--- title: "Cyber Security News Update, Week 15 of 2021 | DuoCircle" description: "Work from home is the new normal. But have you thought about what could happen when you leave your workspace unattended at home?" image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/" --- Quick Answer Week 15 of 2021 covered: a gibberish tweet from US Strategic Command's official Twitter account ('l;;gmlxzssaw') that turned out to be the work of the social-media manager's young child rather than a breach, raising concerns about remote-work distractions; the Dutch DPA fining Booking.com €475,000 for waiting almost a month to disclose a breach affecting 4,000+ customers and 300 credit cards (against the GDPR 72-hour rule); a US DOJ indictment of 22-year-old Wyatt Travnichek for hacking the Post Rock Rural Water District in Kansas in March 2019 to disrupt drinking-water cleaning and disinfection; a North Korean campaign creating a fake security firm 'SecuriElite' along with seven LinkedIn and eight Twitter profiles to lure researchers into browser exploits, paired with a zero-day disclosed by South Korean firm ENKI in Internet Explorer; two hackers in China bypassing the State Taxation Administration's facial-recognition identity check by converting employee photos to videos and replaying them through a smartphone with camera bypass to issue fraudulent invoices; and the Ziggy ransomware administrator publishing 922 decryption keys, releasing an offline decryptor, and offering refunds via ziggyransomware@secmail.pro. Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Cyber%20Security%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%2015%20of%202021&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F&title=Cyber%20Security%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%2015%20of%202021 "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Cyber%20Security%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%2015%20of%202021&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F "Share via Email") ![DuoCircle blog post image](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2221.jpg) Work from home is the new normal. But have you thought about what could happen when you leave your workspace unattended at home? What happens when you do not adopt the necessary **security measures** while handling your organization’s critical data? This week’s news headlines shed light on _some fascinating updates from the world of cybersecurity that shall make you rethink your online security measures_. ## Child Plays Around, Posts Gibberish On USSTRATCOM’s Official Twitter Page A gibberish tweet went out from the official Twitter account of the US Strategic Command. The tweet caused an alarming situation, making the QAnon conspiracy theorists suspecting it to be the symbol of some impending attack. The tweet which read “;l;;gmlxzssaw” caused havoc because US Strategic Command is in charge of the nation’s launch codes for the nuclear arsenal. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was filed by Daily Dot reporter Mikael Thalen, who was then informed that _the tweet had no links to any breach_. The tweet was, in fact, the result of the playfulness of the very young child of the US Strategic Command’s telecommuting social media manager. He had left his laptop unattended and the child commandeered with the keyboard. The USSTRATCOM clarified that their [ransomware protection](/advanced-threat-defense) tools were in place, and there is no reason for anybody to worry. However, this incident speaks of the stress that employees face due to the [additional pressure](https://threatpost.com/child-tweets-gibberish-nuke-account/165140/?web%5Fview=true) brought in by the work-from-home situation. If no measures are taken to create a stress-free working environment for employees, then we are sure to witness more **cybersecurity negligence** and attacks on organizations in the future! ## Booking.com Loses Twice Against Cybersecurity _Over 4000 customers had lost their data in a recent attack on the hotel booking platform Booking.com_. Besides, [300 people](https://www.politico.eu/article/dutch-privacy-watchdog-fines-booking-com-e475k/?web%5Fview=true) lost their credit card details in the incident. The Amsterdam-based company was supposed to report the **security breach** to the Dutch data protection authority within 72 hours. But they cared to update the authorities almost a month late. Consequently, the company is in double loss as the Dutch regulator has imposed a **fine of €475,000** on Booking.com. Vice president of the Dutch regulator, Monique Verdier, calls this a severe **violation of cybersecurity** protocols. Since cyberattacks are inevitable, _it is essential to report them on time to reduce the damage_, says Verdier. [![security breach](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2222.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2222.jpg) ## Kansas Man Indicted for Hacking a Local Water Utility The US Department of Justice has indicted a 22-year-old resident of Kansas for _attempting to disrupt the water processing services and harming the public by hacking into the systems of a local water utility_. Wyatt Travnichek had worked for a year with the water utility from January 2018 to January 2019\. The Post Rock Rural Water District attack took place on 27th March 2019 when Wyatt shut down the district’s facilities for cleaning and disinfecting the water. The attack’s clear objective was to [harm the population](https://therecord.media/man-charged-for-hacking-kansas-water-utility-with-intent-to-harm-public/?web%5Fview=true) of the Ellsworth Rural Water District No. 1. Since the EPA is very particular about its drinking water systems’ security, strict legal actions await Wyatt. If found guilty, he may have a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for hacking the computer systems. _He may have up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for meddling with a public water system_. The indictment is a message for all notorious hackers that their acts of sabotaging [email security](/) system shall be brutally punished. ## Beware of Fake Cybersecurity Companies Cyber adversaries can be condemned for their evil ways, but their innovations never cease to amaze us. In the latest hacking scheme, _North Korean government-backed attackers create fake security companies to launch **malware attacks** on cybersecurity researchers_. The fake cybersecurity company by the name of ‘SecuriElite’ claims to provide software security assessments, pen tests, and exploits. The threat actors have also created several Twitter and LinkedIn accounts where they claim to be this fake company’s employees. Any unsuspecting user who reaches their website by following the link in any of these fake social media accounts is sure to trigger a **browser exploit**. The authorities have suspended seven fake LinkedIn profiles and 8 Twitter profiles since the [campaign went live](https://thehackernews.com/2021/03/hackers-set-up-fake-cybersecurity-firm.html?&web%5Fview=true) on 17th March. _The adversaries aim to build a rapport with cybersecurity researchers using these fake research blogs, cybersecurity websites, and social media accounts_. This incident was followed by a revelation from the South Korean cybersecurity firm ENKI that a [zero-day exploit](https://www.phishprotection.com/content/zero-day-attacks/) has been detected in Internet Explorer. The malicious actors wish to use security researchers as pawns to stay abreast of zero-day research and use the unpatched vulnerabilities to more targeted and severe attacks. ## Two Hackers Manipulated Chinese Identity Verification System Facial recognition is widely used in China for identity verification, but _two threat actors have manipulated this security measure in a recent incident_. Two hackers in china have conned a government-run identity verification system using an app that converts photos to videos. They tricked the State Taxation Administration’s identity verification system using high-definition photos of some of the actual employees and converted those to videos. _These [malicious hackers](https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/31/tax%5Fscammers%5Ffool%5Fai%5Ffacial%5Frecognition/?&web%5Fview=true) then used a smartphone that let them bypass the camera during facial authentication and played their concocted videos_ while the facial recognition test was happening. Once they were in, the attackers issued fake invoices and hoped to be paid. This wasn’t their first time messing with facial recognition systems. Legal actions await this duo for meddling with cybersecurity tools. [![Ransomware](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2223.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2223.jpg) ## Ziggy Ransomware Shuts Down, Refunds to Victims Can cyber criminals mend their ways and become ethical hackers? Well, _the Ziggy ransomware administrator sure has plans of becoming a ransomware hunter_. Ziggy reached its end of the operation in February this year. Since then, its administrator has been doing unusual things. They announced that they regret their actions and would publish all **decryption keys**. The next day (on 7th February), Ziggy released an SQL file with [922 decryption keys](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-admin-is-refunding-victims-their-ransom-payments/?&web%5Fview=true) and a decryption tool to make things easy for victims. _They also provided the source code for a decryptor that operates without an internet connection_. _Now the Ziggy administrator has made another announcement and said that they fear the consequences of being caught by law enforcement_. That’s why they will return victims all the money they paid as ransom. An email address has been provided ([ziggyransomware@secmail.pro](mailto:ziggyransomware@secmail.pro)) where victims can send payment proofs and computer ID. The money would be credited to their bitcoin wallet in two weeks. The Ziggy administrator clarified that the refund would be made at the Bitcoin value on the payment day. _They further stated that they belonged from a third-world country and had to sell their house to gather the required funds to make the refunds to Ziggy victims_. ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) Brad Slavin General Manager General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio. ## Secure your email infrastructure Protect, authenticate, and deliver. Contact our team to find the right solution. [Contact Sales](/contact/) [Explore Products](/products/) Share this article [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F) [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Cyber%20Security%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%2015%20of%202021&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021%2F) Copy Related Articles - [ ![spam](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/07/sender-policy-framework-7535.jpg) Alert: Fix SPF & DKIM Settings For Your Email Forwarding Set Up Through Microsoft o365 SMTP Server Or Your Emails May End Up In Spam News ](/blog/announcements/alert-fix-spf-dkim-settings-for-your-email-forwarding-set-up-through-microsoft-o365-smtp-server-or-your-emails-may-end-up-in-spam/) - [ ![Spam](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2016/05/spf-permerror-3256.jpg) April Spam Filtering Uptime Report News ](/blog/announcements/april-spam-filtering-uptime-report/) - [ ![Spam Filtering](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/02/spf-record-tester-7226.jpg) Changes to Spam Filtering Technology News ](/blog/announcements/changes-to-spam-filtering-technology/) - [ ![Cyber Security](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/01/spf-permerror-7312.jpg) Cyber Security News Update, Week 1 of 2020 News ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2020/) ## Related Articles [ News 3m Alert: Fix SPF & DKIM Settings For Your Email Forwarding Set Up Through Microsoft o365 SMTP Server Or Your Emails May End Up In Spam Jul 20, 2021 ](/blog/announcements/alert-fix-spf-dkim-settings-for-your-email-forwarding-set-up-through-microsoft-o365-smtp-server-or-your-emails-may-end-up-in-spam/)[ News 1m April Spam Filtering Uptime Report May 4, 2016 ](/blog/announcements/april-spam-filtering-uptime-report/)[ News 2m Changes to Spam Filtering Technology Feb 8, 2023 ](/blog/announcements/changes-to-spam-filtering-technology/)[ News 4m Cyber Security News Update, Week 1 of 2020 Jan 3, 2020 ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2020/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}],"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.facebook.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/phish-protection-by-duocircle/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://support.duocircle.com"},"knowsAbout":["Email Security","Email Authentication","SPF","DKIM","DMARC","Phishing Protection","Spam Filtering","SMTP Relay","Email Deliverability","Email Forwarding"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebSite","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]}} ``` ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"Cyber Security News Update, Week 15 of 2021","description":"Work from home is the new normal. But have you thought about what could happen when you leave your workspace unattended at home?","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/","datePublished":"2021-04-05T17:41:44.000Z","dateModified":"2025-05-21T15:34:26.000Z","dateCreated":"2021-04-05T17:41:44.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin runs DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. His focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/"},"articleSection":"announcements","keywords":"","wordCount":1114,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2221.jpg","caption":"DuoCircle blog post image","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Cyber Security News Update, Week 15 of 2021","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/"}]}] ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"News","item":"https://www.duocircle.comundefined"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Cyber Security News Update, Week 15 of 2021","item":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"Cyber Security News Update, Week 15 of 2021","description":"Work from home is the new normal. But have you thought about what could happen when you leave your workspace unattended at home?","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/","datePublished":"2021-04-05T17:41:44.000Z","dateModified":"2025-05-21T15:34:26.000Z","dateCreated":"2021-04-05T17:41:44.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin runs DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. His focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. We deliver about 90% of category-leader capability at roughly half the price, backed by experts who own the outcome. Trusted by 50,000+ organizations since 2014.","subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-15-of-2021/"},"articleSection":"announcements","keywords":"","wordCount":1114,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/04/anti-phishing-software-2221.jpg","caption":"DuoCircle blog post image","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}} ```