The crypto economy is booming right now, and when it comes to making secure payments with cryptocurrency, there’s much to understand beyond Bitcoin. The newest kid on the block—which shouldn’t be confused with tokens—is the non-fungible token (NFT). But before you jump head first into a new investment, it’s worth nothing that NFTs can be risky.

While NFTs continue to revolutionize many aspects of our culture from art to music and more, cybercriminals are actively seizing computer systems for ransom. Scripps Health is still struggling to regain full access to its systems in the aftermath of a May 1 ransomware attack. UnitingCare Queensland was also hit with a ransomware attack in late April, and it has identified that REvil/Sodin was the source of the attack. CPO Magazine reported that hackers, “have a clear intention of maximizing their profits,” and are increasingly using double extortion attacks. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that government agencies and small businesses are increasingly the target of ransomware attacks.

As I looked back at this week’s headlines, I realized that our upcoming RSA Conference 2021 Virtual Experience has a lot of incredible content to help address the challenges our industry is facing. In addition to bringing you the headlines of the week, I’ve also shared some key sessions that you can add to your schedule. 

May 7: “One of Europe’s top five insurers has said it will stop reimbursing people in France who pay up after being targeted by cybercriminals with ransomware,” Euronews reported. (Add How Risky Is Cybersecurity Insurance? to your dashboard.)

May 7: AllAfrica reported that Zimbabwe is in critical need of cybersecurity assistance as the country’s national security is at risk because it is so vulnerable to cybercrime. (Experts discuss cybersecurity inequities around the globe in A “Great Equalizer”, Until it Isn’t: Regional Security in a Global Pandemic.)

May 6: Lookout published its Financial Services Threat Report, which found, “Financial services and insurance organizations experienced a 125% rise in exposure to mobile phishing attacks in 2020 compared to 2019,” Infosecurity Magazine reported. (Consider My Phishing Kit Burnbook.)

May 5: Peloton^® was trending on Twitter after the company made headlines not only for recalling all of its treadmills but also for reportedly leaking private data of its riders. (Grab a seat at the virtual table for this Bird’s of a Feather conversation on API Security Best Practices.)

May 5: Nextgov reported, “A presidential directive aimed at implementing cybersecurity in space systems is under review but will likely remain in effect as the Biden administration looks to sustain commercial enterprise in the domain.” (Learn more about Operational Collaboration: Enhancing Cyber Readiness.)

May 4: “The Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association in Sterling Heights states it has received the first in a series of investments that will allow Michigan to take a leadership role in developing 5G Space-Enabled Communications for Advanced Mobility, or SECAM, for commercial and government users,” dbusiness.com reported. (Check out Monitoring Strategy for the Coming Space 5G Network at RSA Conference 2021 USA.)

May 4: According to the World Economic Forum, South Africa is swiftly becoming a Cybersecurity Learning Hub that could help fill the global cybersecurity skills gap. (Check out this panel for more trends on Closing the Cyber Workforce Gap.)

May 4: Dark Reading reported, “Hundreds of millions of Dell laptops, notebooks, and tablets are at risk of compromise from a set of five high-severity flaws that have been undetected since at least 2009.” (Consider this Interactive Learning session on Analyzing Vulnerabilities in Hardware and Software.)