Page 7 - Threat Intelligence 8-7-2019

Regulatory and

Privacy News

Facebook pays record-breaking $5bn fine over privacy breaches - Facebook will pay a record-
breaking $5bn fine for violating the privacy of millions of its users, the US Federal Trade Commission
announced on Wednesday. The social network will also be subject to what the FTC called
“unprecedented new restrictions” designed to ensure executives are held accountable for privacy
decisions. The agency opened an investigation into the social network last year after Cambridge
Analytica harvested details of 87 million profiles the company used to target. Facebook violated a
2012 FTC order by deceiving users about the effects of its privacy settings on the security of their
personal data.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/facebook-record-fine-
privacy-breach-a9019431.html

Monzo updates apps after incorrectly storing banking customer PINs - The U.K.-based digital bank
Monzo Sunday disclosed that it has fixed an error that caused certain customers’ PIN codes to be
stored in a less secure area of its internal systems. In an Aug. 4 company blog post, the mobile-only
banking services provider acknowledged that it mistakenly had recorded some customers’ PINs in
encrypted log files that Monzo engineers are able to access. The company did not reveal the exact
number of affected customers, but said it was fewer than a fifth of the entire U.K. Monzo customer
base. After making the discovery on Aug. 2, Monzo released updates to its apps, deleted the
exposed information, and notified impacted customers via email. All Monzo app users are advised to
download iOS version 2.59.0 and Android 2.59.1, and affected customers should change their PIN.
Source: https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/monzo-updates-apps-after-
incorrectly-storing-banking-customer-pins/

Apple halts contractors listening to Siri recordings, will offer opt-out - Apple will temporarily
suspend its practice of allowing human contractors to grade snippet recordings of Siri conversations
for accuracy. The move follows a Guardian report in which a former worker claimed contractors
regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex as
part of their job. While Apple says user requests under review aren’t associated with Apple ID and
that responses are reviewed under strict and secure conditions, Apple’s terms of service were less
clear about the presence of humans outside of Apple listening and only noted that “certain
information such as your name, contacts, music you listen to, and searches is sent to Apple servers
using encrypted protocols.”.

Source: https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/privacy-compliance/apple-
announced-it-will-temporarily-suspend-its-practice-of-allowing-human-contractors-to-grade-
snippets-recordings-of-siri-conversations-for-accuracy/

www.accumepartners.com 7