Nintendo suffered a significant data breach last year, with the personal identifiable information (PII) of 300,000 users being leaked. The breach was part of a scheme to purchase Fortnite cryptocurrency. The leaked data included nicknames, birth dates, countries, email addresses, and more. The breach was first disclosed by Nintendo in April, with an update in June. Hackers used 'spoofed' logins to obtain login IDs and passwords. Nintendo has since taken measures to improve security, such as abolishing NNID logins and resetting passwords. Security experts like Nick Espinosa and Ben Goodman have commented on the breach, discussing the importance of multifactor authentication and the potential for passwordless solutions. The article also mentions previous Nintendo breaches, highlighting the ongoing cybersecurity challenges the company faces.

Capital One Bank agreed to pay an $80 million fine for a data breach affecting over 100 million people. The breach, discovered after a tipster's email, was due to an improperly configured firewall and resulted in the theft of customer data by hacker Paige Adele Thompson. Thompson, a former Amazon employee, faces charges and a potential prison sentence. The breach highlighted the risks associated with third-party contractors and cloud storage systems. Capital One's failure to establish effective risk assessment and timely correction of deficiencies were cited as reasons for the penalty. The incident has raised concerns among U.S. lawmakers about the security of cloud-computing systems and the responsibility of companies like Amazon in such breaches.

Marriott International experienced a data breach in January 2020, affecting 5.2 million guests in its Bonvoy loyalty program. This followed a 2018 breach that led to a $23.9 million fine by the ICO. The 2020 incident involved unauthorized use of a business application with legitimate credentials. No sensitive financial data was reported leaked. Marriott responded by disabling the compromised accounts and notifying affected guests. Experts like John Bambenek of Bambenek Labs and Eric Cole of Secure Anchor Consulting commented on the breach, emphasizing the importance of detection over prevention. A class-action lawsuit was filed against Marriott for inadequate cybersecurity measures. The breach highlights the need for better monitoring and multifactor authentication to protect customer information.

The article by Najmeh Tima revisits a significant ransomware attack that affected 22 Texas towns in August 2019. The attack, which disrupted critical online services, was orchestrated using a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model by a group likely operating out of Eastern Europe, possibly the REvil/Sodinokibi team. Allan Liska, an intelligence analyst with Recorded Future, explains that the attackers exploited vulnerabilities in Pulse Secure VPN to access managed service providers and subsequently their clients. Despite the demand for a $2.5 million ransom, Texas officials reported that no ransom was paid, and the affected entities were restored from backups within a week. The article also discusses the challenges in tracking down the attackers and the importance of cybersecurity measures such as patching known vulnerabilities, network segmentation, and advanced endpoint solutions.

The article discusses the cultural significance and declining consumption of shark fin soup in China and Hong Kong. Once a symbol of wealth and luxury, public perception has shifted, with a 2020 survey indicating a decrease in the dish's acceptability. The practice of shark finning, which kills millions of sharks annually, has ecological repercussions and has led to a decline in consumption, particularly at private events. Despite this, the dish is still served at social functions due to cultural pressures. Environmental groups and government bans have contributed to a 50-70 percent reduction in consumption since 2011. The Hong Kong Shark Foundation has been promoting shark conservation and a shark-free policy at weddings. The article suggests that while progress has been made, more efforts are needed to eliminate the dish from catering industries to effect lasting change.