Verdict lists five of the most popular tweets on cybersecurity in Q3 2021 based on data from GlobalData’s Technology Influencer Platform.

The top tweets are based on total engagements (likes and retweets) received on tweets from more than 150 cybersecurity experts tracked by GlobalData’s Technology Influencer platform during the third quarter (Q3) of 2021.

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The most popular tweets on cybersecurity in Q3 2021: Top five

1. Kevin Beaumont’s tweet on Kaseya supply chain attack

Kevin Beaumont, head of security operations centre at retail company Arcadia Group, shared an article on the Kaseya supply chain attack that impacted more than 1,000 US companies. Kaseya VSA is an endpoint management and network monitoring solution used by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and has about 40,000 customers. The REvil ransomware was delivered to the VSA during a fake auto update, which first infected the MSPs and then the client systems.

The ransomware removed administrator access to the VSA and subsequently added a fake management agent update called the Kaseya VSA Agent Hot-fix. Kaseya started working on a software update to fix the attack at the earliest, while advising its customers to switch off their VSA, the article detailed.

Username: Kevin Beaumont

Twitter handle: @GossiTheDog

Likes: 1,033

Retweets: 663

2. Mikko Hypponen’s tweet on the biggest General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in history facing Amazon

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at privacy and security company F-Secure, shared an article on the e-commerce giant Amazon being issued the biggest GDPR fine of $888m in history for violating data privacy laws. The fine was issued by Luxembourg’s National Commission for Data Protection (Commission Nationale pour la Protection des Données).

The penalty was issued after the French privacy rights group La Quadrature du Net filed several lawsuits representing 12,000 customers against Big Tech companies in 2018 when the bloc’s data privacy laws were enacted. Amazon denied the allegations stating that there were no data breaches or exposure of any customer data to third parties, the article highlighted.

The fine comes amid intense scrutiny over Amazon’s business strategies in Europe. The European Union (EU) launched a formal anti-trust investigation against the company, which found that it misused third-party seller data to promote its products, the article detailed.

Username: Mikko Hypponen

Twitter handle: @mikko

Likes: 221

Retweets: 88

3. Dustin Volz’s tweet on Biden directing agencies to develop cybersecurity standards

Dustin Volz, an intelligence and cybersecurity reporter at The Wall Street Journal, shared an article on the US President Joe Biden signing a national security memorandum that directs federal agencies to create voluntary cybersecurity targets for companies that handle its critical infrastructure. US officials state that it could be the beginning for implementing mandatory requirements, although is currently termed as voluntary.

The new directive by the Biden administration is the latest effort to protect the country from disruptive cyberattacks, following the recent rise in ransomware attacks that impacted businesses and consumers, including the Colonial Pipeline attack, the article detailed.

Username: Dustin Volz

Twitter handle: @dnvolz

Likes: 98

Retweets: 54

4. Kim Zetter’s tweet on the video leak at Iran’s Evin prison

Kim Zetter, a cybersecurity journalist, shared an article on a hacking group called Adalat Ali (Justice of ALI) leaking surveillance camera videos of Iran’s Evin prison, which houses Iranian and Western political prisoners. The hackers also stole hundreds of documents, images, and videos of events that took place within the prison, the article noted.

The leak followed a cyberattack on Iran’s railway system, which led to delays and cancellation of several trains. The article noted that it is unclear how the hackers gained access to the surveillance systems, but highlighted that it could be due to the out-of-date software used by the systems. The sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on the Evin prison due to human rights violations have made it difficult to keep the systems up to date, the article added.

Username: Kim Zetter

Twitter handle: @KimZetter

Likes: 61

Retweets: 52

5. Runa Sandvik’s tweet on the technical analysis of Pegasus Spyware

Runa Sandvik, a computer security expert, shared a technical report that analysed a version of the Pegasus spyware developed by Israeli technology company NSO Group for iOS. Prepared by software developer Citizen Lab and cybersecurity company Lookout, the report analysed a sophisticated attack using the spyware against several mobile users across the world. Researchers linked the live iOS sample of the malware with NSO’s Pegasus spyware to establish whether the group sold weaponised software that targets mobile phones used by governments.

The report highlighted that the Pegasus spyware was in use for many years and was sold for use on high-value targets to carry out sophisticated espionage on Android, BlackBerry, and iOS phones. The spyware uses strong encryption to evade traditional security measures and is built on a robust monitoring and self-destructing mechanism, the article noted.

Username: Runa Sandvik

Twitter handle: @runasand

Likes: 52

Retweets: 30