20/04/2021: Cybersecurity & Tech News Roundup

US police officers and public officials had their donations exposed by a crowdfunding site's unfortunate data breach

GiveSendGo - a Christian crowdfunding site - fell victim to a data breach recently, and as a result, their donation records were revealed to the public. This information was shared with journalists via an online transparency group, and several members of law enforcement and respected public figures have been under fire as a result - due to the nature of their donations.

So, who were they donating to? Girl Scout cookies, retirement homes, youth projects? Unfortunately, several notable people had actually donated to fundraisers for accused vigilante murderers such as Kyle Rittenhouse, far-right activists like the Proud Boys, and police officers who have been accused of shooting unarmed African Americans. While many thought their identities would be concealed by the fundraiser's anonymity feature, the information retrieved from the breach led journalists straight to them. Read more here.

Birmingham council's data leak could have serious consequences for vulnerable children

Personal details belonging to vulnerable families in Birmingham were accidentally uploaded to a public page on the council's website. What's worse, is that this wasn't identified by the council itself, it was a concerned parent that came across the information. 143 families who had applied to their local council in order to get bus passes for their children were available for around a month at the start of the year, but thankfully once the breach was reported, it was immediately dealt with. Read more here.

Mark Zuckerberg challenges Clubhouse with Facebook's new audio-only network.

Facebook knows how to move with the times. When Snapchat's popularity threatened Facebook's social media supremacy, they launched Instagram Stories, when TikTok stepped up to the plate, they launched Reels. The latest challenger is Clubhouse, but once again Facebook has adopted it's policy of if you can't beat them; copy them.

Enter Live Audio Rooms, Facebook's own version of the popular audio-only network Clubhouse. It allows people to listen to and participate in live conversations, a popular feature for users who have grown weary of video communication. Facebook is doubling down on its audio investment by boosting its own offering with Soundbites, a feature that allows users to create and share short audio clips. Read more here.

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