The Most Dangerous People on the Internet in 2023
From Sam Altman and Elon Musk to ransomware gangs and state-backed hackers, these are the individuals and groups that spent this year disrupting the world we know it.
Security / National Security
Google Just Denied Cops a Key Surveillance Tool
Plus: Apple tightens anti-theft protections, Chinese hackers penetrate US critical infrastructure, and the long-running rumor of eavesdropping phones crystallizes into more than an urban legend.
Microsoft’s Digital Crime Unit Goes Deep on How It Disrupts Cybercrime
Ten years in, Microsoft’s DCU has honed its strategy of using both unique legal tactics and the company’s technical reach to disrupt global cybercrime and state-backed actors.
Hacker Group Linked to Russian Military Claims Credit for Cyberattack on Kyivstar
A hacker group calling itself Solntsepek—previously linked to Russia’s notorious Sandworm hackers—says it carried out a disruptive breach of Kyivstar, a major Ukrainian mobile and internet provider.
Congress Clashes Over the Future of America’s Section 702 Spy Program
Competing bills moving through the House of Representatives both reauthorize Section 702 surveillance—but they pave very different paths forward for Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.
Ukraine Is Crowdfunding Its Reconstruction
With its war against Russia raging on, Ukraine has begun raising funds to rebuild homes and structures one by one using its own crowdfunding platform.
Elijah Wood and Mike Tyson Cameo Videos Were Used in a Russian Disinformation Campaign
Videos featuring Elijah Wood, Mike Tyson, and Priscilla Presley have been edited to push anti-Ukraine disinformation, according to Microsoft researchers.
The Binance Crackdown Will Be an ‘Unprecedented’ Bonanza for Crypto Surveillance
Binance’s settlement requires it to offer years of transaction data to US regulators and cops, exposing the company—and its customers—to a “24/7, 365-days-a-year financial colonoscopy.”
Police Can Spy on Your iOS and Android Push Notifications
Governments can access records related to push notifications from mobile apps by requesting that data from Apple and Google, according to details in court records and a US senator.
Cybersecurity Industry Baffled by FBI’s Lack of Action on Ransomware Gang
Plus: Hackers reveal flaws in crypto wallets holding $1 billion, a massive breach of Danish electric utilities, and more.