IT Brief Canada - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers

Cybercrime stories

Any use of network connected electronic devices such as computers or smartphones for criminal activity is classified as cybercrime. With a long history starting with the misuse of telephone systems (such as ‘phreaking’), cybercrime today includes the creation and distribution of viruses, ransomware, keyloggers and other malware, the download and use of malware produced by others, social engineering tactics such as phishing or (physical) impersonation, the theft and use of credentials for accessing computer systems or networks, and the theft of privileged data. Cybercrime is a broad and dynamic field, with cybercriminals constantly adapting their methods in pursuit of usually financial goals, but also occasionally seeking to disrupt, embarrass or shame their targets.
Heather mahalik  1

Why women can be leaders when it comes to AI

Yesterday
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data protection
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ransomware
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digital transformation
Women in cybersecurity, long trained to question and validate, are uniquely placed to lead the era of risky, fast‑moving AI tools.
Japan factory night ransomware attack shadow figure network

Ransomware attacks surge 50% as industrial firms hit hardest

Yesterday
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malware
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data protection
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ransomware
Global ransomware attacks jump 50% to 7,874 in 2025, with industrial firms bearing the brunt as criminal groups reshuffle their tactics.
Moody laptop dark desk phishing inbox shadowy hand global cyber threats

Israel-Iran conflict exploited in fresh email scam wave

Yesterday
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phishing
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email security
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data privacy
Scammers hijack Israel-Iran war headlines for classic advance-fee email cons, security researchers warn, urging users not to respond.
Dark cyber fraud desk with shields and law enforcement servers

Microsoft & Europol disrupt global Tycoon 2FA scam

Yesterday
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ransomware
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mfa
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phishing
Microsoft and Europol have seized over 300 domains to disrupt Tycoon 2FA, a vast phishing-for-hire service bypassing MFA worldwide.
Logos

Tycoon 2FA phishing service disrupted in EU crackdown

Yesterday
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ransomware
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manufacturing
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mfa
European authorities and tech firms have disrupted Tycoon 2FA, a major phishing service used to bypass MFA and hijack cloud accounts.
Leigh tynan headshot  1

A woman cybersecurity leader's guide to owning your digital identity

3 days ago
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data protection
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vpns
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ransomware
A woman cybersecurity leader urges Canadians to claim their digital identity, push employers on cyber benefits and demand safer businesses.
Cinematic cloud server room ai identity theft masked attackers

Cloudflare flags AI-fuelled identity & SaaS attacks

3 days ago
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saas
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firewalls
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ddos
Cloudflare warns AI-driven identity fraud and SaaS abuse are reshaping cybercrime, as global costs hit USD $10.5 trillion a year.
Megan squire

Stop framing deepfake harassment of women as a social problem - It's a cybersecurity problem

4 days ago
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ransomware
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genai
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ai
Non-consensual deepfake abuse of women is not just online harassment but cybercrime, demanding full threat intelligence and security action.
Theodora

Generative AI fuels alarming surge in intimate image abuse

5 days ago
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data protection
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encryption
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open source
Generative AI is fuelling a sharp rise in intimate image abuse, outpacing weak platform responses and patchy global legal protections.
Moody globe of network cables with hidden red cyber threat nodes

Phishing gangs weaponise .arpa DNS to evade defences

Last week
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firewalls
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network infrastructure
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network security
Phishing gangs abuse .arpa DNS and IPv6 tunnels to hide brand-impersonation scams in core internet plumbing that most defences ignore.
Smartphone suspicious call laptop fake login deceptive subdomain scene

ShinyHunters pivots to subdomain phishing & vishing

Last week
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saas
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mfa
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cloud security
ShinyHunters shifts to subdomain-brand phishing and vishing on mobiles, bypassing domain checks to hijack SSO logins and SaaS sessions.
Dark server room ai cyber attack red network path spreading

AI-driven cyber attacks now breach networks in minutes

Last week
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malware
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firewalls
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ransomware
AI-fuelled hackers can now spread across corporate networks in as little as four minutes, outpacing human defenders by hours.
Cio nighttime office ai cyber attack warning screens digital storm

CIOs brace for AI-led cyber attacks but feel unready

Last week
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digital transformation
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cloud security
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phishing
Most CIOs expect AI-driven cyber attacks within a year, but only a third feel prepared, exposing a widening gap in cyber resilience.
Glowing red world map ransomware ai cyber attack broken padlock

GenAI misuse & ransomware drive surge in cyber attacks

Last week
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malware
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edutech
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uc
Global cyber attacks hit 2,090 a week in January as ransomware surges and risky GenAI use exposes fresh data-leak and intrusion paths.
Uk online shop secure checkout cybersecurity shield circuit lock

Ecommpay issues free guide to combat rising eCommerce fraud

Last week
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mfa
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fintech
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cx
Ecommpay launches a free fraud guide for online retailers as UK payment fraud hits GBP £1.17 billion and AI-driven scams rapidly escalate.
Canadian city street surveillance cameras biometric faces data

Surveillance, AI and the security gaps behind the camera

Last month
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data protection
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surveillance
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biometrics
As facial analytics quietly spread through public spaces, Canadians face urgent questions over privacy, consent and digital surveillance.
Fraud control center global map analysts tracking red alerts

Firms race to counter fast-evolving AI-driven fraud

Last month
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data analytics
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digital transformation
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fintech
Half of fraud chiefs say fast-changing, AI-powered scams are outpacing their defences, forcing a shift to real-time, adaptive protection.
African cybercrime taskforce in dim ops room with seized devices

INTERPOL cybercrime sweep in Africa recovers USD $4.3m

Last month
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firewalls
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network security
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phishing
INTERPOL's Africa cybercrime blitz nets 651 arrests, seizes 2,341 devices and recovers USD $4.3m after scams linked to USD $45m losses.
Internal auditors anxious over ai driven fraud in dark office

Internal auditors fear AI fraud but lack readiness

Last month
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data analytics
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digital transformation
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fintech
Internal auditors warn AI-driven fraud is surging, but most concede they lack the tools, skills and time needed to spot it effectively.
Dim corporate server room mixed os racks chained ransomware lock

LockBit 5.0 ransomware targets Windows, Linux, ESXi

Last month
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malware
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virtualisation
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data protection
New LockBit 5.0 ransomware hits Windows, Linux and ESXi in single campaigns, widening blast radius across mixed and virtualised environments.