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☆ The British pound 'had a good run' but faces a tough time ahead: Westpac Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe British pound 'had a good run' but faces a tough time ahead: Westpac BankSean Callow of Westpac Bank discusses why he isn't bullish on the pound despite inflation cooling in the UK

Persons: Westpac Bank Sean Callow, bullish Organizations: Westpac Bank

☆ Victims of Cyberattack on File-Transfer Tool Pile Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The list of companies hit by a cyberattack on a widely used software tool continues to expand and several victims have filed lawsuits alleging mishandling of data. The continued disclosure of new victims affected by hackers exploiting a vulnerability in MoveIt, a common file-transfer tool from Progress Software, underscores how cyberattacks can ripple through supply chains. Some companies have been drawn into data breaches without having used MoveIt because their business partners use it. The Cl0p ransomware group has taken responsibility for the cyberattacks and posted data from some victims on its underground website. A 2021 cyberattack on a tool similar to MoveIt—Accellion’s File Transfer Appliance—had similar ripple effects.

Persons: ”, Brett Callow, cyberattacks, Callow, Genworth, PBI, “, Shell, Rob Carr, Suzie Squier, Johns, Johns Hopkins, Emsisoft’s Callow, Catherine Stupp Organizations: Progress Software, . Progress, Progress, Shell, BBC, Energy Department, Genworth Financial, Social, PBI Research Services, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Colorado State University, BG Group, Johns Hopkins University, Getty Locations: British, MoveIt, Kaseya, Johns Hopkins

☆ HCA Healthcare patient data stolen and for sale by hackers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this April 14, 2020 file photo, Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington. Personal information for potentially tens of millions of HCA Healthcare patients has been stolen and is now available for sale on a data breach forum as of earlier this week. The data sale was flagged on Twitter by Brett Callow, an analyst at New Zealand-based Emsisoft. Patient data breaches are not uncommon, but they can vary in scope and impact. HCA's breach did not apparently include critical medical records, and the company said the breached data originated at an "external storage location exclusively used to automate the formatting of email messages."

Persons: Sam Hazen, DataBreaches.net, Brett Callow, Callow Organizations: HCA Healthcare, White, HCA, New, CNBC Locations: Rose, Washington, United States, Florida and Texas, New Zealand

☆ Dollar firms on rate hike views after Fed minutes, yen treads water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, July 6 (Reuters) - The dollar was broadly higher on Thursday, after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting cemented market expectations for a rate hike this month. Against the dollar, the euro touched a near one-week low of $1.0843 in early Asia trade, while sterling dipped 0.08% to $1.26925. Markets are now pricing in an 89% chance that the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points at its policy meeting later this month, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Elsewhere, the yen rose more than 0.2% to 144.30 per dollar, as worries over potential intervention from Japanese authorities to shore up the yen capped its decline. The Chinese yuan last bought 7.2593 per dollar in the offshore market , after having fallen about 0.4% the previous session.

Persons: Alvin Tan, Sean Callow, it's, Rae Wee, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Federal, Treasury, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Fed, Westpac, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, China

The total number of recent victims from the online extortion ring has reached 121 organizations, according to Brett Callow, whose cybersecurity company Emsisoft helps companies respond to digital shakedown attempts. In 2021, Ukrainian authorities announced the arrests of six people tied to cl0p, but it's not clear that they were core members of the group, which continued to hack victims. Plundering file transfer protocols has become increasingly popular as hackers shift from encrypting data to simply stealing files and threatening to release them unless a ransom is paid. Many of the organizations stress that the target of the hack is the file transfer service, not their systems. The FBI said it was "aware of and investigating the recent exploitation of a MOVEit vulnerability by malicious ransomware actors."

Persons: Brett Callow, encrypting, TrendMicro, didn't, Cl0p, Emsisoft, Charles Carmakal, Raphael Satter, Christopher Bing, James Pearson, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: University of California, Siemens Energy, Abbvie Inc, Schneider, Publicly, Sony, Shell PLC, Government, U.S . Energy Department, Alphabet Inc, FBI, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Russia, Washington, London

☆ Hackers threaten to leak stolen Reddit data if company doesn’t pay $4.5 million and change controversial pricing policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In their post, the hackers claim they first demanded a $4.5 million payout “for the deletion of the data and our silence” in April. Reddit CTO Chris Slowe previously posted about a security incident that took place in early February. A Reddit spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Monday that BlackCat’s post relates to the February incident. The spokesperson reiterated that no user data was accessed, but declined to comment beyond that. “We are very confident that Reddit will not pay for its data,” the group wrote in the post on the dark web.

Persons: CNN —, Chris Slowe, Slowe, “, ALPHV, ”, Brett Callow, Emsisoft Organizations: CNN

Separately, state agencies said late Thursday that millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon had their data compromised in a security breach. The cyberattack has targeted federal and state agencies. No other federal agencies have confirmed being impacted. And on Thursday, state agencies said 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards had been impacted by a breach as well as anyone with that documentation in Louisiana. But much of the responsibility now lies on businesses and federal agencies rather than individuals, according to Cattanach.

Persons: “, ” Robert Cattanach, Dorsey, you’re, ”, Clop, Brett Callow, Emsisoft, ” Callow, Aon, they’ve, ” CISA, Allan Liska Organizations: CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, Whitney, Department of Justice, The Department of Energy, BBC, British Airways, Boston Globe, Sydney Phoenix, US Department of Homeland, Johns Hopkins University, University of Georgia, –, Progress Software Locations: Russian, Louisiana, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Arlington , VA, Baltimore, Georgia’s

☆ U.S. government says several agencies hacked as part of broader cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Kevin Collier | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly testifies before a House Homeland Security Subcommittee, at the Rayburn House Office Building on April 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. Several U.S. agencies have been hacked as part of a broader cyberattack that has hit dozens of companies and organizations in recent weeks through a previously unknown vulnerability in popular file sharing software. "CISA is providing support to several federal agencies that have experienced intrusions," he said. Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer of Mandiant, a cybersecurity company owned by Google whose clients include government agencies, said that he was aware of some data theft from federal agencies through the MOVEIt hacks. Wendi Whitmore, who leads threat analysis for the cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, said that CL0P's campaign of hacking victims through MOVEIt was incredibly widespread.

Persons: Jen, Eric Goldstein, Charles Carmakal, Andrea Mitchell, Brett Callow, Wendi Whitmore, MOVEIt Organizations: Infrastructure Security Agency, Homeland Security, U.S, Google, NBC News, FBI, National Intelligence, National Security Council, Palo Alto Networks Locations: Rayburn, Washington ,, MOVEIt

The Aussie was last up 0.6% at $0.6656, after leaping as high as $0.6686, a level last seen on May 16. "For this week it will be wait-and-see mode for euro-dollar," Al-Saraf said, expecting euro-dollar to remain rangebound around 1.07. Meanwhile, the dollar was flat at 139.58 yen , while sterling fell 0.2% to $1.2410. Elsewhere, bitcoin attempted to find its feet around $25,700, after tumbling 5.1% on Monday in its biggest drop since April 19. Reporting by Samuel Indyk and Kevin Buckland; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sean Callow, Chris Turner, Mohamad Al, Saraf, bitcoin, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Samuel Indyk, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond Organizations: Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, Westpac, Bank of, BoC, Canadian, CENTRAL FOCUS, Market, Danske Bank, Fed, European Central Bank, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Dollar on defensive after dovish Powell, debt ceiling setback
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - The dollar nursed losses against the yen and euro on Monday following a surprise breakdown in U.S. debt ceiling negotiations and after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell indicated a preference to slow rate hikes. Investors now await a key meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy to discuss the debt ceiling on Monday. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six major peers, edged 0.04% lower to 103.00, after reaching 103.63 last week for the first time since March 20. European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said Friday officials need to "buckle up" for "sustainably high interest rates" in order to achieve its inflation target. The Australian dollar ticked up 0.06% to $0.6655, while the New Zealand dollar advanced 0.13% to $0.62835.

[1/2] British Pound and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six main peers, was down 0.14% at 102.29, having reached 102.75 in early trading on Monday, its highest since April 10. "With all of that, do you really want to buy a lot of risky assets this year?" The weak Chinese data was also weighing on the Australian dollar which dropped as much as 0.5% to $0.6665. The dollar also gained on China's offshore yuan , rising to as much as 6.981, its highest since March 10.

[1/2] British Pound and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. Broader factors are also weighing on the pound as well, said Jane Foley, head of FX strategy at Rabobank: "A lot of the better news for sterling is already in the price. "With all of that, do you really want to buy a lot of risky assets this year?" The weak Chinese data was also weighing on the Australian dollar which dropped as much as 0.5% to $0.6665. The dollar also gained on China's offshore yuan , rising to as much as 6.9795, its highest since March 10.

☆ Dollar weighed down by US default risks; Aussie, yuan hurt by weak China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar index - which measures the currency against a basket of six major peers - was little changed at 102.47. "The interesting thing is the dollar is weak, and usually when there's risk off, people buy the dollar," he said. The euro , which has the greatest weight in the dollar index, was little changed at $1.0870 on Tuesday, after bouncing off a five-week low overnight. The Australian dollar , which is not part of the dollar index, erased small early gains ahead of Chinese retail sales and industrial production data, then sank after the release. The dollar gained 0.2% to 6.9723 yuan in the offshore market , after touching 6.9749 on Monday for the first time since March 10.

☆ FOREX Dollar heavy amid U.S. default risks; Aussie, yuan slip on China data miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Westpac sees the potential for the dollar index to drop to around 101.05 in the near term. The euro , which has the greatest weight in the dollar index, was little changed at $1.0873 on Tuesday, after bouncing off a five-week low overnight. The offshore Chinese yuan weakened towards a two-month low. The dollar gained 0.14% to 6.9674 yuan, after touching 6.9749 on Monday for the first time since March 10. (This story has been corrected to say the dollar index retreated from 5-week high, not 5-month high, in paragraph 3.)

☆ Dollar heavy amid U.S. default risks; Aussie, yuan slips on China data miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar index - which measures the currency against a basket of six major peers - was little changed at 102.46, after sliding 0.26% overnight and retreating from a five-month high. Westpac sees the potential for the dollar index to drop to around 101.05 in the near term. The euro , which has the greatest weight in the dollar index, was little changed at $1.0873 on Tuesday, after bouncing off a five-week low overnight. The offshore Chinese yuan weakened towards a two-month low. The dollar gained 0.14% to 6.9674 yuan, after touching 6.9749 on Monday for the first time since March 10.

☆ Dollar on back foot as U.S. default risk weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. dollar remained under pressure on Tuesday, weighed down by the risk of a U.S. default as a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over raising the debt ceiling showed few signs of being resolved. The dollar index — which measures the currency against a basket of six major peers — was little changed at 102.39 after sliding 0.26% overnight, retreating from a five-month high. Westpac sees the potential for the dollar index to drop to around 101.05 in the near term. The euro , which has the greatest weight in the dollar index, ticked up 0.06% on Tuesday to $1.0879, after bouncing off a five-week low overnight. The Australian and New Zealand dollars, which are not part of the dollar index, remained bid ahead of China retail sales data, despite recent macroeconomic readings from their key trading partner pointing to tepid domestic demand.

☆ Bank of Japan unlikely to end yield curve control before the fourth quarter, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBank of Japan unlikely to end yield curve control before the fourth quarter, strategist saysSean Callow of Westpac Bank says he doesn't expect the "inflation dynamics" to change before then and "it might even be a case of next year."

☆ U.S. dollar and Swiss franc are 'easily the weakest' of major currencies, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S. dollar and Swiss franc are 'easily the weakest' of major currencies, strategist saysSean Callow of Westpac Bank says they're "not getting that traditional safe haven demand."

☆ Dollar slumps as banking crisis chips away at its haven status and makes further Fed rate hikes a coin flip
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US dollar has slipped 2% over five trading days as the banking crisis rattles investors. The collapse of SVB and Signature Bank may threaten the greenback's haven status, one analyst said. The buck's run of losses follows the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this month. The Fed shying away from hikes could also weigh on the dollar. Read more: The Fed's latest move confirms it's trying to thread the needle between cooling inflation and helping banks in turmoil

☆ Instant view: Incoming BOJ chief Ueda says current low rates appropriate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Incoming Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Friday it was appropriate to maintain ultra-loose monetary policy as inflation has yet to sustainably and steadily meet the central bank's 2% target. "I think he's intentionally doing that, so that the market will calm down a little bit about policy change expectations." "I don't think Ueda has the same stance as (Haruhiko) Kuroda but it is not clear whether Ueda would tweak the BOJ policy as the market expected." CHARU CHANANA, MARKET STRATEGIST, SAXO MARKETS, SINGAPORE"No surprises there, we expected Ueda to take it slow and he's starting off echoing Kuroda's views. He has been out of touch with the BOJ policy making since 2005 and will take time even if he was to consider policy normalisation at some stage."

☆ Asian markets breathe sigh of relief amid Ueda hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The Japanese government's nominee for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda attends a hearing session at the lower house of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan, February 24, 2023. Ueda's confirmation hearing in the lower house comes as markets renew their attack on YCC, taking bets on a near-term interest rate rise. Japan's five-year government bond yield fell a little to 0.235%, from the previous close of 0.240%. The yield on the benchmark 10-year government bonds eased as far as 3.8590%, compared with the previous close of 3.8810%. The two-year bond yield was hovering at 4.6810%, compared with the previous close of 4.6930%.

☆ Hackers who breached ION say ransom paid; company declines comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Raphael Satter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The hackers who claimed responsibility for the disruptive breach at financial data firm ION say a ransom has been paid, although they declined to say how much it was or offer any evidence that the money had been handed over. Britain's National Cyber Security Agency (NCSC), part of Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping intelligence agency, told Reuters it had no comment. ABN told clients on Wednesday that due to "technical disruption" from ION, some applications were unavailable and were expected to remain so for a "number of days." ION was removed from Lockbit's extortion website, where victim companies are named and shamed in a bid to force a payout. As of late Friday, Lockbit's extortion website alone counted 54 victims who were being shaken down, including a television station in California, a school in Brooklyn and a city in Michigan.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The FBI revealed on Thursday it had secretly hacked and disrupted a prolific ransomware gang called Hive, a maneuver that allowed the bureau to thwart the group from collecting more than $130 million in ransomware demands from more than 300 victims. They were then able to alert victims in advance so they could take steps to protect their systems before Hive demanded the payments. In that case, the Justice Department seized some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom after the company had already paid the hackers. The Justice Department said that over the years, Hive has targeted more than 1,500 victims in 80 different countries, and has collected more than $100 million in ransomware payments. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI's operation helped a wide range of victims, including a Texas school district.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The Hive ransomware gang has been disrupted by international law enforcement action, according to a person familiar with the matter and an announcement posted to the group's website. A flashing message posted to Hive's page said: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized this site as part of coordinated law enforcement action taken against Hive Ransomware." The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the European law enforcement organization Europol did not immediately return messages seeking comment but the person familiar with the matter said a Department of Justice announcement was coming imminently. Hive is one of a wide range of cybercriminal groups that extort international businesses by encrypting their data and demanding massive cryptocurrency payments in return. "Hive is one of the most active groups around, if not the most active," he said in an email.

☆ Japanese yen tumbles, bonds rally after BOJ keeps policy ultra easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The bank, however, maintained ultra-low interest rates, including its 0.5% cap for the 10-year bond yield. The dollar also gained 2.5% against the Japanese yen to 131.4 yen, in its biggest percentage daily rise since March 2020. In a Reuters poll, 97% of economists expected the BOJ to maintain its ultra-easy policy at the meeting. A survey of global fund managers by BofA Securities out on Tuesday showed that expectations of further appreciation in the Japanese yen in January were the highest in 16 years. The dollar index , which measures the safe-haven dollar against six peers, rose 0.4% at 102.84.

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