Snynet Solution Logo
MON - SUN: 10 AM - 6 PM
+60 11 5624 8319

Blog

Positive Technologies denies involvement in SolarWinds attack

Image Description

Responding to sanctions imposed by the US government, Russia-headquartered cybersecurity company Positive Technologies (PT) has denied any wrongdoing, and dismissed the claims as “groundless accusation”. 

Last week, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on several Russian technology firms, including PT, accusing them of helping Russian state actors to conduct cyberattacks against the West. 

Specifically, the Treasury accused Russian Intelligence Services -  the FSB, GRU and SVR - of having collaborated to execute the now infamous SolarWinds hack.

TechRadar needs you!

We're looking at how our readers use VPN for a forthcoming in-depth report. We'd love to hear your thoughts in the survey below. It won't take more than 60 seconds of your time.

>> Click here to start the survey in a new window<<

“As a company, we deny the groundless accusations made by the US Department of the Treasury….Our global mission is to create products and technologies to improve cybersecurity around the world and to ensure conditions for the most efficient prevention of cyberattacks for the benefit of society, business, and government agencies,” said Positive Technologies in a statement.

Collaborating with FSB

The US government further alleged that the FSB “cultivates and co-opts criminal hackers” with the help of the now-sanctioned companies, including PT.

While PT assures that it is only involved in white-hat ethical security research, in a report based on "previously unreported US intelligence assessments" MIT Technology Review alleges that PT "develops and sells weaponized software exploits to the Russian government." 

While neither the Treasury Department nor MIT report cite any proof, there is plenty of evidence of PT’s ethical hacking initiatives. 

In fact, in the same week the US imposed its sanctions, PT uncovered a vulnerability in the VMware endpoint protection platform, which was responsibly disclosed to the virtualization giant and consequently patched.  

It isn’t immediately clear how the sanctions will impact ongoing security research at PT, with sanctions putting a stop to such collaborations going forward.

PT didn’t immediately respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for clarification on its future work involving US-based companies and software.

Via The Register

Date

19 Apr 2021

Sources


Share


Other Blog

  • This gorgeous Dell laptop is the best Windows alternative to Apple's MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

    Let’s be clear, straight off the bat; the 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best mobile workstations you can buy. Whether you're a video editing wizard or looking for a laptop for coding, the 2021 version of Apple's larger laptop has set the standard for what a Pro laptop should feel like.

    But what is you want a different notebook; right now, there's only one laptop that can truly match a top of the range MacBook Pro off the shelf. The Macbook Pro's nearest rival is the Dell XPS 17 9710, powered by Windows 11 Home (with no option for Windows 11 Pro, out of the box, which is an oddity).

    It doesn’t quite carry the same cachet as Apple’s newest machine, but still has a few cards up its sleeve if you're looking for a Windows 11 laptop that's at least in the same ballpark.

    We believe however that the price of the XPS 17 is likely to be part of Dell's Black Friday deals so keep tabs on it. The current price is its lowest yet.

    Rivaling the MacBook Pro

    The top-of-the-range XPS 17 model actually shares some similarities with the MacBook. It has a 97WHr battery, can host up to 8GB of RAM and accommodate 8TB of SSD (potentially in RAID-0 for even faster performance).

    While it doesn't have any HDMI port, it does have four Thunderbolt 4 ports, one audio jack and one SD card slot.

    It features a larger 17-inch display that is 20% sharper than Apple’s with a higher-than-4K resolution - oh and it is touch-capable. It is less bright than Apple's though (1,000 nits vs 500 nits).

    It's powered by an Nvidia Geforce GTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 video memory, which should is more than a match for the 32 cores in the MacBook Pro with the M1 Max.

    As you might expect, Dell has the upper hand when it comes to pricing. At $5,095.99 (around £3,730/AU$6,800), the XPS 17 undercuts Apple’s equivalent by a staggering 20%, with the equivalent MacBook Pro 16 coming in at $6,099 (roughly £4,460/AU$8,200).

    The comparison becomes even less favorable for Apple when you factor in warranty and services. AppleCare+ for the new MacBook Pro costs $399 and includes a three-year warranty, two incidents of accidental damage and 24/7 priority access to Apple experts. 

    Dell, on the other hand, provides 4-year Premium Support Plus (with accidental damage service) for just under $500, which is much better value. The XPS 15 might not garner the same attention and acclaim as Apple's machine, but its many qualities and cheaper price tag make it a serious contender.

    Bear in mind

    • If this XPS 17 model is not available in your territory, you may have to use a specialist parcel forwarding service if you want to take advantage of the deal.
    • If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

    Read More
  • New Google Play Store policy cracks down on call-recording apps

    Starting May 11, Google will begin rolling out a policy change to its Play Store that will prevent third-party apps from using the Accessibility API to record calls and some new consumer protections.

    This is the start of a year-long policy change for the Play Store that will involve changes to real-money games and news apps to better protect people. Despite Google's stated good intentions, people online have already started to take issue with the company's changes.

    API crackdown

    The Accessibility API is a set of protocols that developers can integrate into their apps so people with disabilities can use them. Google points out apps like screen readers for people with visual impairments or voice features for “...people with motor impairments” as proper usage.

    According to Google, some developers have taken advantage of this API to bypass Android privacy controls to allow remote call recording or change a device’s settings without user consent.

    Alongside the API changes, Google will be adding a Families Ads Program to ensure advertisements on apps are age-appropriate and expanding its Misleading Claims section.

    These changes were revealed on April 6 and developers have a period of 30 days to implement these changes or have their app removed from the Play Store.

    Later in the year, there will be a crackdown on gambling apps that offer physical prizes, and the requirement that news apps must provide information on their owner and reveal article sources.

    Developer critique

    An app developer on the Android subreddit has a problem with the API change and even claims that it will “ …kill call recording apps once and for all..”

    The developer of ACR Call Recorder states the change will not be good for the consumer as it will cause people to seek out call-recording services in less reputable places. The developer worries that users will download apps from untrustworthy sources and potentially expose themselves to malware.

    The developer is also critical of Google’s latest webinar video on the policy change. The video presently reportedly states that third-party phone apps have access to call audio, but the developer states this isn’t true. Only the native phone app on Android phones has access.

    That said, Android is an open-source OS, and it will probably only be a matter of time until these developers find a workaround for the latest Google policies.

    Read More
  • TSMC's latest 5nm production is at max capacity. Here's why that's bad news

    TSMC's 5nm production is running at full capacity with its upcoming 3nm production already completely booked.

    Read More
  • This handheld touchscreen all-in-one PC is entirely Raspberry Pi-powered

    The all-in-one PC is built around the quad-core Raspberry Pi 4 and costs just $329.

    Read More

Find Out More About Us

Want to hire best people for your project? Look no further you came to the right place!

Contact Us