Multimedia Communications, Security, Mobile, and Cloud Computing News
CISA, FBI urge Americans to use encrypted messaging apps to combat Chinese telco hackers
December 4, 2024
U.S. government officials said that the China-backed hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon are still inside some of the networks of America’s largest phone and internet providers, weeks after the long-running hacking campaign first came to light.
T-Mobile Hacked in Massive Chinese Breach of Telecom Networks
November 15, 2024
T-Mobile’s network was among the systems hacked in a damaging Chinese cyber-espionage operation that successfully gained entry into multiple U.S. and international telecommunications companies.
FCC allows T-Mobile and SpaceX to launch satellite service in Helene-hit areas
October 6, 2024
In an effort to assist those in area damaged by the recent hurricane and mass flooding, the FCC has granted Starlink a temporary license to offer satellite to phone services in affected areas.
FCC chair wants more competition to SpaceX's Starlink unit
September 11, 2024
Federal Communications Commission chair Jessica Rosenworcel said she wants to see more competition to SpaceX's internet satellite constellation Starlink and that "Our economy doesn't benefit from monopolies". This, after the same woman said in 2022 the FCC was denying SpaceX funding for rural broadband because, she said, "We cannot afford to subsidize ventures that are not delivering the promised speeds or are not likely to meet program requirements."
August 31, 2024
One of the most popular file encryption software products on the Internet is AES Crypt. This project was supported by Packetizer, but has now been transitioned from Packetizer to Terrapane where the original author continues development and support. The latest version was just released, bringing with it many improvements ranging from user interaction to security.
NIST Releases First 3 Finalized Post-Quantum Encryption Standards
August 13, 2024
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its principal set of encryption algorithms designed to withstand cyberattacks from a quantum computer.
Microsoft to separate Teams and Office globally amid antitrust scrutiny
April 2, 2024
Microsoft, will sell its chat and video app Teams separately from its Office product globally, the U.S. tech giant said on Monday.
Avaya files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
February 15, 2023
Avaya Holdings Corp has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and secured a financing of $780 million as it restructures its business, the IT firm said on Tuesday.
March 28, 2022
HP Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Poly, a leading global provider of workplace collaboration solutions, in an all-cash transaction for $40 per share, implying a total enterprise value of $3.3 billion, inclusive of Poly’s net debt.
Ericsson to acquire Vonage for USD 6.2 billion
November 24, 2021
Ericsson to acquire Vonage for USD 6.2 billion to spearhead the creation of a global network and communication platform for open innovation
Verizon will buy video conferencing company BlueJeans
April 16, 2020
Verizon is buying the video conferencing platform BlueJeans for $400M. BlueJeans' founders and management team will join the company to continue the platform's growth and its employees will also become part of Verizon.
Personal Data of 3 Billion People Stolen in Hack, Suit Says
August 2, 2024
Jerico Pictures Inc., a background-check company doing business as National Public Data, exposed the personal information of nearly 3 billion individuals in an April data breach, a proposed class action says.
Secure Boot is completely broken on 200+ models from 5 big device makers
July 25, 2024
Researchers from security firm Binarly revealed that Secure Boot is completely compromised on more than 200 device models sold by Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Intel, and Supermicro.
CrowdStrike update crashes Windows systems, causes outages worldwide
July 19, 2024
A faulty component in a CrowdStrike Falcon update is crashed Windows systems, impacting various organizations and services across the world, including airports, TV stations, and hospitals.
Bitbucket artifact files can leak plaintext authentication secrets
May 21, 2024
Threat actors were found breaching AWS accounts using authentication secrets leaked as plaintext in Atlassian Bitbucket artifact objects. The issue was discovered by Mandiant, who was investigating a recent exposure of Amazon Web Services (AWS) secrets that threat actors used to gain access to AWS.
Android 15, Google Play Protect get new anti-malware and anti-fraud features
May 15, 2024
Google announced new security features coming to Android 15 and Google Play Protect that will help block scams, fraud, and malware apps on users' devices.
Nearly all AT&T subscribers’ call records stolen in Snowflake cloud hack
July 12, 2024
AT&T said a breach on a third-party cloud platform exposed the call and text records of nearly all its cellular customers. The leaked data is said to include phone numbers that AT&T subscribers communicated with, but not names.
September 21, 2023
Cisco and Splunk, the cybersecurity and observability leader, announced a definitive agreement under which Cisco intends to acquire Splunk for $157 per share in cash, representing approximately $28 billion in equity value.
FCC blasts T-Mobile’s 365-day phone locking, proposes 60-day unlock rule
July 19, 2024
Citing frustration with mobile carriers enforcing different phone-unlocking policies that are bad for consumers, the Federal Communications Commission is proposing a 60-day unlocking requirement that would apply to all wireless providers.
T-Mobile to buy almost all of U.S Cellular in deal worth $4.4 billion with debt
May 28, 2024
T-Mobile is buying U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and certain spectrum assets in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, and further consolidating the industry.
US FCC approves T-Mobile deal to buy budget provider Mint Mobile
April 25, 2024
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it will approve the T-Mobile US deal to buy Ka'ena Corp, the owner of budget service provider Mint Mobile, for up to $1.35 billion.
AT&T now says data breach impacted 51 million customers
April 10, 2024
AT&T is notifying 51 million former and current customers, warning them of a data breach that exposed their personal information on a hacking forum. However, the company has still not disclosed how the data was obtained.
Amazon launches its fourth-generation Graviton4 chip as competition intensifies
July 9, 2024
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching its fourth-generation Graviton processor, the Graviton4 chip that promises to deliver substantial improvements in performance and efficiency, including three times the compute power and memory of its predecessor, 75% more memory bandwidth, and 30% better performance.
Starlink Mini Dish Release Appears to Be Imminent as New Images Surface
June 17, 2024
Starlink is one step closer to launching the Starlink Mini dish. SpaceX updated its app over the weekend and with the update came some official images of the dish itself, which will start rolling out to select areas as soon as next month.
Rumble sues Google over digital advertising practices
May 13, 2024
Video sharing platform Rumble said it has sued Google, arguing the tech giant has engaged in anticompetitive practices across its digital advertising products and sought damages in excess of $1 billion.
Leaked FBI email stresses need for warrantless surveillance of Americans
May 9, 2024
A Federal Bureau of Investigation official recently urged employees to "look for ways" to conduct warrantless surveillance on US residents, an internal email shows. Security measures need to be further tightened, both in the consumer and enterprise spaces.
Maximum-severity GitLab flaw allowing account hijacking under active exploitation
May 2, 2024
A maximum severity vulnerability that allows hackers to hijack GitLab accounts with no user interaction required is now under active exploitation, federal government officials warned as data showed that thousands of users had yet to install a patch released in January.
Cisco says hackers subverted its security devices to spy on governments
April 24, 2024
Cisco Systems said that hackers have subverted some of its digital security devices to break into government networks globally.
Meta Stock Drops 15% on "Disappointing Q2 Forecast"
April 24, 2024
Meta reported its first quarter earnings, and while it beat analysts' expectations on the top and bottom lines, a disappointing Q2 forecast sent shares of the social media giant plummeting more than 15%. Zuckerberg said the company is "scaling capex and energy expenses for AI."
What we know about the xz Utils backdoor that almost infected the world
April 1, 2024
A lone Microsoft developer rocked the world when he revealed a backdoor had been intentionally planted in xz Utils, an open-source data compression utility available on almost all installations of Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.
Cisco Launches Webex Hologram, An Augmented Reality Meeting Solution
October 26, 2021
Cisco unveiled a preview of its next-generation hybrid work collaboration product called Webex Hologram. It is the industry's only real-time meeting solution that takes advantage of augmented reality headsets to combine feature rich Webex meeting functionality with immersive 3D holograms.
8X8 Acquires Jitsi Video Communications Technology from Atlassian
October 29, 2018
8x8, Inc. announced that it has acquired the Jitsi open source video communications technology and its highly skilled team of open source video technology experts.
April 5, 2018
InFocus unveils new video collaboration platform
February 11, 2016
WhatsApp could add voice calling very soon
April 9, 2014
Line goes live with calls to cell phones, landlines
March 17, 2014
Line, the Japan-based mega messaging app, said that it's giving its audience in eight countries access to a new product called "Line Call," a service that lets people dial landlines and cell phones from the application for a fee.
Chromebox For Meetings Set To Disrupt Enterprise Video Conferencing
February 6, 2014
Google just introduced Chromebox for meeting, a new integrated system that lets users easily arrange virtual meetings whether scheduled in Google Calendar or spontaneous. Based on Chrome OS, Chromebox for meeting is a dedicated enterprise/SMB virtual conferencing appliance that is designed to be much more affordable and easier to setup than existing solutions.
February 6, 2014
In collaboration with Google, Vidyo announced today both a product and a service that will allow H.323- and SIP-based video devices to interconnect with Google+ Hangouts
FCC votes to begin testing an overhaul of US phone system
January 30, 2014
The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to launch a series of trials to investigate how best to update the telephone system in the United States. The idea is to replace the system's traditional phone lines with networks that are based on Internet Protocol.
Google sells Motorola unit to Lenovo for $2.9B
January 29, 2014
Google confirmed that it has sold Motorola for $2.91 billion, consisting of $660 million in cash and $750 million in Lenovo shares, with the remaining $1.5 billion paid in the form of a three-year promissory note.
