Apple Trademarks Augmented Reality Product Names (Plus Meta Was Fined, Again) | May 23rd, 2023
Today In Tech News:
- EU Fines Meta For Data Privacy Violation
- Apple Trademarks Augmented Reality Names
- Apple Releases Security Patch For WebKit
- FIN7 (Now Sangria Tempest) Ransomware
EU Fines Meta For Data Privacy Violation
Meta has yet again crossed a line in the EU as the company has been fined €1.2 billion for infringing the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.
The GDPR is a set of regulations and standards that define what is OK to do with European data.
The group handing out the punishment is Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the group responsible for Meta’s European oversight.
On top of the fine, Meta is to “suspend any future transfer of personal data to the US within the period of five months”.
This means Meta will either have to undergo a massive infrastructure initiative as only 4 of its 21 data centers are outside the US, or it will have to appeal.
Shocker that they have already announced their intent to appeal.
If the appeal fails, Meta may have to follow through with a warning from last year, shutting down Facebook and Instagram in Europe.
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Apple Trademarks Augmented Reality Names
Many rumors have surfaced as Apple has applied for four trademarks related to its augmented reality system over the past week.
The trademarks include xrOS, xrProOS, realityproOS, and realOS.
xrOS was filed for last Tuesday, the other three were filed yesterday.
The AR headset is estimated to have a manufacturing cost of $1500 and a price estimate of $3000.
Highlights from the parts list include Dual M2 processors, two micro OLED displays, and a whopping 14 cameras!
For an in-depth breakdown of the costs, check out our sources in the description below.
Nothing official has come from Apple, but the device is expected to be revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5th.
We will be keeping a close eye on this one.
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Apple Releases Security Patch For WebKit
On the opposite side, Apple released a patch for security vulnerabilities around the WebKit browser engine, the engine powering Safari.
The browser engine, used across all of Apple’s native operating systems, had 3 vulnerabilities announced, two of which were originally addressed in the failed Rapid Security Response deployment from May 1st.
The scariest of the three, CVE-2023-32409, allowed attackers to escape the Web Content sandbox, opening up the system to anything from Command and Control to Ransomware attacks.
The update has been deployed to almost all device operating systems and Safari.
To protect yourself from these zero-day attacks, make sure all your Apple devices are on the latest version of their operating systems.
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FIN7 (Now Sangria Tempest) Ransomware
Microsoft has found traces of an old hacking rival once thought dead.
Sangria Tempest, previously known as the infamous FIN7, has been found launching a ransomware campaign targeting PaperCut.
If that sounds familiar, this is the same vulnerability the Bl00dy Ransomware Gang was exploiting in last week’s security segment.
FIN7 had been inactive since late 2021, but last month Microsoft found traces of their Lizar backdoor on affected systems.
The attack vector includes a highly obfuscated PowerShell script called POWERTRASH that loads a Lizar or Diceloader backdoor for network access.
Once breached, the attacker uses OpenSSH and Impacket, a network protocol python collection, to deploy the Clop ransomware, effectively pwning the system.
Much like last week, the best ways to mitigate your risk include following the 3-2-1 rule of data storage, implementing network segmentation, enforcing the principle of least privilege, upgrading PaperCut to the latest versions, and ensuring your PaperCut servers are not internet accessible.
In summary, a malicious shell script opens a back door allowing for the deployment of the Clop Ransomware, pwning the system.
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What Are Your Thoughts?
- Will Apple’s AR system revitalize the market?
- Where do hacking groups get their names?
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page!
