Tag: telecommunications
110 articles
FCC Proposes Sweeping Phone Data Collection to Curb Burner Phones
The FCC is taking aim at burner phones with a new proposal that would require telecom carriers to collect and store personal info on virtually all customers, effectively ending anonymity for prepaid phone users. If implemented, this rule would revolutionize how phone plans are obtained and used across the country.
Google Disrupts Chinese Smishing Network Tied to AI-Generated Phishing Attacks
Google just took down a massive Chinese smishing network that used AI-generated phishing pages to scam millions of mobile users, and is now suing to dismantle the operation for good. The tech giant is teaming up with major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to block the fraudulent texts and shut down the Phishing-as-a-Service business.
IBM, AT&T Face Allegations of Concealing Data Breaches
A shocking lawsuit alleges that tech giants IBM and AT&T may have concealed massive data breaches, with Chinese hackers reportedly infiltrating IBM's network over 56,000 times between 2013 and 2016. The allegations, made by a former IBM vice president, claim the company knowingly kept the breaches under wraps.
ShinyHunters Breaches Charter, Exposes 4.9M Customer Records
A massive data breach at Charter has exposed a whopping 4.9 million customer records, with hackers from the notorious ShinyHunters group proudly adding the telco to their "trophy shelf" and making sensitive info like names, addresses, and phone numbers publicly available. Charter has downplayed the incident, claiming no sensitive data was taken, but the reality is that millions of customers are now at risk.
Charter Breach Exposes Millions of Customer Records
Millions of customer records have been exposed in a shocking data breach at Charter Communications, with the company swiftly confirming the incident and assuring customers that sensitive personal info remains safe. The breach, reportedly involving 40 million records, has triggered a thorough investigation and cooperation with authorities.
Iranian Hackers Deploy AI-Backed MiniFast Backdoor via Phishing and SEO Poisoning
Iranian hackers have escalated their cyber attacks, leveraging AI-powered tools to craft malware and targeting key sectors like aviation, defense, and telecommunications across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Their sophisticated tactics, including phishing and SEO poisoning, have allowed them to spy on organizations with alarming speed and efficiency.
Chinese hackers infiltrate telcos with Showboat, JFMBackdoor malware
Chinese-aligned hackers have been secretly infiltrating telecommunications providers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East since mid-2022, using sneaky malware like Showboat and JFMBackdoor to stay under the radar. They even used a clever "hide" command to conceal their digital footprints on infected machines.
Agentic AI Turbo Boosts Mobile App Attacks
The alarming rise of mobile app attacks is no longer looming on the horizon - it's here, with a staggering 87% of monitored apps facing threats in 2026, a drastic jump from 55% in 2022, fueled by the rapid adoption of AI models. This explosive growth in attacks is a wake-up call for businesses to bolster their mobile app security.
Organizations Fortify Defenses Against Evolving Scattered Spider Threats
As Scattered Spider threats evolve, organizations across finance, healthcare, and telecom are bolstering their defenses against sophisticated identity-driven attacks. They're facing an adaptable adversary that's changing tactics, putting pressure on institutions to respond.
FCC Extends Security Update Deadline for Banned Routers
The FCC is giving banned routers a lifeline with an extended security update deadline, ensuring they stay safe and functional with continued software and firmware updates. This move comes after the commission banned the import and sale of certain foreign-made routers in March 2026 due to national security concerns.
Canada Cracks Down on Rogue Cellular Tower Used for Mass Phishing Texts
Imagine receiving a text from your bank or favorite store, but it's actually a sneaky scam - that's what happened in Toronto when a rogue cellular tower started sending out mass phishing texts to unsuspecting users. Canadian authorities cracked down on the culprit in a sting operation dubbed Project Lighthouse.
FCC Expands Foreign Router Ban to Mobile Hotspots
The FCC has expanded its ban on foreign-made routers to include mobile hotspots and home devices that use LTE or 5G connections, affecting U.S. consumers and small businesses. This move now explicitly prohibits the sale of portable Wi-Fi hotspots and home routers manufactured abroad.
Harvester Malware Exploits Microsoft Graph API for Stealthy Linux Attacks
Meet Harvester, a stealthy espionage group believed to be state-backed, that's been secretly targeting telecommunications, government, and IT organizations in South Asia since 2021. Their latest trick? A Linux-capable GoGra backdoor that uses Microsoft Graph API for covert communications.
Netgear Sidesteps Router Ban with FCC Waiver
Netgear has scored a major win with the FCC granting it a temporary waiver, allowing the company to import consumer routers until 2027 despite a broader ban on foreign-made networking hardware. This move marks a significant exception to the rule, with Netgear becoming the first consumer brand to sidestep the import restriction.
China-Linked UAT-7290 Exclusive: Severe Telecom Threat
Exclusive alert: China-Linked UAT-7290 is emerging as a severe telecom threat—here’s what network teams and users need to know to shore up defenses fast.
SIM farm Stunning Takedown: Risky Fraud Network
Europol’s Operation SIMCARTEL dismantled a massive SIM farm tied to about 49 million fake accounts, arresting suspects and exposing how cheaply scammers can weaponize phone numbers to automate fraud. The takedown is a wake‑up call to ditch SMS as sole protection and push for stronger, phishing‑resistant authentication across services.
Snappybee malware: Alarming Risky Breach of EU Telecoms
A major European telecom was breached after attackers exploited a Citrix NetScaler flaw to deploy Snappybee — a modular espionage toolkit tied to the China-linked Salt Typhoon group — showing how trusted remote-access appliances can become gateways for stealthy data theft. The incident is a wake-up call to prioritize patching, segmentation, and behavioral detection before the next exploit hits.
SIM card supply network Exposed: Risky, Stunning Takedown
Europol just tore down a sophisticated cross-border SIM card supply network that criminals used to hide identities and run scams — a stark reminder that SMS-based authentication can be easily abused. Protect yourself by using authenticator apps or security keys, monitoring accounts for unusual activity, and urging carriers to adopt stronger ID checks.
Phantom Taurus: Exclusive Alert Reveals Risky Telecom Hacks
Meet Phantom Taurus, a newly identified China-aligned cyber-espionage group quietly infiltrating government networks and telecom infrastructure to harvest intelligence and monitor communications. Their stealthy tactics underscore the urgent need for stronger defenses, transparency, and industry cooperation to protect privacy and critical services.
undersea cables: Stunning Risk, UK’s Critical Threat
Beneath the waves a handful of fragile undersea cables carry Britain’s internet, voice and about £220 billion in daily financial traffic — yet ministers have been too timid protecting these vital arteries. The JCNSS warns that simple fixes like better redundancy, shore protection and clearer ministerial responsibility could stop a local hit from becoming a national crisis.
variant of PlugX: Exclusive Dangerous Telecom Threat
A decade-old espionage tool, PlugX, has been revamped and is now creeping into telecom and manufacturing networks across ASEAN, blending proven code with new evasion tricks to steal data and stay hidden. Operators, policymakers and smaller suppliers need to tighten defenses, share intelligence and hunt for anomalous DLL side-loading before these stealthy intrusions become lasting footholds.
illegal automated marketing calls: Must-Have Best Tips
Fed up with nonstop spam calls? The ICO has slapped two UK-linked firms with a combined £550,000 fine after offshore call centres blasted prerecorded marketing to people who never gave consent — a reminder that nuisance calls aren’t just annoying, they’re illegal, and stronger tech and enforcement are needed to protect our privacy.
Scattered Spider Exclusive: Devastating $115M Ransom Ring
Imagine the lights going out at your local hospital or your commute being held hostage — a new U.S. indictment alleges 19‑year‑old Thalha Jubair is a core member of Scattered Spider tied to at least $115 million in ransoms that hit hospitals, transit and retailers. The case shows how low‑tech tricks like SIM swaps and social engineering let agile, global criminal crews cause massive, real‑world harm.
SIM servers: Stunning Risk to NYC’s Best Networks
The Secret Service just shut down a massive SIM farm—300+ servers and roughly 100,000 SIM cards—that officials say could have crippled New York’s cellular network during the UN General Assembly, a stark wake-up call that ordinary tech can be weaponized at city scale.