In response to recent cyberattacks, the federal judiciary said it is implementing new safeguards to address the exposure of the judiciary’s ongoing “constant and complex” cyber threats.
The incident highlights a long-standing warning that the judiciary’s system is outdated and fragile. A senior federal judge told Congress in June that CM/ECF and PACER face “unwelcome security threats” and require emergency replacements.
CNBC reports that Instagram’s latest features—a searchable map showing users marked as playback content for specific locations—caused a wave of privacy concerns. Launched this week, the feature allows users to explore photos and videos by browsing the visual map interface.
However, users quickly misunderstood, the potential of harassment and data abuse has alerted, especially for the possibility of influential people and others posting real-time content from recognizable locations. “Instagram randomly updates its app to include map features without really reminding people that anyone with a restrictive order and actively ensures that their abusers cannot stalk their location online is very dangerous.”
Instagram says the feature only displays content from public accounts and reiterates that users can turn off the location tag. Nevertheless, this rebound is a broader concern about how technology platforms quickly aggregate and reveal personal data in a way that exceeds users’ expectations and consent.
TechCrunch reports that hackers stole data from Google’s customer support system, which is linked to a damaged Salesforce account. The intrusion was disclosed Wednesday, affecting undisclosed Google customers and involved unauthorized access to data such as contact information and “relevant instructions for small and medium-sized businesses.”
The attacker reportedly targeted data through the Salesforce cloud system. Google’s Threat Intelligence Team pinned the attack on Shinyhunters, an attacker to target large companies’ cloud-based databases, including Salesforce Systems.
The violations that affect Google follow similar attacks on Cisco, Qantas and Pandora, where attackers use voice phishing to trick employees into granting access. Google said the group may be preparing for leaked sites for ransom victims and linking with other cybercrime groups, such as COM, which have a history of hacking and extortion.
According to Bloomberg, a cyber attack at Columbia University damaged the personal information of nearly 870,000 people, including students, applicants, and perhaps employees. The stolen data includes contact information, academic records, financial aid details, and draft letters from victims obtained according to news media.
The violation dates back to mid-May and was only publicly acknowledged after Columbia filed reports to state attorneys generals in California and Maine. A university official previously claimed that the perpetrator was politically motivated. The school claims it has implemented new safeguards and continues to notify affected people.
The incident occurred on campus in June. The school reportedly suspected a potential cyber attack at the time.
