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The Slow-Burn Nightmare of the National Public Data Breach

Social Security numbers, physical addresses, and more—all available online. After months of confusion, leaked information from a background-check firm underscores the long-term risks of data breaches.

17 Aug

What Is Gemini Live and How Do You Use It?

Google is rolling out this new voice assistant, and now you can have real-time, natural conversations with its chatbot. Here’s what it’s like.

17 Aug

NASA Nears Decision Time on Boeing Starliner’s Fate

There’s now a significant chance the spacecraft’s crew will have to return to Earth on a different one—and maybe not until next year.

17 Aug

National Public Data Confirms Breach Exposing Social Security Numbers

BleepingComputer’s Ionut Ilascu reports: Background check service National Public Data confirms that hackers breached its systems after threat actors leaked a stolen database with millions of social security numbers and other sensitive personal information. The company states that the breached data may include names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers (SSNs), and postal addresses.

In the statement disclosing the security incident, National Public Data says that “the information that was suspected of being breached contained name, email address, phone number, social security number, and mailing address(es).” The company acknowledges the “leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024” and believes the breach is associated with a threat actor “that was trying to hack into data in late December 2023.” NPD says they investigated the incident, cooperated with law enforcement, and reviewed the potentially affected records. If significant developments occur, the company “will try to notify” the impacted individuals.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

17 Aug

US Fines T-Mobile $60 Million, Its Largest Penalty Ever, Over Unauthorized Data Access

The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) fined T-Mobile $60 million, its largest penalty ever, for failing to prevent and report unauthorized access to sensitive data tied to violations of a mitigation agreement from its 2020 merger with Sprint. “The size of the fine, and CFIUS’s unprecedented decision to make it public, show the committee is taking a more muscular approach to enforcement as it seeks to deter future violations,” reports Reuters. From the report: T-Mobile said in a statement that it experienced technical issues during its post-merger integration with Sprint that affected “information shared from a small number of law enforcement information requests.” It stressed that the data never left the law enforcement community, was reported “in a timely manner” and was “quickly addressed.” The failure of T-Mobile to report the incidents promptly delayed CFIUS’ efforts to investigate and mitigate any potential harm to U.S. national security, they added, without providing further details. “The $60 million penalty announcement highlights the committee’s commitment to ramping up CFIUS enforcement by holding companies accountable when they fail to comply with their obligations,” one of the U.S. officials said, adding that transparency around enforcement actions incentivizes other companies to comply with their obligations.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

17 Aug

Dubai Court Recognizes Crypto As a Valid Salary Payment

The Dubai Court of First Instance has declared that cryptocurrency can be used as a legal form of salary under employment contracts. CoinTelegraph reports: Irina Heaver, a partner at UAE law firm NeosLegal, explained that the ruling in case number 1739 of 2024 shows a shift from the court’s earlier stance in 2023, where a similar claim was denied because the crypto involved lacked precise valuation. Heaver believes this shows a “progressive approach” to integrating digital currencies into the country’s legal and economic framework. Heaver said that the case involved an employee who filed a lawsuit claiming that the employer had not paid their wages, wrongful termination compensation and other benefits. The worker’s employment contract stipulated a monthly salary in fiat and 5,250 in EcoWatt tokens. The dispute stems from the employer’s inability to pay the tokens portion of the employee’s salary in six months.

In 2023, the court acknowledged the inclusion of the EcoWatts tokens in the contract. Still, it did not enforce the payment in crypto, as the employee failed to provide a clear method for valuing the currency in fiat terms. “This decision reflected a traditional viewpoint, emphasizing the need for concrete evidence when dealing with unconventional payment forms,” Heaver said. However, the lawyer said that in 2024, the court “took a step forward,” ruling in favor of the employee and ordering the payment of the crypto salary as per the employment contract without converting it into fiat. Heaver added that the court’s reliance on the UAE Civil Transactions Law and Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 in both judgments shows the consistent application of legal principles in wage determination.