Yesterday's #OpIsrael proved, as expected, to be the customary fizzle as Israel took its customary preparations. But while the operation didn't rise above the nuisance-and-noise level, it wouldn't do for defenders to get cocky. Re/code points out that #OpIsrael continues to attract a range of hacking talent, that it provides them with surprisingly effective training, and that the hackers who cut their teeth on #OpIsrael often find their way into the underground labor market.
Analysts continue to look into (or at least at) the Panama Papers hack, and offer much speculation about the potential role lax security could have played in exposing the data, and about whether the incident will induce law firms to up their security game. Japan is taking advantage of the prominence of influential Chinese families to score public relations points against a regional rival.
Cybereason reports finding a version of the Windows-based Pirrit adware affecting Macs. "OSX.Pirrit" has so far mostly served up benign (if unwanted) ads, but Cybereason warns that the adware has the potential to evolve into a significant attack vector.
A researcher reports finding a reboot attack vulnerability in Arris cable modems.
Tax season breaches continue in the US, with identity theft a major risk. Another source of identity theft risk, according to US Government auditors, are healthcare exchanges in California, Kentucky, and Vermont.
Adobe patched Flash Player yesterday for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and ChromeOS. The Magnitude exploit kit is actively exploiting Flash Player in the wild.
KEYW moves closer to selling Hexis.