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TechCrunch
an hour ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Rippling spy says men have been following him, and his wife is afraid
If becoming a spy sounds like an exciting way to live like a Le Carré character, let this newest affidavit from confessed Rippling spy Keith O'Brien serve as a warning. On Friday, an Irish judge granted O'Brien a restraining order against several men who have not yet been identified, according to the court order seen by TechCrunch. O'Brien testified that multiple men – two in a gray Skoda Superb on one occasion, and more often, a short-haired, heavy-set man in a black SUV, sometimes accompanied by a large dog – had repeatedly followed his car and watched his home. O'Brien's story has captured the imagination of the tech industry after his colorful confession in April, in which he alleged that he was a spy for Deel. He said he was paid €5,000 a month to steal Rippling's internal data on everything from products to customers. Rippling caught him by setting up a honeypot Slack channel. On the day he was caught, O'Brien pretended to flush his phone down the corporate toilet and later smashed it, dropping pieces down the drain at his mother-in-law's house, according to his affidavit. Now he's the star witness for Rippling in its lawsuit against Deel. Rippling is even picking up the tab for his legal and related expenses, its lawyers testified. Deel is also countersuing Rippling, claiming it was spied on too, by a Rippling employee impersonating a customer. The two HR tech companies have been bitter rivals for years after Deel – once a Rippling customer – began offering competing products. In the latest part of the saga, O'Brien testified that he tried to lose the black SUV following his car by making sudden turns and taking roundabout ways to get home, only to see it reappear in his rearview mirror. He hired a security consulting company and feared that someone was placing tracking devices on his car. O'Brien claims all of these incidents have created 'emotional and psychological' damage for himself and his wife. 'We have been experiencing anxiety at home and in public. It has affected our sleep and our concentration,' O'Brien said in his latest affidavit. They are fearful for the safety of their four children. He and his lawyer speculated that this was intended as harassment related to his role as star witness. However, O'Brien's lawyer also admitted in court that they had no evidence tying the men to Deel. Deel also denied knowing anything about the man in the black SUV. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW According to the Irish publication Business Post, when granting the injunction, the judge apparently said, 'As if they are in a 1970s cops and robbers' TV show. Whatever happens in the dueling court cases, O'Brien has made himself the rope in a bitter tug of war between these two well-funded HR startups. And from what he says in his testimony, it sounds painful.
Wall Street Journal
12 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Aflac Says Personal Info May Have Been Stolen in Cyberattack
Aflac AFL 0.53%increase; green up pointing triangle has been hit with a cyberattack that may have resulted in the theft of personal data related to the insurer's U.S. business. Aflac on Friday said it identified suspicious activity on its U.S. network on June 12 and that it was able to stop the intrusion within hours.
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
India's TCS says none of its systems were compromised in M&S hack
BENGALURU :Tata Consultancy Services said none of its "systems or users were compromised" as part of the cyberattack that led to the theft of customer data at retailer Marks and Spencer, its client of more than a decade. "As no TCS systems or users were compromised, none of our other customers are impacted" independent director Keki Mistry told its annual shareholder meeting. "The purview of the investigation (of customer) does not include TCS," Mistry added. TCS is one of the technology services providers for the British retailer. In early 2023, TCS reportedly won a $1 billion contract for modernising M&S' legacy technology with respect to its supply chain and omni-channel sales while increasing its online sales. The "highly sophisticated and targeted" cyberattack which M&S disclosed in April will cost about 300 million pounds ($403 million) in lost operating profit, and disruption to online services is likely until July. Last month, Financial Times reported that TCS is internally investigating whether it was the gateway for a cyberattack. Mistry presided as the chairman at the company's annual shareholder meeting as Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran skipped it due to "exigencies". The chairman's absence comes as the Group's airline Air India plane with 242 people on board crashed after take-off in Ahmedabad last week, killing all passengers except one.
CNET
18-05-2025
- CNET
Protect Your Wi-Fi: 10 Security Tips Before Memorial Day Weekend
School is almost out, summer is nearly here, and many folks are making travel plans for Memorial Day. Most people focus on door locks, alarm systems or cameras when protecting their home. But these days, just as much of your life happens online as it does inside your house. In fact, many of us will use the Memorial Day weekend to do some online shopping before heading to the beach or firing up the grill. If your home Wi-Fi network isn't properly secured, you could leave yourself open to hackers, data theft and other digital threats without realizing it. If your home network is breached, it can be accessed, which means controlling connected devices, installing malicious software or spying on your sensitive data, such as credit card numbers and live camera feeds. So what do you do? Make it more secure. A secure home network will help reduce the risk of getting hacked and having someone access your sensitive information. It'll also keep away unwanted or unauthorized people and devices that would slow down your connection or freeload on your internet service. Below, you'll find 10 simple, quick steps to secure your home network. Some are more effective than others at keeping hackers and freeloaders at bay, but all are useful in their own way. It's worth noting that nothing can guarantee absolute security from hacking attempts. But these tips make it much harder for anyone to compromise your network and data. (For more Wi-Fi tips, check out how to tell if your internet provider is throttling your Wi-Fi and our tips on how to speed up your Wi-Fi connection.) Locating local internet providers Tips to secure your Wi-Fi network at home Here are the basics for protecting your home Wi-Fi network. Keep reading for more information on each below. Place your router in a central location. Create a strong Wi-Fi password and change it often. Change the default router login credentials. Turn on the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption. Create a guest network. Use a VPN. Keep your router and devices up to date. Disable remote router access. Verify connected devices. Upgrade to a WPA3 router. 1. Place your router in a central location Strong network security starts with an optimized setup. If possible, place your router near the center of your home. Routers send wireless signals in all directions, so strategically placing your router in a central location will help keep your connection to the confines of your home. As a bonus, it will likely also make for the best connection quality. For example, if you have internet in an apartment where neighbors are immediately to the left and right of you, placing your router next to a shared wall could send a strong and tempting signal their way. A good router can cast signals next door or across the street, even if you aren't in an apartment. Placing your router in a central location reduces how far those signals travel outside your home. 2. Create a strong Wi-Fi password and change it often This should go without saying, but I will still cover it to emphasize its importance: Creating a unique password for your Wi-Fi network is essential to maintaining a secure connection. Avoid easily guessed passwords or phrases, such as someone's name, birthday, phone number or other common information. While simple Wi-Fi passwords are easier to remember, they're also easier for others to guess. You can easily access your router settings to update your Wi-Fi password. Oh, and be sure to change your password every six months or so, or whenever you suspect your network security may have been compromised. The more frequently you change your password, the less compromised it will be. Chris Monroe/CNET 3. Change the default router login credentials Along the same lines of password-protecting your Wi-Fi network, you'll also want to keep anyone from being able to directly access your router settings. To do so, change your router's admin name and password. You can log in to your router settings by typing its IP address into the URL bar, but most routers and providers have an app that lets you access the same settings and information. If you're unsure how to determine your IP address, read our guide. Your router login credentials are separate from your Wi-Fi network name and password. If you aren't sure what the default is, you should be able to find it on the bottom of the router. Or, if it's been changed from the default somewhere along the way, here's how to access your router settings to update the username and password. 4. Turn on the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption Most routers have a firewall to prevent outside hacking and Wi-Fi encryption to keep anyone from eavesdropping on the data sent back and forth between your router and connected devices. Both are typically active by default, but you should check to ensure they're enabled in your router settings. Now that you know how to log in to your router settings, ensure the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption are enabled. If they're off for whatever reason, turn them on. Your network security will thank you. 5. Create a guest Wi-Fi network Before sharing access to your main home network, consider creating a separate guest network for visitors. I'm not suggesting your guests will attempt anything nefarious with your main Wi-Fi connection. Still, their devices or anything they download while connected to your network could be infected with malware or viruses that target your network without them knowing it. A guest network is also ideal for your IoT devices, such as Wi-Fi cameras, smart thermostats and smart speakers -- devices that may not hold a lot of sensitive information and are perhaps more easily hackable than a smarter device such as a computer or phone. 6. Use a VPN Getty Images/Viva Tung/CNET There are a few reasons to use a good VPN, and network security is one of them. A virtual private network hides your IP address and Wi-Fi activity, including browsing data. VPNs are most useful when connected to a public network, but they can still add a level of security and privacy to your home network. Some VPNs are better than others, but like anything, you often get what you pay for. Free VPN services are available, but you can get a much more secure service if you pay a few extra bucks a month. Another perk of using a VPN is that it can be great for streaming. 7. Keep your router and devices up to date Software updates can be annoying, but they often include security updates. When companies become aware of potential or exposed security vulnerabilities, they release updates and patches to minimize or eliminate the risk. Stay updated on downloading those regularly. Keeping your router and connected devices current with the latest updates will help ensure you have the best protection against known malware and hacking attempts. If possible, set your router to automatically update in the admin settings, and periodically check to make sure it is up to date. 8. Disable remote router access Remote router access allows anyone not directly connected to your Wi-Fi network to access the router settings. Unless you need to access your router while away from home (to check or change the configuration of a child's connected device, for example), there should be no reason to enable remote access. You can disable remote access under the router's admin settings. Unlike other security measures, disabled remote router access may not be the default. 9. Verify connected devices Frequently inspect the devices connected to your network and verify that you know what they are. If anything on there looks suspicious, disconnect it and change your Wi-Fi password. After changing your password, you'll have to reconnect all your previously connected devices, but any users or devices that are not authorized to use your network will get the boot. Some devices, especially obscure IoT ones, may have odd default names of random numbers and letters you don't immediately recognize. If you encounter something like that when auditing your connected devices, disconnect them. Later on, when you can't start your robot vacuum cleaner from your phone, you'll know that's what it was. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:03 / Duration 8:02 Loaded : 2.46% 0:03 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 7:59 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected 10. Upgrade to a WPA3 router WPA3 is the latest security protocol for routers. All new routers should be equipped with WPA3, so if you buy a new router, you should have nothing to worry about. Many people rent their routers directly from the provider, which may not include the most up-to-date equipment. If your router was made before 2018, you might have a WPA2 device, which lacks the same security protocols as newer WPA3 devices. A quick search of your device's model should tell you when it came out and any specific features, such as whether it has WPA2 or WPA3. If you've got a router with WPA2, call your provider and negotiate for a better, more recent router. What's the bottom line? Network security is not guaranteed Again, even with the most recent and effective methods of protecting your home network, security will never be 100% certain. As long as there is the internet, hackers and cybercriminals will find ways to exploit it. With the tips above, you can better keep your network secure from anyone trying to use your connection or access your data. For more tips, check out how to find free Wi-Fi anywhere in the world and the ideal location for your router.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What customers need to know about the M&S cyber attack
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has confirmed a cyberattack resulted in the theft of customers' personal data. M&S is assuring customers that payment information, card details, and passwords were not compromised. The retailer has not disclosed the number of affected customers. M&S has prompted customers to reset their passwords upon their next login. The cyberattack has disrupted M&S's online services and in-store operations since April 25, and police are investigating.
