--- title: "Cyber Security News Update, Week 9 of 2021 | DuoCircle" description: "The cyber domain is continuously targeted by threat actors, making it a vulnerable space." image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-9-of-2021/" --- Quick Answer Week 9, 2021 cyber news: FTC reports romance scams up 50% in 2020 with $304M+ in losses; Italian regulator fines Facebook 8.5M for failing to publish a court-ordered data-use notice from a 2018 ruling; Dutch police post warnings on Raid and XSS hacking forums after Operation Ladybird disrupted Emotet; the Barcode Scanner app (10M+ installs) turned malicious overnight after a Lavabird ownership transfer leaked the private key; researchers find malicious npm packages sonatype, an0n-chat-lib, and discord-fix abusing Discord as a CDN for XMRig miner, Epsilon ransomware, and Redline stealer; Myanmar Hackers deface government sites including the Central Bank and MRTV. 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However, relying on the right **cybersecurity tools** ensures better protection. Here are the top cyber scams from this week that will surely help plan your risk management strategies more efficiently ## Cyber Attackers Eye Dating App Users During Lockdown _The use of dating apps had increased significantly in 2020, owing to the world-wide lockdown_. But romantic partners weren’t the only ones benefiting from this virtual world of relationships. Scammers used these dating platforms to dupe users for financial or other purposes. _An FTC report states that there has been a 50% rise of romance scams in 2020 compared to 2019_, causing economic losses exceeding **$304 million**. [![scammers](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/02/dkim-validation-6421.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/02/dkim-validation-6421.jpg) In a typical attack, the [scammers pretend](https://web.archive.org/web/20210515210329/https://cyware.com/news/lockdown-love-scams-reach-a-record-high-11b83272/) to be a real person with a seemingly genuine profile picture, have long conversations with the victim, and request money from them for a so-called emergency. In some cases, _the adversaries also use the victims as money mules to conduct illegal transactions through their accounts_. They do this by sending unsusceptible links to the victims, which deal with stolen unemployment funds. _The FBI has issued an alert asking people to stay cautious of such scammers on online dating forums_. Dating app users must take cybersecurity measures and always conduct a reverse image check of the person they’re interacting with for added security. ## Italian Watchdog Fines Facebook For A Second Time _An Italian watchdog has fined Facebook for security noncompliance from 2018_. The watchdog had discovered improper management of user data because of Facebook’s foul commercial practices. The [social media giant](https://cybernews.com/news/italian-watchdog-fines-facebook-7-million-euros-over-improper-data-use/?web%5Fview=true) was asked to inform users of its data collection policy back in November 2018\. _Facebook was **fined $5.5 million** for this cybersecurity violation_ and asked to post an amended statement on each Italian user’s Facebook page. _The watchdog discovered now that the company had never published the amended statement on its Italian homepage_, on the app, and the personal page of each Italian user (as asked); nor did they stop **collecting data from users** in that offensive manner. This triggered the regulator to fine Facebook $8.5 million, almost three years after the first incident. Now that’s a cue for all companies to adhere to cybersecurity guidelines! ## Dutch Police On The Hunt For Cyberattackers The Dutch police set a fine example of **robust cybersecurity** vigilance by posting a friendly message on Raid and XSS, two of the most popular hacking forums telling attackers that their criminal pursuits in the Netherlands won’t be successful. The message also contained the YouTube video link to a video towards the end of which the Dutch police said that they shall wait for a mistake from adversaries’ end. This move by the Dutch police comes after Operation Ladybird, a collective movement of world law enforcement agencies to [bring down Emotet](https://www.zdnet.com/article/dutch-police-post-friendly-warnings-on-hacking-forums/?&web%5Fview=true). _The Dutch police are known for their aggressively active role in the eradication of cybercrimes_. They have brought down several botnets, arrested two web hosting providers, punished DDoS-for-hire services users, phishers and malware operators, and shut down the encrypted chat support for cybercriminals, Ennetcom. With a warning message from such efficient police forces, the cyber adversaries are likely to get intimidated by the Dutch [ransomware protection](/advanced-threat-defense) strategies! ## Barcode Scanner App Becomes Malware Popular QR code scanner app with **over 10 million installs**, Barcode Scanner recently had a change of owners, and guess what it led to? The third-party buyer who bought the app from Lavabird Ltd. converted the app into malware which crowded users’ devices with unwanted adverts. _Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes discovered that the app became a nuisance for users overnight following an update_. The malware presented itself before the deal between Lavabird, and the buyer was officially recorded. That makes Lavabird the guilty owner of a malicious app, though they claim that the third-party buyer triggered the incident. _Lavabird blames the buyer for meddling with the app’s private key before the purchase was completed_. Thus, the [updated app](https://www.zdnet.com/article/owner-of-app-that-hijacked-millions-of-devices-with-one-update-exposes-buy-to-infect-scheme/?&web%5Fview=true) made Lavabird responsible for a **security violation** it wasn’t involved in. This attack is of a new kind in the cybersecurity realm and has taught Lavabird a lesson for life. _They advise users to delete the app along with using cybersecurity tools for protection_. [![malicious files](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/02/what-is-dkim-selector-8532.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/02/what-is-dkim-selector-8532.jpg) ## Beware Of Discord Fraud The pandemic compelled people to switch to online modes of communication, which increased the use of chatting platforms like Discord. _The adversaries used this shift to their benefit and used Discord to host malicious payloads_. The cyber attackers extensively use Discord as a CDN to host payloads like XMRig miner, Epsilon ransomware, Discord token grabbers, and Redline stealer. They cunningly renamed [malicious files](https://web.archive.org/web/20230325195252/https://cyware.com/news/discord-a-new-paradise-for-cybercrime-3855f058) as gaming or pirated software and used game-related icons to increase their scams’ credibility. Last month, cybersecurity researchers discovered three malicious software packages called sonatype, an0n-chat-lib, and discord-fix on the npm open-source repository. _They stole tokens and other details from Discord users while allowing the adversaries to hack the server_. These threat actors also target Discord servers in **cryptocurrency scams**. With such severe cyber risks attached, it’s advised to use Discord with extreme caution. Users must adopt [email security](/) and other security measures for protection. ## Cyberwar In Myanmar _A hacking group by the name of Myanmar Hackers has hacked into the military-run government websites in Myanmar._ These include the Military’s propaganda page, including the Central Bank, Myanmar, Food and Drug Administration, MRTV, the state-run broadcaster, and the Port Authority. This attack supports a [people’s rally](https://www.news18.com/news/world/hackers-target-myanmar-govt-websites-in-coup-protest-3446348.html) from the previous day where people protested against the overthrow of the Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government by the Military. The hacker group even announced the same on their Facebook page. _They say that the hack symbolizes a mass protest of people before government websites_. Matt Warren, a cybersecurity expert from the RMIT University (Australia), says that the adversaries are into DoS attacks and defacing, raising awareness. Meanwhile, _the authorities have shut down the internet in Myanmar for the fourth night in a row_. Cyberattacks are being used for all sorts of purposes, we usually hear of attacks for financial gains and **data theft**, but now they are even used for international warfare! ![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-9-of-2021%2F) [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Cyber%20Security%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%209%20of%202021&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-9-of-2021%2F) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-9-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. 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