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Zoom Communications Inc. has offered $18 million to settle a four-year-old U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe related to its privacy policies and communications. The SEC began investigating Zoom's privacy policies, encryption, and usage metrics in 2020, when the company's videoconferencing tool became essential during the pandemic. Zoom also faced scrutiny from US attorneys over interactions with foreign governments, with ongoing investigations. Additionally, in November 2020, Zoom agreed to enhance security measures to settle claims with the Federal Trade Commission. [Extracted from the article]

Hackers are demanding payments ranging from $300,000 to $5 million from up to 10 companies that were targeted in a cyberattack on Snowflake Inc. customers. The hackers have entered a new stage of the scheme, attempting to profit from the stolen information by auctioning it on illegal online forums. The security firm leading the investigation, Google's Mandiant, expects the hackers to continue attempting to extort victims. The attack, attributed to a group called UNC5537, has resulted in stolen login details and data from as many as 165 Snowflake customers. The hackers have also made death threats and used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos to harass cybersecurity experts. Illicit data brokers are now seeking higher prices for the stolen data, potentially to pressure affected firms to pay a ransom. Snowflake plans to close its internal investigation and has not detected any unauthorized access to its customers' servers. Other companies, including Live Nation Entertainment and Pure Storage Inc., have also reported breaches related to Snowflake. Mandiant has released guidance on how to detect the hackers involved in the attack. [Extracted from the article]

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against Adobe Inc., accusing the software company of violating consumer protection laws by making it difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions. The FTC claims that Adobe pushed users towards annual subscriptions without adequately disclosing the potential cost of canceling within the first year. The cancellation process was also allegedly designed to be complicated, involving multiple online pages and transfers between customer service representatives. Adobe has stated that it will challenge the FTC's claim in court, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring a positive customer experience. [Extracted from the article]