17/03/2021: Cybersecurity & Tech News Roundup

Welcome to Wednesday’s news overview – this is a place where we keep you up to date on the latest technology updates, cybersecurity news, and more. Here’s what’s going on in the tech world today:

Tinder is going to introduce in-app background checks

Match Group is the parent company of Tinder, OKCupid, Hinge, and Plenty of Fish and has recently pledged to introduce background checks across all of its platforms later on in the year. Tinder is one of the globe’s most used dating apps, but where does it stand in terms of user safety? Digital dating has been scrutinised recently, especially as conversations are being had about women’s rights and safety overall, in the wake of the tragic death of Sarah Everard.

Soon, Tinder and other apps under the Match Group umbrella will allow users to view their prospective dates’ public records info using their name or mobile number – although so far, this is only being rolled out in the US. Match Group’s Head of Safety & Social Advocacy had this to say: “We recognise corporations can play a key role in helping remove those barriers with technology and true collaboration rooted in action.” Read more here.

WeLeakInfo just leaked its own customer’s payment details

Criminal data breach site WeLeakInfo may have accidentally given its own users a taste of their own medicine. Over 24,000 of the site’s customers had their own sensitive info leaked on a popular hacking forum – how’s that for irony? Full names, addresses, some credit card data, transaction dates, phone numbers, and IP addresses were all made available.

WeLeakInfo was taken offline by the FBI in early 2020, but before then, the site sold access to stolen data that was acquired across 10,000 different breaches. The site was sitting on a hoard of information consisting of 12 billion indexed user credentials. Malicious actors would then buy data from WeLeakInfo to use for their own nefarious purposes, but now because of this leak, the tables have truly turned. Read more here.

The Midland News Association has suffered a data breach

An independent publisher was recently breached and this resulted in journalists’ personal info and bank details being made public. The Midlands News Association confirmed that the data breach occurred late last month and exposed some of the organisation’s current and former employees names, addresses, NI numbers, bank account details, DoBs, and other sensitive info online – and than an unauthorised third party was involved.

The publisher has yet to reveal the total number of people affected, but their records do stretch as far back as 2011, so that’s potentially a lot of data up for grabs and a large sum of potential victims exposed. The organisation has since implemented new security measures to stop a breach from happening again, but as usual: hindsight is 20/20. Read more here.

The teenager behind last year’s big Twitter hack has been sentences to jail time

Graham Ivan Clark was just 17 when he masterminded one of the biggest bitcoin scams in recent history, and he’s now been sentenced to three years in prison for his efforts. Clark pleaded guilty to his crimes and will serve just three years as part of his plea deal and because he’s already served 229 days in jail since he was first arrested last summer. His prison time was also lessened because he was sentenced as a youthful offender, but he’s now been banned from using computers without permission and supervision from the law. It’s a shame that such a talented youngster chose to use his hacking talents for evil rather than good, but hopefully this will be a lesson to other similarly skilled individuals to get with the winning team. Read more here.

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