F‑Alert April: discover the latest consumer threats today
In the latest edition of F‑Alert we look at how law enforcement took a massive dark web market offline, we reveal how AI could make phishing scams more effective, and we look at the safest way to charge your devices in public.
March saw a leap forward in the fight against cyber crime. Law enforcement from around the world collaborated in “Operation Cookie Monster”, which shut down a dark web market that had more than 80 million stolen credentials and digital fingerprints for sale. Meanwhile, the rise of AI tools that generate quality text in seconds offers cyber criminals a new tool. And we also look at recent security updates from Apple and a warning from the FBI about charging your device in public.
Cyber crime superstore taken down
Law enforcement around the world led by the FBI and the Dutch National Police Corps had arrested more than a hundred people on the 4th of April, bringing down one of the world’s biggest marketplaces for stolen data. F‑Secure researcher Hoai Duc Nguyen reveals the massive trove of stolen data available in this cyber crime bizarre, including browser histories, cookies, form autofills, and IP address locations which allow attackers to log into victims’ accounts without raising suspicion.
How to get a safe charge
The FBI has issued a warning advising consumers to avoid public charging stations. While she agrees with the advice, Laura Kankaala, F‑Secure’s Threat Intelligence Lead, wants consumers to know the risks that come from a public charging station are real yet relatively minimal. And there’s a simple solution for anyone in need of some juice for their devices.
AI’s risks get real
The groundbreaking AI chatbot ChatGPT from OpenAI has amassed more than 100 million users since it was opened to the public in December of 2022. While this and similar generative AI tools are likely to transform fields ranging from software to education to health care, they will also give cyber criminals powerful new advantages, says Abdullah Al Mazed, F‑Secure’s Senior Technical Product Manager.
Attackers target holes in Apple
Apple released an important security update in early April to address two critical vulnerabilities. These fixes have been pushed to all PCs running macOS and mobile devices using iOS, which powers the iPhone and iPad. F‑Secure researcher Dylan Tham explains why these updates are so important that Apple made the rare decision to push them out on a weekend.
Get all these stories and highlights in April’s F‑Alert
Our monthly F‑Alert threat reports guide you through the biggest cyber security stories as they develop around the world. Delivering what matters most when it comes to protecting your data and devices.
Every month F‑Alert tells you what’s happening in cyber security. Even more importantly, we tell you why it’s happening. And our experts provide simple advice to help secure your digital moments.