Good morning. Let’s get into the tech news, shall we?
1. Tech Council CEO steps down
Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder is stepping down. A voice for the local tech industry to Canberra, Pounder helped cement the Council as an important player in the space, and now, she’s resigning to limit travel commitments and remain in Canberra to support a family health matter. “Over the last three years Kate has worked tirelessly to ensure that the tech sector has a strong and unified voice on the national stage… She has built a formidable team, bringing together policy, advocacy and building a large and diverse member ecosystem,” Council board chair Robyn Denholm said. Head of public policy at the Council, Ryan Black will act as the interim CEO, and Pounder’s last day will be February 2.
2. ASIC to examine failed crypto company
The Guardian is reporting that the Australian Investments and Securities Commission (ASIC) is looking into Blockchain Global, a company that collapsed in 2021 and currently owes creditors $58 million. The company’s liquidator referred its directors to ASIC for potentially breaching the Corporations Act. ASIC originally indicated that it would not take action, however, after The Guardian reported on the Blockchain Global-linked ‘HyperVerse’ investment scheme, ASIC has started to investigate. “ASIC confirms that it is assessing reports from the liquidator in relation to BGL,” ASIC told The Guardian in a statement.
3. Man sentenced for buying stolen data online
iTnews reported on a Melbourne man who has pleaded guilty to buying stolen data on the Genesis Market – one count of possessing data with the intent to commit a computer offence. The Melbourne County Court has handed the man a 12-month community corrections order after he was found to be one of 10 Genesis Market users to be arrested in April last year. The Australian Federal Police seized a laptop and phone from the man, which was found to contain 650 compromised credentials.
4. iOS 17.3 is out
Moving onto some lighter news, and The Verge reports that iOS 17.3 has been released, meaning newer iPhone owners can now use ‘Stolen Device Protection’. The new feature is an anti-theft measure, and relies on the owner’s biometric data, such as their fingerprint or face, to perform certain actions, such as when accessing iCloud data or when making a purchase.
5. ‘SIM swapping’ reasons for SEC Twitter breach
Reuters is reporting that the Twitter (now X) hack against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s account, which put up a compromised post claiming that Bitcoin had been approved as an exchange-traded product, was the result of a SIM swap. SIM swapping occurs when a bad actor manages to switch control of a phone number to a SIM card in their possession, effectively tricking the telco into believing that they are the phone number owner. Additionally, the SEC claims six months before the attack, it had removed two-factor authentication from its account and did not reenable it until after the hack. The moral of the story: please have good account hygiene.
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— 逆ばにー(18) (@P1RACING__) January 20, 2024
Have a lovely day.