It is probably the world’s most digital government, with just about every state service online. But did that mean Estonia was better prepared than other nations to deal with the coronavirus? On this week’s Tech Tent the Estonian President gives us her verdict on how an e-nation battled Covid-19. The tiny Baltic state has just […]
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Ransomware: Should paying hacker ransoms be illegal?
A cyber-crime spree wreaking havoc around the world has reignited calls for governments to ban ransom payments to hackers. Ransomware criminals are holding computer systems hostage on a daily basis, demanding large payments from victims to restore order. The CEO of Colonial Pipeline has admitted his company paid hackers nearly $4.5m last week after their […]
Jake Paul investigated over suspected driving on protected turtle beach
YouTuber Jake Paul is being investigated after posting a video on social media apparently showing him driving around a protected beach in Puerto Rico. Driving is illegal on some of the island’s beaches, as turtles nest in the sand. The local Department of Natural and Environmental Resources said it would investigate whether the law had […]
Jeff Bezos and the secretive world of superyachts
News that Jeff Bezos has bought a “superyacht” has revived interest in the secretive world of the uber-rich globetrotters who enjoy these ultimate status symbols. Experts say the superyacht industry has been booming for years, even during the global economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world’s richest […]
US fuel pipeline ‘paid hackers $5m in ransom’
A major US fuel pipeline has reportedly paid cyber-criminal gang DarkSide nearly $5m (£3.6m) in ransom, following a cyber-attack. Colonial Pipeline suffered a ransomware cyber-attack over the weekend and took its service down for five days, causing supplies to tighten across the US. CNN, the New York Times, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal all […]
Colonial hack: Biden orders tightening of cyber-defences
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to improve US cyber-defences in light of recent attacks. The detailed order issues strict deadlines for all government departments to tighten security. It comes as the US deals with a hack on the country’s biggest pipeline that has seen fuel shortages and panic-buying across multiple states. Colonial […]
Amazon has €250m ‘back taxes’ overturned in court
Amazon has won a court battle over €250m (£215m) in taxes it had been ordered to pay Luxembourg. The European Commission had ordered the tech giant to repay the funds as back taxes, alleging that Amazon had been given unfair special treatment. But the EU’s General Court overturned that order, finding it had been given […]
Tesla crash: Autopilot was off, says preliminary report
The autopilot function on a Tesla car involved in a fatal crash in Texas in April was “not available” at the time, according to a preliminary report. Police said one victim was found in the front passenger seat, the other in the back after it crashed and caught fire. The early findings suggest the car’s […]
Clubhouse launches on Android as app downloads collapse
Live-audio app Clubhouse is launching on Google’s Android, more than a year after its initial launch. The invitation-only platform has previously been available on only Apple’s App Store, where downloads have significantly fallen. The app spiked in popularity this year, with celebrities using the service and invitations being sold online. But many are questioning its […]
TripAdvisor sorry for Auschwitz review error
Review platform TripAdvisor has apologised after initially opting to leave up an offensive review of the Auschwitz Museum in Poland. The review has now been deleted and the poster banned, it said, blaming a screening “failure”. The museum complained about the post, in which the reviewer joked about bringing a baby to the gas chambers […]