One certainty in cybersecurity is that there will always be more hackers. It is an unavoidable fact in an industry that will spend approximately $150 billion this year worldwide without ever being able to stop hackers.
This past year has seen Russian government hacks aimed at Ukraine; more ransomware against hospitals and schools—and against whole governments too; a seemingly endless series of costly crypto hacks; and high-profile hacks of companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar Games, the last hack allegedly carried out by teenagers.
But while all these types of hacks will continue next year and in the near future, cybersecurity experts don’t believe next year will be all doom and gloom for cybersecurity. Find out why by reading the complete story.
—Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Take a look back over some of this year’s most thought-provoking cyber security stories:
+ Erik Prince wants to sell you a “secure” smartphone that’s too good to be true. MIT Technology Review obtained Prince’s investor presentation for the “RedPill Phone” back in August, which promised more than it could possibly deliver. Read the complete story.
+ Since years, hackers linked to China have targeted human rights groups.. Three years ago, a hacker group connected to China targeted human rights organizations, think tanks and news media as well as agencies of foreign governments. Read the whole story.+ The US military is interested in understanding the most critical software on Earth. Open-source code runs on every computer on the planet—and keeps America’s critical infrastructure going. DARPA is concerned about its reliability. The full story is available here.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Protestors in China reject zero covid
It’s the widest demonstration of dissent that President Xi Jinping has ever faced. (Economist $)
+ Pornography deliberately obscured the news about protests on Twitter. (WP $)
+ Observers hold up blank papers to demonstrate their support. (BBC)
+ Protests are widespread and multi-faceted. (FT $)
+ The protests have dealt Xi’s reputation a hammer blow. (Nikkei Asia)