Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker is a cybersecurity journalist who covers data breaches, cyberattacks, and related issues for TechCrunch. He has a strong focus on the impact of these incidents on businesses and individuals alike. His reporting often includes details about the specific vulnerabilities exploited in each incident, as well as any potential consequences for those affected. In addition to his news articles, Whittaker also shares insights and analysis on Twitter, where he has amassed a large following.

Biography:  https://techcrunch.com/author/zack-whittaker/

75%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

83%

Examples:

  • Zack Whittaker tends to report on cyberattacks and data breaches with a neutral tone, often providing details about the incidents without expressing personal opinions.

Conflicts of Interest

67%

Examples:

  • In a few articles, Zack Whittaker discloses potential conflicts of interest, such as the connection between the alleged hacker and a previous security incident.

Contradictions

88%

Examples:

  • In some articles, Zack Whittaker reports contradictory information about cyberattacks and their impact on various organizations. For example, he mentions the number of affected customers in one article but does not do so in another.

Deceptions

75%

Examples:

  • Zack Whittaker occasionally uses emotional manipulation and fear-based language to describe cyberattacks and their potential impact on individuals and organizations. He also sometimes fails to provide sufficient context or background information about certain incidents.

Recent Articles

CDK Global Cyberattacks Disrupt Thousands of North American Car Dealerships: Manual Processes, Delays, and Phishing Scams Ensue

CDK Global Cyberattacks Disrupt Thousands of North American Car Dealerships: Manual Processes, Delays, and Phishing Scams Ensue

Broke On: Wednesday, 19 June 2024 CDK Global, a software supplier for North American car dealerships, suffered two cyberattacks on June 19 and 21st. Over 15,000 retail locations including Stellantis, Ford, and BMW were affected. Dealerships reverted to manual processes due to disrupted sales, financing, insurance, and repair operations. CDK is working to restore services but has not provided a timeline for resolution. Dealers are actively seeking information from CDK about the nature and scope of the cyber incident.
AT&T Resets Passcodes of 7.6 Million Customers After Personal Information Leak

AT&T Resets Passcodes of 7.6 Million Customers After Personal Information Leak

Broke On: Sunday, 31 March 2024 AT&T, a multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Dallas, Texas announced on Saturday that it had reset the passcodes of 7.6 million customers after discovering their personal information was leaked online. The breach affected 73 million accounts including current and former account holders.
Cyberattack on Change Healthcare Causes Nationwide Pharmacy Outage, Disrupting Prescription Processing and Insurance Fulfillment

Cyberattack on Change Healthcare Causes Nationwide Pharmacy Outage, Disrupting Prescription Processing and Insurance Fulfillment

Broke On: Friday, 23 February 2024 A cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc., caused a nationwide outage in pharmacy orders and disrupted prescription processing. As a result, patients were unable to fulfill prescriptions through their insurance due to the attack.
Cyberattack on Change Healthcare Causes Nationwide Pharmacy Outage, Disrupting Prescription Processing and Insurance Fulfillment

Cyberattack on Change Healthcare Causes Nationwide Pharmacy Outage, Disrupting Prescription Processing and Insurance Fulfillment

Broke On: Friday, 23 February 2024 A cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc., caused a nationwide outage in pharmacy orders and disrupted prescription processing. As a result, patients were unable to fulfill prescriptions through their insurance due to the attack.
Apple Releases 1.0.2 Update for Vision Pro Headset's visionOS Software to Address WebKit Vulnerability

Apple Releases 1.0.2 Update for Vision Pro Headset's visionOS Software to Address WebKit Vulnerability

Broke On: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 Apple releases 1.0.2 update for Vision Pro headset software, addressing WebKit vulnerability that may have been exploited by hackers.

Apple Fixes Longstanding Bug in iOS `Private Wi-Fi Address` Feature

Broke On: Friday, 27 October 2023 Apple has fixed a bug that undermined the `Private Wi-Fi Address` feature on iOS devices for three years. The bug was discovered by a security researcher who found that the feature was not randomizing the MAC address as intended. The issue was addressed in the iOS 17.1 update released in October 2023.