Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Facebook tackles deepfake spread and troll farms in latest moderation push (ZDNet) AI-generated images and an exiled militant group are now on Facebook's radar.
European Union Institutions Targeted in Major Cyber Attack (Insurance Journal) A range of European Union institutions including the European Commission were hit by a significant cyber attack last week. A spokesperson for the
Hackers, glitches mar France’s mass return to online school (Washington Post) French children, parents and teachers are battling with internet connection problems across the country after an abrupt nationwide switch to online learning saturated networks and embarrassed the government.
Schools, hospitals face a surge in ransomware attacks (The Record by Recorded Future) After experiencing a brief dip at the beginning of the year, ransomware attacks are showing signs of a resurgence with
WSJ News Exclusive | Suspected China Hack of Microsoft Shows Signs of Prior Reconnaissance (Wall Street Journal) Investigators suspect that personal data taken in previous huge hacks or scraped off social-media sites aided the breach of Microsoft Exchange Server that began in January.
Facebook does not plan to notify half-billion users affected by data leak (Reuters) Facebook Inc did not notify the more than 530 million users whose details were obtained through the misuse of a feature before 2019 and recently made public in a database, and does not currently have plans to do so, a company spokesman said on Wednesday.
What Really Caused Facebook's 500M-User Data Leak? (Wired) The company's explanations have been confusing and inconsistent, but there are finally some answers.
Facebook Says It’s Your Fault That Hackers Got Half a Billion User Phone Numbers (Vice) A database containing the stolen phone numbers of more than half a billion Facebook users is being freely traded online.
EU privacy chief victim of Facebook data leak (POLITICO) Didier Reynders, Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel among European leaders whose data was leaked online.
Scraped data of 500 million LinkedIn users being sold online, 2 million records leaked as proof (Security Affairs) Days after a massive Facebook data leak made the headlines, 500 million LinkedIn users are being sold online, seller leaked 2 million records as proof.
New Cring ransomware deployed via unpatched Fortinet VPNs (The Record by Recorded Future) Unpatched Fortinet VPN devices are being hacked to deploy a new strain of ransomware inside corporate networks, Russian security firm Kaspersky said today.
Ransomware disrupted production at two manufacturing sites in Italy, investigators say - CyberScoop (CyberScoop) A ransomware incident earlier this year temporarily shut down production for two days at a pair of manufacturing facilities in Italy, incident responders at security firm Kaspersky said Wednesday. Kaspersky did not publicly identify the victim organization.
Hackers Exploit Unpatched VPNs to Install Ransomware on Industrial Targets (The Hacker News) Cring ransomware exploited unpatched VPN servers to infect industrial targets.
Hidden Meaning: Using Obfuscation to Fool Natural Language Processing (Avanan) Avanan researchers have noticed a burgeoning attack, reaching over 1,000 inboxes, that uses obfuscation to fool Natural Language Processing.
Cybercriminals Exploit Human Nature Through Phishing and Spam Attacks (Recorded Future) Developers of phishing and spamming tools are creating kits and offering services that are customizable and automated.
Geography and network characteristics of phishing attacks (Journey Notes) In this Threat Spotlight, researchers look at the impact geography and network infrastructure has on phishing attacks.
Hackers Are Exploiting Discord and Slack Links to Serve Up Malware (Wired) Beware of links from platforms that got big during quarantine.
Attackers Blowing Up Discord, Slack with Malware (Threatpost) One Discord network search turned up 20,000 virus results, researchers found.
Vulnerability in time-syncing software puts a ton of corporate networks at risk (The Record by Recorded Future) Security researchers have disclosed this week a vulnerability in the update mechanism of Domain Time II, one of the world's most popular software packages, used for time management and time syncing operations inside some of the world's largest corporations.
Statement From Atlantic Media on Unauthorized Access of Its Servers (The Atlantic) A forensic investigation found no evidence that any subscribers’, customers’, or clients’ financial or sensitive information was involved.
Top cybercrime gangs use targeted fake job offers to deploy stealthy backdoor (CSO Online) The Golden Chickens cybercriminal gang is believed to sell its more_eggs backdoor for spear phishing campaigns executed using information gleaned from victims' LinkedIn profiles.
VISA: Hackers increasingly using web shells to steal credit cards (BleepingComputer) Global payments processor VISA warns that threat actors are increasingly deploying web shells on compromised servers to exfiltrate credit card information stolen from online store customers.
Wine scams spiked during COVID-19 lockdown (CyberScoop) Absolute monsters. Wine-themed domain registrations rose once COVID-19 lockdowns took hold, some of them malicious and used in phishing campaigns, Recorded Future and Area 1 Security said in a joint report out Wednesday.
Coca-Cola trade secret theft underscores importance of insider threat early detection (CSO Online) A research engineer used basic exfiltration techniques to steal trade secrets from Coca-Cola, but wasn't caught until she attempted to steal similar data from another company.
Report: Supplier Impersonation Attacks a Major Risk (SecurityWeek) Proofpoint research shows threat actors are leveraging supplier domains and supplier impersonation to launch attacks against businesses.
RMV inspections out of commission after cyber attack on vendor (Boston 25 News) Many businesses, including a Brockton car dealership, are still unable to do emissions testing due to the RMV inspections system not operating.
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Google Patches Critical Code Execution Vulnerability in Android (SecurityWeek) Tens of high-severity elevation of privilege and information disclosure vulnerabilities were also addressed with the latest Android patches.
Cyber Trends
ANALYSIS - As U.S. cities embrace tech, cyberattacks pose real-world risks (Thompson Reuters Foundation) With COVID-19 shifting more services and operations online, infrastructure like water and energy are soft targets for hackers
Perch Security Announces 2021 MSP Threat Report, Predicts Beginning of Regulation of MSP Industry (ConnectWise) 2nd edition of annual report provides analysis of 2020 MSP security trends, and predictions and recommendations for 2021
Fear of Forgetfulness Drives Bad Password Behaviors (The LastPass Blog) Taking control of your increasingly digital life starts with proper password hygiene.
Marketplace
StrikeForce Technologies Acquires Cybersecurity Risk Solutions LLC Expanding Its Identity and Endpoint Cyber-Defense Arsenal (GlobeNewswire) New Acquisition Adds Comprehensive Cyber, Privacy & Data Protection Solutions
Open Source Security Management Firm WhiteSource Raises $75 Million (SecurityWeek) Open source security management company WhiteSource has raised $75 million in Series D funding.
Securiti Announces Funding From Cisco Investments (BusinessWire) Securiti plans to work with Cisco to help their customers solve the challenge of multicloud and edge security, privacy and compliance.
Perspecta Labs wins $8.1 million in 5G contracts (C4ISRNET) Perspecta will work on a smart warehouse and spectrum sharing projects
After Record Growth in 2020, ImmuniWeb Continues the Success in 2021 (Immuniweb) Q1 2021 financial results demonstrated a 230% revenue growth compared to Q1 2020, ImmuniWeb has gained 95 new partners and 120 new customers during the first quarter of 2021.
Army posts additional all source intelligence RFI (Intelligence Community News) The U.S. Army posted an additional request for information for All Source Intelligence Applications. Responses are due no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern on May 14.
Bitglass Garners Several Industry Distinctions that Recognize Its Industry-Leading Position in the SASE Market (BusinessWire) Bitglass, the Total Cloud Security company, today announced that it won six awards for its cloud security platform and channel program, and received t
Twitch Will Act on ‘Serious’ Offenses That Happen Off-Platform (Wired) The new policy holds streamers to account for what happens on other services and in real life.
FireEye taps former exec John Walters as new COO (SeekingAlpha) FireEye (FEYE) names John Walters, chairman of the company's Advisory Board, as the new chief operating officer
Products, Services, and Solutions
Privitar Launches New, Seamless Native Pattern to Protect Sensitive Data on AWS (Privitar) Privitar’s new end-to-end governed data lake native pattern for AWS enables customers to protect their sensitive data in the cloud easily with minimal infrastructure setup and maintenance
GigaOm Radar for Phishing Prevention and Detection (Area 1 Security) Email remains a leading conduit for malware delivery and phishing exploits. According to the GigaOm Radar for Phishing Prevention and Detection, an effective anti-phishing solution must be a critical component of your enterprise security strategy.
Okta Launches New Customer Identity Risk Ecosystem and Workflow Integrations (BusinessWire) Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ:OKTA), the leading independent provider of identity, today at Oktane21, announced the expansion of the Okta Integration Network acr
LifeLabs Launches Vulnerability Disclosure Program with Bugcrowd (GlobeNewswire) Leading Canadian laboratory services provider partners with cyber security research community to strengthen security posture and further protect customer data
PowerProtect Backup Service Bolsters Leading Cloud Data Protection Portfolio (Dell Technologies) As workloads shift to the cloud and organizations increasingly leverage software as a service, Dell Technologies is introducing new innovations to help businesses protect and secure critical hybrid cloud workloads.
Volvo Group selects BlackBerry QNX for its Dynamic Software Platform (PR Newswire) BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced that Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, buses...
Socure to Provide DraftKings With Additional Compliance Tools (BusinessWire) Socure, the leader in 100% digital identity trust, today announced that it signed a multi-year agreement with DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG), a leader
DISH prioritizes security across all aspects of 5G network (PR Newswire) DISH today issued a white paper describing another key differentiator of its cloud-native Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN): security. While...
LogRhythm NextGen SIEM Platform 7.7 offers enhanced detection and response capabilities (Help Net Security) LogRhythm NextGen SIEM Platform 7.7 introduces new features designed to streamline the threat detection and response process.
Eurotech forges Partnership with GlobalSign to Extend IIoT Security with Solid Device Attestation to a New Level (Yahoo) Device identity management throughout the lifecycle of a product is technically complex and challenging in its implementation for many organizations. It makes effective device identity management a substantial factor in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of secure IoT infrastructures.
NHC Partners with Check Point to Launch Security Offering (PRWeb) New Horizon Communications Corp. (NHC), THE Communications STACK Provider™ supporting SMB and Enterprise businesses in North America with their VoIP, UCaaS,
NextGen Cyber Talent Joins Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy to Develop Next-Generation Security Professionals (EIN News) NextGen Cyber Talent (“NextGen”) today announced that it has joined the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy. Educating tomorrow’s cybersecurity
VMware Adds Container Scanning Tool to Security Platform (Container Journal) VMware today announced it has added a VMware Carbon Black Cloud Container offering that makes it possible to scan containers and Kubernetes configurations within the context of a DevSecOps workflow.
Lookout Unveils New Global Channel Program to Meet the Growing Demand for Integrated Endpoint-to-Cloud Security (PR Newswire) Lookout, Inc., a leading cybersecurity company, today announced the launch of its new global channel partner program. Developed based on...
Fujitsu and Trend Micro Demonstrate Solution To Secure Private 5G (PR Newswire) Fujitsu Limited and Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, have collaborated to focus on the security...
we45 launches their All-In-One AppSec Training Platform (PRWeb) we45, a leading application security company, have launched their brand-new platform for self-paced AppSec training. AppSecEngineer is an all-in-one securi
MozaicID Supplies CFATS Facilities With TWIC Readers Meeting Full Compliance With RBPS 12(iv) (Option 3) (PR Newswire) MozaicID announces the sale of multiple MozaicID Mobile Credential Reader (MCR) units to Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS)...
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
NSA About To Release Unclassified 5G Security Guidance (Breaking Defense) The guidance will "outline threats and risks to 5G infrastructure," NSA Executive Director Noble said. It's one way NSA is "focusing our expertise in cryptography and cybersecurity to help industry and government to integrate security into all aspects of the 5G ecosystem."
White Hats Earn $440,000 for Hacking Microsoft Products on First Day of Pwn2Own 2021 (SecurityWeek) On the first day of Pwn2Own 2021, participants earned $570,000, including more than $400,000 for hacking Microsoft products.
Zero Day Initiative — Pwn2Own 2021 - Schedule and Live Results (Zero Day Initiative) Welcome to Pwn2Own 2021! This year, we’re distributed amongst various locations to run the contest, but we’ll be bringing you all of the results live from Austin with love. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the largest in Pwn2Own history, with 23 separate entries targeting 10 different pr
Zero Day Initiative — Pwn2Own 2021 - Schedule and Live Results (Zero Day Initiative) Welcome to Pwn2Own 2021! This year, we’re distributed amongst various locations to run the contest, but we’ll be bringing you all of the results live from Austin with love. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the largest in Pwn2Own history, with 23 separate entries targeting 10 different pr
Deliver Security and Trust to IoT, with this IoT Security Guide by IDC (Check Point Software) Highlights As organizations seek to deliver security and trust to the IoT, they must focus on the following architectural components: Connectivity,
Design and Innovation
API Security Done Right: COVID-19 Exposure Notification System Minimizes Data Exposure | Cequence (Cequence) A security professional takes a closer look at the API security approach of the Privacy Preserving Contact Tracing Project.
Academia
Parsons to Support NSA Competition Training Future Cyber Warriors (PR Newswire) Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) will provide support to the National Security Agency's (NSA) three-day cyber competition – NSA Cyber Exercise...
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Nation States, Cyberconflict and the Web of Profit Report (Bromium) New report shows that nation state cyber attacks are becoming more frequent, varied and open than at any time since the inception of the internet.
Countering cyber proliferation: Zeroing in on Access-as-a-Service (Atlantic Council) It is imperative that governments reevaluate their approach to countering the proliferation of offensive cyber capabilities.
A primer on the proliferation of offensive cyber capabilities (Atlantic Council) Offensive cyber capabilities run the gamut from sophisticated disruptions of infrastructure to malware used to target human rights journalists.
Armed Conflict Draws Closer as State-Backed Cyber-Attacks Intensify (Infosecurity Magazine) HP report reveals 100% increase in government-sponsored attacks
China’s Techno-Authoritarianism Has Gone Global (Foreign Affairs) Nearly every week, the international news media reports on the Chinese government’s troubling use of technology to spy on its own citizens and those of other countries. China’s tech giants, Foreign Policy reported late last year, work hand in glove with the country’s spy agencies. The Guardian suggested in December that a Chinese state-owned phone operator spies on American users.
India trying to counter China's huge cyber-attack capability: CDS (The Times of India) India News: India is taking some steps to counter China’s capability to launch devastating cyber-attacks through risk mitigation strategies, building firewalls an
Ethiopia’s Perilous Propaganda War (Foreign Affairs) Efforts to Control Information Are Only Hardening the Country’s Divisions
China builds advanced weapons systems using American chip technology (Washington Post) In a secretive military facility in southwest China, a supercomputer whirs away, simulating the heat and drag on hypersonic vehicles speeding through the atmosphere — missiles that could one day be aimed at a U.S. aircraft carrier or Taiwan, according to former U.S. officials and Western analysts.
Commerce Adds Seven Chinese Supercomputing Entities to Entity List for their Support to China’s Military Modernization, and Other Destabilizing Efforts (U.S. Department of Commerce) The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added seven Chinese supercomputing entities to the Entity List for conducting activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Commerce Dept. still weighing approach to Huawei, TikTok (TheHill) Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday that while she intends to aggressively push back against China, reviews are ongoing about how the Biden administration will address Chinese companies Huawei and TikTok.
Experts fear that Biden’s cybersecurity executive order will repeat mistakes of the past (CSO Online) President Biden is expected to issue an executive order soon in response to the SolarWinds and Exchange Server attacks. Leaked details suggest it might not focus on the most effective actions.
Experts Torn on Role of National Cyber Director (Nextgov.com) Former officials agree someone needs to coordinate the work of various government entities but weighed pros and cons to the position being located within the National Security Council.
From California to Brazil: Europe's privacy laws have created a recipe for the world (CNBC) As Europe's sweeping GDPR laws approach their third anniversary, other jurisdictions around the world are taking cues from it to develop their own frameworks.
Home Office is creating a 'super database' on people's race, health and biometrics, report (Computing) Data collected also includes people's names, location details, identification numbers and online identifiers
The Cybersecurity 202: This House Democrat is pushing for more funding for state and local cybersecurity (Washington Post) A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging President Biden to include $3 billion in funding for technology it says would reduce American reliance on Chinese telecommunications equipment that could provide a back door for spying.
The Cybersecurity 202: This House Democrat is pushing for more funding for state and local cybersecurity (Washington Post) The House Homeland Security cybersecurity subcommittee will move to ramp up resources for state and local governments and organizations battling cyberattacks, chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) said at a virtual event yesterday hosted by the Cybersecurity Coalition.
Commerce Secretary Raimondo defends census privacy method (AP NEWS) Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday defended a controversial privacy technique being used by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census, a method the agency promised would only make small...
U.K. Launches New Competition Watchdog Targeting Big Tech (Wall Street Journal) Britain’s new Digital Markets Unit will seek to ensure tech giants like Facebook and Google don’t exploit any market dominance to crowd out competition, officials say.
Follow the money: to rein in Big Tech, lawmakers are right to focus on business models (Tech Policy Press) Companies made commitments to protect human rights and the public interest, but only to the extent that it won’t interfere with profits.
On a Trip to Israel, Slovenian PM Met With Notorious Spyware Firm (OCCRP) During a state visit to Israel in December, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša met for several hours with representatives of five Israeli companies, including a controversial spyware firm with a history of hacking phones of human rights activists and journalists...
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
Pressure Builds On Irish GDPR Watchdog To Take On Big Tech (Law360) The European Parliament is questioning whether Ireland's privacy watchdog is adequately enforcing the General Data Protection Regulation, as activists say a mechanism meant to simplify the law has in fact allowed tech giants to escape scrutiny.
Daily Mail Escapes Ex-Rep. Katie Hill's Revenge Porn Suit (Law360) A California judge on Wednesday tossed claims that the Daily Mail, a British newspaper, violated the state's revenge porn law by distributing nude photos of former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, ignoring warnings from her attorney that the ruling invites "women-hating incels, politicians and publications" to share nude images of their enemies.
Giuliani Seeks To Toss Dominion's $1.3B Election Lie Claims (Law360) Rudy Giuliani urged a D.C. federal judge Wednesday to toss Dominion Voting Systems Corp.'s $1.3 billion defamation suit against him, arguing that the company hasn't shown it's entitled to any damages beyond lost profits or that it actually lost profits.
Englewood Cliffs says official emails were deleted. Now they're suing a tech firm (North Jersey) Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac said emails from three Democratic council members during a pivotal period had been deleted.