News of the Cyber World

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Cyberattack on Mortgage Giant LoanDepot Exposes Sensitive Data of 16.6 Million Customers

TechCrunch reports that LoanDepot, one of the largest loan and mortgage companies in the United States, recently disclosed in a filing to federal regulators that 16.6 million customers have had their sensitive personal information compromised in a cyberattack that took place on January 8. This incident, which has been identified as a ransomware attack, poses a significant risk to the affected customers.

The company has acknowledged the data breach but has not specified the nature of the sensitive and personal data that was stolen. Jonathan Fine, a spokesperson for LoanDepot, declined to provide specific details about the types of customer data that were compromised during the attack.

Frank Martell, the CEO of LoanDepot, said in a statement: “Unfortunately, we live in a world where these types of attacks are increasingly frequent and sophisticated, and our industry has not been spared. We sincerely regret any impact to our customers. The entire LoanDepot team has worked tirelessly throughout this incident to support our customers, our partners and each other. I am pleased by our progress in quickly bringing our systems back online and restoring normal business operations.”
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The company’s online services have been severely disrupted, with some customer-facing systems remaining inaccessible into their second week following the data breach. The system failure has led to significant challenges for customers, including difficulties in making payments or accessing their online accounts.

More Ivy League Fakery: Top Harvard Cancer Researchers Accused of Scientific Fraud Affecting 37 Studies

Top cancer researchers at Harvard have been accused of scientific fraud affecting 37 studies. The researchers are also accused of manipulating data images with simple methods such as copy-and-paste and Adobe Photoshop.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is retracting six scientific studies and seeking to correct 31 others that were published by its top researchers, including the hospital’s CEO, according to a report by Ars Technica.

Data sleuth Sholto David and his colleagues on PubPeer, an online forum for researchers to discuss publications, reportedly brought forward the allegations on January 2, when David posted a lengthy list of possible data manipulation from DFCI researchers to his research integrity blog, For Better Science.

In his blog post, David pointed out several data figures that appeared to feature pixel-for-pixel duplications. Researchers are accused of manipulating images of data that include what are known as “Western blots” — used to see proteins in a complex mixture.

The allegations are against DFCI President and CEO Laurie Glimcher, Executive Vice President and COO William Hahn, Senior Vice President for Experimental Medicine Irene Ghobrial, and Harvard Medical School professor Kenneth Anderson.

Moreover, all four of the implicated researchers have faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School.
DFCI Research Integrity Officer Barrett Rollins responded to the allegations, telling the Harvard Crimson that the school is “committed to a culture of accountability and integrity,” and that “every inquiry about research integrity is examined fully.”

Rollins also noted that David had contacted DFCI with allegations of data manipulation involving 57 studies, adding that the institute’s internal review found that there are 38 papers in which DFCI researchers “have primary responsibility for the potential data errors.”

Now, the institute is retracting six studies and contacting scientific publishers to correct 31 others, bringing the total to 37 affected studies so far. Meanwhile, the 38th remaining study in question is still under review.
Of the remaining 19 studies in question, three were cleared of allegations, and 16 were determined to have had the possibly manipulated data collected in labs that were outside the DFCI. Rollins told the Harvard Crimson that those studies are still under investigation.

Microsoft Lays Off 1,900 from Xbox and Recently Acquired Gaming Giant Activision Blizzard

The Verge reports that Microsoft has laid off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and its own longstanding Xbox gaming division. This layoff represents eight percent of the company’s 22,000 workers devoted to video games and gaming hardware.

The cuts come just months after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, the published of massively popular games like Diablo and Call of Duty, in a monster deal of almost $69 billion.
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According to the Verge, an internal memo lays out the reasoning for the layoffs:

It’s been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft. As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business. Together, we’ve set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the best opportunities for growth.

The fallout extends beyond the rank and file employees who have been let go by the software giant. Blizzard President Mike Ybarra has reportedly stepped down, as has Allen Adham, the studio’s chief design officer and a company co-founder. Additionally, Blizzard has canceled a survival game that has been announced but remained untitled.

Long-time Activision Blizzard fans have felt their games have fallen off in quality and innovation in the face of a relentless pursuit of profits, these layoffs are a sign that there is not much hope for a return to the company’s glory days as the company is subsumed into Microsoft’s byzantine corporate culture.

eBay Is Laying Off 9% of Its Workforce

The Verge reports that in a significant restructuring move, eBay is set to lay off approximately 1,000 employees, representing nine percent of its full-time staff. This decision follows similar actions by other tech companies such as Google, Discord, and Twitch. Despite reporting a profit of $1.3 billion in the last quarter, eBay’s CEO Jamie Iannone emphasized the need for the company to become more nimble and make quicker decisions for long-term sustainable growth.

The company’s rapid hiring practices in recent years have been identified as a key issue, with Iannone stating that eBay’s overall headcount and expenses have outpaced its business growth. eBay has communicated the layoff news to its employees, requesting all U.S. employees to work from home to process this development.

In an internal memo, Iannone highlighted eBay’s growth and resilience, noting the necessity to reorganize for speed and decision-making efficiency. The layoffs and reduction in the number of contractors over the coming months are part of these changes.

CNBC: Mark Zuckerberg’s Fiddling with the Facebook Algorithm Is Sending Shockwaves Through the Media

CNBC reports that Meta’s withdrawal from its role as a distributor of news content has marked a significant change in the digital news media ecosystem — with many publishers claiming they’re facing a major reduction in traffic following the change. This strategic shift, initially announced in September 2023, has led to the “deprecation” of its Facebook news tab around the world. This move was part of Mark Zuckerberg’s claimed goal of aligning its investments with products and services that users value most.

According to a study by Chartbeat, which analyzed 1,930 news and media websites, Facebook’s contribution to overall social traffic, measured by page views, plummeted from 50 percent to 33 percent as of December 2023. This decline was also reflected in referral volumes from social media and search engines, with Facebook’s share dropping significantly.

Zuckerberg’s decision to pull away from news distribution was influenced by a number factors, including years of public relations challenges related to misinformation and account censorship controversies. These issues had brought intense scrutiny and criticism from various political spectrums, with conservative politicians accusing the company of leftist bias, and others criticizing its role in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

Publications like Mother Jones reportedly experienced a drastic reduction in traffic referrals from Facebook. The decline in traffic from Facebook has forced many media outlets to adapt their strategies for audience engagement and revenue generation. This adaptation has included a greater emphasis on other distribution channels, such as Google, which has seen an increase in its share of external traffic to news sites.