to heel. The ministry's information security and protection centre detected and handled around 1.4 billion "anomalies" from 2019 to August 2021 to prevent potential hacking, according to the report. In July, Taiwan's police launched an investigation after the Line messaging app reported abnormal account activities to the authorities. Local media said the hacked accounts belonged to "high ranking officials" in various government branches. Last year, Taiwanese authorities said Chinese hackers infiltrated at least 10 Taiwan government agencies and gained access to around 6,000 email accounts in an attempt to steal data. (With inputs from agencies)

Official says Taiwan government faces 5 million cyber attacks daily

The popular trading app Robinhood announced Monday that millions of its users had their personal information exposed in a data breach.

World Business Watch: Robinhood app hit by data breach exposing email of 5 million customers

According to reports, the US state department was recently hit by a cyber attack, and notifications of a possible serious breach were made by the department of defence cyber command.

Report: US State Department hit by cyber attack, possible breach notified

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the United States will seek global rules on how to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence&nbsp;as he renewed warnings against Russia over hacking.

His remarks come amid mounting concern about hacking for ransom, including an&nbsp;attack&nbsp;that shut down a major fuel pipeline in the United States.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-14-heads-of-state-on-pegasus-hacking-list-who-ordered-the-snooping-399567/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

President Joe Biden said he warned his counterpart Vladimir Putin in a telephone call&nbsp;that the United States would take action,&nbsp;a message reiterated by Blinken.

These increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks represent a new type of warfare aimed at disorganising and even destroying a nation's economy. This has been called 'hybrid warfare.'

It's a mixture of conventional and unconventional methods used against a much stronger adversary that aims to achieve political objectives that would not be possible with traditional warfare.

The problem is often identifying the culprits. In hybrid warfare the state responsible for the actions will often use non-state actors, which allows it to deny responsibility.

But over the past two decades, many cyber-attacks targeting western state institutions and businesses have been far more sophisticated than a couple of tech-savvy individuals operating as 'lone wolves'&nbsp;and bear the hallmarks of actions taken with the support or approval of a hostile government.

Without a doubt, several major nations,&nbsp;particularly Russia, but also China and Iran at the very least, have become adept at using leaks, rumour and political subterfuge to support their geopolitical ends.

The problem, though, is that growing forces within Western countries have also embraced very much the same tactics. It makes getting to the bottom of what is really going on difficult, sometimes impossible. And perhaps most dangerous of all, it means the international climate continues to deteriorate and become ever more paranoid - whether it is justified or not.

It offers a potentially alarming model for any future high-intensity confrontation with Russia, China or both, pointing to an era where ever more players embrace tearing up the rule book and risking - or at worst, even embracing – bloody mayhem.

Proxy wars

In Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, and to a lesser extent in Libya and beyond, these calculations and their resulting proxy wars have already killed hundreds of thousands.

Elsewhere, particularly in the Western world, the contests have been largely bloodless. Getting to the bottom of what is really going on, however, is more difficult. Indeed, many of those involved are clearly embracing and taking advantage of that dynamic and its resulting confusion.

Conspiracy theories

More broadly this alarming rise in Machiavellian ambiguity risks being a disaster for democracies. Without doubt, it feeds into just the kind of conspiracy theories the far right, Kremlin and other spoilers thrive on, and that the international level it dramatically raises the risks of miscalculation.

With their own more ruthless traditions, autocratic states like Russia, China and Iran, and their leaders in particular,&nbsp;are scarcely less paranoid. All three have made it clear to varying degrees they see the hand of the West in domestic dissent at home, and as discontent such as that in Hong Kong escalates, such worries may get worse.

Honest, open diplomatic channels - both between nuclear nations and domestic political factions - offer almost the only hope of keeping such strains under control.

Clearly, there is no shortage of forces that believe that kind of chaos serves their interests. In the short term, they may be right. In the longer run, however, they may find that they suffer the consequences just as harshly as the rest of us.

(With inputs from agencies)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the United States will seek global rules on how to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence as he renewed warnings against Russia over hacking.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the United States will seek global rules on how to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence as he renewed warnings against Russia over hacking. His remarks come amid mounting concern about hacking for ransom, including an attack that shut down a major fuel pipeline in the United States. President Joe Biden said he warned his counterpart Vladimir Putin in a telephone call that the United States would take action, a message reiterated by Blinken. These increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks represent a new type of warfare aimed at disorganising and even destroying a nation's economy. This has been called 'hybrid warfare.' It's a mixture of conventional and unconventional methods used against a much stronger adversary that aims to achieve political objectives that would not be possible with traditional warfare. The problem is often identifying the culprits. In hybrid warfare the state responsible for the actions will often use non-state actors, which allows it to deny responsibility. But over the past two decades, many cyber-attacks targeting western state institutions and businesses have been far more sophisticated than a couple of tech-savvy individuals operating as 'lone wolves' and bear the hallmarks of actions taken with the support or approval of a hostile government. Without a doubt, several major nations, particularly Russia, but also China and Iran at the very least, have become adept at using leaks, rumour and political subterfuge to support their geopolitical ends. The problem, though, is that growing forces within Western countries have also embraced very much the same tactics. It makes getting to the bottom of what is really going on difficult, sometimes impossible. And perhaps most dangerous of all, it means the international climate continues to deteriorate and become ever more paranoid - whether it is justified or not. It offers a potentially alarming model for any future high-intensity confrontation with Russia, China or both, pointing to an era where ever more players embrace tearing up the rule book and risking - or at worst, even embracing – bloody mayhem. Proxy wars In Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, and to a lesser extent in Libya and beyond, these calculations and their resulting proxy wars have already killed hundreds of thousands. Elsewhere, particularly in the Western world, the contests have been largely bloodless. Getting to the bottom of what is really going on, however, is more difficult. Indeed, many of those involved are clearly embracing and taking advantage of that dynamic and its resulting confusion. Conspiracy theories More broadly this alarming rise in Machiavellian ambiguity risks being a disaster for democracies. Without doubt, it feeds into just the kind of conspiracy theories the far right, Kremlin and other spoilers thrive on, and that the international level it dramatically raises the risks of miscalculation. With their own more ruthless traditions, autocratic states like Russia, China and Iran, and their leaders in particular, are scarcely less paranoid. All three have made it clear to varying degrees they see the hand of the West in domestic dissent at home, and as discontent such as that in Hong Kong escalates, such worries may get worse. Honest, open diplomatic channels - both between nuclear nations and domestic political factions - offer almost the only hope of keeping such strains under control. Clearly, there is no shortage of forces that believe that kind of chaos serves their interests. In the short term, they may be right. In the longer run, however, they may find that they suffer the consequences just as harshly as the rest of us. (With inputs from agencies)

How have cyber attacks become strategy for hybrid warfare?

Four Chinese nationals have been charged for targeting dozens of companies, universities and government agencies in the United States and abroad. This action comes right in the heels of the United States and its allies publicly accusing China of a global cyber espionage campaign.

4 Chinese nationals charged for hacking US companies

The Biden administration and Western allies blamed China for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software and accused Beijing of working with criminal hackers in ransomware attacks and other cyber operations.

US & allies condemn China for malicious cyber activity

The meat processor company, JBS, has claimed that its systems were hacked in a ransomware attack that they believe originated in Russia.

JBS claims they received a ransom demand from "a criminal organisation likely based in Russia," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-agency-not-doing-its-job-to-halt-tech-to-chinas-military-congressional-report-388875">US agency not doing its job to halt tech to China's military: Report</a>

Considering the effect of this cyberattack and its alleged origin, the White House has offered to help the Brazilian company and has engaged in direct talks with the Russian government to find out the truth behind these allegations.

"The White House has offered assistance to JBS, and our team and the Department of Agriculture have spoken to their leadership several times in the last day," Jean-Pierre said.&nbsp; "The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-blow-your-mind-faucis-emails-reveal-chaos-confusion-during-covid-388891" hreflang="en">'Will blow your mind': Fauci's emails reveal chaos, confusion during Covid</a>

While it was not clear whether the ransom amount was paid to the criminals, the company has assured that the operations will be up and running from Wednesday.

"We have cybersecurity plans in place to address these types of issues... the vast majority of our beef, pork, poultry and prepared foods plants will be operational tomorrow," Andre Nogueira, JBS chief (US) said.

The meat processor company, JBS, has claimed that its systems were hacked in a ransomware attack that they believe originated in Russia. JBS claims they received a ransom demand from "a criminal organisation likely based in Russia," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The meat processor company, JBS, has claimed that its systems were hacked in a ransomware attack that they believe originated in Russia. JBS claims they received a ransom demand from "a criminal organisation likely based in Russia," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. Also read | US agency not doing its job to halt tech to China's military: Report Considering the effect of this cyberattack and its alleged origin, the White House has offered to help the Brazilian company and has engaged in direct talks with the Russian government to find out the truth behind these allegations. "The White House has offered assistance to JBS, and our team and the Department of Agriculture have spoken to their leadership several times in the last day," Jean-Pierre said. "The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals." Also read | 'Will blow your mind': Fauci's emails reveal chaos, confusion during Covid While it was not clear whether the ransom amount was paid to the criminals, the company has assured that the operations will be up and running from Wednesday. "We have cybersecurity plans in place to address these types of issues... the vast majority of our beef, pork, poultry and prepared foods plants will be operational tomorrow," Andre Nogueira, JBS chief (US) said.

JBS cyberattack might have Russian links: White House

Hackers have stolen data on about 4.5 million Air India passengers around the world in the latest breach reported by a major airline.

Names, credit card numbers and passport information were among the data stolen, Air India said in a statement released late Friday.

The state-owned giant said it was "securing the compromised servers" and using "external specialists" on data security as well as working with credit card companies.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate continued support and trust of our passengers," the airline said.

A number of airlines have been hit by data breaches in recent years. British Airways was fined $28 million last year by a British watchdog after details of 400,000 passengers were lost in a 2018 cyberattack.

Cathay Pacific was fined $700,000 after details of more than nine million clients were lost in 2018.

And low-cost carrier EasyJet said last year that hackers had taken the email and travel details of about nine million customers.

Air India announced in March that it had been informed in February by its data processing company, SITA PSS of a cyberattack.

The breach involved personal data registered between August 2011 and February 2021, the airline said.

SITA, which provides IT backup to much of the aviation industry, said at the time that it had been the target of a "highly sophisticated attack" that had affected a number of airlines.

Air India is part of the Star Alliance coalition of airlines and SITA handles computer operations for its frequent flyer programme.

Other airlines in the alliance warned passengers in March of the cyberattack but most said only names and frequent flyer numbers had been accessed.

Hackers have stolen data on about 4.5 million Air India passengers around the world in the latest breach reported by a major airline. Names, credit card numbers and passport information were among the data stolen, Air India said in a statement released late Friday.

Hackers have stolen data on about 4.5 million Air India passengers around the world in the latest breach reported by a major airline. Names, credit card numbers and passport information were among the data stolen, Air India said in a statement released late Friday. The state-owned giant said it was "securing the compromised servers" and using "external specialists" on data security as well as working with credit card companies. "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate continued support and trust of our passengers," the airline said. A number of airlines have been hit by data breaches in recent years. British Airways was fined $28 million last year by a British watchdog after details of 400,000 passengers were lost in a 2018 cyberattack. Cathay Pacific was fined $700,000 after details of more than nine million clients were lost in 2018. And low-cost carrier EasyJet said last year that hackers had taken the email and travel details of about nine million customers. Air India announced in March that it had been informed in February by its data processing company, SITA PSS of a cyberattack. The breach involved personal data registered between August 2011 and February 2021, the airline said. SITA, which provides IT backup to much of the aviation industry, said at the time that it had been the target of a "highly sophisticated attack" that had affected a number of airlines. Air India is part of the Star Alliance coalition of airlines and SITA handles computer operations for its frequent flyer programme. Other airlines in the alliance warned passengers in March of the cyberattack but most said only names and frequent flyer numbers had been accessed.

Air India says data on 4.5 million passengers stolen

Air India on Friday reported a mega data breach compromising nearly 4.5 million passengers. 10 years worth of customer data including passport and credit card details have been compromised in the massive cyber attack.

4.5 million passengers affected in massive cyber attack on Air India

Ireland's health ministry was the target of an attempted cyber attack the Irish government said on Sunday, days after a similar attack struck the country's health service.

"The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) became aware on Thursday of an attempted cyber attack on the Department of Health," the government said in a statement.

It explained "some functions" of the department's IT system had been suspended "as a precautionary measure".

"This attempted attack remains under investigation, however there are indications that this was a ransomware attack similar to that which has affected the (Public Health Service) HSE," it added.

The cyber attack on HSE, which its chief Paul Reid described to public broadcaster RTE as an "international criminal operation", forced the Irish health service to shut down its computer systems.

Non-urgent appointments were cancelled but the country's Covid vaccination campaign was not impacted.

Attacks using ransomware, a form of malicious software that encrypts a victim's files, have been on the rise in recent years. &nbsp;

After the cyber attacker has control of the computer system they then demand a ransom from the victim to restore access to the data.

On Wednesday, Britain's Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called for an international coalition to address the growing threat from state actors and criminal groups that are targeting democracies with cyber attacks, implicating Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Ireland's health ministry was the target of an attempted cyber attack the Irish government said on Sunday, days after a similar attack struck the country's health service.

Ireland's health ministry was the target of an attempted cyber attack the Irish government said on Sunday, days after a similar attack struck the country's health service. "The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) became aware on Thursday of an attempted cyber attack on the Department of Health," the government said in a statement. It explained "some functions" of the department's IT system had been suspended "as a precautionary measure". "This attempted attack remains under investigation, however there are indications that this was a ransomware attack similar to that which has affected the (Public Health Service) HSE," it added. The cyber attack on HSE, which its chief Paul Reid described to public broadcaster RTE as an "international criminal operation", forced the Irish health service to shut down its computer systems. Non-urgent appointments were cancelled but the country's Covid vaccination campaign was not impacted. Attacks using ransomware, a form of malicious software that encrypts a victim's files, have been on the rise in recent years. After the cyber attacker has control of the computer system they then demand a ransom from the victim to restore access to the data. On Wednesday, Britain's Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called for an international coalition to address the growing threat from state actors and criminal groups that are targeting democracies with cyber attacks, implicating Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Irish Department of Health targeted in cyber attack

Few days after one of the worst cyber attacks in the US history leading to shutting down of a major fuel pipeline, the world has witnessed two other major cyber attacks. A unit of the Japanese conglomerate Toshiba was recently hacked by the darkside ransomware group.

Japanese Conglomerate Toshiba hacked by darkside ransomware group

Apple may be the influential tech company that is at the forefront of innovation but when it comes top sophisticated cyberattack, Apple's interests are as vulnerable as our tech-challenged friend's computer.

The company is now facing a 'ransomware attack'. For those who don't know what this is, a ransomware attack involves cybercriminals encrypting your valuable data. After the data becomes inaccessible to you, the hackers ask ransom money to provide the key to break the encryption.

Apple has been on the receiving end because of&nbsp;an attack on one of its suppliers.

The group of hackers calls themselves 'Sodin' and the ransomware is called 'REvil'. The hackers stole Apple's data from Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese company that assembles some of Apple's laptops.

The hackers claim that the stolen information has to do with Apple's upcoming products. These, they say, include Apple laptops and a new Apple Watch

Quanta Computer has refused to pay the ransom and hackers are now threatening that they will make information about Apple's next launches public.

Well, well. What will Apple do next? They aren't saying anything for now that's for sure!

Apple may be the influential tech company that is at the forefront of innovation but when it comes top sophisticated cyberattack, Apple's interests are as vulnerable as our tech-challenged friend's computer.

Apple may be the influential tech company that is at the forefront of innovation but when it comes top sophisticated cyberattack, Apple's interests are as vulnerable as our tech-challenged friend's computer. The company is now facing a 'ransomware attack'. For those who don't know what this is, a ransomware attack involves cybercriminals encrypting your valuable data. After the data becomes inaccessible to you, the hackers ask ransom money to provide the key to break the encryption. Apple has been on the receiving end because of an attack on one of its suppliers. The group of hackers calls themselves 'Sodin' and the ransomware is called 'REvil'. The hackers stole Apple's data from Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese company that assembles some of Apple's laptops. The hackers claim that the stolen information has to do with Apple's upcoming products. These, they say, include Apple laptops and a new Apple Watch Quanta Computer has refused to pay the ransom and hackers are now threatening that they will make information about Apple's next launches public. Well, well. What will Apple do next? They aren't saying anything for now that's for sure!

Apple faces ransomware demand from cybercriminals

Iran is blaming Israel for the blackout at its Natanz nuclear site. Tehran is calling the cyber attack an act of 'nuclear terrorism'. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how an electrical outage became a headache for US President Joe Biden.

Gravitas: Did Israel's Mossad 'sabotage' Iran's nuclear site?

With a rise in technology-driven work all around the world, cybersecurity has become more important now. With Microsoft being one of the front runners of the tech world, a brach in its system can lead to a massive leak of sources.

In such a scenario, at least 10 different hacking groups have identified flaws in Microsoft Corp's mail server and are now utilising the resources to break into several targets around the world.&nbsp;

The breach was highlighted by the cybersecurity company ESET which also highlighted that the limit of exploitation shows the urgency of these warnings issued by authorities in the US and Europe about the weaknesses found in Microsoft's Exchange software.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/while-slowing-down-twitter-russia-ends-up-shutting-down-its-own-state-websites-reports-369506">&nbsp;While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports</a>

This warning has also come after, on Wednesday, Norway's parliament announced that confidential data had been "extracted" in a breach which was linked to these flaws of Microsoft.

In addition to this, Germany's cybersecurity watchdog agency also reported that two federal authorities have been negatively affected by this hack.

While Microsoft claimed that the issues have been fixed, the slow speed at which many customers' updates are happening is leaving the wires partially open to hackers of all stripes, and the patches are not removing any back door access that has already been left on the machines.

In addition, some of the back doors left on compromised machines have passwords that are easily guessed, so that newcomers can take them over.

However, despite this, Microsoft has declined to comment on the pace of customers' updates, but had previously thrust the importance of "patching all affected systems immediately."

While for now, the hack has concentrated on cyber espionage, many fear that the ransom-seeking cybercriminals could also benefit from this hack.

For now, ESEThas named nine espionage-focused groups that it claimed are taking advantage of the flaws of Microsoft to break into targeted networks, many of whom are related to China. The Chinese government, however, has denied any involvement in this.

It has also been reported that some of these groups were aware of the flaws even before they were announced by Microsoft on March 02.

With a rise in technology-driven work all around the world, cybersecurity has become more important now. With Microsoft being one of the front runners of the tech world, a brach in its system can lead to a massive leak of sources.

With a rise in technology-driven work all around the world, cybersecurity has become more important now. With Microsoft being one of the front runners of the tech world, a brach in its system can lead to a massive leak of sources. In such a scenario, at least 10 different hacking groups have identified flaws in Microsoft Corp's mail server and are now utilising the resources to break into several targets around the world. The breach was highlighted by the cybersecurity company ESET which also highlighted that the limit of exploitation shows the urgency of these warnings issued by authorities in the US and Europe about the weaknesses found in Microsoft's Exchange software. Also read | While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports This warning has also come after, on Wednesday, Norway's parliament announced that confidential data had been "extracted" in a breach which was linked to these flaws of Microsoft. In addition to this, Germany's cybersecurity watchdog agency also reported that two federal authorities have been negatively affected by this hack. While Microsoft claimed that the issues have been fixed, the slow speed at which many customers' updates are happening is leaving the wires partially open to hackers of all stripes, and the patches are not removing any back door access that has already been left on the machines. In addition, some of the back doors left on compromised machines have passwords that are easily guessed, so that newcomers can take them over. However, despite this, Microsoft has declined to comment on the pace of customers' updates, but had previously thrust the importance of "patching all affected systems immediately." While for now, the hack has concentrated on cyber espionage, many fear that the ransom-seeking cybercriminals could also benefit from this hack. For now, ESEThas named nine espionage-focused groups that it claimed are taking advantage of the flaws of Microsoft to break into targeted networks, many of whom are related to China. The Chinese government, however, has denied any involvement in this. It has also been reported that some of these groups were aware of the flaws even before they were announced by Microsoft on March 02.

Microsoft software flaw being misused by at least 10 hacking groups: Researchers

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/protesters-string-up-womens-clothes-for-protection-in-myanmar-368481">Protesters string up women's clothes for protection in Myanmar&nbsp;</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185878-protesters-string-up-womens-clothes-for-protection-in-myanmar.jpg?itok=yh64AQON" />

Protesters in Myanmar have taken to stringing up women's clothing on lines across the streets to slow down police and soldiers because walking beneath them is traditionally considered bad luck for men | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/protesters-string-up-womens-clothes-for-protection-in-myanmar-368481">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-says-russian-chinese-hackers-targetted-europe-drug-regulator-last-year-368488">Report says Russian, Chinese hackers targetted Europe drug regulator last year</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185881-c.jpg?itok=OO43mmKE" />

A report on Saturday claimed that a Russian intelligence agency and Chinese spies were behind cyberattacks on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last year | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-says-russian-chinese-hackers-targetted-europe-drug-regulator-last-year-368488">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-vs-england-4th-test-virat-and-co-crush-england-to-book-a-berth-in-world-test-championship-finals-368450">India vs England, 4th Test: Virat and Co. crush visitors to book a berth in World Test Championship finals</a>

It is India vs New Zealand at the World Test Championship Finals after Virat and Co. defeated England by an innings and 25 runs within three days of the fourth Test sealing a series win by 3-1 | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-vs-england-4th-test-virat-and-co-crush-england-to-book-a-berth-in-world-test-championship-finals-368450">SEE PICS</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senate-impasse-broken-us-covid-relief-bill-now-back-on-track-368456">Senate impasse broken, US Covid relief bill now back on track</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/05/01/138876-usa-reutersss.jpg?itok=zXr4sKQ_" />

The US Senate has broken an impasse on the Covid relief package, setting the $1.9 trillion bill on a likely path to passage | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senate-impasse-broken-us-covid-relief-bill-now-back-on-track-368456">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gender-inequality-has-cost-world-usd-70-trillion-since-1990-report-finds-368469">Gender inequality has cost world USD 70 trillion since 1990, report finds</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185872-gender-equality-reuters.jpg?itok=VaLUlpgx" />

A research team has tabulated the cost of lack of gender diversity and inclusion, and has apparently found out that it will take 257 years to close the gap at the current rate, and not doing this has cost the world a whopping USD 70 trillion since 1990 | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gender-inequality-has-cost-world-usd-70-trillion-since-1990-report-finds-368469">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-meets-with-us-envoy-zalmay-khalilzad-in-doha-368476">Taliban meets with US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Doha</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185875-mullah-abdul-ghani-baradar-right-the-leader-of-the-taliban-delegation-and-zalmay-khalilzad-left-us-envoy-for-peace-in-afghanistan.jpg?itok=fV1itMLj" />

US special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said Saturday | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-meets-with-us-envoy-zalmay-khalilzad-in-doha-368476">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/egypt-president-visits-sudan-with-dam-diplomacy-security-on-agenda-368486">Egypt President visits Sudan with dam diplomacy, security on agenda&nbsp;</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/06/20/145764-cairo-said-on-friday-it-had-called-on-the-united-nations-security-council-to-intervene-to-restart-the-talks.jpg?itok=sttsHjuB" />

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Sudan on Saturday for the first time since the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir, as the neighbours push to break a diplomatic deadlock over a giant dam being built by Ethiopia | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/egypt-president-visits-sudan-with-dam-diplomacy-security-on-agenda-368486">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-starts-selling-new-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-368485">Germany starts selling new at-home Covid-19 test kits</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185880-covid-testing-in-germany.jpg?itok=W39Fj8Jc" />

Germany Saturday started selling new at-home Covid-19 test kits for which people flocked to supermarket chain Aldi to snap them up on the first day | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-starts-selling-new-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-368485">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ivory-coast-votes-for-parliament-as-ouattara-opponents-join-forces-368479">Ivory Coast votes for parliament as Ouattara opponents join forces</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/03/06/185877-polls-in-ivory-coast.jpg?itok=CwYl57lZ" />

Ivory Coast voted on Saturday in a legislative election, with President Alassane Ouattara`s allies facing a combined challenge from opposition parties led by two of his predecessors | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ivory-coast-votes-for-parliament-as-ouattara-opponents-join-forces-368479">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-poll-reforms-prevent-dictatorship-of-majority-pro-beijing-leader-368462">Hong Kong poll reforms prevent 'dictatorship of majority': Pro-Beijing leader</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/07/181659-china-and-hong-kong.jpg?itok=jQXR7lYp" />

Beijing's proposal for Hong Kong electoral reforms could prevent 'dictatorship of the majority', a pro-Beijing Hong Kong lawmaker said, calling people, who want one man one vote 'politically immature' | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-poll-reforms-prevent-dictatorship-of-majority-pro-beijing-leader-368462">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-wants-access-to-us-produced-astrazeneca-vaccines-report-says-36845">EU wants access to US produced AstraZeneca vaccines, report says</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/11/182335-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine.jpg?itok=7vhNR1Pw" />

The European Union is planning to ask the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-wants-access-to-us-produced-astrazeneca-vaccines-report-says-36845">READ MORE</a>

Protesters string up women's clothes for protection in Myanmar Protesters in Myanmar have taken to stringing up women's clothing on lines across the streets to slow down police and soldiers because walking beneath them is traditionally considered bad luck for men | READ MORE Report says Russian, Chinese hackers targetted Europe drug regulator last year A report on Saturday claimed that a Russian intelligence agency and Chinese spies were behind cyberattacks on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last year | READ MORE India vs England, 4th Test: Virat and Co.

Protesters string up women's clothes for protection in Myanmar Protesters in Myanmar have taken to stringing up women's clothing on lines across the streets to slow down police and soldiers because walking beneath them is traditionally considered bad luck for men | READ MORE Report says Russian, Chinese hackers targetted Europe drug regulator last year A report on Saturday claimed that a Russian intelligence agency and Chinese spies were behind cyberattacks on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last year | READ MORE India vs England, 4th Test: Virat and Co. crush visitors to book a berth in World Test Championship finals It is India vs New Zealand at the World Test Championship Finals after Virat and Co. defeated England by an innings and 25 runs within three days of the fourth Test sealing a series win by 3-1 | SEE PICS Senate impasse broken, US Covid relief bill now back on track The US Senate has broken an impasse on the Covid relief package, setting the $1.9 trillion bill on a likely path to passage | READ MORE Gender inequality has cost world USD 70 trillion since 1990, report finds A research team has tabulated the cost of lack of gender diversity and inclusion, and has apparently found out that it will take 257 years to close the gap at the current rate, and not doing this has cost the world a whopping USD 70 trillion since 1990 | READ MORE Taliban meets with US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Doha US special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said Saturday | READ MORE Egypt President visits Sudan with dam diplomacy, security on agenda Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Sudan on Saturday for the first time since the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir, as the neighbours push to break a diplomatic deadlock over a giant dam being built by Ethiopia | READ MORE Germany starts selling new at-home Covid-19 test kits Germany Saturday started selling new at-home Covid-19 test kits for which people flocked to supermarket chain Aldi to snap them up on the first day | READ MORE Ivory Coast votes for parliament as Ouattara opponents join forces Ivory Coast voted on Saturday in a legislative election, with President Alassane Ouattara`s allies facing a combined challenge from opposition parties led by two of his predecessors | READ MORE Hong Kong poll reforms prevent 'dictatorship of majority': Pro-Beijing leader Beijing's proposal for Hong Kong electoral reforms could prevent 'dictatorship of the majority', a pro-Beijing Hong Kong lawmaker said, calling people, who want one man one vote 'politically immature' | READ MORE EU wants access to US produced AstraZeneca vaccines, report says The European Union is planning to ask the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine | READ MORE

Top ten world news today: Protests continue in Myanmar, EMA targetted in cyber attack, and more

According to reports, Chinese hackers have made a connection with the network system of an Indian port, even as authorities block attempts to penetrate the South Asian nation’s electrical sector.

Reports say Chinese hackers still actively targeting Indian Port

Chinese state-sponsored hackers have at least one connection still open into the network system of an Indian port.

A report in Bloomberg, citing United States-based cyber security firm Recorded Future, reported on Wednesday that a China-linked group&nbsp;was targetting India’s power sector through an exchange of traffic, between itself and the Indian port.&nbsp;

Recorded Future had first notified India about this breach on February 10, identifying 10 Indian power sector organisations and two ports as being targetted.

They believe these are Chinese state-sponsored attacks. And give two reasons to support it.&nbsp;

Firstly, it was India's critical infrastructure. And there's only one country who would want to cripple it.

And secondly, they've spotted a pattern. These hackers use the same infrastructure that the Chinese government does.&nbsp;

To this end, India says none of its critical infrastructure was compromised.

However, according to Recorded Future, more such attacks cannot be ruled out.

They on Thursday said such attacks by Chinese hackers could continue this year.

Cyber ops is now very much a part of China's arsenal. And Beijing wants to use technology to further its strategic goals.

INDIA'S OPTIONS

Silence is definitely not one of India's options.

Experts behind this assessment say such attacks are now happening on a daily basis. And silence of the governments will only embolden countries like China.

Transparency will win here.

Microsoft has also said that it caught China hacking. And yet again it's a "state sponsored group operating out of China".

What were they doing?

These Chinese hackers apparently tried to breach Microsoft's mail and calendar server programme.

The US has now issued a emergency warning. And a software upgrade is being pushed to fight any vulnerabilities.

Government officers must download and install it by Friday.

China is on the offensive, and the target is critical -- IT infrastructure of other governments&nbsp; 
From US to India, everyone is vulnerable.

First the coronavirus, and now the cyber attacks -- countries like China have made borders redundant.

And one can only predict -- the next pandemic could be in the cyberworld.

Chinese state-sponsored hackers have at least one connection still open into the network system of an Indian port. A report in Bloomberg, citing United States-based cyber security firm Recorded Future, reported on Wednesday that a China-linked group was targetting India’s power sector through an exchange of traffic, between itself and the Indian port.

Chinese state-sponsored hackers have at least one connection still open into the network system of an Indian port. A report in Bloomberg, citing United States-based cyber security firm Recorded Future, reported on Wednesday that a China-linked group was targetting India’s power sector through an exchange of traffic, between itself and the Indian port. Recorded Future had first notified India about this breach on February 10, identifying 10 Indian power sector organisations and two ports as being targetted. They believe these are Chinese state-sponsored attacks. And give two reasons to support it. Firstly, it was India's critical infrastructure. And there's only one country who would want to cripple it. And secondly, they've spotted a pattern. These hackers use the same infrastructure that the Chinese government does. To this end, India says none of its critical infrastructure was compromised. However, according to Recorded Future, more such attacks cannot be ruled out. They on Thursday said such attacks by Chinese hackers could continue this year. Cyber ops is now very much a part of China's arsenal. And Beijing wants to use technology to further its strategic goals. INDIA'S OPTIONS Silence is definitely not one of India's options. Experts behind this assessment say such attacks are now happening on a daily basis. And silence of the governments will only embolden countries like China. Transparency will win here. Microsoft has also said that it caught China hacking. And yet again it's a "state sponsored group operating out of China". What were they doing? These Chinese hackers apparently tried to breach Microsoft's mail and calendar server programme. The US has now issued a emergency warning. And a software upgrade is being pushed to fight any vulnerabilities. Government officers must download and install it by Friday. China is on the offensive, and the target is critical -- IT infrastructure of other governments From US to India, everyone is vulnerable. First the coronavirus, and now the cyber attacks -- countries like China have made borders redundant. And one can only predict -- the next pandemic could be in the cyberworld.

Chinese hackers are still targetting one Indian port

China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States. &nbsp;

Trump on Twitter on Saturday played down Russian involvement on the cyberattack on several US government agencies and said that China "may" also be involved, contradicting the comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-led-to-the-worst-cyber-attack-in-us-351238/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Russia Russia Russia is the priority chant when anything happens", Trump wrote and added that the cyberattack may have targeted the voting machines resulting in his loss in the presidential election.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-appreciates-spy-agency-after-us-hack-controversy-351221">Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy</a>

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said US's accusations against China have "always been a farce, out of political motives."&nbsp;

He also said that Trump's remarks are "not serious and self-contradictory".&nbsp;

"The US has politicised cybersecurity issues, continuously spread false information without conclusive evidence... in an attempt to destroy China's image and mislead the international community," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Trump's Saturday tweets were in direct contrast with Pompeo's comments in which he said it was "pretty clear" that Russia was behind the act.&nbsp;

Several US officials have blamed Kremlin for the cyberattack and not Beijing.&nbsp;

Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.&nbsp;

China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President Donald Trump's accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States.

China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President Donald Trump's accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States. Trump on Twitter on Saturday played down Russian involvement on the cyberattack on several US government agencies and said that China "may" also be involved, contradicting the comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Watch | "Russia Russia Russia is the priority chant when anything happens", Trump wrote and added that the cyberattack may have targeted the voting machines resulting in his loss in the presidential election. Also read | Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said US's accusations against China have "always been a farce, out of political motives." He also said that Trump's remarks are "not serious and self-contradictory". "The US has politicised cybersecurity issues, continuously spread false information without conclusive evidence... in an attempt to destroy China's image and mislead the international community," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Trump's Saturday tweets were in direct contrast with Pompeo's comments in which he said it was "pretty clear" that Russia was behind the act. Several US officials have blamed Kremlin for the cyberattack and not Beijing. Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.

China calls Trump's accusation 'farce' on involvement in cyberattack

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies.

The Redmond, Washington company is a user of Orion, the widely deployed networking management software from SolarWinds Corp which was used in the suspected Russian attacks on vital U.S. agencies and others.

Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter. The U.S. National Security Agency issued a rare "cybersecurity advisory" Thursday detailing how certain Microsoft Azure cloud services may have been compromised by hackers and directing users to lock down their systems.

"Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed," a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had found "no indications that our systems were used to attack others."

One of the people familiar with the hacking spree said the hackers made use of Microsoft cloud offerings while avoiding Microsoft`s corporate infrastructure.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about the technique.

Still, another person familiar with the matter said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not believe Microsoft was a key avenue of fresh infection.

Both Microsoft and the DHS, which earlier on Thursday said the hackers used multiple methods of entry, are continuing to investigate.

The FBI and other agencies have scheduled a classified briefing for members of Congress Friday.

The U.S. Energy Department also said it has evidence hackers gained access to its networks as part of the campaign.

Politico had earlier reported the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the country`s nuclear weapons stockpile, was targeted.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said malware "has been isolated to business networks only" and has not impacted U.S. national security, including the NNSA.

The DHS said in a bulletin on Thursday the hackers had used other techniques besides corrupting updates of network management software by SolarWinds which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies and government agencies.

CISA urged investigators not to assume their organizations were safe if they did not use recent versions of the SolarWinds software, while also pointing out that the hackers did not exploit every network they gained access too.

CISA said it was continuing to analyze the other avenues used by the attackers. So far, the hackers are known to have at least monitored email or other data within the U.S. departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce.

As many as 18,000 Orion customers downloaded the updates that contained a back door, SolarWinds has said. Since the campaign was discovered, software companies have cut off communication from those back doors to the computers maintained by the hackers.

But the attackers might have installed additional ways of maintaining access, CISA said, in what some have called the biggest hack in a decade.

The Department of Justice, FBI and Defense Department, among others, have moved routine communication onto classified networks that are believed not to have been breached, according to two people briefed on the measures.

They are assuming that the non-classified networks have been accessed, the people said.

CISA and private companies including FireEye Inc, which was the first to discover and reveal it had been hacked, have released a series of clues for organizations to look for to see if they have been hit.

But the attackers are very careful and have deleted logs, or electronic footprints or which files they have accessed, security experts said. That makes it hard to know what has been taken.

Some major companies have said they have "no evidence" that they were penetrated, but in some cases that may only be because the evidence was removed.

In most networks, the attackers would also have been able to create false data, but so far it appears they were interested only in obtaining real data, people tracking the probes said.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are demanding more information about what may have been taken and how, along with who was behind it. The House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee announced an investigation Thursday, while senators pressed to learn whether individual tax information was obtained.

In a statement, President-elect Joe Biden said he would "elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government" and "disrupt and deter our adv

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies.

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies. The Redmond, Washington company is a user of Orion, the widely deployed networking management software from SolarWinds Corp which was used in the suspected Russian attacks on vital U.S. agencies and others. Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter. The U.S. National Security Agency issued a rare "cybersecurity advisory" Thursday detailing how certain Microsoft Azure cloud services may have been compromised by hackers and directing users to lock down their systems. "Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed," a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had found "no indications that our systems were used to attack others." One of the people familiar with the hacking spree said the hackers made use of Microsoft cloud offerings while avoiding Microsoft`s corporate infrastructure. Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about the technique. Still, another person familiar with the matter said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not believe Microsoft was a key avenue of fresh infection. Both Microsoft and the DHS, which earlier on Thursday said the hackers used multiple methods of entry, are continuing to investigate. The FBI and other agencies have scheduled a classified briefing for members of Congress Friday. The U.S. Energy Department also said it has evidence hackers gained access to its networks as part of the campaign. Politico had earlier reported the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the country`s nuclear weapons stockpile, was targeted. An Energy Department spokeswoman said malware "has been isolated to business networks only" and has not impacted U.S. national security, including the NNSA. The DHS said in a bulletin on Thursday the hackers had used other techniques besides corrupting updates of network management software by SolarWinds which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies and government agencies. CISA urged investigators not to assume their organizations were safe if they did not use recent versions of the SolarWinds software, while also pointing out that the hackers did not exploit every network they gained access too. CISA said it was continuing to analyze the other avenues used by the attackers. So far, the hackers are known to have at least monitored email or other data within the U.S. departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Homeland Security and Commerce. As many as 18,000 Orion customers downloaded the updates that contained a back door, SolarWinds has said. Since the campaign was discovered, software companies have cut off communication from those back doors to the computers maintained by the hackers. But the attackers might have installed additional ways of maintaining access, CISA said, in what some have called the biggest hack in a decade. The Department of Justice, FBI and Defense Department, among others, have moved routine communication onto classified networks that are believed not to have been breached, according to two people briefed on the measures. They are assuming that the non-classified networks have been accessed, the people said. CISA and private companies including FireEye Inc, which was the first to discover and reveal it had been hacked, have released a series of clues for organizations to look for to see if they have been hit. But the attackers are very careful and have deleted logs, or electronic footprints or which files they have accessed, security experts said. That makes it hard to know what has been taken. Some major companies have said they have "no evidence" that they were penetrated, but in some cases that may only be because the evidence was removed. In most networks, the attackers would also have been able to create false data, but so far it appears they were interested only in obtaining real data, people tracking the probes said. Meanwhile, members of Congress are demanding more information about what may have been taken and how, along with who was behind it. The House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee announced an investigation Thursday, while senators pressed to learn whether individual tax information was obtained. In a statement, President-elect Joe Biden said he would "elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government" and "disrupt and deter our adv

Microsoft says it found malicious software in its systems

cyber-attack

Cyber Attack, News on Cyber Attack, stories on Cyber Attack, articles on Cyber Attack, Cyber Attack stories at Wion, Cyber Attack news, Cyber Attack latest news