Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Pro-Al-Qaeda publication marks 9/11 by calling for more attacks with aircraft (Newsweek) "Are we not able to repeat it?" the article asks, a security analyst noted on Saturday.
North Korea's Kumsong 121 recently employed social media to launch a cyber attack (Daily NK) The North Korean hacker group Kumsong 121 recently launched a cyber attack using social media. Computer and mobile phone users should be wary as North Korean hacking attacks grow more sophisticated. In a press release Tuesday, EST Security said it had detected a new “advanced persistent threat” (APT) by Kumsong 121. It said this attack […]
Indonesian intelligence agency compromised in suspected Chinese hack (The Record by Recorded Future) Chinese hackers have breached the internal networks of at least ten Indonesian government ministries and agencies, including computers from Indonesia's primary intelligence service, the Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN).
How were UN computer networks so easily breached by hackers? (Digital Journal) Hackers breached the United Nations’ computer networks earlier this year .How and why did this occur?
Hacking CloudKit - How I accidentally deleted your Apple Shortcuts (Detectify Labs) Frans Rosen, Co-founder and Detectify Crowdsource hacker, details how he discovered 3 critical security bugs while hacking Apple Cloudkit.
Vermilion Strike: Linux and Windows Re-implementation of Cobalt Strike (Intezer) Victims include telecommunications, government and financial institutions.
KrebsOnSecurity Hit By Huge New IoT Botnet “Meris” (KrebsOnSecurity) On Thursday evening, KrebsOnSecurity was the subject of a rather massive (and mercifully brief) distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The assault came from "Meris," the same new "Internet of Things" (IoT) botnet behind record-shattering attacks against Russian search giant Yandex this…
Cyber attack: Kiwibank customers still having access issues (NZ Herald) The bank has been under a cyber attack for over a week.
New Zealand Banks ANZ, Kiwibank Hit with DDoS Attacks (Regulation Asia) ANZ said it had recovered on Thursday but online services were intermittent on Friday. Kiwibank was still working to get its systems back up through Sunday.
HAProxy Vulnerability Leads to HTTP Request Smuggling (SecurityWeek) A critical security flaw in HAProxy could lead to HTTP request smuggling attacks, allowing attackers to bypass security controls and access sensitive data without authorization.
REvil ransomware is back in full attack mode and leaking data (BleepingComputer) The REvil ransomware gang has fully returned and is once again attacking new victims and publishing stolen files on a data leak site.
REvil Is Back on Exploit and Trying to Restore Its Reputation [Updated] (Flashpoint) A threat actor operating under the alias “REvil” appeared on Exploit claiming to be the ransomware group’s new representative on the illicit Russian-language forum.
Groove Ransomware Gang Tries New Tactic to Attract Affiliates (Dark Reading) The threat group, which leaked some 500,000 credentials for Fortinet SSL VPN devices, views ransomware as just one way to profit from compromised networks, experts say.
Technology giant Olympus hit by BlackMatter ransomware (TechCrunch) BlackMatter set up in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline and Kaseya attacks, which drew a threat of action from the U.S. government.
Bail services affected in South Africa after ransomware attack (The Record by Recorded Future) A ransomware attack has taken down several IT services for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa, including systems handling the department's emails and national bail services.
Scotland's public bodies hit by dozens of cyber attacks (HeraldScotland) SCOTLAND'S public bodies and educational institutions have been hit by dozens of cyber attacks in the last three years, figures show.
Fujitsu confirms stolen data not connected to cyberattack on its systems (ZDNet) Fujitsu has finished an investigation into the data and said it is related to a customer they do business with.
Hackers stole Puma source code, no customer data, company says (The Record by Recorded Future) Hackers have stolen information from sportswear maker Puma and are currently trying to extort the German company into paying a ransom demand, threatening to release the stolen files on a dark web portal specialized in the leaking and selling of stolen information.
A Complete Guide to Watering Hole Attacks (Kratikal Blogs) A watering hole attack is a cyber attack designed to target a specific group of by luring them to a malicious site or infecting legitimate...
Hackers are leaking children’s data — and there’s little parents can do (NBC News) Most don’t have bank passwords. Few have credit scores yet.
Texas GOP Website Hacked By Activists Protesting Abortion Law (TPR) The activist hacking group Anonymous took over the website of the Texas Republican Party Saturday.
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Cisco Patches High-Severity Security Flaws in IOS XR (SecurityWeek) Cisco patches critical vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers to reboot devices, elevate privileges, or overwrite and read arbitrary files.
GitHub Patches Security Flaws in Core Node.js Dependencies (SecurityWeek) GitHub has published documentation on seven vulnerabilities in the Node.js packages and warned that exploitation could expose users to code execution attacks.
WhatsApp will let users encrypt their chat backups in the cloud (TechCrunch) The messaging app giant says it will offer users two ways to encrypt their cloud backups, and the feature is optional.
WhatsApp to Offer Encryption on Cloud Backups, a New Step in Privacy Arms Race (Wall Street Journal) The Facebook messaging unit’s new protection feature is the latest development in the fight over encryption technology.
Trends
Cybersecurity Seen as Rising Risk for Airlines After 9/11 (SecurityWeek) After remaking security procedures following the 9/11 attacks, airlines are now faced with rising threats targeting computers and electronic equipment critical to their operations and safety.
Marketplace
TransUnion Accelerates Growth of Identity-Based Solutions with Agreement to Acquire Neustar for $3.1 Billion (TransUnion) TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Neustar, a premier identity resolution company with leading solutions in Marketing, Fraud and Communications, from a private investment group led by Golden Gate Capital and with minority participation by GIC. The acquisition expands TransUnion’s powerful digital identity capabil...
Letter to Our Customers (Neustar) On September 13, 2021, Neustar announced the next growth stage for all our businesses.
The CEO of $17 billion SentinelOne says it's considering more security acquisitions after its record-breaking IPO (markets.businessinsider.com) CEO Tomer Weingarten told Insider that the company is now eyeing acquisitions to grow its products as it competes with CrowdStrike.
“We are not part of the Israeli cyber clique, which is our strength” (CTECH) SentinelOne founder Tomer Weingarten tells Calcalist about his first computer, why not serving at a top tech military unit helped him, and why his company’s market value does not phase him
“We will train 1 million people” claims Fortinet (Enterprise Times) Fortinet has publicly pledged to train 1 million people to help close the cybersecurity skills gap.
Fortinet Pledges To Train 1 Million People to Help Close the Cybersecurity Skills Gap Following White House Summit (Fortinet, Inc.) Fortinet’s TAA Initiative and NSE Training Institute Provides Free Training and Resources to Further Develop Cybersecurity Talent Globally SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer at Fortinet “On the heels of the
UK government terminates one of its data-sharing contracts with Palantir (CNBC) The U.K. government has terminated a controversial data-sharing agreement with U.S. tech firm Palantir following criticism from privacy campaigners.
Facebook Says Its Rules Apply to All. Company Documents Reveal a Secret Elite That’s Exempt. (Wall Street Journal) An extensive array of research reports, online employee debates and drafts of presentations to senior management, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, offer an unparalleled look inside the social-media giant’s failings—and its unwillingness or inability to address them.
KnowBe4: The Cybersecurity SaaS Company You've Never Heard Of (The Motley Fool) Cybersecurity is a megatrend that has investors very excited. Could cybersecurity awareness training be the next big winner in this space?
Axis Security Named 2021 SINET16 Innovator Award Winner (PR Newswire) Axis Security announced today that it was named a SINET 16 Innovator Winner for 2021. This year SINET's distinguished steering committee...
Siege Technologies Expands Leadership Team (Johnson City Press) Siege Technologies has added two senior leadership roles to their team due to current and rapidly expanding requirements for Federal cyber
Products, Services, and Solutions
This 5-course bundle is the ultimate cybersecurity survival pack (BleepingComputer) Featuring five full-length video courses, The Ultimate 2021 Cyber Security Survival Training Bundle helps you pass some of the most widely-respected exams around. The included content is worth $495, but you can get it today for only $29.99.
Everlaw Moves to AWS GovCloud (US) to Give Even Greater Security to Federal Clients (PR Newswire) Everlaw announced today the migration of its FedRAMP Authorized federal SaaS platform to Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud (US), making it one...
ALTR Introduces Free Data Control and Protection Product (GlobeNewswire News Room) Unlimited analytics and intelligence on data usage deliver insights with no code, enabling users to start controlling and protecting cloud data in minutes ...
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Space Force Readies Long-Delayed Cybersecurity Standards for Commercial Satcom Providers (Air Force Magazine) Within 30 days, the Space Force Commercial Satellite Communications Office will issue guidance for commercial satcom providers, who welcome the news.
Federal agencies face new zero-trust cybersecurity requirements (CSO Online) The OMB and CISA issue guidance to move all federal agencies to a shared zero-trust maturity model for FY22-24. The catch: No new funding.
Cyber in the boardroom (Professional Security) Cyber in the boardroom. Professional Security magazine online - an essential read for everyone in the security industry.
8 pitfalls that undermine security program success (CSO Online) Don’t let these easy-to-overlook mistakes trip up your security strategy.
How Fleets Can Double Down on Ransomware Protection (Transport Topics) With the threat of ransomware reaching new heights in 2021, many trucking and logistics companies are doubling down on their defenses against the scourge to make sure they’ve done everything they can to avoid becoming its next victim.
How to shut down a phishing operation in 48 hours (TechRadar) And you can do it, too, even without Gmail’s help
Clear Your Head! We Debunk Some Famous Cybersecurity Myths (Analytics Insight) Although cybersecurity is a realm where past myths and future hypes often weave together, obscuring the truth to nit-pick the best is a must. Analytics Insight has debunked some of the famous cryptocurrency myths to clear you from misunderstandings.
Research and Development
Project Convergence: Exercise Shows Value In Data Weapons Check For The Digital Age (Breaking Defense) "Data is the new ammunition, and we have to test fire our digital systems just like we test fire our weapons systems," writes Ret. Gen. Richard Cody.
A secretive Pentagon program that started on Trump’s last day in office just ended. The mystery has not. (Washington Post) Control of a remarkable 6 percent of the Internet was handed over to a Florida company as part of a cybersecurity pilot project. Now the Pentagon has taken all 175 million IP address spaces back.
Academia
Days after a cyberattack, Howard U is still largely offline. Here's how colleges need to protect themselves - Technical.ly DC (Technical.ly DC) A ransomware attack over Labor Day weekend means recovery will be a "long haul" at the DC university. Technical.ly talked to cybersecurity pros about the cybersecurity vulnerabilities faced by universities, and how to prepare.
Meet the ASU Hacking Club (The Arizona State Press) Formerly known as pwndevils, members of the ASU Hacking Club discuss their rebrand and goals for the year.
Fears as 'thousands' of cyber attacks launched against British schools and universities (Express) THE Home Office is worried about the exposure of educational institutions to cyber attacks, the Sunday Express can reveal.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Discontent Simmers Over How to Police EU Privacy Rules (Wall Street Journal) A delay in the EU’s WhatsApp fine illustrates some regulators’ dissatisfaction with how the bloc enforces the GDPR.
WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. and EU Advance Talks to Preserve Data Transfers (Wall Street Journal) U.S. and the European Union officials are making progress on keeping data flowing across the Atlantic, according to people familiar with negotiations that are vital to Facebook and thousands of other companies.
Australian Privacy Watchdog Looks to Ban Police From Accessing Contact Tracing Data for Unrelated Investigations (CPO Magazine) Australia has made news for having some of the world’s strongest anti-Covid measures, but the country’s lead privacy watchdog wants to ensure that this extraordinary state of affairs is not abused in the investigation of routine crimes. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has called for law enforcement to be blocked from accessing Covid contact tracing data to track suspects via their check-in histories, saying that it threatens to undermine public participation in the program.
China’s Afghanistan Dilemma (Foreign Affairs) What’s bad for Washington isn’t necessarily good for Beijing.
NSA warns world against abandoning war-ravaged Afghanistan, again (Pakistan Today) ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf Saturday warned the world against abandoning the war-ravaged Afghanistan, calling it a ‘grave mistake’.Delivering a keynote a
Russia’s SolarWinds Hack: Explaining President Biden’s Retaliatory Measures (Eurasia Review) In December 2020, the US government revealed that it had been the victim of a cyber offensive that compromised agencies such as the Pentagon and the State Department. The SolarWinds hack, as it came to be known, was allegedly carried out by Russia’s intelligence services and was one of the largest breaches in US history.
Chris Inglis scopes out cyber turf (FCW) The newly installed National Cyber Director offered his take on the roles and responsibilities of his office, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Council and agency IT and security operations in responding to federal cyber incidents.
DHS announces two senior cybersecurity appointments (Security Magazine) The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced two senior cybersecurity appointments.
Shielding CISA from politics is a bipartisan effort (Washington Post) Some in the GOP are joining Democrats to try to shield CISA from partisan politics
CISA can’t succeed in the Pentagon’s shadow (README) Congress and the Biden administration need to truly empower the civilian cybersecurity agency to drive real and effective change needed to…
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
Huawei ‘infiltrates’ Cambridge University research centre (Times) Huawei has been accused of “infiltrating” a Cambridge University research centre after most of its academics were found to have ties with the Chinese company.
Google reportedly gave some users’ data to Hong Kong authorities in 2020 (The Verge) No user content data was involved, the company said
FTO orders probe into FBR cyber attack issue (Business Recorder) ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has ordered an investigation into the matter of cyber attack on the...
Turkey fines WhatsApp over data breach (The Jakarta Post) Turkey joined a host of other countries in fining Facebook's ubiquitous WhatsApp messaging service for failing to sufficiently protect user data.
ProtonMail (Wrongly?) Criticized for Disclosing User IP to Authorities (SecurityWeek) Secure email provider ProtonMail has been criticized for providing the IP address of a customer to authorities, but simply blaming ProtonMail misses the important lessons of this case
Georgia Hospital Ransomware Hack Prompts Patients’ Class-Action Lawsuit (Kaiser Health News) The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 1.4 million people whose data may have been compromised in a recent ransomware attack. Competition in health insurance exchanges, HCA Houston Medical Center’…
How 2020 Dominion machine controversy has shaped California's recall election (Newsweek) Some election security experts have already called for an audit of California's gubernatorial recall election.
People’s Energy Data Breach Claims (Lexology) Has your data been breached by People’s Energy? If you’ve been contacted by the energy provider to say you’ve been affected, you could make a claim…
