Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Pensacola disconnects city network after cyberattack (TheHill) The city government of Pensacola, Fla., on Monday announced that it had been hit by a cyberattack that affected many city services, including online payments and city government emails.
Cyberattack cripples city of Pensacola, officials not sure if personal data was exposed (Pensacola News Journal) Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said the city of Pensacola is currently experiencing a cyber attack.
Amid Pensacola cyber attack, expert warns more hacks on the way (Fox Business) When governments fail to spend to shore up their systems, taxpayers are often on the hook for the far more extensive recovery expenses.
Cyber Attack in Pensacola: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know (Heavy.com) The city of Pensacola, still reeling from a shooting that left three sailors dead on Friday at Pensacola Naval Station, says it is under cyber attack with communications down at City Hall, Pensacola Energy and the city's sanitation department. Here's what you need to know.
U.S. birth certificate details left online (TechCrunch) An online company that allows users to obtain a copy of their birth and death certificates from U.S. state governments has exposed a massive cache of applications — including their personal information. More than 752,000 applications for copies of birth certificates were found on an Amazon Web Serv…
Snatch Ransomware Reboots Windows in Safe Mode to Bypass Antivirus (The Hacker News) A new variant of Snatch ransomware reboots infected computers into Windows Safe Mode and only then encrypts files to avoid antivirus protection.
Microsoft Finds 44 Million Compromised Credentials Used for Its... (HOTforSecurity) Microsoft’s identity threat research team found more than 44 million compromised Microsoft user accounts in use in three months of scanning, between January and March 2019. The team checked billions of credentials people use for their services in an effort to identify the... #microsoft #security
A Saudi Telecom Exposed a Streaming List of GPS Locations (Vice) The company, STCS, uploaded a constantly updating list of GPS coordinates in Saudi Arabia, China, and west Africa.
Ransomware: the cyberthreat that just won’t die (Sophos News) It may have been around for 30 years, but ransomware continues to evolve and bring organizations to their knees. Make sure you’re ready for it.
Caution! Ryuk Ransomware decrypter damages larger files, even if you pay (Emsisoft | Security Blog) Ryuk has plagued the public and private sectors alike over the past years, generating hundreds of millions of ransom revenues for the criminals behind it. Usually deployed via an existing malware infection within a target’s network, Ryuk wreaks havoc on any system that can be accessed, encrypting data using a combination of RSA and AES. …
Zeppelin Buran Virus (Buran Ransomware) – How to Remove It (SensorsTechForum.com) Zeppelin Buran virus is a cryptovirus from the Buran ransomware family. A malware threat which encrypts files and demands a ransom payment from the victims
Networking attack gives hijackers VPN access (Naked Security) Researchers have discovered a flaw in macOS, Linux, and several other operating systems that could let attackers hijack VPN connections.
Chinese hackers dominating online attacks, holiday-shopping fraud (CSO) A quarter of Black Friday purchases suspected to be fraudulent – and China blamed for 57 percent of them
Vulnerability Summary for the Week of December 2, 2019 (CISA) The CISA Weekly Vulnerability Summary Bulletin is created using information from the NIST NVD. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the Bulletin may not yet have assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.
Ring’s Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon's Sprawling Home Surveillance Network (Gizmodo) As reporters raced this summer to bring new details of Ring’s law enforcement contracts to light, the home security company, acquired last year by Amazon for a whopping $1 billion, strove to underscore the privacy it had pledged to provide users.
Facebook Knows More About You Than the CIA (Wired) Facebook hired Yael Eisenstat, a CIA veteran, to help it address election meddling. Now she's deeply worried about the company's sway over our lives.
FTC Advises Checking Smart Toy Features Before Buying (BleepingComputer) With internet-connected toys in high demand this time of the year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is making some recommendations that can help you choose one that is less detrimental to your kids' data.
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Google Maps’ Incognito Mode arrives on iOS (VentureBeat) Incognito Mode for Google Maps is rolling out to iOS, Google announced, alongside a bulk delete tool for location history.
Cyber Trends
Verodin Reveals Top Trends that Will Shape the Cybersecurity Industry in 2020 (Verodin) Organizations’ Increased Focus on Cloud, Business Risk and Data Privacy, Combined with Election Security Concerns and the Rise of Deception are Driving a More Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity and the Need for Security Effectiveness Measurement
ReliaQuest Security Technology Sprawl Report | ReliaQuest (ReliaQuest) ReliaQuest, a leader in enterprise security, today released the findings of the 2019 ReliaQuest Security Technology Sprawl Report.
2020 is when cybersecurity gets even weirder, so get ready (ZDNet) AI-powered deepfakes, ransomware, IoT, and 5G all mean that protecting your data is about to get a lot harder.
An Identity Crisis: Organizations Grapple With Growing Consumer Expectation for Personalization and Security Challenges (PR Newswire) Growing consumer expectations, the breakdown of traditional "walls" and emerging technologies have given rise to a digital identity crisis....
Infogix Identifies Six Data Management Trends to Keep Your Eye on for (PRWeb) Infogix, a leading provider of data management tools, today revealed its fourth annual list of trending challenges and opportunities in data management.
IT News Online - Avast Announces Cybersecurity Predictions for 2020 (IT News Online) Avast has announced its cybersecurity predictions for 2020. The company anticipates mobile scams, sophisticated malspam, IoT malware and botnets, as well as a greater focus on data privacy in the field of AI.
There are a lot of 2020 cybersecurity predictions. We had a bot do it for us. (CyberScoop) The only true way to predict computer security is to hear from the machines themselves.
Gartner Has It Right. Palo Alto Networks Has it Wrong. (Forbes) The corporate network cannot protect end users who consume cloud applications from any location and any device without the contorting, expensive, backhaul of traffic through the corporate data center.
How remote working increases cyber security risks (Financial Times) A dispersed workforce gives rise to a variety of data management challenges
Pick your battles: cybercriminals are outspending you 11 to 1 (CSO) Darkweb sales have “all but faded” as exploit brokerages take over, Tenable finds as economic analysis maps the vulnerability-to-exploit ecosystem
The State of Identity: How Security Teams are Addressing Risk (Identity Defined Security Alliance) This report from the IDSA highlights explosive workforce identity growth and organizational disconnects which are creating risk.
Coronet Identifies America’s Most Cyber Insecure Cities in New 2019 Re (PRWeb) Coronet, the leader in small business cybersecurity, today announced the release of Cybersecurity in the City: Where Small Businesses Are Most Vulnerable to Att
Marketplace
Are You One Of Avast’s 400 Million Users? This Is Why It Collects And Sells Your Web Habits. (Forbes) Avast sells user data but says there's no privacy risk, according to the newly appointed CEO.
Code Dx Raises $2M in Seed Funding (FinSMEs) Code Dx, a Northport, NY-based application security management solution, raised $2M in seed funding. DataTribe provided the funding
Acronis Acquires 5nine to Add Unified Cloud Management and Security Tools to Its Solution Portfolio for Managed Service Providers (BusinessWire) Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, today announced the acquisition of 5nine
WSJ News Exclusive | McAfee Considering a Combination With NortonLifeLock (Wall Street Journal) NortonLifeLock, the $16 billion consumer-software company, has attracted deal interest from a handful of companies including rival McAfee, people familiar with the matter said.
Xerox: HP takeover would yield as much as $1.5B in revenue growth (Silicon Valley Business Journal) An analyst says he thinks "Xerox is trying to buy innovation and revenue" with the takeover.
H.W. Kaufman Group acquisition provides unique approach to cybersecurity (Insurance Business) Heads reveal why now was the right time for the partnership
E3/Sentinel Buys Operational Intelligence (WashingtonExec) E3/Sentinel has acquired Operational Intelligence, LLC, which provides mission-focused analytical, technical, operational and training services to the
Air Force surveys industry for trusted computing, anti-tamper enabling technologies in embedded computing (Military & Aerospace Electronics) Of specific interest are anti-tamper technologies for secure COTS FPGAs; secure microcontrollers; volume protection within secure COTS architectures.
CACI Awarded $438M Air Force Research Laboratory Task Order (WashingtonExec) CACI International has been awarded a 5-year task order worth up to $438 million to support the Air Force Research Laboratory. The Network-Centric
Two senior executives leaving Cisco, the latest in a slew of changes at the top (Silicon Valley Business Journal) Cisco's senior vice presidents of global data center sales and customer transformation are leaving the networking giant.
Balbix Strengthens Leadership Team with the Appointment of Rich Campagna as Chief Marketing Officer (BusinessWire) Balbix appoints Rich Campagna as company's chief marketing officer.
Paul Parrish joins Secureworks as Chief Financial Officer (Help Net Security) Secureworks, a leading global cybersecurity company, announced the appointment of Paul Parrish as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective Dec. 9, 2019.
Ex-Symantec channel boss Klasie Holtzhausen joins Forcepoint (ARN) Former Symantec A/NZ channel chief Klasie Holtzhausen has taken over regional leadership of Forcepoint.
ThetaRay appoints Edward Sander as Chief Product Officer (Help Net Security) ThetaRay, a leading provider of AI-based Big Data analytics, announced the appointment of Edward Sander as Chief Product Officer.
Nuspire Hires Dunsworth As CEO - MITechNews (MITechNews) Nuspire, a managed security services provider, has hired Lewie Dunsworth as the company’s CEO. Saylor Frase, Nuspire’s previous CEO, now serves as chairman of the board. “After a long, extensive nation-wide search, we are incredibly fortunate to bring on board someone as well suited and talented as Lewie Dunsworth,” said Brian St. Jean, Nuspire …
Doug Knopper joins Tide Foundation (Tide Foundation) Doug Knopper, Media-Tech Industry Leader, Appointed to Tide Foundation Advisory Board.
Products, Services, and Solutions
IGEL Expands Endpoint Security Capabilities to Enable a Complete “Chain of Trust” (IGEL) IGEL, provider of the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces, today introduced IGEL OS Workspace Edition, version 11.03. This latest version of IGEL OS features advanced security capabilities, including signed OS partitions, that are designed to extend IGEL’s secure “chain of trust” all the way to the device processor level.… Read More »
ZeroNorth Launches Solution to Jump-Start Application Security Initiatives (BusinessWire) ZeroNorth, the industry’s first provider of risk-based vulnerability orchestration for applications and infrastructure, today announced a new solution
Awake Security Continues the Charge to Secure the Hybrid Multi-Cloud with New Google Cloud Partnership (BusinessWire) The Awake Security Platform can now protect organizations’ hybrid and Google Cloud deployments leveraging GCP's Packet Mirroring service.
Webscale Launches M1 Support for Merchants Staying on Magento 1 (West) SaaS Security Platform Extends Lifespan of Magento 1 Beyond June 2020 End of Life, Securing Online Stores against Cyber Threats
PerimeterX Delivers Web Application Security through Google Cloud Platform Marketplace (West) PerimeterX Bot Defender gives customers on Google Cloud Platform the ability to protect applications from automated attacks
WISeKey reveals WISeID digital identity service (Paypers) Cybersecurity and IoT company WISeKey International Holding has announced the launch of its new WISeID digital identity portfolio of services.
Unisys delivers new cloud security features on AWS (Security Brief) These automated capabilities of CloudForte help clients enhance security and optimise operations for workloads delivered on AWS as well as in hybrid- and multi-cloud environments.
Clearwater Dynamics selects Kx for cutting-edge cyber threat solution, Horizo (FD) Disruptive technology group, Clearwater Dynamics has partnered with Kx, the world leading provider of in-memory, time-series database technology, to deliver Horizon, a transformational cyber defence platform that proactively prevents rather than passively responds to attacks.
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Host Card Emulation. Key Technologies to Secure Cloud-Based Mobile Payments. (Payments & Cards Network) The rise of ‘tap-to-pay’ payments made using smartphones is showing no signs of slowing down. It is estimated that mobile payments will amount to $14 trillion by 2022. To keep up with this trend, banks and issuers must be proactive in offering solutions that suit the evolving needs of their customers.
Spearphish Testing Paying Off at Education Department (MeriTalk) While figures vary across industry and government as to the size of the “phishing-prone” population in any organization, both sides agree that sustained internal employee training efforts are necessary to cut the success rate of spear-phishing exploits down to more manageable levels.
Design and Innovation
How Panasonic is using internet honeypots to improve IoT device security (ZDNet) Researchers at the electronics and home-appliance manufacturer leave connected devices open to the internet in a controlled environment - and watch how hackers attempt to attack them.
Will the new iPhone 11 track you even if you tell it not to? (Naked Security) Does turning location access off for all your apps mean that location access is off altogether?
Don't let cyber-security disturb the possibilities of 5G (SC Magazine) With 5G there will be applications that will depend on the lack of latency, yet the integrity of the content will be just as critical. In such cases, cyber-security will play a pivotal role.
Research and Development
How the Pentagon will experiment with 5G (C4ISRNET) Pentagon leaders have begun to describe in greater detail the types of 5G experimentation they have in mind, and what they hope to achieve.
Air Force Aims to Deploy a New Battlefield Weapon: Faster Communications (New York Times) Military officials are trying to develop systems that instantly push intelligence to front-line forces, a development strategists say could help deter aggression by Russia and China.
Researchers discover new way to create quantum states in conventional electronics (Computing) Quantum technology is usually considered too delicate to coexist with electronic devices
Academia
Revving Up Research at UT Dallas with Cyberinfrastructure (CIO) The University of Texas at Dallas works closely with Dell Technologies to bring high performance computing and artificial intelligence resources to a growing research program.
Preview text: The University of Texas at Dallas works closely with Dell Technologies to bring high performance computing and artificial intelligence resources to a growing research program.
IBM Canada teaming up with uOttawa to launch cybersecurity hub (OttawaMatters.com) "The University of Ottawa is delighted to partner with IBM on cybersecurity and cyber safety, a national strategic priority," said Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
UK Government offers NHS data to Amazon for free (Computing) The government hopes the move will help reduce pressure on NHS GPs and pharmacists,Government.
U.N. expert urges Ethiopia to stop internet shutdowns, revise hate speech law (Reuters) A senior United Nations official urged Ethiopia on Monday to stop shutting off t...
EU Moves Closer to Creating U.S.-Style Magnitsky Act (Wall Street Journal) European Union foreign ministers advanced plans to create a new human-rights sanctions regime that could closely mirror the U.S. Magnitsky Act and spark fresh tensions with Moscow.
Six Reasons Why NATO’s London Declaration Matters (Real Clear Defense) Vladimir Putin wishes he had an alliance like NATO. The alliance provides a remarkably resilient framework in which nations and leaders who share common values can pursue collective security interests yet still engage in contentious arguments and disagreements about important issues, without seriously eroding the cohesion that is NATO’s center of gravity.
Eight norms for stability in cyberspace (New Europe) In little more than a generation, the Internet has become a vital substrate for economic, social, and political interactions, and it has unlocked enormous gains. Along with greater interdependence, however, come vulnerability and conflict. Attacks by states and non-state actors have increased, threa
Federal council to Trump: Cyber threats pose 'existential threat' to the nation (TheHill) The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) published a draft report addressed to President Trump this week that found cyber threats to critical infrastructure pose an “existential threat” to national security and recommended “bo
Analysis | The Cybersecurity 202: Apple's iPhone encryption is a 'gift to sex traffickers,' Manhattan DA to testify (Washington Post) It's official: The encryption debate is back on.
Written Testimony for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Smartphone Encryption and Public Safety (Manhattan District Attorney's Office) Good morning Chairman Graham, Ranking Member Feinstein, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. On behalf of my Office and our partners in state and local law enforcement, I thank the Committee for its work and attention to this vital issue of local, state, and national public safety.
Cops see an encryption problem. Spyware makers see an opportunity. (MIT Technology Review) The Trump administration is once again pushing for access to encrypted data. But some intelligence companies are selling a sneakier route around protection.
TikTok leader postpones trip to Washington to meet with members of Congress (Washington Post) TikTok chief Alex Zhu has canceled a scheduled trip to Washington to meet with members of Congress, lawmakers said, a move that stoked fresh criticism of the social-media app at a moment when it’s trying to repair its relationships with U.S. officials.
DoD Updates Draft Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification—300,000+ DoD Contractors and Subcontractors Required to Be Certified as a Prerequisite to Contracting (Mayer Brown) On November 7, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) released Draft Version 0.6 of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for public comment.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
Cambridge Analytica deceived Facebook users, rules FTC (Computing) Now defunct firm is now required to delete all the data it collected on Facebook users
'Technical irregularities' plagued contact chaining at NSA (FCW) ODNI's privacy czar said bad data from telecoms irrevocably tainted the contact-chaining process that was at the heart of the NSA's Call Detail Records program.
Made in America (Reuters) The ex-White House staff who helped devise the UAE's bold spying mission
Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation (Office of the Inspector General, US Department of Justice) The Department of Justice (Department) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) undertook this review to examine certain actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department during an FBI investigation opened on July 31, 2016, known as "Crossfire Hurricane," into whether individuals associated with the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign were coordinating, wittingly or unwittingly, with the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
FBI was justified in opening Trump campaign probe, but case plagued by ‘serious failures,’ inspector general finds (Washington Post) The report found no bias among the bureau’s former leaders but said officials played down evidence potentially favorable to Trump’s claim his campaign did not conspire with Russia.
Horowitz report is damning for the FBI and unsettling for the rest of us (TheHill) The media needs to cover the falsifications of evidence that fueled the secret federal investigation.
Analysis | 4 takeaways from the Horowitz report on the Russia investigation (Washington Post) The conspiracy theories about the origins of the probe take a hit, but it looks like this won't be the last word.
The IG Report Is a Huge Blow to the FBI's Credibility. Why Is It Being Treated Like Vindication? (Reason) The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General released its highly anticipated report on the FBI's investigation of the
How the Schiff Report Deals With Disinformation (Lawfare) The House Intelligence Committee report on impeachment engages minimally with the conspiracy theories propagated by the president’s defenders.
U.S. Says Accused Apple Secrets Thief Had Patriot Missile File (Bloomberg) When U.S. prosecutors charged an Apple Inc. engineer in January with stealing trade secrets for a Chinese startup, a search of his home turned up something else, they said: a classified file from the Patriot missile program that belonged to his ex-employer, Raytheon Co.
He offered $500 on Twitter to anyone who killed an ICE agent. He was joking, a jury ruled. (Washington Post) Brandon Ziobrowksi's attorney successfully argued that his comments amounted to comedic hyperbole and were protected by the First Amendment.
Former Defense Dept. Contractor From Md. Indicted For Allegedly Submitting False Claims For Hours Worked (CBS Baltimore) A Gaithersburg woman has been indicted for allegedly submitting claims for hours she worked on a government project when she was not at work.
Senate Dems Urge White House to Fire Stephen Miller over Leaked Emails (National Review) Senate Democrats on Monday sent a letter to President Trump calling for the “immediate removal” of White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller.
Army Cyber Command major jailed on federal child porn charge (Army Times) An Army officer who held a top-secret security clearance shared nude photos of a teenage girl online and discussed plans to drug the girl and have sex with her, according to federal court records unsealed Monday.