X accused of taking payments from terrorists
Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, granted subscription perks to designated terrorist groups and others barred from operating in the US, according to campaigners. The Tech Transparency Project found X had granted blue check marks to accounts tied to Hezbollah members, among others. This comes as a result of verification and the ‘tick’ being available for purchase by any X user for $13 a month.
Worldwide Meta outage sparks cyber attack concerns, threat groups claim responsibility
Users in the US, India, Europe, Australia and more were unable to access their Facebook and Instagram pages due to what Meta is calling a “technical issue”, which logged them out and told them their password was incorrect. As seen by cyber intelligence firm CyberInt, the outage has also been claimed by a trio of threat actors working in tandem – SkyNet, Godzilla, and Anonymous Sudan.
The latter posted a DownDetector screenshot to its Telegram, claiming that the outage was the work of the three groups. “Facebook downed by Skynet/Godzilla/InfraShutDown,” it wrote, with the third name referring to its brand new DDoS-as-a-service operation, which the group is pushing and advertising heavily on Telegram.
Security cooperation steps up with Japanese F-35 access to Australia
In August last year, Japan's deployment of two F-35 fighters to Australia's Tindal base marked a significant step forward in their strategic relationship, showing a deepening cooperation and paving the way for future joint training exercises. The deployment enhances their ability to operate together but also provides Japan with valuable training opportunities and logistical support on Australian soil.
Furthermore, this agreement offers Japan dispersion options, crucial in the event of conflict, and emphasizes the evolving quasi-alliance between the two nations, which has matured over more than a decade of collaboration.
Raft of Australian companies compromised in hosting service hack
A ransomware gang has posted dozens of Australian passports and driver’s licenses to the dark web after apparently compromising a cloud-based hosting service. The Black Basta gang has not disclosed who the hosting service is; however, referring to the victim only as “hvd.host”. What the gang has shared, however, is a list of mostly Australian businesses whose data the gang is threatening to publish if a ransom isn’t paid by 9 March.
Australian pro-Palestine group declares acts of terror 'ethically justified'
An urgent police probe into a pro-Palestine protest group that claimed "any sort of terrorism we might commit is justified resistance" is underway after it was accused of assaulting a group of Jews in front of the Melbourne Town Hall. Members of the group released a video declaring they are terrorists and that their actions are morally justifiable. One of the men in the video is under investigation for his role in the dramatic confrontation captured on film last week in which he and fellow pro-Palestinian demonstrators appear to clash with a group of Jewish community members, leaving the alleged victims fearing for their lives.
Publicly naming traitor politician would initiate defamation proceedings
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson says publicly naming the politician said to have assisted in sending national secrets to a foreign power would initiate defamation proceedings and cause ASIO tactics to be brought into the open. “It is not my role, nor Mike Burgess should do that in a public forum because that would initiate defamation proceedings,” Mr Paterson told Sky News Australia.