Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Chinese apps linked to 'spyware' downloaded 4.1m times in UK (The Telegraph) Allegations about security problems with apps produced by QuVideo first surfaced in May
FBI: Iranian hackers trying to exploit critical F5 BIG-IP flaw (BleepingComputer) The FBI warns of Iranian hackers actively attempting to exploit an unauthenticated remote code execution flaw affecting F5 Big-IP application delivery controller (ADC) devices used by Fortune 500 firms, government agencies, and banks.
FBI says an Iranian hacking group is attacking F5 networking devices (ZDNet) Sources: Attacks linked to a hacker group known as Fox Kitten (or Parasite), considered Iran's "spear tip" when it comes to cyber-attacks.
Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: Election Threat Update for the American Public (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) On July 24, 2020, I issued a statement to the American public providing an unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 election and offering basic steps to mitigate some of these threats. At that time, I pledged that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) would continue to update the American public and other key stakeholders on the evolving election threat landscape, while also safeguarding our intelligence sources and methods.
U.S. Intelligence: China Opposes Trump Reelection; Russia Works Against Biden (NPR) William Evanina, who leads the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, also said Iran is trying to undermine the November election.
Russia is trying to ‘denigrate’ Biden while China prefers ‘unpredictable’ Trump not be reelected, senior U.S. intelligence official says (Washington Post) Russia is “using a range of measures” to interfere in the 2020 election and has enlisted a pro-Russian lawmaker from Ukraine — who has met with President Trump’s personal lawyer — “to undermine former vice president [Joe] Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party,” a top U.S. intelligence official said in a statement Friday.
US intelligence agencies say China and Iran want Trump to lose 2020 polls (Business Standard) At the top of the list is China, which sees Trump as "unpredictable" and has been increasingly critical of the president on Covid-19, Hong Kong and TikTok
Russia Continues to Meddle in Election to Aid Trump, U.S. Intelligence Says (New York Times) Vice President Mike Pence made plans to visit Wisconsin after Joe Biden opted out of traveling there for the convention. Democrats called for an audit of the Postal Service’s new policies, citing concerns about potential mail-in voting issues.
For 2020 US Election, Threat Is Bigger Than Russia (Eurasia Review) As November approaches and a new general election is on the minds of most Americans, preserving the security of that election is on the
Anomali Threat Research Releases First Public Analysis of Smaug Ransomware as a Service (Anomali) Anomali ThreatStream customers can find Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), signatures, and more information about this threat here.
WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Government Contractor Embedded Software in Apps to Track Phones (Wall Street Journal) A small U.S. company with ties to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities has embedded its software in numerous mobile apps, allowing it to track the movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones world-wide.
Bugs in Qualcomm chips expose millions of Android handsets (Computing) Attackers could use the bugs to listen to audio in a device's surroundings, monitor a user's location and exfiltrate sensitive information
Achilles: Small chip, big peril. (Check Point Software) Over 400 vulnerabilities on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip threaten mobile phones’ usability worldwide With over 3 billion users globally, smartphones are an
EtherOops Information from the Research Team (Armis) Armis announces EtherOops - a new exploit utilizing packet-in-packet attacks on ethernet cables to bypass Firewalls & NATs.
Bugs in Office and macOS gave full control of Mac (Macworld UK) Combination of bugs in Office for Mac and macOS enabled macro viruses - now fixed by Apple and Microsoft
Intel Leak: Attacker Cites Exposed Akamai Server and "intel123" Password (Computer Business Review) An misconfigured Akamai server and files with the password 'intel123' have been pinpointed as the cause of a major 20GB leak from Intel.
Intel Is Investigating How Confidential Data Ended Up Online (Wired) The leak contains information that the company makes available to partners and customers under NDA. A researcher says it came from a breach.
Fake security advisory used in clever cPanel phishing attack (BleepingComputer) A clever phishing scam is targeting cPanel users with a fake security advisory alerting them of critical vulnerabilities in their web hosting management panel.
Android Malware "BlackRock" Can Steal Your Banking and Financial Information (Tunf News) CERT-In, India’s cybersecurity organization, has given an advisory warning to individuals about an Android malware that can “steal” banking and other confidential information of a client. Named as “BlackRock”, the most critical element of this Android malware is that its objective list contains 337 applications that incorporate banking and money related applications, just as non-financial …
Spying on satellite internet comms with a $300 listening station (Security Affairs) An attacker could use $300 worth of off-the-shelf equipment to eavesdrop and intercept signals from satellite internet communications. The academic researcher James Pavur, speaking at Black Hat 2020 hacking conference, explained that satellite internet communications are susceptible to eavesdropping and signal interception. Attackers could use cheap equipment like a basic home-television gear that goes from […]
Chinese Researchers Show How They Remotely Hacked a Mercedes-Benz (SecurityWeek) Chinese researchers describe how they found 19 vulnerabilities in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, including ones that can be exploited to remotely hack the car
Researcher Demonstrates Several Zoom Vulnerabilities at DEF CON 28 (The Hacker News) Cybersecurity Researcher Demonstrated Several Vulnerabilities in Zoom Video Conferencing App.
Flaws Could Have Exposed Cryptocurrency Exchanges to Hackers (Wired) Researchers found troubling bugs in open-source libraries used by financial institutions.
At Talkspace, Start-Up Culture Collides With Mental Health Concerns (New York Times) The therapy-by-text company made burner phones available for fake reviews and doesn’t adequately respect client privacy, former employees say.
Facebook removes one of largest QAnon conspiracy groups after false posts (Reuters) Facebook said on Thursday it had removed one of the largest public groups devoted to the QAnon web of conspiracy theories after repeated violations of the company's policies.
ProctorU confirms data breach after database leaked online (BleepingComputer) Online exam proctoring solution ProctorU has confirmed a data breach after a threat actor released a stolen database of user records on a hacker forum.
Hackensack Meridian Health group alerts donors of data breach (North Jersey) Hackensack Meridian Health group said the technology system that manages their donor information was the victim of a 'ransomware' attack.
Aashirvaad condemns cyber attack (The New Indian Express) Aashirvaad, the packaged atta brand, has been the subject of malicious videos on WhatsApp and other social media platforms alleging that the atta contains plastic.
Germany's NETZSCH Group hit by Windows Clop ransomware (ITWire) Cyber criminals have used the Windows Clop ransomware to attack the German NETZSCH Group, an owner-managed, international technology company, which has its headquarters in the state of Bavaria. Ransom demands do not appear to have been accepted and in keeping with its standard practice, the criminal...
Hackers Flood Reddit With Pro-Trump Takeovers (Wired) By apparently compromising moderator accounts, the attackers were able to post MAGA materials all over at least 70 popular subreddits.
How Was Reddit Defaced? (BankInfo Security) Reddit had a very "make America Great again" weekend, as more than 70 subreddits were temporarily hijacked and used to post "MAGA" messages in
6,600 organizations bombarded with 100,000+ BEC attacks (Help Net Security) Researchers observed that malicious accounts on email services have been responsible for 100,000 BEC attacks which have impacted nearly 6,600 organizations.
Ticking time bomb for ransomware attacks following large scale Blackbaud incident (Legal Futures) It has recently been reported that tech firm Blackbaud was targeted by a ransomware attack in May with at least 12 universities and 50 charities affected in the UK and North America.
Blackbaud Breach Impacts National Trust Volunteers (Infosecurity Magazine) May ransomware attack on Blackbaud impacts volunteers at UK’s National Trust
IT admins, your legit tools could be used in a cyber attack on your company (Deccan Chronicle) Software employed by IT support staff for everyday tasks were used in 30 per cent of cyber attacks, security solutions firm Kaspersky said.
Travelex Forced into Administration After Ransomware Attack (Infosecurity Magazine) Currency exchange business will cut 1300+ jobs to stay afloat
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Samsung rolls out Android updates fixing critical vulnerabilities (BleepingComputer) Samsung has started rolling out Android's August security updates to mobile devices to fix critical security vulnerabilities in the operating system.
TeamViewer delivers patch for nasty remote access bug (ITProPortal) URI exploit could allow hackers to gain entry to a target device via TeamViewer.
Cyber Trends
Return of research: the IAM time suck, the complexities of Shadow IT, and EPM to the rescue (1Password Blog) Our research dives into the enormous amount of time IT spends managing Identity and Access Management (IAM), and how this influences the quest that all enterprises have to achieve the holy grail of security, productivity, and convenience..
Researchers Revive 'Foreshadow' Attack by Extending It Beyond L1 Cache (SecurityWeek) Researchers discover that the Foreshadow vulnerabilities affecting Intel processors can still be exploited, despite the mitigations and patches rolled out in 2018 when it was disclosed
Exploring the Forgotten Roots of 'Cyber' (GovInfo Security) One day, you may drive your Tesla Cybertruck on Cyber Monday to your cybersecurity job, backed by a cyber insurance policy as you safeguard cyberspace against the threat of cyberwar. Or cyber whatever, since we've obviously entered the era of "maximum cyber." But what does cyber even mean?
Study: Millennials think they’re ‘too boring’ to get hacked (BusinessMirror) Over a third of millennials think they’re too boring to be the victim of cybercrime, despite the fact that online security ranks as the top factor in finding their “Digital Comfort Zones” at home, a new study by Kaspersky shows. Kaspersky’s latest global report, titled “More Connected Than Ever Before:…
Civil Aviation Security - The Cyber Threat Landscape (The State of Security) As the aviation industry has become increasingly digitalized, the interconnectivity of systems and technology dependence has led to new risks.
Marketplace
Censys Raises $15.5 Million; Announces New Scan Engine That Sees 44% More Of The Internet (Censys) Censys, Inc., the leading cybersecurity company that offers Internet-wide continuous visibility and real-time risk assessment to help businesses monitor their constantly evolving attack surfaces and vulnerabilities, today announced that it has raised a $15.5 million Series A round of financing from returning investors. The round was co-led by GV and Decibel and includes participation from Greylock Partners.
Silverfort Raises $30 Million to Accelerate Growth and Meet Customer Demand (CIO Applications) Silverfort enables its customers to protect many sensitive systems that other vendors can’t...
Qualys strengthens security and threat research offerings with latest acquisition (TahawulTech.com) Qualys has announced that it has acquired the software assets of Spell Security, an endpoint detection and response start-up.
Cisco completes acquisition of software firm ThousandEyes (Back End News) Technology company Cisco announced the completion of its acquisition of ThousandEyes, a network intelligence firm that produces software that analyzes the performance of local and wide area network…
SolarWinds CEO Kevin Thompson answers eight questions about a possible spin-off of SolarWinds MSP (CRN Australia) MSP business is ready to take off under its own power.
Launching a cyber-start up during lockdown (teiss) SOC.OS, a spin-off from BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, has benefited from the experience of launching during the Coronavirus lockdown
Exclusive: Microsoft faces complex technical challenges in TikTok carveout (Reuters) Microsoft Corp's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup.
TikTok deal tests Microsoft’s decades of China experience (Financial Times) The US tech company hopes its connections will help it navigate storm safely
Explainer: Microsoft's TikTok bid spotlights Windows maker's history with China (Reuters) Microsoft Corp has emerged as the most likely buyer of the U.S. operations of TikTok, the popular Chinese short-video app that U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to effectively ban on national security grounds.
WSJ News Exclusive | Twitter, TikTok Have Held Preliminary Talks About Possible Combination (Wall Street Journal) Twitter has had preliminary talks about a potential combination with TikTok, the popular video-sharing app that the Trump administration has declared a national-security threat due to its Chinese ownership, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why Microsoft Could Have Rivals for TikTok. It May Not Just Be Twitter. (Barron's) Twitter is said to have had preliminary talks. But Amazon and Snap are also seen to be potential suitors.
Netflix should buy TikTok if Microsoft can't close a deal (CNBC) Why Netflix should try to buy TikTok, especially it can buy its global operations, if Microsoft can't close a deal with the U.S. government.
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Tencent Stock Drops After Firm Is Targeted by Trump Executive Order (Wall Street Journal) Shares of Tencent Holdings plunged as much as 10%, hours after President Trump signed an executive order that would bar U.S. entities from transacting with the Chinese internet giant.
Trump Ban on Top Messaging App Risks Snarling Global Business (Bloomberg) Trump’s WeChat ban seemed to threaten entire global business. U.S. companies from Apple to Walmart rely on Tencent’s WeChat.
Open Letter to Facebook — Stop Antisemitism (Stop Antisemitism) We applaud your recent announcement...
Huawei: Smartphone chips running out under US sanctions (AP NEWS) Chinese tech giant Huawei is running out of processor chips to make smartphones due to U.S. sanctions and will be forced to stop production of its own most advanced chips, a company...
Deep Instinct Contracts with T-Systems Poland, Furthering Strategic Expansion into EMEA (BusinessWire) Deep Instinct furthers expansion into EMEA, contracting with T-Systems Poland and partnering with Spinnakar (UK) and CyberMonks (Germany).
XM Cyber Named a Top 100 Cybersecurity Startup for 2020 (PR Newswire) XM Cyber, the multi-award-winning leader in breach and attack simulation (BAS) advanced cyber risk analytics and cloud security posture...
Products, Services, and Solutions
I'm Open Sourcing the Have I Been Pwned Code Base (Troy Hunt) Let me just cut straight to it: I'm going to open source the Have I Been Pwned code base. The decision has been a while coming and it took a failed M&A process to get here, but the code will be turned over to the public for the
KnowBe4 Launches New Browser Password Inspector Tool, Business World: (New Kerala) Business World: KnowBe4, the provider of the worlds largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, announced it has launched a new, complimentary tool called the Browser Password Inspector to help better protect organizations from ransomware attacks, credential theft and accou...
Acronis Releases Hardened Backup Solution Specifically Designed to Meet the Unique Needs of Air-Gapped Networks (AiThority) Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, announced the launch of Acronis Cyber Backup SCS Hardened Edition, a full disk image backup solution
CyberSaint Releases Functionality Allowing CISOs and CIOs to Clearly Align Cybersecurity Risk Management Solution Plans with Organizational Objectives (Yahoo) New updates to the CyberStrong platform allow CISOs and CIOs to deliver impactful narratives around their solution plans aligned with business goals
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
How has the pandemic impacted work at the NSA? (C4ISRNET) The NSA has seen increased efficiency as its work has become more virtual due to the ongoing pandemic.
Report: Two new encryption standards will soon sweep away security controls (TechRepublic) Security professionals must act before TLS 1.3 and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) are implemented or they won't be able to analyze network traffic and detect cyberthreats, warns Forrester Research.
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US Space Force completes upgrade to help protect GPS capabilities (C4ISRNET) While the new anti-spoofing, anti-jamming, encrypted M-code signal has been available on many GPS satellites for years, the military has not had the corresponding ground and user equipment to access and leverage it.
GPS Anti-Jam M-Code Takes Two Steps Forward (Breaking Defense) Once 24 GPS III satellites are on orbit, the encrypted M-Code for military users will be available world wide.
#DEFCON: How the International Space Station Enables Cybersecurity (Infosecurity Magazine) All IT systems have risks, even when they are hundreds of kilometers above the earth
Why cyber security should start in the shipyard (Riviera) Cyber security should be a fundamental piece of the ship design and construction process, a panel of experts told attendees at a Riviera webinar
The precision of security undermined by a failure to correlate (Help Net Security) One of the major deficiencies affecting security is not a lack of data or even an aggregation of data, but the central problem is the failure to correlate.
Design and Innovation
Facebook’s dilemma: How to police claims about unproven COVID-19 vaccines (Reuters) Since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus an international health emergency in January, Facebook Inc has removed more than 7 million pieces of content with false claims about the virus that could pose an immediate health risk to people who believe them.
A British AI Tool to Predict Violent Crime Is Too Flawed to Use (Wired) A government-funded system known as Most Serious Violence was built to predict first offenses but turned out to be wildly inaccurate.
Is a successful contact tracing app possible? These countries think so. (MIT Technology Review) If contact tracing apps are following Gartner’s famous hype cycle, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion they are now firmly in the “trough of disillusionment.” Initial excitement that they could be a crucial part of the arsenal against covid-19 has given way to fears it could all come to nothing, despite large investments of money…
Academia
Good cybersecurity thesis topics for a master's degree (SearchSecurity) Cybersecurity thesis topics must not only be timely and relevant, but they should also offer an original contribution to a growing field. Get insight into choosing the best infosec topic for your project.
Cellebrite Announces New Additions to Its Executive Management Team (Cellebrite) Ronnen Armon named Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO), Miri Mishor-Goldenberg as SVP of Customer Services and Marque Teegardin as General Manager North America TYSONS CORNER, VA, August 10, 2020 — Cellebrite, the global leader in Digital Intelligence (DI) solutions for public and private sectors, today announced the appointment of three new executives joining the … Continue reading "Cellebrite Announces New Additions to Its Executive Management Team"
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Peering into the Future of Sino-Russian Cyber Security Cooperation - War on the Rocks (War on the Rocks) Editor’s Note: This is the third article in a series on Sino-Russian defense cooperation organized by the Center for a New American Security. Be sure to
In Post-Brexit Britain, Conservative Lawmakers Start to Focus on China (Wall Street Journal) A growing group in Parliament seeks to sway Boris Johnson’s government and claims success over Huawei.
India data-curb plan 'anathema', U.S. tech giants plan pushback (ETCIO.com) India's plan to regulate "non-personal" data has jolted U.S. tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google, and a group representing them is preparing to pu..
Justin Trudeau must ban Huawei from building Canada's 5G network (Macleans) Marcus Kolga: Despite Huawei’s insistence that it will not compromise the privacy and security of Canadians, it would have no choice but to hand over Canadians' data if the Chinese government asked it to do so
Huawei Disputes U.S.-Backed Open 5G Push (EnterpriseAI) Huawei Technologies, the 5G leader, is pushing back on concerted efforts to forge an alternative radio access network for the next generation of wireless
China has no one to blame but itself for the stall-out of tech company Huawei (Toronto Star) The likely prospect of stunted growth at Huawei was not self-inflicted, unlike most corporate crises. Huawei is collateral damage to a hostile Chinese...
The Hidden, Dirty Secrets Behind the US Clean Network Program (Global Times) The US Secretary of State Pompeo lately put forward the Clean Network program, pronged by clean carrier, clean store, clean apps, clean cloud and clean cable, upgrading the containment and suppression of Chinese technology companies by the US.
Why Is the United States Effectively Banning WeChat and TikTok? (Foreign Policy) Apps are just the latest frontier in the U.S.-China contest. Washington is signaling to global firms the risks of doing business with Beijing.
The US bans TikTok, what does that mean for millions of US users? (Wandera) In light of the White House ban on TikTok, businesses now face the risk of millions of devices with an abandoned TikTok app installed.
The Debate Over Trump 'Ban' of TikTok, WeChat (BankInfo Security) President Donald Trump's executive order banning the Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat apps could prove to be unenforceable, some privacy and security specialists
Is This Trump’s Real TikTok ‘Spyware’ Risk? (Forbes) There’s a serious issue looming for Trump in his spiraling battle with TikTok—it hasn’t made headlines yet, but it will...
TikTok’s fate was shaped by a ‘knockdown, drag-out’ Oval Office brawl (Washington Post) Trump advisers Mnuchin and Navarro fought over TikTok as Silicon Valley dealmakers tried to get closer to Trump
Trump’s Executive Orders Hurt More Than TikTok and WeChat (Wired) The president’s latest actions against China may affect US tech firms, and Americans who communicate overseas through the social apps.
Trump’s Orders on WeChat and TikTok Are Uncertain. That May Be the Point. (New York Times) The restrictions on the two Chinese-owned apps followed a familiar model for other policy announcements on China from the Trump administration.
Is TikTok More of a Parenting Problem Than a Security Threat? (New York Times) Even as the White House moves against the Chinese social media app, the intelligence agencies do not see it as a major issue along the lines of Huawei.
The Real Security Innovation Gap (Lawfare) The United States risks falling behind on microelectronics, telecommunications and biotech, and the private sector can only do so much to help.
No, Really—These Republicans Are Serious About Big Tech Antitrust (Wired) Last week’s hearing with Silicon Valley CEOs provided a rare glimmer of hope that Congress can, occasionally, work across the aisle.
What are ‘offensive cyber capabilities’? (MediaNama) What exactly constitutes ‘offensive cyber capabilities’ (OCCs) and what is their role in conducting cyber operations?
Inside the Renewed Push for a National Cyber Director (Wall Street Journal) Advocates for the creation of a national cyber director position are trying to push the idea into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act snaking through Congress
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
TikTok threatens to sue the Trump administration over the executive order barring US firms from doing business with its parent (Business Insider) "We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process," TikTok said in a statement published Friday.
TikTok To Sue Trump Administration Over Ban, As Soon As Tuesday (NPR) Lawyers for the video-sharing app are likely to say the executive order was unconstitutional, arguing the company was not informed, as is standard, and the national-security concerns are baseless.
Barclays being probed by UK privacy watchdog on accusations of spying on staff (Reuters) Barclays Plc is being probed by the United Kingdom's privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), over allegations that the British bank spied on its staff, the agency said on Sunday.
To Head Off Regulators, Google Makes Certain Words Taboo (The Markup) The Markup obtained internal documents that coach new employees to avoid creating “very real legal risks” in using words like “market” and “network effects”
Graham says FBI deceived Senate Intelligence Committee in 2018 briefing on Steele dossier: 'misled the hell out of them' (Fox News) Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham said on "Sunday Morning Futures" that the FBI deceived his counterparts in the Senate Intelligence Committee during a 2018 interview, citing a newly released he obtained through the Department of Justice.
Unwanted Truths: Inside Trump’s Battles With U.S. Intelligence Agencies (New York Times) Last year, intelligence officials gathered to write a classified report on Russia’s interest in the 2020 election. An investigation from the magazine uncovered what happened next.
I Ran the DHS Intelligence Unit. Its Reports on Journalists are Concerning. (Lawfare) Reports that the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis has gathered intelligence on journalists are troubling—especially because the office, properly run, has a vital role in protecting the country.
Report: Former Saudi intel officer accuses MBS of ordering his assassination (i24NEWS) Saad Aljabri is being given extra protection by Canadian security forces
