Security researchers have cancelled plans to buy potentially undetected software security vulnerabilities from a notorious group of hackers.The plan involved buying hacking tools offered by the Shadow Brokers and then protecting computers before they could be targeted by cyber-criminals.But critics had argued that the Shadow Brokers should not benefit in this way.One of the researchers behind the plan said the scheme was being abandoned for ”legal reasons”.Some critics had warned that paying the Shadow Brokers for access to their hacking tools, even with honest intentions, could be illegal.

The Islamic State militant group (IS) is fighting on many fronts against those seeking to defeat it. One of those fronts is a digital one.IS puts media warfare on a par with its battle on the ground and often glorifies ”media martyrs” – people who are killed while creating videos and other digital content for the group.Like many other such groups, IS has been an enthusiastic user of social media and the web, broadcasting propaganda about its successes and using it as a recruitment tool.Although a long-time user of social media, IS activities took a significant turn in September 2015 when the group’s official media outlets took to the messaging app Telegram. The move to the encrypted messaging service came after a long-running conflict with Twitter, whoch regularly shut down IS accounts, and some experimentation with less well-known platforms from whoch it was also expelled.

Föräldrarna till en avliden flicka i Tyskland har begärt åtkomst till dotterns Facebook. Men Facebook är inte skyldiga att ge föräldrarna tillgång till kontot, slår en domstol i Berlin fast.Den 15-åriga flickan blev påkörd av ett tåg 2012, och föräldrarna har velat ta reda på om hon begått självmord eller varit mobbad genom att undersöka hennes chattmeddelanden och innehåll som hon postat på Facebook. De har hennes lösenord, men innan de hann logga in hade någon anmält hennes död till Facebook och sidan ändrades till en minnessida de inte kom in på.Facebook motsatte sig föräldrarnas begäran och hävdade att ett öppnande av kontot skulle äventyra flickans kontakters integritet.

More than 25,000 private photographs have been posted online following a data breach at a plastic surgery clinic in Lithuania in March.Passport and credit card details were also stolen from the Grozio Chirurgija clinic, Lithuanian police said.After the release of hundreds of photos from the clinic in March, the rest of the database was published on Tuesday.Patients in Denmark, Germany, Norway and the UK have received demands for ransoms of up to 2,000 euros (£1,737).Lithuanian police say it is unclear how many of the clinic’s clients have been affected but dozens have reported receiving such demands.Officers said a hacking group called Tsar Team was behind the theft and publication of the data.

The FCC isn’t exactly forthcoming with evidence of the alleged denial of service attack on its servers, and that’s leaving some worried. Is it protecting privacy (as it claims), or stifling attempts to post comments supporting net neutrality? A slew of Senators want to find out — and they’re going above the FCC’s head to make sure they get answers. Senators Al Franken, Patrick Leahy, Edward Markey, Brian Schatz and Ron Wyden have sent a letter to FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe asking his bureau to conduct a high-priority investigation of the FCC’s cyberattack claims. While they don’t directly accuse the FCC of dishonesty, it’s clear from the wording that they aren’t just taking the Commission’s word at face value.As they put it, any cyberattack against a federal agency is ”very serious.” It denied the public their chance to influence a major decision, however temporarily. That, in turn, could ”call into question” the integrity of the FCC’s rule process. To put it another way: whoever’s responsible tried to undermine the American system of government, and that will always warrant a closer look.

Twitter’s attempt to reposition itself as a major video provider has led to a number of important partnerships, but many of them have been US-based, or held at a time where UK users are unable to watch. However, that’s all set to change with the upcoming General Election. The BBC announced today that it’s linking up with the social network for the first time to share coverage of five major debates that begin on May 31st.The first event is the BBC Election Debate. While it’ll provide an important platform for politicians from six of the UK’s major parties, neither Conservative leader Theresa May or Labour frontman Jeremy Corbyn will be in attendance. They’re saving themselves for the two Question Time Leaders Specials on June 2nd and June 4th. Twitter will also stream the Newsbeat Youth Debate on June 6th and conclude its coverage with the live Election Night Results Special on June 8th.