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The French cybercrime unit (OFAC) is being asked to remove the private data of several Israeli Olympic athletes which was leaked on social media. The data includes blood test results, login credentials, military status, and more.

This is part of the ongoing efforts to protect the Olympic games from cyberattacks. Keeping the games physically safe is a top priority too, with 18,000 French troops deployed to support police.

The FBI recently announced their new Cyber Action Team (CAT). The group is being billed as an investigation team featuring 65 core members who are able to appear around the globe in a moment’s notice to protect national interest. In particular, they are geared to help during cyber attacks on critical infrastructure—including hospitals, power companies, and schools.

Scott Ledford, head of both CAT and the Advanced Digital Forensics Team said, "We respond onsite to victims who may include national government entities, private companies, or even sometimes foreign partner networks that have been compromised by an adversary… Our job is to help conduct the investigation—we collect digital evidence and locate, identify, and reverse engineer malware."

A Catholic priest is suing the queer dating app Grindr after it released data that included his own activity, leading to his removal from the clergy. Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill started using the app in 2017, despite taking a vow of celibacy. He rose to prominence in the church, serving as a top administrator in the US Converence of Catholic Bishops.

In 2021, Catholic website the Pillar released info on Burrill that they obtained from the Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal. That group said the data was “publicly available” and that they discovered it in an “ordinary way.” Grindr has made public comment stating that the allegations are “based on mischaracterizations of practices relating to user data.”

Interesting Read

The first half of 2024 saw the fewest cybersecurity-related merger and acquisition deals in any half year period since at least 2021. That represents an ongoing decline since 2021 H2, which topped out at 237 cybersecurity M&A deals. This is according to ongoing tracking by SecurityWeek.

Though the total number is down, large deals are keeping up. For instance, there have already been six deals valued over $1 billion this year. That’s more than the entire year of 2023. The largest of these is HPE’s acquisition of Juniper Networks, coming at a valuation of $14 billion. This write up is an interesting peek into the big moves that are shaping the cybersecurity landscape going into the second half of 2024.

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Employment Tip: Get Feedback

Feedback supercharges growth, so finding it should be a priority. Seek out feedback on your resume and interview performance by connecting with mentors and peers. While opening yourself up this way can be intimidating, it also provides important insight into how you appear to potential employers.

For the latest openings in cybersecurity careers, check CybersecurityHQ.

Stay Safe, Stay Secure.

The CybersecurityHQ Team