cyber security

World News

What To Know About The Spying Scandal Linked To Israeli Tech Firm NSO

8:03pm August 25, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

Israel takes pride in its high-tech industry — and it brings in big bucks. But one of its star cybersecurity firms, NSO Group, is at the center of a spying scandal, and the government plays a role.

U.S. President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as Swiss President Guy Parmelin (right) looks on during the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa La Grange on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hacks Are Prompting Calls For A Cyber Agreement, But Reaching One Would Be Tough

6:14am July 02, 2021

The recent ransomware attacks on U.S. industries have sparked renewed talk of an international cyber agreement that could set rules for what's permissible, and spell out sanctions for violators.

An NPR investigation into the SolarWinds attack reveals a hack unlike any other, launched by a sophisticated adversary intent on exploiting the soft underbelly of our digital lives.

National

A 'Worst Nightmare' Cyberattack: The Untold Story Of The SolarWinds Hack

5:11pm April 16, 2021

by Dina Temple-Raston

Russian hackers exploited gaps in U.S. defenses and spent months in government and corporate networks in one of the most effective cyber-espionage campaigns of all time. This is how they did it.

Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, says the U.S. has a "blind spot" when it comes to foreign intelligence services that effectively carry out cyberspying from inside the U.S.

National

After A Major Hack, U.S. Looks To Fix A Cyber 'Blind Spot'

10:35am April 06, 2021

by Greg Myre

By law, the government can't monitor domestic Internet traffic. Hackers suspected of being Russian exploited this blind spot by disguising their origins and working through unwitting U.S. companies.

Queue Listen Now

Hackers Target Durham Networks

8:25am March 10, 2020

by Paul Garber

Authorities are trying to determine who disrupted phone and computer services in the Triangle over the weekend.

The U.S. is "disappointed" by the U.K.'s decision to allow Huawei to be part of its 5G network, a senior Trump administration official told NPR.

U.K. Will Allow Huawei To Build Part Of Its 5G Network, Despite U.S. Pressure

11:40am January 28, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The U.K. says it considers Huawei a "high risk vendor" – but rather than banning the telecom giant, it's asking British companies "to use Huawei in a limited way."

Experts say Iran may retaliate for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, its top military leader, with cyberattacks on American companies.

Iran Conflict Could Shift To Cyberspace, Experts Warn

2:36pm January 21, 2020

by Shannon Bond

After the U.S. killed Iran's top military leader, government officials and security experts say Iran could retaliate with cyberattacks ranging from destroying data to defacing websites.

Queue Listen Now

Nick Selby and NYPD officer Luis Sayan interview a retired New York City teacher who lost more than $300,000 to online scammers posing as Chinese police.

National

Coaxing Cops To Tackle Cybercrime? There's An App For That

12:40pm January 16, 2020

by Martin Kaste

Local police often don't feel equipped to investigate cybercrime. The NYPD is trying to teach patrol officers to ask the right questions about IP addresses, Bitcoin and phone spoofing.

Queue Listen Now

The BBC made a more secure version of its website available on the Tor, a privacy-focused browser that makes it more difficult to monitor a user's online activity.

World News

BBC Launches Tor Mirror Site To Thwart Media Censorship

4:29pm October 24, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

The BBC hopes people in countries that have blocked their website, such as China, Iran and Vietnam, could now have unrestricted access to the British news service.

Graph showing twitter activity from banned accounts in the last year.

World News

China Used Twitter To Disrupt Hong Kong Protests, But Efforts Began Years Earlier

10:17pm September 17, 2019

Social media networks banned hundreds of thousands of accounts last month. In NPR's assessment of the data, telling details begin to depict large disinformation campaigns.