Episode #277: Edwin Kwan: Malicious Android Banking Apps Targeting Users in India; Ian Garrett: M&A Deals that Look into the Future of the Cybersecurity Industry; Katy Craig: SEC Sues SolarWinds: Part II; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History

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The stories we’re covering today.

Marcel Brown: November 21st, 1877. Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a way to record and play back sound. As often happens with many great inventors, Edison stumbled upon this particular invention while working on a way to record telephone communication at his lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Edwin Kwan: Security researchers have uncovered a malware campaign to steal sensitive information from Android smartphone users in India. Researchers say that the campaign is using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to lure users into installing a malicious app by impersonating legitimate organizations such as banks, government services, and utilities.

Katy Craig: In light of the recent SEC charges against SolarWinds' Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO, Timothy G. Brown, there's a compelling argument for holding company officers accountable for neglecting cybersecurity and failing to report known risks. The charges against Brown for not disclosing significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities before and during the 2020 SUNBURST cyberattack, underline a crucial point: CISOs, like CFOs, must prioritize transparency and honesty in reporting risks.

Ian Garrett: We can learn a lot about the state of the cybersecurity industry through the type of mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, that occur. 2023 has been a cautious yet significant year for mergers and acquisitions in the cybersecurity sector. Despite fears of a recession, rising interest rates, and conservative spending trends, the relentless pace of cyberattacks has maintained steady M&A activity.