Introducing Episode 12 of our expertly crafted series on data breaches, cyber-attacks, and more. Breach Breakdown is your go-to source for recapping incidents and staying up-to-date on the latest solutions. December/January saw its fair share of reported cases, with breaches affecting:
Volkswagen Data Breach Exposes Data of 800K EV Customers
Ethical hackers from Chaos Computer Club (CCC) uncovered a breach affecting 800,000 electric vehicle owners across Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, and Skoda brands.
🔑 Key Findings:
-Caused by an Amazon cloud misconfiguration.
– Exposed: Vehicle location, emails, and phone numbers.
The breach has compromised data from German politicians and police.
The issue has been promptly fixed by Cariad after disclosure.
Read More:
New AI Jailbreak 'Bad Likert Judge' Boosts Attack Success by 60%
Cyber Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 have discovered a new AI jailbreak method called ‘Bad Likert Judge’, increasing success rates by over 60%.
🔑 Key Findings:
– Uses LLMs to rate harmful responses on a Likert scale.
– Tested on six major LLMs, exposing categories like hate speech and malware generation.
Apple will pay $95M in a Siri privacy settlement!
💰 U.S. users can claim $20 per device (up to 5 devices) for unintended Siri activations from 2014-2024. Devices include iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, and Apple TV.
📖 The lawsuit stems from a 2019 report revealing that third-party contractors were listening to private conversations due to accidental Siri activations. Apple was accused of sharing voice data with advertisers and has denied any wrongdoing, stating there was no evidence linking Siri activations to targeted ads.
✅ Apple has since introduced privacy improvements like opt-in audio improvement, Siri history deletion, and analytics disabling.
Read More:
Windows 10 Cyberattack Warning
Millions of Windows 10 users risk cyberattacks as support ends on October 14, 2025. Upgrade to Windows 11 or secure alternatives now.
🔐 Key Concerns:
- Windows 10 market share rising (62.7%).
- Windows 11 dropping (34.12%).
📢 Expert Warning: Thorsten Urbanski, ESET: “Avoid a 2025 security fiasco. Switch to Windows 11 now or explore alternatives.”
💡 Act Now:
- Upgrade to Windows 11.
- Visit Microsoft support for guidance.
#CyberSecurity #Windows10 #Windows11
Follow-Up Alert: U.S. & UK Water Utilities Under Cyber Attack
We’ve previously highlighted the lack of protection for water systems, and recent cyber attacks on U.S. and UK utilities, including Thames Water, emphasise the urgent need for stronger security measures. Threat actors continue targeting outdated OT systems, putting public safety at risk.
🔐 Key Protective Measures:
– Multifactor authentication
– Proper firewall setup
– Offline data backups
– Collaboration between public agencies and security experts is essential to safeguard critical infrastructure.