CIRCLE WITH A DOT

SCOOP: Apple says it's not aware of anyone using Lockdown Mode getting hacked with spyware, on all kinds of devices.

There have already been a couple of documented cases of Lockdown Mode stopping spyware attacks. And there's been one case where an advanced hacking toolkit was designed to bail out if it detected Lockdown Mode on the target device.

If you're worried about spyware, you should use turn this security feature on.

Apple says no one using Lockdown Mode has been hacked with spyware | TechCrunch

The tech giant's claim that it has not seen any successful spyware attacks targeting Apple devices with Lockdown Mode enabled comes amid a leak of hacking tools targeting users running devices with older software.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: We spoke to a few iPhone security experts about what the discovery of DarkSword means to the long-held assumption that iPhones are very hard to hack.

The answer is nuanced, and not simple. Apple has made significant strides in making iPhones more secure, but DarkSword may change how we think.

Apple made strides with iOS 26 security, but leaked hacking tools still leave millions exposed to spyware attacks | TechCrunch

Leaked hacking tools threaten the security of millions of older iPhones. Cybersecurity experts weigh in.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: Here's everything you need to know about the new iPhone hacking tool DarkSword.

What is DarkSword? How does it work? Where did it come from? How did it leak online? What can you do about it?

We break it all down in this explainer.

A major hacking tool has leaked online, putting millions of iPhones at risk. Here’s what you need to know. | TechCrunch

Here’s what we know, and what you need to know, about Coruna and DarkSword, two advanced iPhone hacking tools discovered by security researchers. DarkSword has now leaked online.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

SCOOP: Someone has found new samples of the iPhone spyware DarkSword and published them on GitHub, putting millions of iOS users at risk.

A cybersecurity researcher told us that the leaked spyware is "way too easy to repurpose" and "we need to expect criminals and others to start deploying this."

"The exploits will work out of the box," iVerify's Matthias Frielingsdorf said. "There is no iOS expertise required."

Someone has publicly leaked an exploit kit that can hack millions of iPhones | TechCrunch

Leaked "DarkSword" exploits published to GitHub allow hackers and cybercriminals to target iPhone users running old versions of iOS with spyware, according to cybersecurity researchers.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: Iranian government hackers are using Telegram to steal data in malware attacks against dissidents, journalists, and opposition groups around the world, according to the FBI.

The hackers work for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), the FBI said, and they use Telegram as command and control infrastructure to hide their malicious activity.

FBI says Iranian hackers are using Telegram to steal data in malware attacks | TechCrunch

Hackers working for Iran’s government are using Telegram in hacking operations that use malware to target dissidents, opposition groups, and journalists who oppose its regime, according to the FBI.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: The FBI has taken down and seized two websites that were run by the pro-Iranian hacktivist group Handala.

“Law enforcement authorities determined this domain was used to conduct, facilitate, or support malicious cyber activities on behalf of, or in coordination with, a foreign state actor,” read the seizure notice.

The law enforcement actions comes a week after Handala claimed responsibility for the devastating hack of U.S. medical tech giant Stryker.

FBI seizes pro-Iranian hacking group's websites after destructive Stryker hack | TechCrunch

The FBI and the Justice Department took down two websites linked to the pro-Iranian hacktivist group Handala, which last week hacked medical tech giant Stryker.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: The FBI is looking for a hacker who published several video games on Steam that were laced with malware in the last two years.

The bureau is aslo looking for gamers who fell victim and installed these games on their computers.

The FBI is investigating malware hidden inside games hosted on Steam | TechCrunch

The FBI believes a series of video games published on Steam in the last two years were embedded with malware by the same hacker.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

In a statement, CISA's acting director Nick Andersen said the agency is investigating the attack. "We are working shoulder-to-shoulder with our public and private sector partners as we continue to uncover relevant information and provide technical assistance."

Pro-Iran hacktivist group says it is behind attack on medical tech giant Stryker | TechCrunch

The hacktivist group claimed the attack was in retaliation for a U.S. strike on a Tehran school that killed more than 175 people, most of them children.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: The pro-Iran hacktivists Handala claim to have hacked U.S. medical tech giant Stryker. Some company systems have been wiped, causing disruptions and outages worldwide.

The hakctivists said the attack was "in retaliation for the brutal attack on the Minab school," which killed dozens of kids.

“In this operation, over 200,000 systems, servers, and mobile devices have been wiped and 50 terabytes of critical data have been extracted. Stryker’s offices in 79 countries have been forced to shut down,” the hackers wrote in a message posted online.

Pro-Iran hacktivist group says it is behind attack on medical tech giant Stryker | TechCrunch

The hacktivist group claimed the attack was in retaliation for a U.S. strike on a Tehran school that killed more than 175 people, most of them children.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

NEW: A former DOGE employee allegedly stole Americans' personal data from two large databases at the Social Security Administration, according to a new report.

The former employee allegedly put the databases on a thumb drive and wanted to use them at their new contractor job.

DOGE employee stole Social Security data and put it on a thumb drive, report says | TechCrunch

A whistleblower is accusing a former DOGE member of stealing a large number of Americans’ personal data while he was working at the Social Security Administration, with the plan of using it at his new job.

TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

I just learned that Trend Micro re-branded to TrendAI...uhm, OK.

@Rairii someone should find out!

@simonzerafa If you can calculate what year that is, sure

If anyone is wondering, I will not be at RSA. 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NEW: The FBI said it is investigating a hack on its networks.

The breach affected the FBI's systems to manage wiretaps and surveillace requests, according to CNN.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/fbi-investigating-hack-on-its-wiretap-and-surveillance-systems-report/

NEW: Italian prosecutors confirm that the phone of journalist Francesco Cancellato was hacked with Paragon spyware at the same time as the phones of two immigration activists.

The Italian government admitted the hack on the activists, but said it wasn't behind Cancellato's hack.

So who was? The mystery continues. And Cancellato, as well as his colleague Ciro Pellegrino, who was also allegedly hacked, are demanding answers.

http://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/italian-prosecutors-confirm-journalist-was-hacked-with-paragon-spyware/

NSO Group has spent at least $7.6 million to lobby in Washington D.C., according to this report.

And it's gonna continue to pressure the U.S. government to get removed from the blocklist it was put on in 2021, in an attempt to get into the U.S. market.

NSO has hired a lot of people for its lobbying efforts.

https://www.techpolicy.press/will-nsos-us-lobbying-pay-off-under-trump/

NEW: There have been a few reports and some statements from government officials that suggest cyber operations played a significant role in the first days of the war in Iran.

At the end of the day this war is about dropping bombs, but these reports show cyber can have an important supporting role — for surveillance, intelligence gathering, disruption, and PYOPs — in real world conflict.

http://techcrunch.com/2026/03/03/hacked-traffic-cams-and-hijacked-tvs-how-cyber-operations-supported-the-war-against-iran/

Does anyone remember what this self-spreading bluetooth malware for Nokia phones could have been? I got hacked with it 20 years ago and I never figured out what virus it was exactly.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-time-i-got-hacked-in-a-lisbon-bar/

NEW: A Greek court has ruled that Intellexa's founder Tal Dilian, and some associates, have to spend eight years in jail for wiretapping and privacy violations for their role in a spying campaign against politicians and journalists in the country.

There will be an appeal, and Dilian and the others will remain free until then.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/26/spyware-maker-sentenced-to-prison-in-greece-for-wiretapping-politicians-and-journalists/