Mathew J. Schwartz

Executive Editor, DataBreachToday & Europe, ISMG

Schwartz is an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience in magazines, newspapers and electronic media. He has covered the information security and privacy sector throughout his career. Before joining Information Security Media Group in 2014, where he now serves as the executive editor, DataBreachToday and for European news coverage, Schwartz was the information security beat reporter for InformationWeek and a frequent contributor to DarkReading, among other publications. He lives in Scotland.

Feds Extradite 'Most Wanted' ATM Hacker

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 24, 2015

A Turkish man who allegedly masterminded a string of quick-hit ATM "cash out" attacks - netting at least $55 million - has reportedly been extradited from Germany to New York to face related charges.

OPM Breach Victims: Tens of Millions?

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 23, 2015

The hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management may have exposed personal information for "tens of millions" of people, a new report says, with a single database containing information for 18 million people.

Europol Targets Extremists Online

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 22, 2015

Law enforcement officials in Europe plan to disrupt the use of social media to broadcast "terrorist and extremist propaganda," but security experts questioned whether such moves will blunt the recruitment of new ISIS fighters and so-called "jihadist brides."

Hack Attack Grounds Airplanes

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 22, 2015

Polish airline LOT claims that a hack attack disrupted its ground-control computers, leaving the airline unable to issue flight plans and forcing it to cancel or delay flights, grounding 1,400 passengers.

OPM: 'Victim-as-a-Service' Provider

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 19, 2015

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management breach continues to reveal such staggering levels of information security problems, paper-pushing and seeming incompetence that it's creating a new cyber-espionage category: the "victim-as-a-service" provider.

Will Sony Settle Cyber-Attack Lawsuit?

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 18, 2015

Sony's 2014 cyber-attack cleanup costs continue to mount. The company reports spending $35 million on remediation as of March, and costs will continue to mount, now that a judge has ruled that a class-action lawsuit by former employees can proceed.

Apple, Samsung Devices: Bug Warnings

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 18, 2015

Security researchers warn of "Xara" flaws in Apple iOS and OS X that could be used to intercept passwords and banking data, as well as a keyboard app that puts more than 600 million Samsung device users at risk.

FBI Investigates Baseball Hack Attack

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 17, 2015

The FBI and Justice Department are investigating a 2014 hack that compromised systems owned by the Houston Astros professional baseball team, which was allegedly launched by the rival St. Louis Cardinals.

Post-Malware Outbreak: Rip and Replace?

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 16, 2015

Forget attributions of the German parliament malware outbreak to Russia, or Chancellor Angela Merkel's office being "ground zero." The real takeaway is the Bundestag's apparent lack of effective defenses or a breach-response plan.

LastPass Sounds Breach Alert

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 16, 2015

Warning to LastPass users: Change your master password and ensure you're using multi-factor authentication. There has been a data breach that might allow attackers to crack passwords and reminders.

German Parliament Battles Active Hack

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 15, 2015

In the wake of a May cyber-attack against the IT infrastructure of Germany's lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, investigators say they have been unable to eradicate all traces of the Trojan infections, and that up to 20,000 PCs might need to be replaced.