Temu, the Chinese e-commerce platform specializing in clothing and electronic accessories, is currently facing scrutiny from a US watchdog due to concerns regarding privacy and cybersecurity. Despite its recent expansion to Europe and America, the company has encountered significant challenges, mainly stemming from a controversial trade move.
According to an analysis conducted by Cisco Talos, Temu has not only been involved in legitimate e-commerce activities but also found to be distributing malware. As a result of this discovery, Google took action by suspending the sister company, Pinduodo, and cited the platform’s engagement in malicious practices. This raises the possibility that Temu could face a similar suspension, similar to the fate of TikTok, which was also found to be sending user data to overseas servers and potentially deploying scanning tools for espionage.
Another concerning incident involves the Wuhan Earthquake Monitoring Centre, which fell victim to a cyber attack orchestrated by a hacking group allegedly funded by the United States. Chinese internet company 360 conducted an analysis that revealed certain servers acting as data collection points at the center were targeted with a trojan-based attack aimed at gathering seismic intensity data from front-end stations. Considering the implications for national security, China is seeking to escalate the matter to the United Nations and has plans for retaliatory measures at a later stage.
Furthermore, the NHS Ambulances are currently grappling with technical glitches that prevent them from recording and transmitting patient data to central repositories. The problem is attributed to a server issue with health software service provider Ortivus, based in Sweden. Ortivus has acknowledged the problem and assured that the digital hiccups experienced by ambulance services on July 18th, 2023, will be resolved by the upcoming weekend.
Lastly, a data breach related to demography data compiled by IBM has raised serious concerns. According to a report released by the tech giant, organizations are now paying $4.5 million on average to handle breaches, marking a 15% increase compared to the past three years. The report highlights that the top five most targeted industries are pharmaceuticals, energy, manufacturing, and finance. Additionally, the study reveals that impacted organizations took an average of 204 days to identify data theft, a mere three-day improvement compared to the previous year’s statistics in 2022. These figures underscore the urgency for enhanced cybersecurity measures across various sectors.
In conclusion, these incidents serve as a stark reminder of the growing threats in the digital landscape. Privacy and security must remain paramount for companies and institutions worldwide, as the consequences of cyberattacks can be severe, both economically and in terms of national security.
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