VFCFinder analyzes commit histories to pinpoint the most likely commits associated with vulnerability fixes.

The post VFCFinder Highlights Security Patches in Open Source Software appeared first on Security Boulevard.

D’Youville University in Buffalo had an A.I. robot speak at its commencement on Saturday. Not everyone was happy about it.

A growing number of researchers in the field are using their expertise to fight the climate crisis.

© David Maurice Smith for The New York Times

Universidad Santo Tomás (Saint Thomas Aquinas) is the oldest (founded: 1580) university in Colombia. The music on some of their promotional videos e.g. Admisión 2022, 2011 micro-drama, another 2011 video, evening study, and a cover, may sound familiar to listeners of a reclusive Scottish electronic music duo, with an overanalytical fanbase, who have NOT RELEASED AN ALBUM IN 11 YEARS sorry about that. The original, the lyrics, and a meta-nostalgic fan video for 50+ Brits.

More detail (unverified) in this "I have more questions!"-raising YouTube comment: "on the odd chance there's any non-chileans wondering about all the chileans losing their shit about this song, there's a mediocre college in the country, Universidad Santo Tomás, which is mainly (or solely) known to chileans for two things: 1. going with this absolute banger of a theme for its advertising 2. its founder dying after accidentally setting himself on fire while murdering a guy and trying to pass it off as an accident"

Thomas Jefferson University apologizes after commencement presenter flubs names. Unfortunately for the hapless presenter, the name cards used the International Phonetic Alphabet, a technical rendering used mainly by linguists. kænt rid ðɪs? Don't let it happen to you! Learn how to pronounce IPA spelling today, test your skills, or just entertain yourself with the world's most unintentionally hilarious soundboards.

A psychiatrist, he ran New York-Presbyterian after a landmark merger, improving its patient care and finances and raising money to expand its footprint across the region.

© Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times

University System of Georgia says Social Security numbers and bank account numbers were compromised in the May 2023 MOVEit hack.

The post University System of Georgia Says 800,000 Impacted by MOVEit Hack appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Who Has the Right to "Disrupt" the University? Perhaps the most egregious example of the administrator-as-disruptor is Gordon Gee, currently the president of West Virginia University (WVU), whose administration pushed through extraordinarily deep cuts to the institution's academic offerings last fall. During a meeting of the faculty senate, Gee said "I want to be very clear that the university is not dismantling higher education. We are disrupting it . . . And many of you know I am a firm believer in disruption."

Protesters seek not only to advance their points of view, but to change the facts on the ground on their campuses. In doing so, they correctly recognize that the contemporary American university is much more than a marketplace of ideas; it is an unprecedented institutional form that acts as a powerful force in fields from real estate to healthcare to finance—to, indeed, weapons manufacturing. In fact, it is precisely these operations—and their entanglements with the Israeli and US war machines—that student protesters are targeting, with demands that are not only expressive (asking administrators to join calls for a ceasefire, for example) but also material. When the very point of protesting is to put a stop to business as usual, the right to disrupt becomes a central part of the right to protest. Indeed, university administrators are aware that campus protest is about disruption rather than just expression—not least because they have spent the last few years contending with a wave of "disruptive" union activity that has spread to nearly every part of the large and growing university apparatus.

Recent studies cast doubt on whether large-scale mental health interventions are making young people better. Some even suggest they can have a negative effect.

© Sandra Mickiewicz for The New York Times

Gas-burning ranges, a significant contributor to indoor pollution, can produce and spread particularly high levels of some pollutants in smaller spaces.

© Calla Kessler for The New York Times

The F Society ransomware group has listed 4 additional new victims on its leak site. The group's alleged victims include: Bitfinex, Coinmoma, Rutgers University, and SBC Global Net. Bitfinex is a prominent crypto-exchange platform while Coinmoma offers cryptocurrency-related coin, chart and event data. Rutgers University is a public land-grant university operating four campuses in the state of New Jersey. It is one of the oldest operating universities in the United States. SBC Global Net was an email service provided by SBC Communications, which was later acquired by AT&T.

F Society Ransomware Group Shared Alleged Samples

While the attack remains unconfirmed, the ransomware group shared unique descriptions for each victim along with links of sample data obtained from the attacks. The description for each attack included a mention of the total file size of the stolen information and the type of data obtained in the attack. [caption id="attachment_66368" align="alignnone" width="414"] Source: X.com (@AlvieriD)[/caption] Each victim was given 7 days to pay a ransom or threatened with leak of the obtained data. No ransom amount was publicly mentioned. [caption id="attachment_66365" align="alignnone" width="353"] Source: X.com (@AlvieriD)[/caption] The following claim was made about each victim:

• Bitfinex: The post description stated that the group had stolen 2.5 TB of information and the personal details of 400K users.
• Rutgers University: The group claimed to have stolen 1 TB of data, while not stating what form of information it had acquired.
• Coinmoma: The group claimed to have obtained sensitive data including user information and transaction histories. The file was stated to be 2TB in size and consisting of 210k user records.
• SBC Global Net: The group claimed to have obtained unauthorized access to the victim's system and that they had obtained sensitive data such as personal details of users. The file size was stated at 1 TB in size.

No official responses have been made yet and the claims remain unconfirmed. The Cyber Express Team has reached out to Rutgers University for details about the alleged data breach, however at the time of writing no response was received.

BitFinex Was Previously Hacked

While the F Society ransomware group's claims are unverified, BiFinex had previously fallen victim to a major hacking incident in the past. In the earlier 2016 incident, about 119,754 in bitcoin was stolen from the Bitfinex platform after a hacker breached its systems and initiated about 2,000 unauthorized transactions. The stolen bitcoin was sent to a man, who along with his wife, attempted to launder the money across digital accounts. Law enforcement managed to track the couple after 6 years, and managed to recover more than 94,000 bitcoin that had been stolen from Bitfinex. The total value of the recovered bitcoin was stated at over $3.6 billion at the time of arrest, making it the single largest recovery in the history of the US Department of Justice. However, the perpetrator of the hack is still unknown but is known to have used a data destruction tool to cover their trail. A former FBI agent was quoted as stating that Bitfinex’s earlier security lapse was likely due to its desire to accelerate transactions and thereby raise profits. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Professor Young’s experiments with prairie voles revealed what poets never could: how the brain processes that fluttering feeling in the heart.

Anonymous Arabia, a notorious group of hacktivists, has allegedly launched a cyberattack on Columbia University in response to the recent police crackdown on its students. The Columbia University cyberattack, purportedly initiated as retaliation for the police intervention, has sparked concerns and debates over the appropriate response to protests and the use of digital warfare.

The group, known for its activities in the dark corners of the internet, posted a message with the tagline "HUGE USA UNIVERSITY CYBERATTACK" on a dark web forum.

The Alleged Cyberattack on Columbia University

The message boldly declares, "We have now started an unprecedented cyberattack on the University of Columbia in the US in retaliation to the police raid on the student occupation of the university building. We took down the whole network of Columbia and most of the University websites and Eservices (including Email servers). [caption id="attachment_66004" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Source: X[/caption] This cyberattack comes in the wake of a recent incident where police forces intervened to dismantle protests staged by students who were occupying university premises as a form of demonstration.

Campus Tensions: Background and Response

The incident at Columbia University involved a group of protesters breaking into Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside, and occupying it throughout the day. The escalation prompted the university administration to call for police assistance, leading to the removal of the protesters. Minouche Shafik, President of Columbia University in the City of New York, expressed deep sadness over the events, stating that the university had been patient in tolerating unauthorized demonstrations for several months. Efforts were made to engage in dialogue with the protesters, including considerations for their demands, but a resolution could not be reached. Our efforts to find a solution went into Tuesday evening, but regrettably, we were unable to come to resolution. Because my first responsibility is safety, with the support of the University’s Trustees, I made the decision to ask the New York City Police Department to intervene to end the occupation of Hamilton Hall and dismantle the main encampment along with a new, smaller encampment," said Shafik. Shafik emphasized the university's commitment to free speech and activism but condemned the acts of violence and destruction carried out during the protests. The decision to involve law enforcement was made to ensure the safety of the campus community and to restore order. The aftermath of the police intervention has seen a wave of arrests and clashes on various university campuses across the United States. New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported 300 arrests at Columbia University and the City College of New York. Similar incidents occurred at the University of Texas at Dallas and Fordham University, among others. Former President Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in Wisconsin, applauded the police action at Columbia University, describing it as "a beautiful thing to watch." However, the response to the protests has not been without criticism. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office labeled the law enforcement response at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as "limited and delayed," with clashes between rival protesters resulting in numerous injuries.

Alleged Columbia University Cyberattack: Uncertainty and Verification

Amidst the chaos, the alleged cyberattack on Columbia University by Anonymous Arabia has raised further concerns. However, upon accessing the university's official website, no evidence of foul play was detected. The Cyber Express Team reached out to Columbia University for verification, but as of writing this report, no response has been received, leaving the claim unverified. Whether this cyberattack is a genuine act of hacktivism or a tactic to gain attention remains uncertain. Only an official statement from Columbia University can confirm the legitimacy of the claim. Meanwhile, the incident highlights the growing intersection between digital warfare and real-world activism, highlighting the complex dynamics of modern protests and their consequences. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Biden administration forgives $6.1 billion in student debt for 317,000 former Art Institute students

The decision covers people who were enrolled at any Art Institute campus from Jan. 1, 2004, to Oct. 16, 2017, a period in which Education Management Corp. (EDMC) owned the chain of schools. Today, the Education Department will begin notifying eligible borrowers, who are not required to take action. The agency said it also will refund payments that former students have made on loans that are earmarked for forgiveness. (CNBC) "The Art Institutes launched in 1970 when the Education Management Corporation purchased the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The system continued to grow in the ensuing years, largely through additional acquisitions. In 2001, the Art Institutes owned 20 campuses; by 2012, there were 50." (Artnet) After much legal wrangling, the eight remaining schools permanently closed on September 30, 2023. Some 1,700 students were given a week's notice of the closures. "Over the last three years, my Administration has approved nearly $29 billion in debt relief for 1.6 million borrowers whose colleges took advantage of them, closed abruptly, or were covered by related court settlements, compared to just 53,500 borrowers who had ever gotten their debt cancelled through these types of actions before I took office. And in total, we have approved debt cancellation for nearly 4.6 million Americans through various actions." - Whitehouse.gov statement. 2015: EDMC to Pay $95.5 Million to Settle Claims of Illegal Recruiting, Consumer Fraud and Other Violations 2011: U.S. Files Complaint Against Education Management Corp. Alleging False Claims Act Violations 2010: A whistleblower alleged EDMC paid recruiters illegal bonuses to lure students to its schools through fraudulent means, and paid recruiters to falsify job placement data to entice students to choose EDMC colleges. Jason Sobek, the former recruiter for EDMC's South University who filed the lawsuit, also alleged that EDMC deliberately targeted students who were vulnerable and unlikely to succeed in college, including students who were mentally ill or homeless. Sobek claimed that EDMC trained and encouraged its recruiters to prey on these vulnerable students. 2007: The initial qui tam False Claims Act lawsuit against EMDC was filed by whistleblower Lynntoya Washington (formerly an assistant director of admissions at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division) — who later filed an amended complaint, jointly with Michael T. Mahoney (formerly director of training for director of training for Education Management's online higher education division). Last week, the DOJ announced a new whistleblower initiative, the Criminal Division's Voluntary Self-Disclosures Pilot Program for Individuals, to combat corporate crime:

Sometimes, the best evidence of corporate wrongdoing involves a company insider. Our experience shows that individuals who are involved in criminal conduct and are willing to accept responsibility and cooperate with us are critical sources of information. [...] Under this pilot program, individuals with criminal exposure—not including CEOs, CFOs, high-level foreign officials, domestic officials at any level, or individuals who organized or led the criminal scheme—who come forward and report misconduct that was otherwise unknown to the department will be eligible to receive a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) if they meet certain criteria. NPAs have been a part of the federal criminal system for decades, and prosecutors have long exercised discretion to offer NPAs as an essential tool to get culpable individuals in the door. Our new individual self-disclosure pilot program, which provides clear guidelines and threshold criteria, builds on the department's longstanding practice to advance our fight against complex corporate crime. At bottom, making NPAs available to individuals who come forward to report corporate crime and cooperate allows us to prosecute more culpable individuals and to hold companies to account. Under the new program, culpable individuals will receive an NPA if they (1) voluntarily, (2) truthfully, and (3) completely self-disclose original information regarding misconduct that was unknown to the department in certain high-priority enforcement areas, (4) fully cooperate and are able to provide substantial assistance against those equally or more culpable, and (5) forfeit any ill-gotten gains and compensate victims. The pilot program is designed to provide predictability and certainty by offering a pathway for culpable individuals to receive an NPA for truthful and complete self-disclosure to the department.

A few previouslies on U.S. education debt, for-profit colleges, and student-loan forgiveness.

His testimony as an expert witness in some 600 trials helped plaintiffs win billions of dollars in cases involving malfeasance by pharmaceutical makers.

© Faith Ninivaggi/Reuters

Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, hunts for aliens in space by studying Earth across time.

© Heather Ainsworth for The New York Times