Envy-Worthy Cybersecurity Tales of 2023

In 2018, former colleagues at VICE Motherboard Joseph Cox and Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai started publishing a list of the best cybersecurity stories from other publications. They picked stories as a way to give readers a fuller picture of what had happened in the world of cybersecurity, privacy, and surveillance over the year. Now, at TechCrunch, they are continuing the list by showcasing the best cybersecurity stories of the year. Andy Greenberg’s lengthy piece in October 2016 tells the untold story of three hackers who caused major websites like Twitter, Netflix, and Spotify to stop working for hours. Jason Koebler flew to Las Vegas and reported on Russian cybercriminals allying with Western teenagers to hack and take down MGM’s casinos, causing chaos. NPR’s cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin documented life in wartime Ukraine, highlighting cyberdefenders and normal Ukrainian life. Anker admitted its supposedly always-encrypted cameras weren’t always encrypted, and The Verge verified this, exposing Anker’s misrepresentations. Russian government hackers snuck malicious code into the software of SolarWinds, giving them the opportunity to steal secrets. Reuters investigated hacking-for-hire company Appin and revealed that it helped obtain information on wealthy private customers. WIRED’s Matt Burgess and Lily Hay Newman unmasked the Trickbot’s “key persona” and the U.S. and U.K. governments announced sanctions against 11 people tied to Trickbot. Cybercriminals stole LastPass’ encrypted password vaults, leading to $35 million in stolen crypto currencies. This is my rewrite with maximum tokens.