Otorio says that a strain of ransomware called “Snake” (not to be confused with the many other polyglot malware Snakes slithering around in the wild) is both linked to Iran and probably implicated in the recent attack on Bahrain Petroleum Company. Bloomberg reports that Snake prospects many kinds of files, but it’s notably interested in process controls. Otorio thinks the attackers’ motive is economic warfare, in particular an attempt to influence oil prices.
While the matter of Mr. Bezos’ phone and the Crown Prince’s texts is increasingly regarded as inconclusive and at best circumstantial (see, for example, Errata’s blog on the topic), Citizen Lab’s account of Saudi Pegasus use against journalists is holding up. Ben Hubbard, the New York Times reporter who brought a suspicious text to Citizen Lab’s attention, offers an account of his experience.
Reaction within the US Government to Britain’s decision to allow Huawei to play in its 5G infrastructure, but only in “non-core” sections, has been decidedly sour. Fifth Domain offers a representative sample of Congressional opinion, and the judgments are harsh: “[They’ve] chosen the surveillance state over the special relationship,” or, “Allowing Huawei to build the UK’s 5G networks today is like allowing the KGB to build its telephone network during the Cold War.” The nicest comment was “disappointed.”
And after having waited to see which way the cat would jump, the European Union enunciated essentially the same policy with respect to Huawei participation in member states' infrastructure that Britain adopted yesterday, SC Magazine reports.