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 retired high-ranking officer, &nbsp;Air Marshal Edward Stringer, has revealed that a cyber-attack on the UK’s Defense Academy, mostly caused by Russia, China or North Korea, led to “significant” damage.&nbsp;

The academy is based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire and it teaches 28,000 military personnel, diplomats and civil servants per year. However, it had to move online due to the pandemic.

Stringer further said that the damage is yet to be corrected. "It could be any of those or it could just be someone trying to find a vulnerability for a ransomware attack that was just, you know, a genuine criminal organisation," he said.&nbsp;

As per a report by Sky News, no sensitive information was stored on the academy’s network.&nbsp;

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“There were costs to … operational output. There were opportunity costs in what our staff could have been doing when they were having to repair this damage. And what could we be spending the money on that we’ve had to bring forward to rebuild the network? There are not bodies in the streets but there’s still been some damage done," Stringer said.&nbsp;

"Unusual activity” was first discovered by contractors when they were working for outsourcing company Serco and “alarm bells” started ringing. At that time, he told that there were “external agents on our network who looked like they were there for what looked pretty quickly like nefarious reasons”.

The attack, however, was not successful and there were no breaches beyond the school.

(With inputs from agencies)

A retired high-ranking officer, Air Marshal Edward Stringer, has revealed that a cyber-attack on the UK’s Defense Academy, mostly caused by Russia, China or North Korea, led to “significant” damage.

A retired high-ranking officer, Air Marshal Edward Stringer, has revealed that a cyber-attack on the UK’s Defense Academy, mostly caused by Russia, China or North Korea, led to “significant” damage. The academy is based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire and it teaches 28,000 military personnel, diplomats and civil servants per year. However, it had to move online due to the pandemic. Stringer further said that the damage is yet to be corrected. "It could be any of those or it could just be someone trying to find a vulnerability for a ransomware attack that was just, you know, a genuine criminal organisation," he said. As per a report by Sky News, no sensitive information was stored on the academy’s network. Also read | A new mystery illness? Canadian whistleblower warns of a disease affecting young adults “There were costs to … operational output. There were opportunity costs in what our staff could have been doing when they were having to repair this damage. And what could we be spending the money on that we’ve had to bring forward to rebuild the network? There are not bodies in the streets but there’s still been some damage done," Stringer said. "Unusual activity” was first discovered by contractors when they were working for outsourcing company Serco and “alarm bells” started ringing. At that time, he told that there were “external agents on our network who looked like they were there for what looked pretty quickly like nefarious reasons”. The attack, however, was not successful and there were no breaches beyond the school. (With inputs from agencies)

UK’s Defense Academy hit by cyber attack; 'significant' damage caused

Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing threats faced by public and private sectors, India has told a US-led international meet on the latest emerging challenge and has called for taking steps to ensure that the country's critical infrastructure remains safe and secure.

Representing India at the Counter Ransomware Initiative, hosted by the White House, Lt. Gen (Retd) Rajesh Pant, National Cybersecurity Coordinator, told the participating 30 countries that the rapid digitization and cryptocurrency have added to the vulnerabilities in the cyber domain.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-ransomware-killware-is-the-new-threat-top-us-security-official-explains-420458">Not ransomware, 'killware' is the new threat, top US security official explains</a>

Ransomware is an evolving form of a cyber threat and the culprits are becoming more sophisticated and agile. The upcoming Global dynamics have also created a digital climate ripe for exploitation,&nbsp;Pant said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further added fuel to this and introduced many IT vulnerabilities due to the hasty Digital Transformation,&nbsp;he added.

Another contributor is the rising prominence of cryptocurrency, which is seemingly difficult to trace, he said at the two-day conference on Wednesday.

The conference concluded Thursday with a joint statement from 30 countries in which they pledged to act against safe havens for ransomware players.

India, considered an IT superpower, played a key role by leading discussions on resilience.

In today's world, Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing threats faced by Public and Private sectors,&nbsp;Pant said, adding that by the end of 2021, ransomware is expected to attack a company every 11 seconds and cause damages of up to USD20 billion.

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In light of these rising threats, we need to ensure that our organisations, especially the Nation's Critical Infrastructure, remain safe and secure,&nbsp;he said.

Pant said it is the collective responsibility of the international community now to ensure that global cyberspace is not dominated by criminal activities such as Ransomware and we create for our future generations&nbsp;a safe, secure and resilient cyberspace.

The Indian official appreciates the US initiative of bringing 30 nations on a common platform to discuss and find solutions to improve our collective resilience, misuse of virtual currency, and need to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of ransomware.&nbsp;

Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing threats faced by public and private sectors, India has told a US-led international meet on the latest emerging challenge and has called for taking steps to ensure that the country's critical infrastructure remains safe and secure.

Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing threats faced by public and private sectors, India has told a US-led international meet on the latest emerging challenge and has called for taking steps to ensure that the country's critical infrastructure remains safe and secure. Representing India at the Counter Ransomware Initiative, hosted by the White House, Lt. Gen (Retd) Rajesh Pant, National Cybersecurity Coordinator, told the participating 30 countries that the rapid digitization and cryptocurrency have added to the vulnerabilities in the cyber domain. Also Read | Not ransomware, 'killware' is the new threat, top US security official explains Ransomware is an evolving form of a cyber threat and the culprits are becoming more sophisticated and agile. The upcoming Global dynamics have also created a digital climate ripe for exploitation, Pant said. The COVID-19 pandemic has further added fuel to this and introduced many IT vulnerabilities due to the hasty Digital Transformation, he added. Another contributor is the rising prominence of cryptocurrency, which is seemingly difficult to trace, he said at the two-day conference on Wednesday. The conference concluded Thursday with a joint statement from 30 countries in which they pledged to act against safe havens for ransomware players. India, considered an IT superpower, played a key role by leading discussions on resilience. In today's world, Ransomware attacks are one of the most pressing threats faced by Public and Private sectors, Pant said, adding that by the end of 2021, ransomware is expected to attack a company every 11 seconds and cause damages of up to USD20 billion. Also Read | US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd In light of these rising threats, we need to ensure that our organisations, especially the Nation's Critical Infrastructure, remain safe and secure, he said. Pant said it is the collective responsibility of the international community now to ensure that global cyberspace is not dominated by criminal activities such as Ransomware and we create for our future generations a safe, secure and resilient cyberspace. The Indian official appreciates the US initiative of bringing 30 nations on a common platform to discuss and find solutions to improve our collective resilience, misuse of virtual currency, and need to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of ransomware.

Ransomware an evolving cyber threat, culprits becoming agile: India

Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, said that Moscow will collaborate with the US to track down cybercriminals.

Bortnikov told the RIA news agency that the security service would abide by the agreements struck during the recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. On June 16, both leaders met in Geneva.&nbsp;

"We are taking action within the framework of those agreements that were reached by our presidents. So let us work together, we hope for reciprocity," Bortnikov told reporters when asked about the countries' cooperation on combating hacker attacks.

Cybersecurity was one of the key issues to discuss at the Russia-US summit in Geneva last week in light of several high-profile hacking attacks committed recently against US infrastructure. While some claimed Russian involvement, Moscow has repeatedly denied all the accusations.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, said that Moscow will collaborate with the US to track down cybercriminals. Bortnikov told the RIA news agency that the security service would abide by the agreements struck during the recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.

Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, said that Moscow will collaborate with the US to track down cybercriminals. Bortnikov told the RIA news agency that the security service would abide by the agreements struck during the recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. On June 16, both leaders met in Geneva. "We are taking action within the framework of those agreements that were reached by our presidents. So let us work together, we hope for reciprocity," Bortnikov told reporters when asked about the countries' cooperation on combating hacker attacks. Cybersecurity was one of the key issues to discuss at the Russia-US summit in Geneva last week in light of several high-profile hacking attacks committed recently against US infrastructure. While some claimed Russian involvement, Moscow has repeatedly denied all the accusations. (With inputs from agencies)

Moscow will work with the US against hackers: Russian security chief 

India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information technology came out hard on Twitter asking the social media platform to follow the law of the land instead of dilly-dallying. The social media platform has not fully implemented the new IT rules that were announced in February.

India Vs Twitter: Twitter pulled up for non-compliance

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

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.

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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

Cyber&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;sales&nbsp;were on course to bring in a record $9.2&nbsp;billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/between-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-pope-condemns-virus-of-consumerism-265592">Black Friday</a> weekend for&nbsp;US&nbsp;retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping.

Shoppers have already had nearly a month of offers and deals as retailers look to draw out their vital holiday season, which is six days shorter this year due to a late Thanksgiving.

Adobe Analytics predicted that $72.1&nbsp;billion&nbsp;was spent online in the month ending December 1, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/cyber-monday-on-track-for-record-us-online-sales-estimate-265685">Cyber&nbsp;Monday</a>&nbsp;now traditionally the&nbsp;US&nbsp;economy's biggest internet shopping day had logged a 16.9 per cent&nbsp;jump in&nbsp;sales&nbsp;over the year prior as of 7 pm&nbsp;ET.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-designers-turn-to-piracy-after-adobe-announces-it-will-cut-service-254691">Adobe</a>, which measures transactions from 80 of the biggest 100&nbsp;US&nbsp;retailers, said it marked down its prior $9.4&nbsp;billion&nbsp;forecast slightly as more data came in.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/amazon-violates-laws-banning-sex-discriminationsued-by-transgender-woman-and-husband-18814">Amazon.com</a> Inc and rivals such as Target Corp and Walmart Inc were&nbsp;poised&nbsp;to benefit from the event, having beefed up delivery services to fulfill online orders more quickly. In-store pickup of online orders has become smoother, too, said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail.

"At the end of the day,&nbsp;Cyber&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;is just Black Friday revisited so the momentum, and the deals, really started last week," Spieckerman said.

Adobe also said $3&nbsp;billion&nbsp;of the estimated&nbsp;sales&nbsp;would be from smartphones, a new&nbsp;US&nbsp;record.

Large companies did well in this channel, outpacing small businesses due to investment in mobile apps and other technology, as well as to larger product and deals selections, said Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights.

"The big companies are still getting disproportionate growth versus the small ones," he said.

The event was not all smooth sailing for the world's biggest online retailer, Amazon. Protesters, who have described the poor treatment of warehouse workers and rising climate emissions from the company's push for speedier deliveries, marched outside CEO Jeff Bezos' Fifth Avenue penthouse in New York City on&nbsp;Monday. "We're humans, not robots," read one sign.

Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish said unions and groups&nbsp;funded by competitors were "conjuring misinformation" about Amazon, which had industry-leading pay and benefits. The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040.

Activists also tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris, denouncing the spread of Black Friday to European shores. The day's shopping in the United States still paled in comparison to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's "Singles Day" last month, when the Chinese e-commerce giant raked in $38.4&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in&nbsp;sales.

The&nbsp;US&nbsp;National Retail Federation estimates nearly 69 million Americans will scour the web on&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;for deals on everything from mobile phones to kitchenware, with Adobe estimating the biggest discounts on televisions and computers.

Top&nbsp;sellers included toys from the film "Frozen 2," LOL surprise dolls and Nintendo Co Ltd's Switch games console, Adobe said.

"#CyberMonday2019 The day of the year 85 per cent&nbsp;of the&nbsp;US&nbsp;population pretends to actually be working," tweeted Erika Mayor, a user in Miami.

Cyber Monday sales were on course to bring in a record $9.2 billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper Black Friday weekend for US retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping.

Cyber Monday sales were on course to bring in a record $9.2 billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper Black Friday weekend for US retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping. Shoppers have already had nearly a month of offers and deals as retailers look to draw out their vital holiday season, which is six days shorter this year due to a late Thanksgiving. Adobe Analytics predicted that $72.1 billion was spent online in the month ending December 1, and Cyber Monday now traditionally the US economy's biggest internet shopping day had logged a 16.9 per cent jump in sales over the year prior as of 7 pm ET. Adobe, which measures transactions from 80 of the biggest 100 US retailers, said it marked down its prior $9.4 billion forecast slightly as more data came in. Amazon.com Inc and rivals such as Target Corp and Walmart Inc were poised to benefit from the event, having beefed up delivery services to fulfill online orders more quickly. In-store pickup of online orders has become smoother, too, said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail. "At the end of the day, Cyber Monday is just Black Friday revisited so the momentum, and the deals, really started last week," Spieckerman said. Adobe also said $3 billion of the estimated sales would be from smartphones, a new US record. Large companies did well in this channel, outpacing small businesses due to investment in mobile apps and other technology, as well as to larger product and deals selections, said Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights. "The big companies are still getting disproportionate growth versus the small ones," he said. The event was not all smooth sailing for the world's biggest online retailer, Amazon. Protesters, who have described the poor treatment of warehouse workers and rising climate emissions from the company's push for speedier deliveries, marched outside CEO Jeff Bezos' Fifth Avenue penthouse in New York City on Monday. "We're humans, not robots," read one sign. Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish said unions and groups funded by competitors were "conjuring misinformation" about Amazon, which had industry-leading pay and benefits. The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040. Activists also tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris, denouncing the spread of Black Friday to European shores. The day's shopping in the United States still paled in comparison to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's "Singles Day" last month, when the Chinese e-commerce giant raked in $38.4 billion in sales. The US National Retail Federation estimates nearly 69 million Americans will scour the web on Monday for deals on everything from mobile phones to kitchenware, with Adobe estimating the biggest discounts on televisions and computers. Top sellers included toys from the film "Frozen 2," LOL surprise dolls and Nintendo Co Ltd's Switch games console, Adobe said. "#CyberMonday2019 The day of the year 85 per cent of the US population pretends to actually be working," tweeted Erika Mayor, a user in Miami.

US Cyber Monday sales to hit record $9.2 billion

Facebook chose one of the busiest news days in American politics this year to admit that millions more Instagram users were affected by a security lapse than it had previously disclosed.

Facebook security lapse affects millions more Instagram users than first stated

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape.

The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). They will serve under the command of the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and work closely with the National Cyber Security Advisor.

“We are alive to the threat on cyber front. To that end, we are thinking of making a cyber agency. It would not be a quite full-fledged command as we have in the army. As conscious of the fact that the threat exists, we are going in for the cyber agency. It will be headed by a two-star rank officer. It will be an inter-service agency, not purely army, functioning under the Integrated Defence Staff. They will be looking after the threats in the cyber domain,” said Lt. General MM Naravane, GOC-in-C, Army Eastern Command.

To begin with, the Defence Cyber Agency will be based out of the IDS Headquarters and later dedicated units will come up with the Army commands.

“The entire proposal is still under the formulation. Of course, units will be spread all over the country. One person sitting in Delhi cannot be expected to do all these jobs. There will be units in every Headquarters with dedicated officers to deal with the cybersecurity,” added Naravane.

Last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the formation of three agencies - Defence Cyber Agency is one of them, the two others are - Defence Space Agency and Special Operations Division.

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape. The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS).

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape. The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). They will serve under the command of the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and work closely with the National Cyber Security Advisor. “We are alive to the threat on cyber front. To that end, we are thinking of making a cyber agency. It would not be a quite full-fledged command as we have in the army. As conscious of the fact that the threat exists, we are going in for the cyber agency. It will be headed by a two-star rank officer. It will be an inter-service agency, not purely army, functioning under the Integrated Defence Staff. They will be looking after the threats in the cyber domain,” said Lt. General MM Naravane, GOC-in-C, Army Eastern Command. To begin with, the Defence Cyber Agency will be based out of the IDS Headquarters and later dedicated units will come up with the Army commands. “The entire proposal is still under the formulation. Of course, units will be spread all over the country. One person sitting in Delhi cannot be expected to do all these jobs. There will be units in every Headquarters with dedicated officers to deal with the cybersecurity,” added Naravane. Last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the formation of three agencies - Defence Cyber Agency is one of them, the two others are - Defence Space Agency and Special Operations Division.

India to come up with Defence Cyber Agency

How children fall prey to cyber-bullying 

China&#39;s&nbsp;cyber&nbsp;watchdog&nbsp;has handed down maximum penalties to several of the country&#39;s&nbsp;top&nbsp;tech&nbsp;firms, including Tencent Holdings Ltd, Baidu Inc and Weibo Corp, for failing to properly censor online content.

The rebuke comes as China is stepping up&nbsp;censorship&nbsp;and security efforts ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, a major leadership conference held once every five years.

Notices posted by the&nbsp;Cyberspace Administration of China on Monday said the&nbsp;firms will receive the &quot;maximum penalty&quot; for failing to remove fake news and pornography as well as content that &quot;incites ethnic tension&quot; and &quot;threatens social order&quot;.

It is the first time that the CAC has levied the maximum&nbsp;fines&nbsp;against&nbsp;tech&nbsp;firms&nbsp;under a new law introduced in June, as it seeks to tighten its grip on the internet.

&quot;The internet does not operate outside of the law... the CAC will seriously implement<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/china-to-implement-cyber-security-law-16174"> the new cybersecurity law </a>and other regulations to increase territorial supervision and enforcement efforts regarding the internet,&quot; said the CAC.

The notices did not detail the exact sum of the penalties, but under the rules cited in the notice individuals in charge of the platforms and others directly involved face a maximum penalty of 100,000 yuan ($15,110) each.

The law also stipulates that offending platforms can have their licenses revoked and their services suspended for failing to comply.

The measures are the result of an investigation launched last month by the CAC, and target the country&#39;s most popular social media services, including Tencent&#39;s WeChat and Weibo&#39;s microblogging service, whose combined registered users exceed 1 billion.

Earlier this month the&nbsp;cyber&nbsp;watchdog&nbsp;also introduced new regulations that require messaging apps to create credit scores that can be lowered to punish and restrict users who post offensive content. The rules, which take effect on October 8, also make users legally liable for content deemed illegal.

In a recent notice, the CAC said illegal content includes articles that &quot;misinterpret government policy&quot;, &quot;twist the history of the Chinese Communist Party&quot; and &quot;flaunt excessive wealth.&quot;

According to Monday&#39;s notices, the&nbsp;firms&nbsp;will be required to undertake immediate rectification to remove illegal content and accounts as well as increase content auditing measures.

The rebuke comes as China is stepping up?censorship?ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party

China's cyber watchdog has handed down maximum penalties to several of the country's top tech firms, including Tencent Holdings Ltd, Baidu Inc and Weibo Corp, for failing to properly censor online content. The rebuke comes as China is stepping up censorship and security efforts ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, a major leadership conference held once every five years. Notices posted by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Monday said the firms will receive the "maximum penalty" for failing to remove fake news and pornography as well as content that "incites ethnic tension" and "threatens social order". It is the first time that the CAC has levied the maximum fines against tech firms under a new law introduced in June, as it seeks to tighten its grip on the internet. "The internet does not operate outside of the law... the CAC will seriously implement the new cybersecurity law and other regulations to increase territorial supervision and enforcement efforts regarding the internet," said the CAC. The notices did not detail the exact sum of the penalties, but under the rules cited in the notice individuals in charge of the platforms and others directly involved face a maximum penalty of 100,000 yuan ($15,110) each. The law also stipulates that offending platforms can have their licenses revoked and their services suspended for failing to comply. The measures are the result of an investigation launched last month by the CAC, and target the country's most popular social media services, including Tencent's WeChat and Weibo's microblogging service, whose combined registered users exceed 1 billion. Earlier this month the cyber watchdog also introduced new regulations that require messaging apps to create credit scores that can be lowered to punish and restrict users who post offensive content. The rules, which take effect on October 8, also make users legally liable for content deemed illegal. In a recent notice, the CAC said illegal content includes articles that "misinterpret government policy", "twist the history of the Chinese Communist Party" and "flaunt excessive wealth." According to Monday's notices, the firms will be required to undertake immediate rectification to remove illegal content and accounts as well as increase content auditing measures.

China's cyber watchdog slaps heavy fines on tech firms for failing to censor content

The United States is pleased to see progress has been made with China on information sharing about cyber threats, said a senior US official on Tuesday during the latest round of cyber security talks between the two countries. 
 
Cyber security has long been an irritant in relations between China and the United States, the world&#39;s two largest economies. 
 
China and the US signed an anti-hacking accord in September last year, brokered during Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s state visit to Washington, including a pledge that neither country would knowingly carry out hacking for commercial advantages. 
 
The agreement marked an ongoing effort to repair relations after China withdrew from a working group in 2014 in response to the US indictment of five members of its military on charges it hacked six US companies. 
 
Meeting in Beijing, US Department of Homeland Security Under secretary Suzanne Spaulding said the focus on the talks was to make sure both sides fulfilled commitments made by the two presidents. 
 
&quot;We look forward to discussing the commitments we made with regards to not engaging in IP theft of trade secrets and confidential business information,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
A key element of the agreement is information sharing and establishing mechanisms. 
 
She said the two sides had been setting up email addresses to share information. 
 
&quot;We are very pleased to have temporary email addresses and very much appreciate&quot; working to set up permanent addresses, said Spaulding. 
 
Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun said that China highly valued the talk. 
 
&quot;We want to bring the discussions from policies on paper to actual implementation,&quot; said&nbsp;Guo. 
 
&quot;Both sides will continue to cooperate on cyber cases. I believe the leadership on both sides places emphasis on the issue and values participation. Xi Jinping has personally been involved,&quot; he further added. 
 
China, Russia and Iran are among what the United States believes are its most prolific and sophisticated hacking adversaries. 
 
US officials have privately blamed Beijing for a massive hack on federal employee records last year, which exposed sensitive personal information of more than 22 million current and former government workers.

Washington and Beijing pledge to keep refraining from political hacking and corporate espionage

The United States is pleased to see progress has been made with China on information sharing about cyber threats, said a senior US official on Tuesday during the latest round of cyber security talks between the two countries. Cyber security has long been an irritant in relations between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies. China and the US signed an anti-hacking accord in September last year, brokered during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, including a pledge that neither country would knowingly carry out hacking for commercial advantages. The agreement marked an ongoing effort to repair relations after China withdrew from a working group in 2014 in response to the US indictment of five members of its military on charges it hacked six US companies. Meeting in Beijing, US Department of Homeland Security Under secretary Suzanne Spaulding said the focus on the talks was to make sure both sides fulfilled commitments made by the two presidents. "We look forward to discussing the commitments we made with regards to not engaging in IP theft of trade secrets and confidential business information," she told reporters. A key element of the agreement is information sharing and establishing mechanisms. She said the two sides had been setting up email addresses to share information. "We are very pleased to have temporary email addresses and very much appreciate" working to set up permanent addresses, said Spaulding. Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun said that China highly valued the talk. "We want to bring the discussions from policies on paper to actual implementation," said Guo. "Both sides will continue to cooperate on cyber cases. I believe the leadership on both sides places emphasis on the issue and values participation. Xi Jinping has personally been involved," he further added. China, Russia and Iran are among what the United States believes are its most prolific and sophisticated hacking adversaries. US officials have privately blamed Beijing for a massive hack on federal employee records last year, which exposed sensitive personal information of more than 22 million current and former government workers.

US sees progress in latest cyber talks with China

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