Stay updated with the latest cyber threats and infosec news affecting journalists with our dedicated Information Security Journalist tag.
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Background for this topic.
Journalist is a designation often targeted by various cyber threats due to the sensitive nature of the information they handle. In the context of information security, protecting journalists encompasses a range of security measures designed to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data and communications. Journalists frequently face risks such as hacking, surveillance, and data theft, which can result from their efforts to collect and disseminate important information.
Information security for journalists involves employing encryption techniques to secure communications, using secure channels for transmitting sensitive information, and applying best practices in digital and operational security. It also includes educating journalists about potential cyber threats and the tools available to mitigate those risks. As purveyors of critical information and often as watchdogs of democracy, ensuring their digital security is paramount to preserving freedom of the press and the protection of their sources.
Weekly headline count for the current query.
Five Eyes Agencies Document 5-Step Chinese Job Platform Spy SchemeThe Five Eyes intelligence agencies issued a rare joint bulletin warning that Chinese military intelligence is using LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork to recruit government and military insiders. The operation targets clearance holders, military personnel, academics and journalists.
A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. ShinyHunters Leaks Charter Communications Data, Potentially Impacting 5 Million Customers Signal Phishing Campaign Targets Journalists and […]
Attackers are texting Signal users posing as Support, asking for backup recovery keys. Once obtained, they can decrypt the entire message history, not just future chats. A phishing campaign is currently targeting Signal users with text messages that impersonate Signal Support and ask them to hand over their backup recovery key. The message looks urgent, […]
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new China-aligned espionage campaign targeting government and defense sectors across South, East, and Southeast Asia, along with one European government belonging to NATO
A Romanian national who led an online swatting ring that targeted more than 75 public officials, multiple journalists, and four religious institutions was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison. [...]
Nothing says 'We want honest opinions' like a 36,000-letter mailshot with no awkward questions allowed Members of the UK government’s People’s Panel on Digital ID will spend two weekends in Birmingham and three evenings on Zoom discussing how Britain should build a national digital identity system, earning £550 plus expenses for their trouble.…
Or, how public information and a €5 tracker exposed an avoidable opsec lapse Militaries around the world spend countless hours training, developing policies, and implementing best operational security practices, so imagine the size of the egg on the face of the Dutch navy when journalists managed to track one of its warships for less than the cost of some hagelslag and a coffee.…
An apparent hack-for-hire campaign likely orchestrated by a threat actor with suspected ties to the Indian government targeted journalists, activists, and government officials across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to findings from Access Now, Lookout, and SMEX
Access Now, Lookout and SMEX joined research forces to find a campaign involving suspected Indian government-connected group Bitter, ProSpy spyware and more. The post Hack-for-hire spyware campaign targets journalists in Middle East, North Africa appeared first on CyberScoop.
Russian state-sponsored hackers have been linked to an ongoing Signal and WhatsApp phishing campaign targeting government officials, military personnel, and journalists to gain access to sensitive messages. [...]
Dutch spies flag large-scale campaign to hijack secure messaging accounts Russian-linked hackers are trying to break into the Signal and WhatsApp accounts of government officials, journalists, and military personnel globally – not by cracking encryption, but by simply tricking people into handing over the keys.…
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (aka Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV) and Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) have issued a joint advisory warning of a malicious cyber campaign undertaken by a likely state-sponsored threat actor that involves carrying out phishing attacks over the Signal messaging app
A prolific data ransom gang that calls itself Scattered Lapsus ShinyHunters (SLSH) has a distinctive playbook when it seeks to extort payment from victim firms: Harassing, threatening and even swatting executives and their families, all while notifying journalists and regulators… Read More »
As 2026 begins, these journalists urge the cybersecurity industry to prioritize patching vulnerabilities, preparing for quantum threats, and refining AI applications, in the latest edition of Reporters' Notebook.
Meta has started rolling out a new WhatsApp lockdown-style security feature designed to protect journalists, public figures, and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks. [...]
Meta on Tuesday announced it's adding Strict Account Settings on WhatsApp to secure certain users against advanced cyber attacks because of who they are and what they do
Foundation for Defense of Democracies Warns Against Aligning With New Cyber TreatyThe United Nations' cybercrime treaty, shaped by Russian and Chinese influence, could legitimize global digital repression by enabling prosecutions of journalists, activists and researchers under vague terms - despite U.S. opposition and mounting civil society alarm, analysts warned Thursday.
NSO Group Blocked From WhatsApp and Must Destroy Code Used to Hack 1,400 DevicesA federal judge issued a permanent injunction barring NSO Group from using or retaining its WhatsApp spyware exploit, citing national security risks and business harm after the manufacturer's tools compromised 1,400 devices - some allegedly linked to journalists and officials.
Europol has confirmed that a Telegram channel impersonating the agency and offering a $50,000 reward for information on two Qilin ransomware administrators is fake. The impostor later admitted it was created to troll researchers and journalists. [...]
Also, Spain Arrests Hacker Behind Leaks Targeting Politicians and JournalistsThis week, Chinese sites mimicked brands, Spain arrested data leak hackers, Swiss health nonprofit ransomware attack, ICC probed a cyberattack, UNFI restored systems, a flaw in smart tractors, RomCom RAT. A U.K. man sentenced for locking employer out of network. A WordPress hack installs a Trojan.