Vanderbilt ransomware claims 1M SSNs as Seattle restarts spy cameras

Vanderbilt hit by BYOD ransomware; gang claims 1M Social Security numbers

Vanderbilt University confirmed Monday it is responding to an active cybersecurity incident affecting university devices, systems and cloud services, telling students and staff to shut down devices, leave university Wi-Fi and watch for pop-ups, file changes and unexpected authentication requests. The BYOD ransomware group claimed responsibility on its leak site, saying it encrypted Vanderbilt databases and stole sensitive student and employee data, including over 1 million Social Security numbers, names, emails and phone numbers, plus a claimed takeover of the domain controller. BleepingComputer saw a ransom note named README_BYOD_31.txt and a video of infected devices playing an audio warning. Vanderbilt has not confirmed BYOD’s involvement or any data theft.

Vanderbilt University hit in BYOD ransomware attack, data theft claimed →

Topics: RansomwareRansomware gangs and leaked data

Seattle mayor reactivates RTCC cameras and expands surveillance districts

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson will immediately reactivate Real Time Crime Center cameras in the Stadium District and install similar systems in SODO, around Garfield High School and in Capitol Hill’s nightlife area in coming months. She had paused the network while the NYU Policing Project audited the Seattle Police Department’s RTCC, which blends city feeds with traffic and some private business cameras. The audit found public safety benefits but flagged gaps in data access, retention and oversight, issuing 19 recommendations. Community Not Cameras opposes the move, warning federal agencies could reach footage, possibly via vendor Axon. Wilson promised new retention limits; police plan a public usage dashboard and stronger access rules.

Wide-ranging reactions as Seattle reactivates RTCC cameras and expands surveillance system →

Google DeepMind formally verifies Signal protocol encryption

A Google DeepMind analysis has formally verified the security of the Signal protocol, the end-to-end encryption used by Signal, WhatsApp and Google Messages. Formal verification mathematically proves a protocol meets its security claims under all conditions, a stronger standard than testing, which can find flaws but cannot rule out others. The work, described as a landmark, used agentic AI to run the check, a breakthrough for cryptography and AI alike. It is computationally heavy, and Google told Wired broader use remains uncertain. DeepMind’s Swarat Chaudhuri said scaling it to all the world’s software is a long way off. The verification covers the protocol, not the Signal app itself, and took four weeks.

Google DeepMind analysis proves Signal and WhatsApp encryption is secure →

Topics: EncryptionGoogle DeepMind

EES glitch leaves Jojo Moyes facing two-year Schengen ban threat

Novelist Jojo Moyes was stopped at Marseille airport in October and told she had overstayed Europe, despite spending only 23 days there in six months against the 90-day Schengen limit for UK passport holders. Her May exit from Portugal had not been logged, so her days kept counting. A senior officer warned her not to re-enter until resolved or face a €10,000 fine and a two-year ban. Passport stamps, which could have proved her exit, have mostly been replaced by the Entry-Exit System, rolled out 10 April and disrupted by summer queues. Dozens of Which? readers report similar errors. The European Commission advises contacting the data controller of the most recent visit.

Flawed EU border checks threaten author Jojo Moyes with two-year travel ban in EES error that could affect thousands of UK travellers - Which? →

Outgoing Kenyan data commissioner warns foreign infrastructure weakens leverage

Outgoing Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait warned that Kenya risks losing leverage over its data because reliance on foreign technology infrastructure leaves it unable to negotiate with multinationals on equal terms. She said Kenya remains largely a consumer of technology developed elsewhere and lacks local technical capacity, calling negotiations with big tech „always lopsided”. Kassait, leaving after six years at the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, said AI creates new challenges, especially when personal information is repurposed to train systems without people’s knowledge, and called for data protection by design, data minimisation and stronger governance. Unfinished business includes ratifying the Malabo Convention and legal reforms for cross-border cases.

Kassait warns Kenya is playing catch-up as foreign firms control digital infrastructure →