https://www.scmp.com/rss/296935/feed From black hat hackers attempting to break into government computer systems, to white hat security experts working to crack and improve protections on popular internet browsers, cybersecurity affects us all. Every day hackers steal millions of pieces of personal data and, as former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed, sometimes it may be our own governments doing the snooping. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Mohamad Syawal Samsuddin, a 37-year-old father of two young boys, said he supported Malaysia’s new under-16 social media ban because of concerns about harmful content and its effect on his children’s safety, mental health and privacy. But he said the policy was not a substitute for parental supervision. “The onus is on parents to monitor and observe their children’s behaviour online,” he said. Cybersecurity and digital rights experts also question whether the ban can fully protect children,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355727/could-malaysias-under-16-social-media-ban-expose-children-new-online-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355727/could-malaysias-under-16-social-media-ban-expose-children-new-online-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:40:33 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Foreign spies have posed as wedding photographers near naval ports and used cars fitted with advanced radar, GPS and optical sensors to collect mapping data under the guise of autonomous driving research, China’s top state secrets watchdog has cautioned. The National Administration of State Secrets Protection’s warning about foreign spies acting as “eyes in the dark” came in its latest anti-espionage documentary, with state broadcaster CCTV airing the first episode on Tuesday. “In real life, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354995/chinese-campaign-warns-spy-risks-found-wedding-photography-gifted-farm-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354995/chinese-campaign-warns-spy-risks-found-wedding-photography-gifted-farm-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 06:14:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s interior security service, PST, said on Sunday a Chinese man had been arrested in the country’s north for spying, just weeks after a Chinese woman was arrested suspected of spying on satellite data. The suspect was arrested on Friday by the Nordland police district, Eirik Veum, PST’s media spokesman, told Agence France-Presse. Veum said the man was suspected of “attempted illegal intelligence activities in Nordland”, but declined to provide further details on the nature of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353902/norway-arrests-chinese-man-spying-interior-security-service-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353902/norway-arrests-chinese-man-spying-interior-security-service-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 19:21:42 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has condemned the owner of an education platform for paying a ransom to hackers who stole individuals’ personal data from 9,000 institutions worldwide, arguing that the money should have been spent on strengthening cybersecurity. Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling on Friday also questioned whether the hackers had truly returned the data stolen from Canvas and urged affected users to stay alert for suspicious calls or messages claiming to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353638/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-slams-canvas-owner-paying-ransom-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353638/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-slams-canvas-owner-paying-ransom-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 03:28:57 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A global data leak involving online learning platform Canvas has exposed the personal information of more than 72,000 students and staff across Hong Kong educational institutions, with two local police reports already filed in connection with the breach. Chief Superintendent Raymond Lam Cheuk-ho of the force’s cybersecurity and technology crime bureau said one report was from a local education institution, while the other concerned a resident who received a suspected fraudulent message linked to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353233/over-72000-hongkongers-hit-hkust-polyu-among-institutions-global-canvas-hack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353233/over-72000-hongkongers-hit-hkust-polyu-among-institutions-global-canvas-hack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 06:11:34 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing through legislation to establish the country’s first centralised intelligence agency since the second world war, driven by concerns that its existing set-up is too fragmented to keep pace with espionage, cyberthreats and “grey zone” operations. The plan, recently endorsed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, would transform the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a central hub, drawing in analysts, technologists and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353154/japans-new-spy-agency-receives-fbi-backing-eyes-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353154/japans-new-spy-agency-receives-fbi-backing-eyes-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Netflix was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data ‌without consent and designing its platform to be addictive. The lawsuit says that for years, Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353202/netflix-sued-texas-allegedly-spying-children-addicting-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353202/netflix-sued-texas-allegedly-spying-children-addicting-users?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:08:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow While leading US artificial intelligence developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI unveil new models with enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, China is also aggressively scaling up its own AI-driven cyber defence market. Anthropic’s Mythos, launched in April, sparked a rapid global response due to its ability to discover and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed and efficiency. “Our assessment is that China’s own Mythos will definitely emerge, though currently the overall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 03:00:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Authorities in Norway arrested a Chinese citizen on espionage allegations on Thursday in connection with a purported effort to set up a receiver to collect sensitive satellite data, the country’s domestic intelligence service said. Norwegian security officials also searched two premises in connection with the arrest, including one on an island in northern Norway that is home to Andoya Spaceport, which is part of Europe’s efforts to expand its presence in space. The other search took place in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352810/norwegian-police-arrest-chinese-woman-spying-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352810/norwegian-police-arrest-chinese-woman-spying-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 16:56:03 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The European Union’s push to bar Chinese suppliers from its critical infrastructure under a proposed new Cybersecurity Act would cost the bloc a jaw-dropping €367.8 billion (US$431.4 billion) over the next five years, a new study has warned. The law’s vast price tag comes from the need to rip out and replace huge amounts of Chinese hardware – a task that alone could cost €146.2 billion – with other losses stemming from resource reallocation, service disruptions, employment adjustments and legal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352610/eu-cyber-plan-barring-chinese-suppliers-will-cost-us430-billion-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352610/eu-cyber-plan-barring-chinese-suppliers-will-cost-us430-billion-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 08:59:46 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris Hong Kong police do a good job in combating cybercrime, but artificial intelligence (AI) is now driving a tsunami of losses with even the most savvy of individuals getting scammed. As a finance professional, I have attended courses about financial crime for decades, supported by continuous annual training. So how was I still taken in recently? Was my guard lower because it was in a private capacity? The scam thankfully concluded with no adverse results – only because people had fallen victim... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351781/my-finance-expertise-was-no-defence-against-online-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351781/my-finance-expertise-was-no-defence-against-online-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an ⁠investigation into ⁠a 15-year-old, suspected of having ⁠hacked the country’s ID agency and trying to sell the data of millions of French people on the dark web this month, it said on Thursday. The teenager, whose identity ‌was not revealed, was detained on April 25 and held in police custody for questioning after he was suspected of hiding behind the nickname “breach3d”, a hacker who had put on sale on hacker forums between 12 million and 18 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352075/france-probes-teenage-suspect-massive-id-data-breach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352075/france-probes-teenage-suspect-massive-id-data-breach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:27:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Roblox, a gaming platform popular with kids, announced Thursday that children under 16 in Indonesia will be required to undergo facial scans to verify their age to comply with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country. Nicky Jackson Colaco, Roblox’s vice-president and global head of public policy, announced the changes in a press conference in Jakarta, describing them among the strictest that the company has implemented anywhere in the world. She said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:28 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The growing use of social media and artificial intelligence chatbots across generations has made privacy protection a priority. This is especially important for children who are often insensitive to the risks when navigating the vast online world. The onus is therefore on parents and teachers to provide proper guidance. The guidelines issued by the Privacy Commissioner to safeguard the privacy of youngsters are a timely step. The practical tips suggest parents and teachers take an interest in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351557/online-privacy-guidelines-underscore-key-role-parents-and-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351557/online-privacy-guidelines-underscore-key-role-parents-and-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow In the third of a three-part series on Anthropic’s powerful Mythos AI model, we look at how China is responding to the growing threat of AI-powered cyberattacks and what it means for the country’s cybersecurity. China is not immune to any fallout that might result from AI-powered cyberattacks, according to experts, although a sense of panic may not be as high due to the country’s strict scrutiny of its artificial intelligence industry. In the weeks since US start-up Anthropic announced its new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351485/scepticism-concern-mythos-panic-slowly-starting-reach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351485/scepticism-concern-mythos-panic-slowly-starting-reach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠Italian government has extradited to ⁠the United States a Chinese man wanted by authorities there on hacking charges that include stealing Covid-19 medical research, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The source ‌declined to say when Xu Zewei was flown out of Italy, saying only that he was already in the United States. The move follows a ruling by a top Italian court earlier this month allowing the extradition. Xu was arrested in Milan on July 3 at ⁠the request of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351502/italy-extradite-suspected-chinese-hacker-wanted-us-authorities-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351502/italy-extradite-suspected-chinese-hacker-wanted-us-authorities-source?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:21:26 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Albert*, a 68-year-old retiree in the Philippines, was struggling to log into the country’s Social Security System app in August last year when a man rang to offer help. The caller said he worked for the government pension fund, the website was down for maintenance and a new app had just been rolled out. To prove he was genuine, he sent Albert his full name, Social Security number, and home address over the Viber messaging app, followed by a link to the “new” app. More than an hour after Albert... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351222/fake-app-drains-filipino-retirees-life-savings-malware-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351222/fake-app-drains-filipino-retirees-life-savings-malware-service?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang In the second of a three-part series on Anthropic’s powerful Mythos artificial intelligence model, we examine the effect it has had on China’s cybersecurity and finance industries. US start-up Anthropic’s new AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, has drawn global attention for its ability to autonomously identify and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities at a level that appears to surpass conventional tools used in enterprise and financial systems. The model has not been made publicly available, with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351152/why-anthropics-mythos-has-energised-chinas-cybersecurity-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351152/why-anthropics-mythos-has-energised-chinas-cybersecurity-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun A data breach at Yau Yat Chuen Garden City Club has compromised the personal information of more than 9,000 people, Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has found, urging organisations to review security measures and update software to close loopholes. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on Thursday also released a guide for parents and teachers to safeguard children’s online privacy amid increasing risks facing youngsters online. Revealing the data breach, Privacy Commissioner for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351143/personal-info-9045-people-compromised-hong-kong-private-club-data-breach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351143/personal-info-9045-people-compromised-hong-kong-private-club-data-breach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:41:48 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A notorious North Korean hacking group is likely behind the theft of nearly US$300 million in cryptocurrency over the weekend, an affected party has said, in the biggest known crypto heist this year. It is the latest such incident linked to North Korea, whose sophisticated cybercrime programme uses stolen cryptocurrency to help fund its nuclear weapons development, according to a United Nations panel. Digital currency news site CoinDesk said the heist on the vault of online investment tool... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350964/north-koreas-lazarus-suspected-stealing-us290-million-kelpdao-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350964/north-koreas-lazarus-suspected-stealing-us290-million-kelpdao-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:12:23 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham China will hit EU firms with reciprocal measures if the bloc targets Chinese firms as planned under its proposed cybersecurity regulations, Beijing has warned. In a 30-page document submitted to the European Commission on Friday, China’s commerce ministry explicitly warned that broad retaliation was on the table if firms such as Huawei and ZTE were penalised by the law, which was announced in January but is still in draft form. “If the EU designates China as a ‘country posing cybersecurity... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350763/china-threatens-eu-firms-over-cybersecurity-plans-targeting-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350763/china-threatens-eu-firms-over-cybersecurity-plans-targeting-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:01:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration and Anthropic’s CEO on Friday discussed working together for the first time since a dispute earlier this year between the Pentagon and the artificial intelligence firm over how that company’s models should be used. The meeting between CEO Dario Amodei and White House staff, which took place amid growing ‌fears the AI start-up’s latest model will supercharge cyberattacks, suggests the two sides might be on a path to rebuilding trust. The Trump administration, central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:17:51 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has suspended all contractors’ access to patient data after a major leak affecting more than 56,000 patients, and is considering barring the company involved from bidding for future projects. But the authority on Thursday declined to say whether it would terminate the firm’s existing contracts or discipline any staff, citing an ongoing police probe. The authority confirmed earlier this month that personal data of more than 56,000 patients at United Christian... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350360/hong-kongs-hospital-authority-bars-all-contractors-access-data-after-leak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350360/hong-kongs-hospital-authority-bars-all-contractors-access-data-after-leak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:49 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow With US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell reported to have held urgent talks over Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence model, experts are warning that immediate cybersecurity assessments are needed to avert potential economic damage running into the hundreds of billions of US dollars. Across the Pacific, however, analysts said China’s banks were taking a more cautious approach, as Beijing prioritises financial stability and intensifies monitoring of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Innovation and technology are key drivers of economic growth and quality of life in Hong Kong. Efforts to make the city an international hub for those sectors have recently been undermined by worrying data breaches. Authorities and organisations handling public data must strengthen digital defences against hacking and mishandling. The latest incident involved the leak of data related to more than 56,000 patients and 1,000 staff members connected with Hospital Authority institutions in Kowloon... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349485/breaches-reveal-worrying-gaps-hong-kongs-data-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349485/breaches-reveal-worrying-gaps-hong-kongs-data-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested an employee of a systems maintenance contractor hired by the Hospital Authority on suspicion of stealing the personal data of more than 56,000 patients and 1,000 staff members. The arrest of a 30-year-old local man came just days after the authority reported on Saturday a suspected data leak involving patients in the Kowloon East group of hospitals on a third‑party platform, with police and the privacy watchdog investigating. Police revealed on Wednesday that more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349378/police-arrest-man-suspicion-stealing-personal-data-56000-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349378/police-arrest-man-suspicion-stealing-personal-data-56000-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:57:48 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog and police are investigating a large-scale data leak involving more than 56,000 patients served by the Hospital Authority, which reported the unauthorised retrieval of a variety of information. The authority on Saturday apologised to affected victims – patients of hospitals in Kowloon East – for the breach that compromised their names, identity card numbers, genders, dates of birth, dates of hospital visits and details of surgical procedures, among other... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349020/probe-launched-after-hospital-authority-data-breach-involving-56000-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349020/probe-launched-after-hospital-authority-data-breach-involving-56000-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:55:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Police in Sri Lanka arrested 152 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, on Friday for allegedly running a cyberscam operation out of a hotel in the island’s northwest, officials said. The raid took place in the coastal town of Chilaw, 80km (50 miles) north of Colombo, following a tip-off, said police spokesman Frederick Wootler. “Those involved in scamming will be dealt with under our criminal law, while others could be deported,” Wootler said. Local police sources said two Chinese men who tried to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:23:02 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A housewife in Hong Kong has lost nearly HK$2.5 million (US$320,500) in an online shopping scam after she tried to buy collagen drinks for HK$530, according to police. The victim saw a Facebook post advertising collagen drinks and transferred HK$530 via Faster Payment System, police said on their CyberDefender Facebook page. The seller later claimed the item was out of stock and offered a refund, sending the woman a link to a fake Facebook page that asked for her online banking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:03:55 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek suffered a prolonged outage overnight that extended into early Monday morning, disrupting service for hundreds of millions of users, according to a company notice and user feedback. The Hangzhou-based AI lab’s namesake chatbot website and app were offline from Sunday evening, with the company continuing to investigate while issuing fixes from between 1am and 9am on Monday, according to service maintenance records the company published online. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:41:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed sophisticated coordination and is just the latest tactic in a cyber conflict that pits the US and Israel against Iran and its digital proxies. As Iran and its supporters seek... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:49:43 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam A computer system containing Hong Kong prison employees’ personal data has been hacked, compromising the information of 6,800 current and former staffers. The Correctional Services Department said on Friday evening that a hacker had gained illegal access to one of its IT systems on Tuesday. “After a preliminary investigation, the Correctional Services Department believes the incident involved unauthorised access to the internal Knowledge Management System by a hacker, through which the hacker... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348230/hong-kong-prison-departments-it-system-hacked-6800-employees-data-compromised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348230/hong-kong-prison-departments-it-system-hacked-6800-employees-data-compromised?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:21:33 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and has posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work résumé and other personal documents. Many of those records appeared to be more than a decade old. “Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:39:34 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Chinese government advisers are calling for government-set “red lines” in artificial intelligence development and applications, as mounting threats of job displacement and data security challenges spark concerns in the country. Jiang Xiaojuan, former deputy secretary general of the State Council, said at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province that precaution was needed when using AI simply to reduce labour costs. “Those that do not improve service quality or promote... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung A global investigation involving Hong Kong authorities has found that more websites and mobile apps designed for children are collecting personal data – ranging from phone numbers to addresses – than they did about a decade ago. The 2025 Global Privacy Enforcement Network Sweep, which included the participation of Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, examined 876 websites and mobile apps specifically designed for children across multiple sectors in early November,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347829/more-websites-mobile-apps-children-collecting-personal-data-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347829/more-websites-mobile-apps-children-collecting-personal-data-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:55:50 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian users are among victims targeted by a newly uncovered iPhone spyware operation that researchers say was used by multiple threat actors across countries, in a sign that sophisticated mobile-hacking tools are spreading through a murkier commercial and criminal ecosystem. The spyware, known as DarkSword, was observed targeting entities in Malaysia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and was uncovered by investigators shortly after they exposed another exploit kit, Coruna, linked to the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347739/iphone-spyware-darksword-hits-malaysia-exposing-spread-sophisticated-hacking-tools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347739/iphone-spyware-darksword-hits-malaysia-exposing-spread-sophisticated-hacking-tools?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:31:37 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Tencent Holdings is rolling out a “ClawBot” plug-in for China’s most popular app WeChat as it seeks to capitalise on the OpenClaw craze, even as authorities continue to warn about risks. The move announced on Sunday will allow WeChat’s more than 1 billion monthly active users to command their OpenClaw artificial intelligence agents directly through the app, which is deeply embedded in daily life in China. In recent weeks, almost every Chinese tech giant has announced new offerings based on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347590/tencent-adds-clawbot-plug-wechat-amid-openclaw-boom-and-privacy-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347590/tencent-adds-clawbot-plug-wechat-amid-openclaw-boom-and-privacy-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles Philippine police have foiled a school shooting and rescued seven students radicalised by “foreigners” online to stage an attack in Laguna province near Manila, amid growing calls for stronger parental safeguards against digital threats. Officers rounded up the suspects – five boys and two girls, aged 12 to 17 – on February 2 after receiving a tip-off about an alleged plot they intended to carry out a fortnight later, the Philippine Star reported. The teens, who were turned over to social... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347111/philippine-police-thwart-roblox-linked-school-shooting-plot-7-teens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347111/philippine-police-thwart-roblox-linked-school-shooting-plot-7-teens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:22:21 +0000 Ken Ip Ken Ip In China this month, people have been lining up on streets to install an AI programme on their computers. Some had travelled from other cities. Others had waited for hours for engineers to set it up for them. There were even “birth certificates” given out upon installation. The programme is OpenClaw. Its logo is a red lobster. Chinese internet users quickly coined a phrase for the phenomenon: raising lobsters. The scene looks quirky, even amusing. But beneath the spectacle lies a revealing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346562/frenzy-over-ai-agent-openclaw-shows-lobster-has-escaped-pot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346562/frenzy-over-ai-agent-openclaw-shows-lobster-has-escaped-pot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong’s finance chief has likened the powerful AI agent OpenClaw to an efficient “digital employee”, saying it should not be dismissed but rather improved to address security risk concerns. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s remarks on Monday followed a recent Digital Policy Office advisory urging government departments to avoid installing OpenClaw or its variants due to security concerns. “AI agent OpenClaw has awed the world; the convenience it offers is just like having a digital... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346782/fix-dont-fire-digital-employee-openclaw-over-security-risks-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346782/fix-dont-fire-digital-employee-openclaw-over-security-risks-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:02:37 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang By the time software programmer Guo Cancan realised something had gone horribly wrong with OpenClaw – the task-executing AI agent that has ignited a fervour across China – the damage was already done. While on holiday over the Chinese New Year, Guo was tinkering with the autonomous open-source program. When he attempted to resolve an error that it had made, OpenClaw responded by deleting nearly everything on his computer’s D: drive – a major storage partition – wiping out years of personal data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea. The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024. The department also accused workers associated with North Korea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:35:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Local governments across China have rushed to ride the OpenClaw AI boom in hopes of spurring economic growth, only for Beijing to step in swiftly to rein in the frenzy. Authorities in Beijing have issued a series of safety warnings that analysts say underscore the divide in priorities between local and central authorities. The rush to adopt the artificial intelligence (AI) software has seen major internet companies offer low-cost or easily accessible versions, while local governments have rolled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346384/what-chinas-openclaw-divide-reveals-about-local-and-central-government-priorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346384/what-chinas-openclaw-divide-reveals-about-local-and-central-government-priorities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:57:44 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s central bank has called for heightened cybersecurity awareness and caution in the use of artificial intelligence in the financial sector, adding to a chorus of warnings over security risks amid the nationwide buzz surrounding the OpenClaw AI agent. At its annual technology conference in Beijing on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China called for further efforts to “enhance the resilience of cybersecurity and data security”, according to a readout of the meeting posted on its website. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346352/amid-openclaw-frenzy-chinas-central-bank-adds-cybersecurity-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346352/amid-openclaw-frenzy-chinas-central-bank-adds-cybersecurity-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:00:15 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma China has issued public guidance on using OpenClaw, and reportedly restricted its use in government agencies, as regulators push back against surging use of the artificial intelligence (AI) agent. Best practices include minimising internet exposure and regularly checking for security updates, China’s top software regulator said on Wednesday. The notice followed two earlier official warnings about OpenClaw, an autonomous AI agent used for tasks such as stock picking, sorting emails and creating... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346356/openclaw-frenzy-shows-hurdles-rewiring-china-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346356/openclaw-frenzy-shows-hurdles-rewiring-china-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:08:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Meta disabled more than 150,000 accounts and Thai police arrested 21 people in a sweeping international crackdown on Southeast Asian criminal scam centres that targeted people around the world, the social media giant said on Wednesday. The operation was led by Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Centre alongside the FBI and the US Justice Department’s Scam Centre Strike Force, with Meta investigators acting on intelligence shared in real time by law enforcement. Online scam networks –... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:12:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An Iran-linked hacking group claimed responsibility Wednesday for a cyberattack on US medical technology giant Stryker, saying it had extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for military strikes on Iran. “Our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success,” Handala said in a statement. It described the hack as retribution for what it called “the brutal attack on the Minab school” in Iran, where authorities said more than 150 people were killed, and for “ongoing cyber... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346277/iran-group-hacks-us-medical-firm-retaliation-strike-girls-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346277/iran-group-hacks-us-medical-firm-retaliation-strike-girls-school?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:45:11 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s cybersecurity agency on Tuesday issued a second warning about security and data risks tied to OpenClaw, despite a rush among local governments and tech companies to adopt the artificial intelligence agent amid a nationwide frenzy. At a time when major Chinese cloud service providers were touting easy deployment of OpenClaw to capitalise on its popularity, improper installation and use of the agent had also led to severe security risks, said the National Computer Network Emergency... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346138/china-issues-second-warning-openclaw-risks-amid-adoption-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346138/china-issues-second-warning-openclaw-risks-amid-adoption-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:14:18 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Some local governments in China have rushed to support the adoption of OpenClaw, the artificial intelligence agent sweeping the country, even as warnings about privacy and security risks linger in the background. In Shenzhen, China’s southern tech hub, the AI and robotics agency of Longgang district published a draft on Saturday proposing sweeping measures, including subsidies of up to 2 million yuan (US$290,000) for approved projects. The initiative came a day after nearly a thousand people... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345986/chinese-local-governments-offer-openclaw-project-subsidies-security-questions-linger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345986/chinese-local-governments-offer-openclaw-project-subsidies-security-questions-linger?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000