Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Someone Failed to Contain WannaCry (Threatpost) As reports of the NSA officially connecting WannaCry to North Korea surface, experts are saying developers failed to contain the ransomware before it was ready for deployment.
Pyongyang calling: GCHQ also now pins WannaCry on North Korea (SC Media UK) Not much is known of the investigation by the NCSC into the attack, but experts disagree on the validity of the claims.
North Korea Is Not Crazy (Recorded Future) Understanding North Korean national objectives, state organizations, and military strategy are key to attributing North Korean cyber activity.
Government portal MCA21 came under WannaCry attack (Live Mint) The corporate affairs ministry’s key portal for making filings by companies -- MCA21 -- came under WannaCry ransomware attack last month, affecting certain services
WannaCry did hit India and even central govt portal. So why did Centre downplay the ransomware attack? (India Today) In May 2017, the MCA21 system was subjected to WannaCry ransomware attack. The attack was in the nature of a 'zero day attack' and was first noticed on May 7.
WannaCry Could Return in Stealth Mode: Are Your Endpoints Ready? (Infosecurity Magazine) How might security controls work or fail in future against copycat variations of the WannaCry attack?
Analysis of the Shadow Brokers release and mitigation with Windows 10 virtualization-based security (Windows Security) On April 14, a group calling themselves the Shadow Brokers caught the attention of the security community by releasing a set of weaponized exploits. Shortly thereafter, one of these exploits was used to create wormable malware that we now know as WannaCrypt, which targeted a large number of out-of-date systems and held encrypted files for...
Google Play is fighting an uphill battle against Android adware (Ars Technica) Google hasn’t yet removed all of the apps, which have as many as 6 million downloads.
Google's whack-a-mole with Android adware continues (Help Net Security) Why can't Google put a stop to Google Play adware? The analysis by Trend Micro researchers of a Trojan Android ad library dubbed Xavier tells the story.
The Google Play adware apps that just won’t die (Naked Security) You can ‘force stop’ but the ads will just keep popping back up again
Hundreds of Malicious Android Apps Masked as Anti-virus Software (HackRead) With the recent surge in ransomware attacks, it is no surprise to see that attackers have capitalized on the opportunity and played on people’s fears by of
RNC data analytics firm exposes voting records on 198 million Americans (CSO Online) Researcher Chris Vickery has discovered nearly 200 million voter records in an unsecured Amazon S3 bucket, maintained by Deep Root Analytics (DRA), a Republican big data analytics firm founded in 2013. The data was discovered on June 12, and secured two days later after Vickery reported the incident to federal regulators.
Developer Creates Rootkit That Hides in PHP Server Modules (BleepingComputer) A Dutch web developer has created a rootkit that hides inside a PHP module and can be used to take over web servers via a rarely used attack vector: Apache modules.
Hacker Bypasses Microsoft ATA for Admin Access (Dark Reading) Microsoft's Advanced Threat Analytics defense platform can be cheated, a researcher will show at Black Hat USA next month.
Vaping, e-Cigarettes Can Be Used to Hack Computers (Infosecurity Magazine) An e-cigarette could be used to intercept network traffic or control the computer.
Your mouse knows when you are lying (Naked Security) Your mouse may be telling us more about you than you realise.
Keys, tokens and too much trust found in container images (Help Net Security) Do you trust container images? To protect your containers, make sure that your images only have the necessary packages and configurations.
TrickBot Targets PayPal, Salesforce.com (Infosecurity Magazine) In May, there were two global campaigns showing new tactics for the banking trojan.
The Nigerian Spammers From the 90s Have Moved on to Keyloggers and RATs (BleepingComputer) Each day, countless of security researchers are fighting the good fight in an effort to help companies remove malware from infected computers and servers.
Dark web: Hackers selling stolen data from Qatar National Bank and UAE InvestBank (International Business Times UK) Both banks were hacked in 2016 and stolen data of thousands of customers was later leaked online.
FIN10 Threat Actors Hack and Extort Canadian Mining, Casino Industries (Dark Reading) Previously unknown threat actor has extracted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Canadian companies in a vicious cyberattack campaign that dates back to 2013, FireEye says.
Canadian mining companies targeted in "cyber-extortion" scheme (MINING.com) The wealth of mining companies and their highly-paid executives has always made them a perfect target for thieves.
Smartphone security: Can you trust your beloved device? (WeLiveSecurity) Smartphone security is, of course, essential these days, but how confident are you in your device's ability to help keep you safe and secure?
Comodo DNS Blocks TorrentFreak Over "Hacking and Warez " (TorrentFreak) At TorrentFreak, we write about website blocking on a weekly basis, but it's not often that we are the target ourselves. This week we are, as major computer security vendor Comodo has decided to block direct access to our site, claiming that we might offer illegal access to copyrighted software or media. Interestingly. Comodo's DNS blocking doesn't prevent users from accessing The Pirate Bay and other known pirate sites.
Personal info of hundreds of thousands of students targeted in schools hack attack (Sacramento Bee) The attempted infiltration of some Florida school districts, including Miami-Dade, was aimed at stealing Social Security numbers and other ID info but also to try to access state voting systems, says a cybersecurity firm.
Credit Card Breach at Buckle Stores (KrebsOnSecurity) The Buckle Inc., a clothier that operates more than 450 stores in 44 U.S. states, disclosed Friday that its retail locations were hit by malicious software designed to steal customer credit card data.
Cyber Trends
Perception and reality: The role of AI and automated cyber defenses (Help Net Security) New Radware research looks at important global trends as well as intriguing perceptions and nuances among U.S. and European executives.
Cybersecurity 'a bigger issue than Brexit' (IT Pro Portal) Executives are turning towards automated systems, report claims.
DLP APIs: The next frontier for Data Loss Prevention (Help Net Security) DLP APIs give developers the power to integrate DLP into the enterprise apps they build and the cloud services they offer.
Why the world’s security firms need to work together (IT Pro Portal) InfoSec 2017: Leading companies need to share intelligence in order to conquer growing cybersecurity threats, Gigamon and Trend Micro tells ITProPortal.
Now doctors need to be hackers, too (Engadget) Doctors now need to be hackers, too
Why Consumers Don’t Trust Smart Home Devices (Mocana) Smart home devices promise convenience, ubiquity, round-the-clock connectivity and control. But for consumers, security, privacy and reliability matter the most.
Minimizing the Loss of DDoS (Infosecurity Magazine) Dan Raywood explores whether protection is keeping pace with a threat that has already trapped some of the biggest targets across the globe
UK businesses are still under-prepared for the GDPR - and some don't even know what it is (Computing) Small organisations are less likely to be ready than large ones.
These are the top 5 concerns IT leaders have about the GDPR (Computing) The lack of clarity is making business leaders nervous
Marketplace
Cyber Security Is The Necessity Of The Future (Seeking Alpha) Cyber Security is a rapidly expanding sector. There is no apparent leader in the industry yet. ETF is currently the best way to capture growth with resonable ri
Cloud-based security services market to reach nearly $9 billion by 2020 (Help Net Security) Growth in worldwide cloud-based security services will remain strong, reaching $5.9 billion in 2017, up 21 percent from 2016, according to Gartner. Overall
Cyber Threats Driving Growth In Cloud Applications (Seeking Alpha) CRM growth accelerating. Data protection is a key driver of growth. Favorable financial metrics are spurring acquisitions. Consolidation in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Co
Cyber Security: The New Hidden Risks of M&A Deals. Italian perspective (Lexology) The cyber security is widely recognized as one of the major challenges for the Governments all over the world, which consider the cyber security as…
SMBs prefer MSPs for security deployments (Computing) More than half of US SMBs now use an external service provider; that number will rise as the need for security grows.
Lack of Experience Biggest Obstacle for InfoSec Career (Dark Reading) A majority of wanna-be infosec professionals find they need more experience to be a contender to enter this career, according to a recent Tripwire poll.
Thales Becomes Data Miner to Advance NextGen Avionics (Aviation International News) Thales is looking to better connect flight crew with the data they need to fly more efficiently.
Australian government agencies to get security boost (Defence Connect) Defence and security company Saab has been awarded a contract to enhance security measures at strategic Australian Government facilities as part of a transformation project in response to increased th
NSW Police signs five-year, $55m deal with IBM (iTnews) Bundles up support and taps into new products.
General Dynamics Awarded $250M to Modify, Sustain Army SIGINT Platform (GovCon Wire) General Dynamics' (NYSE: GD) missions systems business has secured a five-year, $250 million contrac
Is Booz Allen in trouble? What the DOJ investigation means. (Washington Business Journal) With the stock diving 20 percent at one point on Friday, Wall Street has certainly been spooked.
Swansea City shirt sleeve sponsor is going to protect them against cyber attack (Wales Online) American IT company Barracuda will make sure Swansea City's computer networks are safe
Bitcoin price stabilises after crypto markets crumble (The Sydney Morning Herald) A frenzied few weeks of rapid Bitcoin speculation, which saw the price rocket to $US3000 a coin, looks to be easing as it sinks to 10-day low.
Products, Services, and Solutions
Optiv Security Announces Two New Offerings to Help Organizations Build Identity Centric Security Programs (Optiv Security) Optiv Security today announced the availability of two new identity and access management (IAM) offerings that support organizations trying to put identity at the core of their cyber security programs.
Nok Nok Labs Announces Strategic Partnership with Fujitsu Limited to Accelerate FIDO Authentication in Japan (PRNewswire) Nok Nok Labs, an innovator in modern authentication and a...
Introducing Advanced Protection against Sophisticated Email Threats (Symantec) An integrated approach to fighting stealthy attacks
SiteLock's SMART/DB Protects SMB WordPress Websites (eSecurity Planet) The company launches a private beta of its security solution for WordPress databases.
New infosec products of the week: June 16, 2017 (Help Net Security) The infosec products featured this week include BH Consulting, Logitech, Palo Alto Networks, Toshiba, Uplevel Systems, Vera, Vidder and Waterfall Security.
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
How to tell if AI or machine learning is real (InfoWorld) False and misleading claims abound that applications and cloud services are now smart. Here’s how to identify true artificial intelligence and machine learning
U.S. Government Embraces Automated Cybersecurity (Electroncs 360) Agencies in the federal government are working to develop tools and software that would automate cybersecurity – essentially, an effort to remove human error from the equation.
Cyber X-Games 2017 (DVIDS) Approximately 48 U.S. military personnel working in cyber defense representing units from the 335th Signal Command (Theater), the Defense Information Systems Agency, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Pennsylvania National Guard, and Pennsylvania Air National Guard, began this year’s advanced challenge for the Cyber X-Games, June 15 at Carnegie Mellon University.
The Air Force conducts a collaborative effort to strengthen cyber operations (C4ISRNET) The very first Space Cyber Challenge was held at the National Security Agency Cyber Defense Exercise on May 22 in Linthicum Heights, MD.
Mapping Use Cases to Logs. Which Logs are the Most Important to Collect? (SANS Internet Storm Center) When it comes to log collection, it is always difficult to figure out what to to capture. The primary reasons are cost and value.
How to Spot and Remove Stalkerware (Field Guide) As if there aren’t enough tech security threats to worry about, you also need to be on your guard against so-called ‘stalkerware’—those invasive types of programs installed by suspicious spouses, jealous exes or controlling parents without your knowledge. Here are the warning signs (on your computer) to look out for, and what you can do about them.
What is VPN (FirstSiteGuide) Step by step guide on how to start a food blog including a free eBook and Video tutorial to help you make your own blog.
Design and Innovation
Facebook's Counterterrorism Playbook Comes into Focus (WIRED) When you use Facebook, it doesn't look like Facebook is doing much.
Google Doesn't Know My Dad Died (Motherboard) Tech companies haven’t figured out how to automate human relationships.
Research and Development
China bounced an 'unhackable' quantum signal between cities (Engadget) China sets quantum transmission record by bouncing a signal 750 miles
Equipment already in space can be adapted for extremely secure data encryption (Help Net Security) A satellite-based quantum-based encryption network would provide extremely secure data encryption, where the data is sent over long distances.
Academia
Nichols rolls out new graduate program focused on counterterrorism, violent extremism studies (Telegram) Nichols College has launched a new graduate degree program focusing on counterterrorism studies that a professor at the school has called
NSA's GenCyber Reaches New Territories (NSA|CSS) This year, the GenCyber Program, co-sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), is bigger and better than before. The program is offering more than 130 summer camps in 39 states across the nation, and in Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Texas pre-teen shows cyber security experts how easy it is to hack children’s toys (Laredo Morning Times) A sixth grade Texas "cyber ninja" has made a big splash in among security experts by showing them how easy it is to use common children's toys to spy on kids, parents and more.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Coming soon: joint international cyberspace operations (C4ISRNET) As U.S. Cyber Command continues to mature its workforce, operations and tactics, so too are allied nations, some of which are also standing up cyber commands.
NATO: Prepared for Countering Disinformation Operations in the Baltic States? (RAND) NATO plans to have around 3,000 troops in the Baltic states by the end of May as part of the Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) — the largest reinforcement of NATO troops in the region for a generation.
Putin claims Russia proposed a cyber war treaty in 2015 but the Obama administration ignored them (Quartz) Irony abounds.
Can sovereignty prevail without a strong industry? Not in France, experts say (Defense News) French national sovereignty rests on maintaining a strong defense industrial and technology basis, which requires long-term political support, senior defense executives and the arms procurement chief said.
Cyber bombs are on the way, but expert asks how military will employ them (CBC News) If it hasn't already, the Canadian military will have to develop its own cyber weapons. The country's new defence policy gives the Forces the green light to conduct offensive operations against online adversaries. But an expert warns careful thought will have to be used if and or when they are employed.
Companies must be ready to learn from breach-notification exposure, not fear it (CSO) Australian businesses need to get over their fear of being singled out under looming breach notification laws and be prepared to use public shaming as a trigger for internal transformation, two security consultants have advised as the February 2018 implementation deadline for Australia’s new |Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme draws ever nearer.
NHS in Scotland at risk of more cyber attacks warns expert (Scotsman) Scotland is lagging behind England in the creation of “robust and dynamic” health service IT systems, a Holyrood inquiry into the recent cyber attack on the NHS has been warned.
ICT expert urges government to collaborate in fight against cybercrimes (Guardian (Nigeria)) Mr Felix Idowu, an ICT expert has urged the government to collaborate more with stakeholders in the private sector to fight cybercrimes and curbed the frequent cases of internet fraud.
NYCN set to convene security summit (News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)) The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) says it has concluded arrangements to organise security summit with youth leaders across the 36 states.
Here's why DHS is driving states 'nuts' (Washington Examiner) The vulnerability of the voting systems in each state varies depending to what degree the state's information is digitally integrated into o...
McAuliffe touts buildup of cyber defenses in the states (TheHill) “Clearly, the Russians tried to undermine our democracy. ... This is, to me, an act of war.”
Erosion of ISP Privacy Rules Sparks New Anti-Snooping Efforts (Threatpost) After lawmakers struck down ISP privacy protections earlier this year, new efforts are underway to help consumers win back control of their personal information from their service providers.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
British Say Election Was Free of Russian Meddling (US News & World Report) British officials confirm no foreign actor successfully interfered in the recent election, though perhaps not for the reasons they think, experts say.
Snowden Comes To Defense Of Jailed NSA Contractor Reality Winner Newburgh Gazette http://newburghgazette.com/2017/06/18/snowden-comes-to-defense-of-jailed-nsa-contractor-reality/ (Newburgh Gazette) The intelligence contractor accused of leaking a highly classified National Security Agency report to the media has been indicted.
Opinion | Mr. Trump’s Dangerous Indifference to Russia (New York Times) Russia took direct aim at American democracy in 2016. President Trump couldn’t care less.
Trump’s silence on Russian hacking hands Democrats new weapon (POLITICO) Democrats say Trump has yet to express public concern about the underlying issue with striking implications for America's democracy.
Russia's new cyber weapon turns up the heat on US efforts (Washington Examiner) Cyberattack disrupted parts of Ukraine's electrical grid in 2016
Police spend millions on 'dead duck' intelligence tool by failed developer Wynyard Group (New Zealand Herald) Police spent millions of dollars on "dead duck" software and need to spend more to fix the severe problems now developer Wynyard Group has gone into liquidation.
Uber in the privacy spotlight again (Naked Security) It won’t necessarily translate into big trouble for Uber. But it might: after all, the FTC’s interest recently cost the company $20m.
The Woman Who Encouraged Her Boyfriend To Kill Himself Is Found Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter (BuzzFeed) A judge on Friday found Michelle Carter, 20, guilty of involuntary manslaughter for urging Conrad Roy — through text messages — to kill himself.
The Texting Suicide Case is about Crime, not Tech (WIRED) A Massachusetts judge has found 20-year-old Michelle Carter guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 suicide of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, who Carter repeatedly encouraged to commit suicide via text message.
Hacker "His Royal Gingerness" Jailed for Cyber-Attack on UK Hospital, Airport (BleepingComputer) Daniel Devereux, 30, a British man calling himself "His Royal Gingerness" has been sentenced to 32 weeks in prison for hacking the websites of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and the website of the Norwich International Airport.
Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Hacking Utility, Disabling Water Meter-Readers (Dark Reading) A Pennsylvania man is sentenced to more than a year in prison after hacking into a remote water meter reading system run by his former employer.
6 months for abuser caught in FBI’s Playpen snare (Naked Security) FBI’s Playpen operation is an investigation into child abuse imagery being shared via Tor. So, why such a lenient sentence?
CenturyLink made millions by ripping off customers, lawsuit claims (Ars Technica) ISP added services to customer accounts without authorization, ex-employee says.
