Loraine Centeno

The Hamilton Spectator •

16 billion passwords for Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram and more exposed in ‘one of the largest data breaches in history.’ Here’s what you need to know

If you thought the previous breach of more than 184 million credentials was bad, researchers have just confirmed what could be the largest leak of logins ever.“This is not just a leak — it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation,” they said in the report. With more than 16 billion logins exposed, cybercriminals now have “unprecedented access to personal credentials” that can be used to hack into people’s accounts, or for other types of fraud like identity theft, and highly targeted forms of phishing...
InsideHalton.com •

Smishing text scams are about to get worse: Ontario cybersecurity expert warns Canadians to be ready as scams get GenAI boost

A sinister phishing platform, linked to cybercriminals responsible for the recent toll text scams and Canada Post text scams, just got a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) boost which allows them to create phishing websites in minutes, according to a new report.The Canadian Anti Fraud Centre describes smishing as a type of phishing scam where cyber criminals try to trick you by sending fraudulent SMS or text messages. They often pretend to be a real business (such as a bank or delivery c...
Toronto Star •

Did you get a text from 407 ETR? Why it could be a scam and how to protect yourself

407 ETR is warning the public about a text scam campaign from hackers pretending to be their personnel. These texts would often be about an unpaid toll violation that the receiver would need to settle within a certain period.“Our records indicate that you may have an unpaid toll violation on the 407 ETA. Please settle your outstanding balance online within 24 hours at the link below,” a text message reads. “If payment is not received by the due date, you may face fines, escalating fees, vehicle...
Toronto Star •

This malware found in Google Play and Apple Store can steal photos from your phone

Don’t let the cute name fool you, this dangerous malware can sneak its way into your phone and steal all your photos. Once downloaded, it sneaks its way into the device, prompts the user to grant access to the photo gallery and then takes control and steals all the images.“SparkKitty uploads each and every one of your snapshots to its command-and-control (C&C) server,” the researchers wrote in the report. C&C servers are hacker-controlled computers that send instructions to and remotely control...

An Amazon Prime Spoofing Campaign is Using Malicious PDF to Steal Credit Card Information

Threat intelligence experts at Unit 42 discovered the phishing campaign in January 2025. The attack starts with an email about the target's expiring Amazon Prime membership. Similar to the Amazon Prime membership phishing campaigns that ran rampant from 2022 to 2024, this tells the customer that there was an issue with the credit card on file and that failure to update the payment method will cause suspension of Prime benefits.
MUO •

What You Need To Know About Golang-Based Malware

Golang is becoming the programming language of choice for many malware developers. According to cybersecurity firm Intezer, there’s been an almost 2000 percent increase in the number of Go-based malware strains found in the wild since 2017. The number of attacks using this type of malware is expected to increase in the next couple of years. What’s most alarming is that we’re seeing many threat actors who are targeting multiple operating systems with strains from a single Go codebase.
MUO •

What Is Cybercrime as a Service?

The cybercrime landscape has evolved to become a highly lucrative and organized business. Using the as-a-service business model, cybercriminals are now offering their services and hacking tools to anyone willing to pay for them or split the profits. Here’s what this trend is about and why we should all be worried about our digital security. What Is Cybercrime as a Service? Cybercrime as a Service (CaaS) is the umbrella term used to describe an organized business model that involves malware de
MUO •

Your Website Has Been DDoSed - But What Does DDoS Mean?

You may have heard of hackers taking down websites in a DDoS attack. During a DDos strike, users will see a server error message whenever they try to access the website or service. Companies who get DDoSed suffer thousands of dollars' worth of damages. The longer hackers keep their sites down, the more money victims lose. So what is a DDoS attack? What is the actual definition of a DDoS attack? A DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service is a type of cyberattack that targets web servers, database
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