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What is missing for Android OS?

Tech

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Android operating systems (OS) have come a long way in development. Since it was introduced to the public in 2008, the innovation has continuously enhanced user experience. The Android OS went from not having a web browser to containing multiple user interfaces that can even create websites on some gadgets.

Despite these improvements, could the software be lacking in some areas? In this article, we’ll look at what these absent features could be.

Fortified Security

Android OS security has yet to attain its peak. While we experienced significant improvements over the years, the degree of desired protection has yet to be hit.

The constant evolution of technology brings numerous benefits and threats, posing severe issues to users’ data and valuable information. Developers of this widely used software should then implement strategic advancements to curb this.

They can achieve this through several ways, such as promoting regular security checks, ensuring secure boot processes, detecting malware, and taking necessary precautions. Fortifying security features would enhance the user experience and ensure you are protected.

Better App Permissions Management

Whenever you install an application on your device, the app may request various permissions to access certain features. The tools in an operating system control the privileges that an app refers to as permissions management.

The Android OS excellently integrates this feature but lacks wholesomeness. When you open most Android apps, you must allow all permissions simultaneously. Most users are usually eager to get into the app without reading too much into it, so they allow all permissions.

This may reveal information you don’t want to disclose, such as your location. However, if the OS had a special permission per request basis, this would grant you a much smoother experience. Additionally, you gain more control over factors such as your privacy.

Improved Gaming Features

When it comes to gaming, specific requirements need to be met. Android devices have evolved over the last decade to improve in this section.

However, dynamic changes continue to demand constant improvement. Additionally, the advent of online gaming involving sports such as First Person Shooter (FPS) games, football, and poker tournaments requires more resources like faster internet connection. This also applies to online gambling in modern slot machines, table games, and live poker.

Before signing up at an online casino using an Android device, check the reviews to ensure the site is reputable. For example, Aussies can rely on GambleOnlineAustralia’s unbiased casino reviews to gain more insights into the best-trusted sites in 2023.

Android device developers must improve features like processing speed and frame rate quality to enhance the user experience. Additionally, adding elements like game spaces that improve the quality of the gameplay is an added advantage.

Enhanced Privacy Controls

Privacy is vital in this technological era where your information is loosely put out there. We currently have apps like Google that store sensitive information that could cause harm if it lands in the wrong hands.

Hackers now have the upper hand because they can access information stored in previous Android versions. Technological advancements shift the field, and developers should cover up these creeks early enough.

The Android OS has taken specific measures to prevent this, but there is room for improvement. For instance, in some applications, users should be able to restrict access to data more often. Developers can achieve this by ensuring that privacy management is less complex to smoothen the process.

Enhanced Battery Life

The Android OS has certain features that help increase battery life. These power-saving features include auto-brightness, ultra power-saving mode, and killing background apps to save data energy.

These advancements continually refine power management algorithms that prevent applications from running in the background, which properly distributes power, reducing the amount of power drained.

Additionally, gadgets like power-efficient chipsets and low-power display technologies save battery life. The invention of smaller efficient batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries which are small in size but have a large storage capacity, are being input in modern phones to promote efficiency.

Streamlined Fragmentation

One huge element that holds back the Androids’ efficiency is the fragmentation of the software. Multiple software manufacturers use different versions of customized designs. Different device manufacturers use customized designs of the OS with multiple versions that are in use simultaneously.

This system of operation might have been influential in the start but currently produces a lot of bottlenecks in the whole system. Android developers can, however, use this to their advantage by encouraging faster and more streamlined updates.

Similarly, they can make it easier to update all their devices at a go. This move will help ensure the gadgets are similar while integrating vital features such as security breaches on earlier Android versions.

Conclusion

In the past decade, Androids have undergone significant advancements in terms of technological advancement. They have made headway, currently characterized by high-end features that rival their most considerable competitor, the IOS. However, there are some sectors that the software still lacks. However, we hope these devices will continue to improve with technology diversification.

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Akira Ransomware Expanded its Toolkit to Attack Linux Machines

Hacking

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Akira Ransomware Expanded its Toolkit to Attack Linux Machines

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A newly emerged ransomware known as Akira expands its operations to target Linux-based platforms which add the “.akira” file extension to each compromised file.

Akira ransomware mostly operating since April 2023, and actively targeting numerous organizations, compromising their sensitive data.

The Akira ransomware specifically targeted a wide range of industries during its attacks, encompassing sectors including Education, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Manufacturing, Professional Services, and more.

The group has already compromised 46 publicly disclosed victims, most of whom are in the United States, according to Cyble report.

Technical Analysis of Akira Ransomware:

The execution of the attack was achieved through the malicious 64-bit Linux executable Linkable Format (ELF) file.

In order to execute the Akira executable, specific parameters need to be provided.

The required parameters for running the Akira executable are as follows:

“-p” / “–encryption_path” – Path of files/folder to be encrypted.
“-s” / “–share_file” – Path of the shared network drive to be encrypted
“-n” / “–encryption_percent” – Percentage of the files to be encrypted.
“-fork” – Creating a child process for encryption.

Upon execution, the Akira ransomware loads a pre-determined RSA public key to encrypt files in the system.

Once the public key is initialized, the Akira ransomware loads a list of predetermined file extensions it intends to target and encrypt.

The ransomware incorporates routines associated with multiple symmetric key algorithms, including AES, CAMELLIA, IDEA-CB, and DES.

When encountering a file with an extension listed, the ransomware proceeds to encrypt the file and leave the ransomware note on the infectious machine.

The ransomware notes detailed how to reach the group to negotiate ransom and guidance to decrypt their data.

Akira Ransomware, which was initially focused on Windows systems, has now expanded its target range to include Linux platforms.

During attacks, Akira uses a combination of AES and RSA encryption to render the victim’s files inaccessible.

In addition to encrypting the victim’s files, Akira will also remove the Shadow Volume copies of the files.

This is done to prevent users from recovering their files using alternative methods.

The proliferation of ransomware and shift in tactics reflects a growing trend among ransomware groups.

Indicator of compromise:

Indicators	Indicator Type	Description
302f76897e4e5c8c98a52a38c4c98443 9180ea8ba0cdfe0a769089977ed8396a68761b40 1d3b5c650533d13c81e325972a912e3ff8776e36e18bca966dae50735f8ab296	MD5 SHA1 SHA256	Akira Ransomware ELF

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6500+ arrests and €900 million+ seized

Malware

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Europol has published the results of an infiltration operation on EncroChat, a secure communications system set up by and for criminals.

In 2020, we reported on how law enforcement managed to compromise a secure communications system set up by and for criminals.

Now, Europol has published a progress report showing the enormous impact the infiltration of the encrypted communications tool EncroChat made.

EncroChat, a company based in the Netherlands, advertised its services as safer than safe, stating that no messages were saved on its servers, which were located “offshore.” However, Dutch law enforcement figured out the EncroChat servers were located in France and got to work, hoping to catch criminals in the act. And they did.

The EncroChat system was well organized and had gained a lot of trusting users over the years. Criminals felt secure enough to chat freely about everything: Names of customers, drug deliveries, and even assassinations. And their trust was understandable, given what EncroChat promised to offer:

Phones were dual boot, so users could alternatively start the Android operating system and their phones would look like a normal, old-fashioned model
The phones had a “wipe all” button that would delete all the stored conversations in case of an arrest or other emergency
No messages were stored on servers so they could not be seized and decrypted later
The service used OTR which is a cryptographic protocol that provides both authentication and end-to-end encryption for instant messaging. This protocol ensures that session keys will not be compromised even if the private key of the server is compromised. Even when a server is seized, the conversations cannot be decrypted or lead back to the participants

EncroChat users paid hefty fees for this service— thousands of dollars per year, per device. The exorbitant fees may explain why the majority of the EncroChat clientele could be found on the wrong side of the law. Other parties that might have a vested interest in keeping their chat messages secret include government parties, journalists, security professionals, or lawyers. However, there are cheaper, if somewhat less sophisticated, alternatives for legitimate secret-keeping that law enforcement does not target.

According to Europol, most EncroChat users were either members of organized crime, or performed drug trafficking. The rest engaged in money laundering, assassinations, and firearms trafficking.

EncroChat users divided by crime area, courtesy of Europol

Three years later the harvest of the operation stands at:

6,558 suspects arrested, including 197 high value targets
7,134 years of imprisonment of convicted criminals up to now
EUR 739.7 million in cash seized
EUR 154.1 million frozen in assets or bank accounts
30.5 million pills of chemical drugs seized
103.5 tonnes of cocaine seized
163.4 tonnes of cannabis seized
3.3 tonnes of heroin seized
971 vehicles seized
271 estates or homes seized
923 weapons seized, as well as 21,750 rounds of ammunition and 68 explosives
83 boats and 40 planes seized

All this was possible thanks to the analysis of 115 million conversations between the roughly 60,000 users of the EncroChat platform.

Similar operations like the one against Sky ECC, and a fake secure chat service set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) called AN0M, have shown that despite being unable to break secure encryption, law enforcement agencies have found ways to eavesdrop on the criminals that feel safe using them.

We don’t just report on encryption—we offer you the option to use it.

Privacy risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep your online privacy yours by using Malwarebytes Privacy VPN.

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Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket

Android

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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This time around we’re comparing two clamshell foldables, the Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket. The Motorola Razr+ (also known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in markets outside of the US) actually launched rather recently, while the Huawei P50 Pocket has been around since the end of 2021 (though it didn’t arrive to global markets until February 2022). Still, Huawei did not launch a second-gen clamshell foldable, and some of you may be looking into getting the P50 Pocket, so… here’s a direct comparison between these two phones.

These two phones do look similar when they are unfolded, and when you look at the from the front. As soon as we flip them around, though, things change drastically. We’ll first list their specifications, and we’ll then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance.

Specs

	Motorola Razr+	Huawei P50 Pocket
Screen size	Main: 6.9-inch fullHD+ LTPO AMOLED (foldable, 165Hz) Secondary (Cover): 3.6-inch AMOLED display (flat, 144Hz)	Main: 6.9-inch Foldable OLED display (foldable, 120Hz) Secondary (Cover): 1.04-inch OLED display (flat, 60Hz)
Screen resolution	Main: 2640 x 1080 Secondary (Cover): 1056 x 1066	Main: 2790 x 1188 Secondary (Cover): 340 x 340
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G
RAM	8GB/12GB	8GB/12GB (LPDDR5)
Storage	256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable	256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1), expandable
Rear cameras	12MP (f/1.5 aperture, 1.4um pixel size, OIS, PDAF) 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 108-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size)	40MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle, PDAF, Laser AF) 13MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV) 32MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle, 0.7um pixel size)
Front cameras	32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)	10.7MP (f/2.2 aperture, ultrawide)
Battery	3,800mAh, non-removable, 30W fast wired charging, 5W wireless charging Charger included (not in the US)	4,000mAh, non-removable, 40W wired charging, 5W reverse wired charging Charger included
Dimensions	Unfolded: 170.8 x 74 x 7mm Folded: 88.4 x 74 x 15.1mm	Unfolded: 170 x 75.5 x 7.2mm Folded: 87.3 x 75.5 x 15.2mm
Weight	184.5/188.5 grams	190 grams
Connectivity	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C	4G LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C
Security	Side-facing fingerprint scanner	Side-facing fingerprint scanner
OS	Android 13	Android EMUI 12 (upgradable)
Price	$999	€799
Buy	Amazon	Amazon

Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket: Design

Both of these foldables have a frame made out of metal, and glass backs too. The bezels around their main displays are thin, while both devices also have a centered display camera hole on the main display. That’s basically where similarities end. When you flip them over, you’ll see plenty of differences. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has a large 3.6-inch cover display back there, which goes around the rear cameras too. The panel on the Huawei P50 Pocket looks minuscule in comparison, as it measures only 1.04 inches.

Having said that, the cover display on the Huawei P50 Pocket is also round, while you’ll notice a round camera island above it, hosting three cameras. There are two cameras on the back of the Motorola Razr+. It is worth noting that the Motorola Razr+ also comes in a variant with vegan leather on the back. The most expensive Huawei P50 Pocket model, the gold one, has an interesting pattern on its glass back, which does protrude on the back. It offers an interesting feeling in the hand thanks to that. The Huawei P50 Pocket is a bit heavier, but the difference is minimal.

The two phones are almost identical in terms of height, while the P50 Pocket is a bit wider. They’re also very similar when it comes to thickness, the difference is negligible. The Motorola Razr+ does come with a water-repellent coating, unlike the Huawei P50 Pocket, which does not offer any type of water protection. Both phones are quite slippery in the hand, but they also feel quite premium at the same time.

Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket: Display

The Motorola Razr+ has a 6.9-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Foldable LTPO AMOLED main display. That panel can project up to 1 billion colors, and it has a 165Hz refresh rate. That display can also project HDR10+ content, and it goes up to 1,400 nits of brightness at its peak. The cover display, on the other hand, measures 3.6 inches. It has a resolution of 1056 x 1066, and we’re looking at an AMOLED panel here. It can also project up to 1 billion colors, and has a 144Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported, and the brightness goes up to 1,100 nits. Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.

The Huawei P50 Pocket, on the flip side, has a 6.9-inch fullHD+ (2790 x 1188) Foldable OLED display. That panel has a 120Hz refresh rate, and can show up to 1 billion colors. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio. There is a second display on the back, a 1.04-inch panel. That display has a resolution of 340 x 340, and it’s quite small in comparison to the Razr+’s.

The main panels on both smartphones are great. The Razr+’s does have a higher refresh rate, but you won’t be able to use it in most situations, nor should you. Both displays are more than sharp enough, have good viewing angles, and have good touch response. The colors are vivid on both, and the blacks are deep. The cover panel on the Motorola Razr+ is much better than the one on the Huawei P50 Pocket. It is much larger, sharper, and has a higher refresh rate. That display also allows you to use any app on it, while you’re limited to only some widgets on the P50 Pocket, in addition to some system functions.

Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket: Performance

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 fuels the Motorola Razr+, while the Snapdragon 888 is included inside the Huawei P50 Pocket. The former is a 4nm chip, while the latter is a 5nm processor that is a bit older Both companies included LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage in these smartphones. Both of them actually come with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

The Motorola Razr+ does have a more powerful processor, but the performance is really good on both smartphones. For the majority of tasks, they’ll offer rather similar performance. You may notice slightly faster app launches on the Motorola Razr+, but for the most part, they’re quite similar in that. The difference in the SoC strength does come to show during gaming, though. Only if you’re playing more demanding titles, however. The Motorola Razr+ will have the edge in such cases. The Huawei P50 Pocket still holds its own, though, the Snapdragon 888 is still a great chip.

Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket: Battery

There is a 3,800mAh battery inside the Motorola Razr+, while the Huawei P50 Pocket includes a 4,000mAh battery pack. Despite the fact the Huawei P50 Pocket has a larger battery, and a smaller outer display, it still cannot beat the Motorola Razr+. That’s mainly due to its SoC, probably. The Motorola Razr+ delivered well over 7 hours of screen-on-time during our testing, it even showed to be capable of pushing that to 8 hours. The Huawei P50 Pocket was closer to 6-6.5 hours.

One thing to note is that I was forced to use the Huawei P50 Pocket’s main display a lot more often. The cover display doesn’t allow you to do much, unlike the one on the Motorola Razr+. Also, your mileage may vary, as per usual. Your usage will likely differ quite a bit, plus you’ll use different apps, and have different signal strengths. If you’re a gamer, that will have a considerable impact on battery life too.

The Motorola Razr+ supports 30W wired and 5W wireless charging. The Huawei P50 Pocket offers 40W wired, and 5W reverse wired charging. Both smartphones do come with a charger in the box, but that doesn’t apply to all countries in the case of Motorola Razr+. In the US, for example, you won’t get a charger.

Motorola Razr+ vs Huawei P50 Pocket: Cameras

The Motorola Razr+ includes a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (108-degree FoV). The Huawei P50 Pocket, on the other hand, has a 40-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel wide-angle camera.

During the day, these two phones did provide rather different photos. The ones from the Motorola Razr+ were a bit more muted in terms of representation, while the Huawei P50 Pocket balanced things out really nicely, without turning up the saturation too high. Neither phone goes too far with sharpening, while the Huawei P50 Pocket did better with HDR during the day, most of the time. It did misrepresent colors at times, though. Both ultrawide cameras did a good job, but the ones on the P50 Pocket did offer a bit more lively photos, and a wider FoV.

In low light, both do a good job, actually. The Motorola Razr+ fared better when it comes to neon signs and street lights, but other than that, both were really good. They managed to light up scenes quite a bit, while not allowing noise to creep in. They’re nowhere near the best out there for low light photography, but both are good enough.

Audio

Both the Motorola Razr+ and Huawei P50 Pocket have a set of stereo speakers. The ones on the Motorola Razr+ are considerably better, however. They are quite a bit louder, while the sound quality does come out more too.

Neither phone offers a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you want to connect your headphones via a cable, you’ll need to use a Type-C port. That goes for both phones. The Motorola Razr+ is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, while the Huawei P50 Pocket supports Bluetooth 5.2.

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Samsung may not launch Galaxy Buds 3 at Unpacked next month

Tech

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Samsung may not launch Galaxy Buds 3 at Unpacked next month

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Samsung‘s big hardware launch event next month may not bring a new pair of wireless earbuds. Industry insiders suggest that the company won’t unveil the rumored Galaxy Buds 3 at the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 27. It may separately launch the new earbuds later.

Samsung has already sent out press invites for its upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. According to Twitter tipster SnoopyTech, the company recently provided retailers and carriers with infographics about the new devices it has in the pipeline. Those materials contained information on the Galaxy Tab S9 series flagship tablets and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldables. But there was no mention of new audio products.

This, coupled with the fact that there has been hardly any leak or rumor about the Galaxy Buds 3 so far, suggests Samsung doesn’t plan to launch the new earbuds next month. The same has been confirmed by another noted tipster Max Jambor. He claimed that the Korean firm has “no new audio products” in the pipeline, at least not for July’s Galaxy Unpacked. Max didn’t confirm whether the Galaxy Buds 3 will debut at a later date.

It’s worth noting that Samsung is also readying a couple of new smartwatches with plans to unveil them at Galaxy Unpacked next month. Leaks about the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic have been coming fairly regularly over the past couple of months or so, though not as frequently as the upcoming foldables and tablets. The latter category of devices usually gets more media attention, so that isn’t surprising.

However, it’s unclear whether Samsung has shared information on the new wearables with retailers and carriers. If it hasn’t, then the company will probably send out a second round of infographics in the coming days. While the chances are slim, we can’t completely rule out the possibility of the Galaxy Buds 3 featuring those materials. We will let you know as soon as we have more information about Samsung’s upcoming products.

If not in July, the Galaxy Buds 3 could arrive alongside the Galaxy S23 FE

Samsung may not be rushing to launch new earbuds because its last pair are still incredible. Launched in August 2022, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can hold its own against rivals even today. The company may offer the pair at a discounted price once the new tablets and foldables are official. As far as the Galaxy Buds 3 are concerned, Samsung could launch them alongside the Galaxy S23 FE. The new FE phone is expected to arrive in October in some markets.

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Jobs are getting axed at Waze as the navigation platform starts using Google’s ad system

Apps

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Jobs are getting axed at Waze as the navigation platform starts using Google’s ad system

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CNBC reported on Tuesday that an email from Chris Phillips, who runs Google’s Geo maps division, said that Waze is moving to Google’s ad system. As a result, Waze will no longer need a separate ad system which will lead to layoffs at Waze. Google owns both Google Maps and Waze; the former not only gets you from “A” to “B” safely, it also tells you where you should stay at “B,” places to go while there, and also recommends places to eat.

Waze is more focused on the journey itself and uses crowdsourced information to help users avoid accidents, heavy traffic, police speed traps, and more. The email from Phillips said, “We have decided to transition Waze’s ads monetization to be managed by the Global Business Organization (GBO), similar to Google Maps. Unfortunately, this will result in a reduction of Waze Ads monetization-focused roles in sales, marketing, operations, and analytics.”

Google will layoff Waze employees related to the platform’s own ads product

Phillips added that Google will “wind down the current Waze Ads product while we focus on building new Waze Ads powered by Google Ads.” He stated that advertisers and partners will be notified today and that it will answer questions about the future of the navigation platform on July 11th which is when Waze will hold its next Town Hall.

Google purchased Waze for $1.3 billion in 2013 and documentation read by CNBC shows that it has 500 employees. The number of Waze employees that will be laid off is not known and Google has not revealed that number. The platform has 140 million active users. Discussing the layoffs in his email, Phillips wrote, “Decisions like these are incredibly difficult. Each one of these Wazers contributed to Waze’s success and culture, and I want to express my gratitude and respect for what they have achieved.”

Waze offers features not found on Google Maps such as celebrity guest voices who will read driving instructions to you. You can even add your own voice to listen to. If you don’t have Waze on your phone, you can install it by clicking on this link for Android, or this link for iOS.

Google says it has been focusing on becoming more efficient and parent company Alphabet said that it would cut its workforce by 6% or 12,000 employees. It also canceled and downsized some of its projects.

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Most Enterprise SIEMs Fail Against MITRE ATT&CK

Hacking

andreasc

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June 29, 2023

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Most Enterprise SIEMs Fail Against MITRE ATT&CK

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SIEM (Security Incident and Event Management) tools are being used in most organizations for monitoring, analyzing, and preventing threat actors.

Organizations are trying to build more and more in terms of security to protect against ransomware attacks, data breaches, and many other types of cybercriminal activities.

However, Security is a continuous process. These SIEM tools can help prevent threat actors only to a certain extent.

The detection mechanisms of SIEMs are far less when compared to the sophisticated attacks that threat actors use to infiltrate organizations.

MITRE ATT&CK & SIEMs

MITRE has nearly 194 techniques in its framework, which are taken as a baseline for building SIEM tools.

According to report from Cardinalops, Enterprise SIEMs are covering only 24% of detections of the overall MITRE attack techniques.

*Image: Enterprise security.* *Source: CardinalOps*

Enterprise SIEMs currently have enough data to cover these techniques, which accounts for nearly 94% of all the MITRE ATT&CK techniques that only need a scale-up for detecting much faster and more efficiently.

The report also indicated that 12% of all the SIEM rules that are currently built are broken due to misconfigured data sources and missing field elements.

According to RedHat reports, Organisations using containers account for more than 68%. However, container security lags a lot, with only 32% in detection.

Common Security Layers

Most of the common security layers covered by SIEM are,

Windows – 96%
Network – 96%
IAM – 96%
Linux/Mac – 87%
Cloud – 83%
Email – 78%
Productivity Suites – 63%
Container – 32%

The most commonly used SIEMs were Splunk, IBM QRadar, Sentinel, and Sumologic. Analyzing these tools provided over 4000 rules in SIEMs, with the largest SIEM having more than 600 rules.

The analyzed sectors include financial services, banking, insurance, energy, media and telecommunications, professional & legal services, and MSSP(Managed Security Service Provider) / MDR (Managed Detection and Response).

Recommendations for SIEM

Organizations are advised to review the current SIEM process and check for threats and techniques or behaviors that it is currently missing.

The ad-hoc combination of use case management must include manual pentesting, red teaming, breach and attack simulation tools (BAS), threat intelligence, and much more.

Measure and improve the SIEM with various detecting engineering process approaches in terms of IT management, DevOps, SOC, and other quality metrics that contribute to the security side of the organizations.

With increasing threats day by day, it is necessary for organizations to effectively manage and monitor the threats in every aspect of security. A single loophole can bring the entire organization down.

Hence, Security professionals are advised to take necessary security measures to protect against threat actors.

“AI-based email security measures Protect your business From Email Threats!” – Request a Free Demo.

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Ex-Samsung exec who stole chip secrets planned to help Foxconn

Tech

andreasc

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June 28, 2023

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A couple of weeks back, a former Samsung executive was indicted on charges of stealing chip secrets and leaking them to a rival company in China. Prosecutors didn’t name the person when they announced the indictment on June 12, nor they revealed the Chinese firm in question. We now have both details, as well as more information about the whole matter. According to a Reuters report, the accused former Samsung executive is Choi Jinseog. He reportedly tried to use the stolen secrets to set up a chip factory for Foxconn.

Choi Jinseog worked at Samsung for 17 years before stealing chip secrets

Choi Jinseog is a 65-year-old semiconductor expert who worked at Samsung for 17 years. He oversaw the development of DRAM memory chips and also worked on wafer processing technology. He won several internal awards from the company before leaving in 200. Choi subsequently joined another South Korean semiconductor firm SK Hynix (formerly Semiconductor). He worked there for more than eight years, serving as the chief technology officer and helping the company return to profitability.

But it has since been downhill for Choi, who was once seen as a star in South Korea’s chip industry. In 2018, his Singapore-based consultancy Jin Semiconductor won a contract to help build a chip factory for Foxconn in China. To make his work easier, Choi tapped Samsung’s supplier network to steal secrets. He got in contact with “a large number” of Samsung employees, including some from its affiliates. He managed to obtain information related to building a chip factory from two of the company’s contractors.

Cho Young-sik, who worked at Samsung subsidiary Samoo Architects & Engineers, provided Choi with confidential information on semiconductor cleanroom management. Cleanrooms are enclosed areas where chips are manufactured. These areas are free of dust and other impurities. Samoo helped Samsung in the construction of its chip plant in Xian, China, in 2012. Chung Chan-yup, an employee at HanmiGlobal, which supervised the construction, helped Choi obtain blueprints of the factory.

Foxconn’s chip factory was never built

Choi planned to use the stolen data and secrets to help its client Foxconn build a chip factory in China. The factory was supposed to have a capacity of 100,000 wafers per month for 20nm DRAM memory chip production. Foxconn had set aside a budget of over 8 trillion won ($6 billion) for the factory, with Choi’s consultancy firm earning several million dollars every month for its services. However, Foxconn ended the contract just a year after signing it. The company eventually pulled out of the plan and did not complete the construction.

However, Samsung considers the information that Choi obtained “strictly confidential.” South Korea also considers sub-20nm chip technologies “national core technology” and prohibits the transfer of such technologies overseas unless legally approved through licensing or partnership. Choi’s actions may have helped the Chinese chip industry. But the former Samsung executive denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer Kim Pilsung suggested that Choi may be a scapegoat caught in the rivalry between the US and China.

South Korea is trying to strengthen its semiconductor industry amid the growing tensions between the two countries, seeking to slow China’s progress. Kim argued that engineering standards to make cleanrooms are already available publicly. Samsung isn’t the only company doing it. “A factory layout? You can take a snapshot from Google Maps, and experts would know what is inside which building,” Kim said, showing a satellite snapshot of Samsung’s plant in Xian, China. Choi, who has been in jail since late May, did not steal a secret, Kid suggested.

Foxconn, Samoo, and HanmiGlobal are not accused of any wrongdoing

The indictment doesn’t accuse Foxconn, Samoo, and HanmiGlobal of any wrongdoing. Samoo’s former employee Cho Young-sik was also not charged, but HanmiGlobal’s Chung Chan-yup has been charged with leaking business secrets. In total, South Korean lawmakers have indicted seven individuals in the case. The other five are former and current Jin Semiconductor employees.

All of the companies said that they are aware of the ongoing case in South Korea and maintain that they have no involvement. “We abide by laws and regulations governing jurisdictions we operate in,” Foxconn added. Samsung declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing investigations. A trial of the case will begin on July 12. We will let you know as we have more information on the matter.

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Netflix kills Basic plan for new subs in Canada forcing them to choose Basic with ads or to pay more

Apps

andreasc

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June 28, 2023

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Netflix kills Basic plan for new subs in Canada forcing them to choose Basic with ads or to pay more

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You may remember when last year, Netflix introduced a cheaper ad-supported plan in an attempt to gain more subscribers amidst a wave of people leaving the streaming service.

However, alongside the ad-supported plan, Netflix also has a basic plan without ads. Now, it seems this plan will be no more, reports 9to5Mac. At least in Canada, Netflix has quietly removed the plan from the subscription options. This way, you can either choose an ad-supported tier or go for a more expensive tier.

Netflix has removed its Basic plan without ads in Canada

Right now, Netflix’s website in Canada doesn’t offer the basic plan without ads as an option for new subscribers. There’s no information right now on whether or not this is a permanent decision or a temporary one, but it looks pretty permanent. It also isn’t clear what happens to the subscribers who currently have the basic plan without ads. In most countries, the streaming service is available with four options: Basic with ads, Basic, Standard, and Premium. On the basic plans, you can watch movies and TV shows in 720p resolution, and you can use a single device only. The Standard plan allows for 1080p resolution and two devices. Premium gives you access to 4K content, and support for up to four different devices.

In Canada, the “Basic with ads” plan has now been rebranded as “Standard with ads”. It supports 1080p resolutions and two devices.

Prices in Canada right now are as follows:

5.99 CAD / month for Standard with ads plan
16.49 CAD / month for the Standard plan
20.99 CAD / month for the Premium plan

The Basic plan without ads (which now does not exist) used to cost 9.99 CAD. This change pretty much means that if you don’t want to watch ads, you’ll have to pay extra.

For now, in the U.S., Netflix plans have remained Standard with ads for $6.99 / month, Basic: $9.99 / month, Standard: $15.49 / month, and Premium: $19.99 / month. It is unclear whether Netflix plans to remove the Basic plan in other countries at the moment and when. When we know more, we’ll let you know.

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Flipper Hacking Device Gained Popularity

Hacking

andreasc

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June 28, 2023

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Flipper Hacking Device Gained Popularity

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The Flipper Zero hacking device plans on selling $80 million worth of gadgets this year, up from preorders on Kickstarter that totaled over $5 million. It also claims to have sold $25 million of the devices last year.

The business, established in Russia in 2020, departed the nation at the outbreak of the conflict and has since relocated. It claims to no longer be connected to Russia.

What is a Flipper Zero?

Flipper Zero is a “portable gamified multi-tool” designed for anybody interested in cybersecurity, including penetration testers, intellectual people on the internet, students, and anyone with deeper motives.

The tool offers a variety of ways to control your environment, such as wireless devices (like garage openers), RFID card systems, remote keyless entry systems, Flipper Hacking Devices, key fobs, and barrier access. In essence, you may program it to mimic a variety of lock systems.

Additionally, it’s a fun experimentation tool that reveals how insecure the majority of the globe is in reality. The company also emphasizes that the firmware is open source and available for anybody to review.

“Current events will not affect the Flipper Zero production in any way, and all ordered devices will be shipped to backers and those who have pre-ordered, though there may be delays for customers from the CIS countries [the Commonwealth of Independent States] due to logistics disruptions in the region,” the company said in an Instagram post.

Flipper Devices, a firm that employs both Ukrainians and Russians, released a statement in which it declared that it strongly objects to the continuing “special military operation” and that neither of our team members supports it.

The firm is not Russian, according to a corporate representative. Its CEO and more than 10% of the crew are both Ukrainian.

According to TechCrunch report, the Flipper Zero device is on track to sell $80 million worth of its products this year

Further, Flipper Devices is a distributed business that is expanding its London headquarters. Additionally, it adds that Flipper Gadgets works to relocate all of its personnel outside of Russia, doesn’t hire there, and doesn’t export gadgets to Russia.

Some of their workers may travel there to visit family or for other personal reasons as they hold Russian passports.

Tech Specifications of the Tool

ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit 64 MHz (application processor)
ARM Cortex-M0+ 32 MHz (network processor)
Flash: 1024 KB
SRAM: 256 KB
1.4-inch 128 x 64 LCD monochrome display
5-button joystick with back button
2000 mAh rechargeable battery
Sub-1 GHz frequencies: 315 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, and 915 MHz (depending on regions)
13.56 MHz NFC
125 kHz RFID
18 GPIO connector
Infrared (TX/RX range: 800-950 nm, TX power: 300 mW)
iButton 1-Wire support (Dallas DS1990A/CYFRAL compatible)
USB 2.0 port, type C

Finally, it’s one of the simplest, most affordable methods to use RFID and NFC. It’s also an excellent instructional tool that introduces individuals of all ages to cybersecurity.

“AI-based email security measures Protect your business From Email Threats!” – Request a Free Demo.

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