A large proportion of Americans are protecting their digital accounts with passwords that they would be embarrassed to say out loud. According to new research by identity management company Beyond Identity, nearly four in ten (38%) users in the United States defend their data with a password that could raise a blush.  While 16% of those users had reached for a profanity when coming up with an access phrase, more than a quarter (26%) referenced a niche interest…

A trading analyst from Maine has admitted to stealing millions of dollars by impersonating a company director to authorize transactions fraudulently. David Altenburg accessed his employer’s bank accounts to complete approximately 106 wire transfers and other withdrawals. Acting United States attorney, Donald E. Clark, said that between February 2019 and September 2020, Altenburg stole over $2.7 million by diverting funds into accounts under his control.  To avoid arousing any suspicion when making the transfers, Altenburg impersonated a…

Global professional services company Accenture has acquired an independent provider of cyber-defense and managed security services headquartered in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. The acquisition of Sentor by Accenture was announced yesterday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.  “Securing a business ecosystem can’t be piecemeal; it takes the right talent, investments and technology know-how,” said Kelly Bissell, who leads Accenture Security globally.  “The acquisition of Sentor further expands our ability to help clients match this challenging cybersecurity environment. We are excited…

Why security in the cloud is a shared responsibility relationship between the infrastructure provider and the customer By Paul Farrall, CISO at Skytap Organizations moving workloads to the cloud must make sure that those workloads remain secure, especially organizations that handle sensitive customer data (such as financial or health records) and must comply with regulatory requirements as well as security frameworks like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Security in the cloud…

A former employee of a Russian cryptocurrency exchange has lost an appeal to overturn a conviction for money laundering. In December 2020, Alexander Vinnik was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty by a French court of laundering money on a large scale.  Russian national Vinnik had initially been charged with using ransomware to defraud nearly 200 people but was cleared of this charge in December.  United States authorities allege that Vinnik was the operator of Bitcoin exchange…

A top cyber official at the Pentagon is reportedly on leave while claims that she leaked classified intelligence are investigated by the Department of Defense. Katie Arrington is employed as the chief information security officer for Acquisition and Sustainment at the Department of Defense. She was brought on board in 2019 and hired under the category of “highly qualified expert.” Arrington was informed on May 11 that her security clearance for classified information had been suspended as “a…