When #Democracy Meets Data Exploitation: An ITSPmagazine's #BlackHat USA 2025 Pre-Event Coverage Conversation!

How vulnerable is your personal information when you engage with political campaigns? Virginia Tech researchers Alan Michaels and Jared Byers spent five years finding out—and their discoveries should concern every citizen who values #privacy.

In this pre-event coverage from Black Hat USA 2025, Sean Martin, CISSP and I explore groundbreaking research that exposes the hidden data economy behind political engagement. Using thousands of fake digital identities across 1,400 real campaigns, this study reveals how personal information flows through political networks—often without your knowledge or consent.

Key revelations include:
Cross-party data sharing that transcends political boundaries
AI-powered persona creation for targeted manipulation
Security vulnerabilities exposing citizen data
The real cost of political participation in the digital age

This isn't about politics—it's about the intersection of #technology, #society, and fundamental privacy rights. As our democratic processes become increasingly digitized, understanding these data practices becomes essential for every citizen.

The research maintains strict political neutrality, letting the data expose uncomfortable truths about how campaigns treat personal information regardless of party affiliation.

Watch: https://lnkd.in/emYyif2D Listen: https://lnkd.in/efj8F5VE Full Black Hat Coverage:https://lnkd.in/gQ4-g3Ab

What questions would you ask about political data practices? The implications extend far beyond campaign season.

As I get ready to fly out to @defcon and @BSidesLV I decided to create a single blog post with links to some of my top #infosecurity / #hacker podcast interviews. Enjoy! (and share!!)

https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/hacker-history/

From yesterday:

China accuses US of exploiting Microsoft zero-day in cyberattack https://cyberscoop.com/china-accuses-us-of-exploiting-microsoft-zero-day-in-cyberattack/

Oh shit, huge cyber security incident at the City of Saint Paul... #mn #infosec #infosecurity

Allianz Life #data #breach exposed the data of most of its 1.4M USA customers
#cybersecurity #infosecurity
https://securityaffairs.com/180445/data-breach/allianz-life-data-breach-exposed-the-data-of-most-of-its-1-4m-customers.html

Hear ye, hear ye!
I hereby declare the official beginning of ITSPmagazine’s Black Hat USA 2025 coverage!

Yes, we’re back — and yes, we’re doing it in style. Interviews, briefings, and a pre-show webinar to kick it all off… because why wait until Vegas?

With hashtag#AI everywhere, we wanted to find out what else is new at hashtag#BlackHatUSA 2025. From drone hacking to startup buzz, here’s what we learned in our annual “Chats on the Road to Black Hat” with the show’s GM, Steve Wylie.

This year’s themes? Not just AI — but community, growth, and the evolving edge where cybersecurity meets business. Sean Martin, CISSP and I sat down with Steve to get the inside scoop.

Listen or watch the full convo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O78xhYs4ro

https://eventcoveragepodcast.com/episodes/black-hat-usa-2025-ai-investment-and-the-expanding-scope-of-cybersecurity-our-traditional-pre-event-kick-off-conversation-with-steve-wylie-on-location-coverage-with-sean-martin-and-marco-ciappelli

And don’t miss our live webinar — “What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025” — where we’ll explore the top trends set to shake up this year’s hacker conference. You’re invited:
https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference

A few briefing spots are still available for on-location coverage in Vegas — so if you want to be part of the story, now’s the time:
Full coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2025-hacker-summer-camp-2025-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas

Huge thanks to our sponsors — go check them out:
• ThreatLocker: https://lnkd.in/gkbteAp9
• BLACKCLOAK: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb
• Akamai Technologies: https://lnkd.in/g2FzJVPb
• Dropzone AI: https://lnkd.in/e_689C_8
• Stellar Cyber: https://lnkd.in/eWTBK7v2

#BlackHat2025 #BHUSA25 #CyberSecurity #AI #DroneHacking #hacking #infosec #defcon #BH #infosecurity #tech #cybersecurity #technology hashtag#StartupZone #Conference #Webinar #Infosec #ITSPmagazine

New “LameHug” Malware Deploys AI-Generated Commands https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/new-lamehug-malware-deploys/

Ma no! Non è così che funziona!

“However, it was the education sector that topped the list, with almost a third (31%) of assets classed as vulnerable, rising to 38% of APIs and 35% of web apps.”

Education Sector is Most Exposed to Remote Attacks https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/education-sector-most-exposed-to/

Unit 42, the research team at Palo Alto Networks, has identified a new malicious campaign targeting many financial organizations across Africa... #unit42 #cybersecurity #paloaltonetworks #hackers #africabusiness #technology #business #finance #infosecurity #technews

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/hackers-financial-businesses-africa/

This is a name I haven’t heard in a minute.

#cybersecurity #infosecurity #malware #winrar https://mastodon.social/@PCMag/114745955653051923

QR Codes in Cybersecurity: Convenience Meets Caution https://www.cm-alliance.com/cybersecurity-blog/qr-codes-in-cybersecurity-convenience-meets-caution

God, please don't use public Wi-Fi. Use of VPN if you have to though!

Why Public Wi-Fi at Tourist Hotspots is a Goldmine for Hackers  https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/internet-security/why-public-wi-fi-at-tourist-hotspots-is-a-goldmine-for-hackers/

NEW by me:

Plastic surgeons often store nude photos of patients with their identity information. When would we call that “negligent?”

Defense counsel for Hankins & Sohn claims that the attack they experienced in February 2023 was "unforeseeable." Was it really?

https://databreaches.net/2025/06/14/plastic-surgeons-often-store-nude-photos-of-patients-with-their-identity-information-when-would-we-call-that-negligent/

Microsoft only patching 1 is wild.

#cybersecurity #infosecurity https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/114660616860936368

Notizie dall'estero: Pornhub, Redtube e YouPorn si ritirano dalla Francia per colpa della legge sulla verifica dell’età

Intanto i francesi ...

Siamo alla ricerca di nuovi memengineer da inserire nella "meme4cyber Unit™". Per informazioni scrivi a meme4cyber@redhotcyber.com

Tre zero-day su Qualcomm già sfruttati minacciano Android e il tuo smartphone

Link all'articolo : https://zurl.co/iVuyX