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Symantec Uncovers Plot to Attack the Internet of Things

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Symantec has discovered Linux.Darlloz as a new worm engineered to attack the Internet of Things, so-called uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like structure.

Experts have therefore warned companies and firms to take precaution because the virus is capable of attacking PCs, adding that it is targeted at the growing range of internet-connected small Linux-based devices such as home routers, set-top boxes and security cameras.

Symantec Corporation is an American computer security, backup and availability solutions Software Corporation who discovered Linux.Darlloz, and says that it “appears to be engineered to target the ‘Internet of things.'”

 It exploits an old PHP vulnerability to propagate, although Symantec has not yet found it in the wild. “The attacker,” said Kaoru Hayashi in a company blog, “recently created the worm based on the Proof of Concept (PoC) code released in late Oct 2013.”

According the report by Infosecurity, this is not (yet) an actual threat to the Internet of Things. Hayashi note, “We have also verified that the attacker already hosts some variants for other architectures including ARM, PPC, MIPS and MIPSEL…. The attacker is apparently trying to maximize the infection opportunity by expanding coverage to any devices running on Linux. However, we have not confirmed attacks against non-PC devices yet.”

 Davi Ottenheimer, president of flyingpenguin and EMC senior director of trust, picks up on this. “In other words, the only known attacks are on PCs,” he blogged yesterday.

“Other devices are just speculation. Given the Symantec report details, it seems quite clear the attacker is Not Targeting Hidden Devices.”

Nevertheless, Linux.Darlloz highlights the coming problems. It uses an old vulnerability long since patched; but ‘things’ are not easily updated.

“This particular threat is not a concern from an Internet of Things perspective,” PandaLabs’ technical director Luis Corrons told Infosecurity; “however it should be a heads up. We are talking about millions of devices that are usually untouched once installed: their default password is never changed, their operating system is never updated – which leads,” he added, “to millions of devices available to be hacked.

“Users,” he stressed, “have to be aware of this. Most, for example, don’t realize that IP cameras are really easy to hack; and the same goes for every device with network capabilities. People think that this happens in personal computers and could also happen every leap year in mobile devices, while the truth is that every network connected device is at risk: from our computer to our smart TV.”

David Harley, ESET senior research fellow, agrees that this is more of a warning for the future than a threat today. He notes that the attacker seems to be testing versions for other architectures, and comments, “the fact that someone is thinking about distinguishing between targets by architecture does suggest potential for much more targeted attacks in the future, with malware that discriminates not only by e_machine but by function, providing openings for other kinds of malicious activity.

 Targeting devices that aren’t PCs and therefore probably don’t have an explicit malware detection mechanism would reduce the likelihood of early detection of device-specific malware. Payloads that would take advantage of device-specific functionality would require significant research and development,” he told Infosecurity, “but who, a few years ago, would have given much thought to the likelihood of malware targeting uranium enrichment centrifuges?”

The problem for the future, he says, is that things in the Internet of Things are not likely to attract much security software. “I guess we can only hope that the makers of such devices will devote more thought to building in sound security and update mechanisms for internet-connected devices. And maybe talking to security specialists about the potential intrusive or disruptive attacks against such devices in the design and planning stages.”

 


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UK Orders Apple to Create Backdoor for Encrypted iCloud Data

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United Kingdom has issued a “technical capability notice” to Apple, mandating that the company create a backdoor to access users’ encrypted iCloud data.

UK Orders Apple to Create Backdoor for Encrypted iCloud Data

This directive, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, requires Apple to provide British security officials with the means to retrieve all content uploaded to iCloud by any user worldwide.

Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, introduced in 2022, offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud data, ensuring that only users can access their information.

The UK’s demand challenges this security measure, potentially compelling Apple to either comply by creating the backdoor or withdraw the ADP feature from the UK market.

Compliance could set a precedent, leading other governments to request similar access, thereby raising global privacy concerns.

The UK Home Office has declined to confirm or deny the existence of such notices, stating, “We do not comment on operational matters, including, for example, confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.”

This development underscores the ongoing tension between governmental surveillance efforts and technology companies’ commitments to user privacy.

 


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Oracle Adds AI Pricing Features to Financial Software

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Oracle on Thursday added another set of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to NetSuite, one of its corporate finance software offerings, including some that might make it faster for consumers to get a price quote on purchases like custom bicycles.

Oracle has taken a different tack with AI than rivals such as Microsoft. Rather than racing toward general purpose virtual assistants, Oracle has decided to add targeted features that speed common-but-tedious tasks like entering a brief write-up of how a sales meeting went into a corporate records system.

Another such task that is common in the business world is giving a customer a price quote on a complicated purchase that might have a lot of options, when a sales professional would need to sift through materials to come up with a price.

NetSuite on Thursday announced a feature to compile such a quote via conversation with a chatbot asking what the customer wants, which can either be used by sales professionals behind the scenes to speed up their work, or directly by consumers in the case of e-commerce businesses.

“When you buy something like a bicycle, you have to configure it – figure out what parts you want and which parts work together. We all do it when we buy our cars on the web these days,” Evan Goldberg, executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite, said.

“If you can configure (products) for customers more easily, you can do more deals in a day, or each deal costs less.”

To power those features, Oracle has decided to skip the costly race to develop huge AI models and instead works with partners such as Canadian startup Cohere.

Goldberg said that Oracle’s recent agreement to build massive data centers with ChatGPT creator OpenAI could lead to working with it as well, though the two firms have made no formal announcements.

“I think you could safely say that there’s a possibility that OpenAI will be part of this,” Goldberg told Reuters. “We are eager to work with OpenAI.”

 


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IBM Exits Nigeria and Ghana, Transfers Operations to MIBB

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IBM, the American multinational technology giant, has reportedly announced plans to exit Nigeria, Ghana, and other key African markets, transferring its regional operations to MIBB, a subsidiary of the Midis Group.

IBM Exits Nigeria and Ghana, Transfers Operations to MIBB

The move, which according to TechCabal was revealed in a statement by the company, effective April 1 2025, is part of a new operating model IBM is adopting across select African countries.

Under this arrangement, MIBB will take over IBM’s local operations, customer support, and relationships while marketing and selling IBM products and services across 36 African nations.

“MIBB will market and sell IBM products and services in 36 African countries, thereby giving MIBB’s sales network direct access to IBM products, services, and support, further boosting innovation and growth in the region,” IBM stated.

IBM has been a key player in Africa’s tech industry for decades, providing critical infrastructure for banking, telecom, oil and gas, and government services.

However, its planned exit follows a trend of multinational corporations leaving Nigeria.

In December 2024, Swiss cement giant Holcim announced its departure from Nigeria, selling its 83% stake in Lafarge to a Chinese firm.

Similarly, South African grocery retailer Pick n Pay disclosed plans in October 2024 to exit Nigeria by selling its 51% stake in a joint venture.

IBM has yet to respond to media inquiries regarding the specifics of its transition strategy and reasons for the exit.


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