New York: the latest from the 2017 SINET Innovation Summit
The megatrend of mobility is a megatrend of the attack surface. (The CyberWire) Mobile devices permeate the enterprise in ways that would have been difficult to imagine a few years ago. With the convenience and technological consolidation the smartphone represents—telephony, email, video, camera, music, browsing, authentication tokens, etc., and the millions of apps—it's not only an increasingly indispensable personal adjunct, but a default endpoint in the enterprise as well. But with great convenience comes great responsibility.
Threat intelligence from a provider's point of view. (The CyberWire) We had a chance at the Innovation Summit to catch up with the CEOs of two companies whose work touches the threat intelligence space, Paul Kurtz of TruSTAR and John Jolly of Syncurity. They shared their thoughts on information-sharing and orchestration.
Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Wikileaks reveals details of CIA's 'Brutal Kangaroo' toolkit for attacking air-gapped networks (Computing) Brutal Kangaroo is a CIA tool suite for Microsoft Windows that targets closed networks by air gap jumping using thumb drives
‘It’s the mother lode’: inside the black market for stolen records (Times (London)) “800 million cracked email and password combinations from tons of hacks,” wrote one user of a shady online hacking forum in October last year. “It’s the mother lode.” On offer was a huge database...
UK gov's Cyber Essentials scheme suffers security breach | TheINQUIRER (Inquirer) Someone sound the irony alarms
Deep Root: what can we learn from the GOP’s data leak? (Naked Security) Nearly 200m voters’ personal details were exposed when a contractor failed to secure the GOP’s data in the cloud – and there are lessons for us all in this
Cloud Security Lessons from the RNC Leak (Dark Reading) A poorly configured Amazon S3 bucket that led to a massive data leak could easily happen to any organization not adopting proper cloud security measures.
Cyber Attack At Honda Stops Production After WannaCry Worm Strikes (Forbes) The WannaCry worm is still alive. Honda said this week that it was forced to halt production for one day at its Sayama plant near Tokyo after finding the WannaCry ransomware in its computer network.
New malware uses old trick – and is a reminder to disable UPnP (Naked Security) Hijacking UPnP is rare, but it’s a straightforward trick that will be copied soon enough
Digital Defense, Inc. Finds Critical Vulnerability in Avaya AES Management Console (GlobeNewswire News Room) Digital Defense, Inc., a leading provider of Vulnerability Management as a Service™ (VMaaS), today announced that its Vulnerability Research Team (VRT) uncovered a previously undisclosed vulnerability within the Avaya Application Enablement Services (AES) Management Console.
root9B Releases Technical Analysis on Active Malware Campaign After Briefing Law Enforcement (PRNewswire) root9B, a root9B Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: RTNB) company, and...
Microsoft Says Fireball Threat ‘Overblown’ (Threatpost) Check Point has toned down its initial estimates on the number of Fireball malware infections from 250 million machines and 20 percent of corporate networks to 40 million computers.
'GhostHook' Foils Windows 10 64-bit's Kernel Protection (Dark Reading) Microsoft says an attacker needs kernel-level access before they can use the 'GhostHook' technique to install a rootkit.
Stack Clash Bug Could Compromise Linux and Unix Defenses (Security Intelligence) Attackers could exploit a vulnerability known as the Stack Clash bug to gain full root privileges, according to researchers at security firm Qualys.
Locky Ransomware Returns, but Targets Only Windows XP & Vista (BleepingComputer) The Locky ransomware is back, spreading via a massive wave of spam emails distributed by the Necurs botnet, but the campaign appears to be a half-baked effort because the ransomware is not able to encrypt files on modern Windows OS versions, locking files only on older Windows XP & Vista machines.
A Cyberattack ‘the World Isn’t Ready For’ (New York Times) In May, a so-called ransomware attack hit computers in over 150 countries. But two weeks earlier, one security expert found something a lot worse.
South Korean Web Host Pays $1 Million to Recover Customer Data (Web Host Industry Review) A web host based in South Korea has paid over $1 million to a ransomware operation, called Erebus. Read More
Ransom-Aware: Consumer awareness high in the wake of WannaCry (SC Media UK) Carbon Black’s latest study gauges public perception of ransomware, paying ransoms and consumer expectations on businesses to keep their data safe.
Heartbleed vulnerability: Why does it persist on so many services? (SearchSecurity) The Heartbleed vulnerability remains a problem for almost 200,000 internet-connected services. Find out how severe this issue is and why it persists.
Chrome and Firefox Headless Modes May Spur New Adware & Clickfraud Tactics (BleepingComputer) During the past month, both Google and Mozilla developers have added support in their respective browsers for "headless mode," a mechanism that allows browsers to run silently in the OS background and with no visible GUI.
Pinkslipbot banking Trojan exploiting infected machines as control servers (Yogiraj_The_Ultron) Pinkslipbot banking Trojan is a banking Trojan that uses a complicated multistage proxy for HTTPS-based control server communication. Security researchers at McAfee Labs have spotted a new str…
Network Technical Difficulties Caused by Attacks from a Third-party | FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone (FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone) Network Technical Difficulties Caused by Attacks from a Third-party
What DDoS Attacks Mean for ISPs, Mobile Games and Gaming Servers (Incapsula) According to the Entertainment Software Association more than 155 million people in the U.S. play video games. So when Shawn Andrich, the founder of GamersWithJobs.com says, “Gaming is everywhere”, that’s not an overstatement.
Virgin Media warns 800,000 customers to change their WiFi router passwords (Computing) Super Hub 2 routers have weak default passwords that are easy to crack
Phishing campaign spoofs online auto brand, exposes stolen passwords (Naked Security) It’s bad enough to be caught by an SMS phishing scam – but when the bad guys expose your stolen account details to the world, that really rubs salt into the wound
Hackers release more data after Cowboys Casino cyber attack (Calgary Herald) More data purportedly stemming from a Cowboys Casino cyber attack last year was released online Thursday. In a note posted to a website, hackers claimed to release documents including internal emai…
Passengers left steaming as IT glitch knocks out rail ticket machines (Computing) Commuters less than chuffed by ticket machine outage
Cybersecurity: 5 of the World’s Most Dangerous Hacker Groups (Fortune) Meet the most notorious state-sponsored cyber-sleuths behind many of the world’s biggest cyber crimes.
Cybersecurity: 10 Biggest Corporate Hacks in History (Fortune) Here are the 10 biggest corporate hacks in history, including companies like Target and Chipotle.
McAfee Labs Threats Report (McAfee Labs) There are hundreds, if not thousands, of antisecurity, anti-sandbox, and anti-analyst evasion techniques employed by malware authors. Many can be purchased off the shelf.
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Symantec patches Messaging Gateway remote code execution bugs (ZDNet) The three vulnerabilities allow attackers to disarm the platform and execute code.
The journey from Microsoft Security Bulletin to Security Update Guides (BetaNews) For decades, the Microsoft Security Bulletins have provided IT administrators with a monthly list of vulnerabilities and accompanying patches. Much to the chagrin of the IT community, these Bulletins have been replaced by the Security Update Guides portal (SUG), which many administrators believe will be a lot more work for them, especially for patch management professionals who already have enough on their plate.
Cyber Trends
Organizations still unclear on cloud security responsibility (Help Net Security) A significant number of organizations are not clear on the shared security model and the implication to their data and applications.
Over Half of Websites Collect Visitors' Email Addresses, Risking Privacy (PRNewswire) Over 50% of websites collect visitors' email addresses, creating the...
What does looking under the hood of your browser reveal about you? (Naked Security) Looking closely at the tracking that’s done while you browse can be very unnerving – but does that mean you should give up using the web?
Businesses finally realize that cyber defenses must evolve (Help Net Security) It's official - businesses know cyber defenses must evolve. Tthis is the result of numerous, complex, and damaging cyber attacks than ever before.
CISOs believe CEOs are breaking security rules: Symantec (ZDNet) A report from the security vendor has found three-quarters of CISOs believe their CEO has broken internal security protocols.
Businesses take risks by neglecting cyber response planning (Biz Report) Investment in advanced digital technologies such as connected products, consumer analytics and mobile payments is risky if no cyber resource planning is in place, according to new research from Deloitte.
Trusted identities bridge gap between connected workers and smart buildings (Help Net Security) Trusted identities can serve as the backbone for smart buildings and today’s connected workforce, according to a new study conducted by IFSEC Global. The s
KPMG: Cybersecurity Has Reached a 'Tipping Point' from Tech to CEO Business Issue (Dark Reading) Still, a majority of US-based chief execs say they will be maintaining and not investing in security technology over the next three years, a recent study shows.
Survey Says: Despite Convenience of Online Banking, Service at the Branch is What Wins Over Customers (Marketwired) TimeTrade State of Banking survey finds face-to-face banking remains popular, and customers expect highly personalized service
Breach costs down but slow forensics still threaten Australian companies’ regulatory compliance (CSO) Figures suggesting the average cost of a data breach is declining reflect a growing culture of responsibility amongst company boards, a senior IBM security executive has reflected while warning that companies’ stubbornly slow forensic capabilities threaten regulatory compliance and customer retention.
Australian consumers 'not ready for IoT' say security companies (IoT Hub) Kaspersky and Symantec sound warnings.
Marketplace
How Amazon has become the black hole of the cloud world (CRN Australia) If Cisco, HP and VMware can't keep up, who can?
Walmart forces tech partners to leave AWS, following Whole Foods acquisition - TechRepublic (TechRepublic) Walmart is requiring that some of its tech vendors to move their hosted apps off of AWS, which a spokesperson called a 'competitive platform.'
YL Ventures Expands Advisory Board with Akamai and Imperva Executives for $75M Fund (BusinessWire) YL Ventures has expanded its leadership team. Adding Andy Ellis of Akamai Technologies, Inc. and Amichai Shulman of Imperva, Inc.
UMBC, state partner to help lure international cyber firms to Maryland (Baltimore Business Journal) University of Maryland, Baltimore County's bwtech Research & Technology Park is partnering with the state Department of Commerce to create an international cybersecurity center that will help lure foreign cyber companies to establish a presence in Maryland.
Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Commerce Hold Signing Ceremony With Midlands Engine (WCBC) Governor Larry Hogan today joined the Maryland Department of Commerce and Midlands Engine for a ceremony during which a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to strengthen the relationship between Maryland, the center of research and innovation in cybersecurity in the United States, and the Midlands region, a premier cybersecurity cluster in the United Kingdom.
ZeroFOX Named 2017 Red Herring Top 100 North America Winner (BusinessWire) ZeroFOX, the innovator of social media & digital security, today announced it has been selected as a 2017 Red Herring Top 100 North America wi
vArmour Chosen as a 2017 Red Herring Top 100 North America Winner (Marketwired) Red Herring announced that vArmour, the leading data center and cloud security company, has been selected as one of the leading private companies in the Americas and is recognized as a winner of its Top 100 North America 2017 award.
Products, Services, and Solutions
Zentera Systems Introduces CoIP Cloud-Ready Enclave for Multicloud Security (PRNewswire) Zentera Systems, Inc., the leader in infrastructure security for the...
VASCO Launches Overlay Detection in DIGIPASS for Apps to Help Protect Mobile Applications (VASCO) DIGIPASS for Apps Runtime Application Self-Protection now includes overlay detection to help protect against increasingly common mobile app overlay attacks
PARIS: Horizon demonstrates FlyingFish for monitoring satellite phone signals (Flightglobal.com) Horizon Technologies is promoting its FlyingFish airborne satellite monitoring system for monitoring of satellite phone signals for humanitarian, search and rescue and law enforcement/anti-terrorism purposes. FlyingFish can be used to turn a wide range of aircraft into signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection platforms.
Bringing IT together (ManageEngine) ManageEngine crafts comprehensive IT management software for all your business needs.
Dashlane's Digital Wallet Marks Milestone: $10 Billion Secured in Online Transactions (PRNewswire) Dashlane, known for its leading password manager, has reached a milestone in...
Comodo and Trustico Team Up in Strategic Worldwide Partnership (PRNewswire) Comodo, a global innovator and developer of cybersecurity solutions...
How AI detects and mitigates cyber attacks in software-defined data centers (Vectra) Vectra leverages VMware NSX to accelerate detection and mitigation of hidden cyber attackers in virtualized data centers.
New Cisco Network Can Recognize Intent, Mitigate Threats (eWEEK) Does Cisco now have a network that can read admins' minds?; Google aggregates listings on the web in a new job search service; Lenovo activates the world's largest Intel-based supercomputer in Barcelona; and 5 billion people now subscribe to mobile services around the world.
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Why the NIST framework needs to be the common language of cybersecurity (FederalNewsRadio.com) The NIST cybersecurity framework gives everyone a basis to start in the same place when talking about protecting systems and networks.
GDPR: how to avoid the data protection cowboys (Naked Security) As we keep reminding you, GDPR is now less than a year away. Here are our tips to help you pick the right person to help you get ready for it
Suffered a Cyber Attack? Do These Five Things (business.com) Cybercrime is an issue for businesses. Whether an organization is a one man band or a Fortune 500, a cyber attack can have devastating effects.
INSA Proposes “FINNET” Information Sharing Program to Strengthen Financial Sector Cybersecurity (INSA) The real-time sharing of cyber threat data between government and key financial institutions would enhance the U.S. financial sector’s cybersecurity posture, according to a new position paper by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA).
Forget about the malware, go after the attacker's tactics, techniques and procedures (Help Net Security) What should defenders look for? And which defense techniques should they employ? Attacker’s tactics, techniques and procedures.
Cybersecurity: How Business Is Protecting Itself (Fortune) Businesses are under attack from cybercriminals. Here’s what companies are doing to safeguard their digital assets from hackers.
Kaspersky creates IoT Honeytraps to study the activities of IoT botnets (TWCN Tech News) Recent incidents of IoT devices hacking has triggered increased interest in the security of the smart devices. Kaspersky conducted an IOT honeytrap experiment to study this.
ESET: Defeating Ransomware And Botnets Requires A Layered Approach To Cyber Security (Silicon UK) Ransomware and botnets are the two main cyber security threat trends at the moment that enterprises need to tackle, according to ESET.
Design and Innovation
Why The Military And Corporate America Want To Make AI Explain Itself (Fast Company) Understanding why AI makes certain decisions—and why should we trust them—is beyond most humans’ grasp. But experts are developing a system to explain it in simpler terms.
Research and Development
Uncle Sam Wants Your Deep Neural Networks (New York Times) Homeland Security is introducing a $1.5 million contest to build artificial intelligence that can identify concealed items in body scans at airports.
Academia
Cybersecurity is hot, and these Washington colleges teach it (The Seattle Times) Cybersecurity experts are among the most sought-after workers in the tech field, and Washington colleges and universities are stepping up to help fill the many job vacancies.
Meet Potential Employers at the Community College Cyber Summit Job Fair (PRWeb) Before the excitement of the Community College Cyber Summit (3CS) begins, students are encouraged to attend a pre-summit job fair on Wednesday, June 28, 9-11:30 a.m., at the Largo Student Center at Prince George’s Community College, featuring a number of industries and businesses.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
British Counterterrorism After the Election (Foreign Affairs) May’s Conservatives will probably seek to further widen the state’s powers and increase its focus on policing so-called nonviolent extremism.
The Queens Speech & Data Protection - Information Security Buzz (Information Security Buzz) Yesterday in the Queen’s Speech a new Data Protection Bill was proposed. This new plan suggests that the Government will be going even further that the legislation put forward by the GDPR. IT security experts from Delphix and Thales e-Security commented below. Iain Chidgey, VP and General Manager International at Delphix: “The Data Protection Bill as …
Canada's Military Gets More Cyber, and the Headaches That Come With It (Council on Foreign Relations) Canada's new defense policy acknowledges for the first time that the Canadian Forces will develop an offensive cyber capability, a process fraught with challenges.
Under pressure, Western tech firms bow to Russian demands to share cyber secrets (Reuters) Western technology companies, including Cisco, IBM and SAP, are acceding to demands by Moscow for access to closely guarded product security secrets, at a time when Russia has been accused of a growing number of cyber attacks on the West, a Reuters investigation has found.
China, U.S. hold fruitful security talks (Ecns) China and the United States concluded a constructive high-level dialogue in Washington on Wednesday, according to the Chinese delegation attending the inaugural China-U.S. Diplomatic and Security Dialogue (D&SD).
Cyber hack near miss prompts task force (NewsComAu) Three global cyber hacks in the past year have prompted the federal government to make cyber security a higher priority, with a new task force formed to combat future threats.
Election Integrity Expert Letter to Congress (National Election Defense Coalition) Faith in American democracy rests on the integrity of our elections. So it stands to reason that lawmakers and administrators from both political parties should prioritize efforts to minimize election security risks.
On cyber, Trump team needs this Dodd-Frank piece to succeed (TheHill) OPINION | Because of its incremental unplanned design, the financial system is one of the most vulnerable systems subject to cyberattacks.
Military revenge porn may become illegal in 2018 NDAA (FederalNewsRadio.com) Lawmakers want to make it illegal to share intimate photos without consent, often called revenge porn, and expand help for male victims of sexual assault.
Senators question need for HHS cyber office (TheHill) Senators worry new HHS center duplicating efforts at the DHS.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
A loophole allows NSA's unrestrained spying on US citizens (ZDNet) By using a "traffic shaping" technique, the National Security Agency sidestepped legal restrictions imposed by lawmakers and the surveillance courts.
Trump publicly doubting that Russia meddled in election (Military Times) President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the assessment of 17 U.S. intelligence agencies that blame Russia for election meddling, questioning Thursday why the Obama administration didn't try to stop it.
Trump Dispels Rumor He Started That There Are Tapes of Comey Talks (Foreign Policy) Trump's latest tweets appear to dispel one of the more intriguing mysteries of his young presidency.
NSA failed to implement security measures, says damning report (Naked Security) The NSA’s post-Snowden ‘Secure the Net’ initiative has done nothing of the sort, says the Department of Defense’s highly critical review
Scientist gets time served for theft of military documents (Military Times) A scientist who pleaded guilty to taking sensitive documents from a Connecticut military contractor to his native China was sentenced on Thursday to 2 1/2 years in prison he has already served.
John Walker Lindh, Detainee #001 in the Global War On Terror, Will Go Free In Two Years. What Then? (Foreign Policy) In leaked correspondence from prison, the ‘American Taliban’ refuses to renounce terrorism, says he wants to move to Ireland.
Supreme Court: sex offenders can’t be banned from social media (Naked Security) Banning sex offenders from social media violates fundamental First Amendment rights, rules judge
British pair arrested for conspiring to hack Microsoft (Computing) Multiple attempts to infiltrate Microsoft's network earlier this year