CyberScoop
CompanySecurity timeline
- Activity reported by CyberScoopApple warns users in 99 countries of mercenary spyware attacks, over 150 countries notified to date
- Activity reported by CyberScoopCleared defence contractor pleads guilty to aiding North Korean remote worker scheme
Recent news
Apple warns users in 99 countries of mercenary spyware attacks, over 150 countries notified to date
Apple issued a new round of threat notifications to targeted users in 99 countries, bringing its total to over 150 countries. Apple does not attribute the attacks to any specific attackers or regions. Citizen Lab and Access Now advise recipients to enable Lockdown Mode and contact Access Now, and warn that the absence of a notification does not rule out infection. The previous major batch was sent in August, and the latest one comes shortly before final negotiations on industry standards under the voluntary Pall Mall Process.
Cleared defence contractor pleads guilty to aiding North Korean remote worker scheme
John Allen Kurrle Jr., 62, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for letting co-conspirators use his identity and clearance to apply for 88 US jobs, leading to nine offers between June and October 2025. He hosted laptops from victim companies at his Virginia home so operatives could access them remotely from abroad. A Californian firm working on a generative AI project for a US military component caught the mismatch on a video call and fired the worker before any contract work began.