Journalists Are A Growing Target for Tracking and Surveillance Attacks

State-sponsored hackers from China, North Korea, Iran and Turkey have been regularly spying on and impersonating journalists from various media outlets in an effort to infiltrate their networks and gain access to sensitive information, according to a report released on Thursday by cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.

The report reveals that government-backed hackers used various tools to target journalists, including sending phishing emails to gain access to reporters’ work emails, social media accounts and networks.

The report also suggested that state-sponsored hackers routinely pose as members of the media because of the “unique access and information they can provide,” to those countries’ governments.

The hackers could potentially use information they obtained from compromised accounts to spread pro-state propaganda and influence “a politically charged atmosphere.”

“A well-timed, successful attack on a journalist’s email account could provide insights into sensitive, budding stories and source identification,” the report said.

In one of the operations, the report found that since early 2021, Chinese-backed hackers engaged in numerous phishing attacks mainly targeting U.S.-based journalists covering U.S. politics and national security.

Some of the malicious emails would have subject lines pulled from recent U.S. headlines, including “Trump call to Georgia official might violate state and federal law,” “US issues Russia threat to China,” and “Jobless benefits run out as Trump resists signing relief bill.”

The attacks also appeared to surge during moments that garnered international attention. For instance, the researchers found an increase in phishing attacks against journalists in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The researchers concluded their report with a warning to journalists to protect themselves and their sources because these types of attacks are likely to persist as state-sponsored hackers attempt to gather more sensitive information and manipulate public perception.

Personal & Business Data Security is at the very heart of what we are striving to achieve at BLAKFX. We all know that data theft and cyberattacks are a tangible threat to all of our collective well-being. Business and government simply cannot operate nor thrive if the threat of theft or exposure is omnipresent.

The new era of data security is one that requires new solutions. The era of perimeter defenses is over as it is proving impossible to keep hackers from breaching the perimeter and accessing data. Further E2E encryption based on old models of RSA cryptography will be obsolete when quantum computing becomes mainstream.

Helix22 delivers perfect security assurance due to our genius engineering team that has invented a new model for data security that required an innovative look at the problem. The approach we took was to protect the data itself. Almost all other data security products try to build a perimeter or being fanatic on user credentials. However, once the product is breached or a password is stolen, even if it is 2FA or encrypted, your firms data is in the clear.

You see, the Helix22 cryptography is embedded with the data itself through our inventive and patented process of DNA Binding^TM. Therefore, even if credentials are stolen the data cannot be exfiltrated. This means that all data is 100% protected regardless of the type of attack. This holds true for customer and user data as well. No theft of user information is possible.

 

              Our Motto

      “In Math We Trust”

D2D encryption

We can make this claim as the tech engineers at BLAKFX invented and patented a genuine device2device (D2D) encryption. We manage data security transmission through the truly brilliant and also patented universal Helix22 key service. The Helix22 encryption originates on your network or device, not just when the app is opened. This means, that when data arrives to our key server, it is already encrypted so all it needs to do is issue another key. Signal and Telegram cannot claim this level of security. This key will then only work with the intended device, which generates a matching key required to open the data. In this protocol, we are truly a “zero-knowledge” server so your communications and transmissions remain completely top secret. Even in the event that BLAKFX were subpoenaed, we can honor the request by just handing over the encrypted content…as that is literally all we have. Helix22 also only use keys just one-time and then destroys them. This way the data security is future forward prefect. Therefore, in our unique device-to-device (D2D) world, there is no opportunity at all for any data leak.

This same protocol just described, can be the same with all your 3rd party vendors and suppliers. It does not matter in the least what platform they are running or what device they are using or even the type of data, it is all 100% protected. We do however, strongly advise that all firms involved be utilizing Helix22 due to the nature of the data content. Helix22 can ensure that whatever data they are generating is protected as well.

Let’s take it a step further. Even if your organization were a victim of an internal attack or a victim of malicious open source downloads, there is no reason for concern. Any data that has been forwarded, downloaded, copied or saved cannot be exfiltrated. Period.  We have the technology industries foremost data packets which are protected with multi-layered, military grade encryption algorithms that have already proven the ability to withstand penetration testing from MI5 and quantum computing attacks.

One final practical genius of DNA Binding^TM is in that it is immediately compatible with whichever system or software you are utilizing. Therefore, any organization can forward information to another and then discuss it and there is immediate privacy.

The Helix22 data security SDK accomplishes the following:

• • Protects all your firms data at rest, in use and in transit
  • Renders ransomware threats obsolete
  • Eliminates human error
  • Eliminates all malicious or interior attacks
  • Verifies original content i.e. minimizes the threat of impersonation attacks and deep fakes
  • Reduces latency and optimizes 5G networks
  • Installs with 5 lines of code
  • Runs on any platform, network, device and in any programming language
  • Provides perfect future/forward secrecy
  • Delivers “zero-knowledge” encryption
  • Compatible with all cloud, 3rd party and vendor services
  • Enables Internet of Things data security by providing protection at the Edge and has ultra low latency
  • Ensures privacy and security for blockchain and all cryptocurrency transactions
  • Is quantum ready – so there’s no need to upgrade when the time comes
  • Requires no employee training
  • Exceeds all gov’t and banking security standards
  • Meets all international compliance regulations

BLAKFX is Based on Success

Our founders, Robert Statica PhD and Kara Coppa, also founded Wickr, which is used by the US military and has never been hacked since its inception in 2012. The Helix22 data security SDK is several generations enhanced since then. Dr. Statica also delivered the encryption for the world’s most secure phone, Katim.

                                                                                         

Founder – Robert Statica PhD            Founder – Kara Coppa   

 

                               

Co-Founders of Wickr                    Katim^TM Ultra Secure Smartphone

 

Finally, the Helix22 encryption is quantum computing ready so no need to redo all your data security methodologies in a couple of years when everything else becomes obsolete.

We like to refer to Helix22 as “22nd Century Data Security.”

Helix22 – Zero Risk