Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Iran says cyber attack targeted port infrastructure (i24NEWS) One of the targets of large cyber attacks on two Iranian government institutions this week was the electronic infrastructure of the country's ports, an Iranian news agency reported on Friday.
Iran says one of two cyber attack targets was country's ports (iTnews) Hit two government institutions.
Report: Iranian hacking group launched concentrated attack on Israeli companies (CTECH) ClearSky and Profero, who identified the attack said hackers launched fake ransomware attacks, aimed at encrypting company data
Iranian Hacking Group Suspected of Deploying Ransomware (BankInfo Security) A hacking group with links to Iran's government is suspected of using ransomware in attempts to damage the systems of organizations in Israel and other countries,
Wizard Spider Modifies and Expands Toolset [Adversary Update] (CrowdStrike) The CrowdStrike Intelligence team shares its analysis of key observations from WIZARD SPIDER's BazarLoader, Conti and Ryuk operations over recent months.
Emotet malware using fake Windows Update templates (Computing) The templates trick users into enabling malicious macros in Office documents
Google details tactics of Chinese hackers who targeted Biden campaign (CyberScoop) Google on Friday offered new details on tactics used by alleged Chinese government-linked hackers who previously targeted Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign, while warning that multiple state-linked hacking groups continue to show an interest in the U.S. election.
Google: Chinese Hackers Are Impersonating McAfee to Phish Victims (Gizmodo) The same Chinese government-linked hackers who targeted the campaigns of both 2020 presidential candidates earlier this year have been trying to trick users into installing malware by posing as the antivirus provider McAfee and using otherwise legitimate online services like GitHub and Dropbox.
How we're tackling evolving online threats (Google) An update on how threat actors are changing their tactics, and how Google’s Threat Analysis Group works to protect our products and the people using them.
Google stops biggest-ever DDoS cyber attack to date (Times Now News) The tech giant revealed that its infrastructure absorbed a massive 2.5Tbps DDoS in September 2017.
Google stops biggest-ever DDoS cyber attack to date (Express Computer) Read Article The cyber security threats such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) are growing exponentially, disrupting businesses of all sizes globally, leading to outages and loss of user trust, Google has said. The tech giant revealed that its infrastructure absorbed a massive 2.5Tbps DDoS in September 2017, the highest-bandwidth attack reported to date which was the […]
Hackers are using a severe Windows bug to backdoor unpatched servers (Ars Technica) Attackers are spraying the Internet to backdoor unpatched Active Directory systems.
Hackers now abuse BaseCamp for free malware hosting (BleepingComputer) Phishing campaigns have started to use Basecamp as part of malicious phishing campaigns that distribute malware or steal your login credentials.
Fancy Bear Imposters Are on a Hacking Extortion Spree (Wired) Nice looking website you've got there. It'd be a shame if someone DDoS'd it.
Twitter hackers posed as IT staff, used VPN issues as a lure (SearchSecurity) New York State's Department of Financial Services released an investigation report Wednesday on the July Twitter breach in which hackers scammed Twitter users out of over $118,000 worth of bitcoin. The report found the Twitter hackers posed as IT support in a vishing attack.
COVID-19: Mid-Level Managers Are Easy Targets for Phishing Scams During the Pandemic (INKY) Cybercriminals continue to use the pandemic to target mid-level managers. Learn how to protect yourself.
QAnon/8Chan Sites Briefly Knocked Offline (KrebsOnSecurity) A phone call to an Internet provider in Oregon on Sunday evening was all it took to briefly sideline multiple websites related to 8chan/8kun -- a controversial online image board linked to several mass shootings -- and QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory which holds that a cabal of Satanic pedophiles is running a global child…
Barnes & Noble restores Nook services after notifying customers about cyberattack (TechRepublic) Analysts point to specific clues from the company's response that show it may have been a ransomware attack.
Cyber scammers have conned about $364,000 from St. John's residents since February — here's how they did it (Chronicle Herald) The voice recording could reasonably rattle any unsuspecting person, especially when the call comes from a number legitimately belonging to the Canada Revenue Agency.
Donor data from narendramodi.in stolen and is on sale on dark web, alleges cyber security firm (India Today) A cyber security firm alleges that user and donor data of over five lakh people has been stolen from narendramodi.in, personal website of Prime Minister Modi, and the details are on sale on the dark web.
TPS data breach presents possible risks and dangers for students (13ABC) Local experts explain that personal data posted online could expose students and faculty to identity theft.
Nez Perce Tribe says cyberattack caused casino closures (The Lewiston Tribune) A cyberattack caused the computer disruptions that continue to keep Clearwater River Casino and Lodge near Lewiston and It’se Ye-Ye Casino at Kamiah closed, the Nez Perce Tribe announced Friday.
Nez Perce Tribe Casino's Experience External Cyber Threat, Anticipate Reopening Date of October 19 (Big Country News) LAPWAI - On Thursday, October 8, 2020 the Clearwater River Casino & Lodge and the It’se Ye-Ye Casino announced an immediate business closure caused by a major computer systems disruption
Albion Online game maker discloses data breach (ZDNet) Game maker says intruder gained access to its forum database by exploiting a vulnerability.
Kleenheat customer names and addresses exposed in system breach (ZDNet) The company says residential and email addresses, as well as names of some customers have been exposed.
Foxtons data breach but “no sensitive data compromised” (Estate Agent Today) Foxtons is alleged by a newspaper to have suffered a malware attack and data breach which closed its MyFoxtons client website.
Foxtons hit by cyber attack (Property Industry Eye) The agency tells EYE that it did not lose any personal customer and landlord contact details.
Data breach affects AdventHealth Hendersonville Foundation donors (ABC 13 News) A data breach is affecting one mountain area health care foundation.
Column: Nigerian romance scheme targets local Marine (San Diego Union-Tribune) Sgt. Tristan King's social media photos have been stolen and used by others to open fraudulent accounts using his name
A Cut Cable Knocked Out Virginia's Voter Registration Site (Wired) Plus: Barnes and Noble got hacked, Zoom adds real end-to-end encryption, and more of the week's top security news.
Candidate for Howard County Board of Education in District 1 Matthew Molyett reports a Campaign Data Breach (Scott E's Blog) Matthew Molyett (candidate for Howard County Board of Education in District 1) recently reported a Campaign Data Breach. Here is what is listed on his website on October 16th: Campaign data breach …
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Microsoft Fixes RCE Flaws in Out-of-Band Windows Update (Threatpost) The two important-severity flaws in Microsoft Windows Codecs Library and Visual Studio Code could enable remote code execution.
NPM nukes NodeJS malware opening Windows, Linux reverse shells (BleepingComputer) NPM has removed multiple packages hosted on its repository this week that established connection to remote servers and exfiltrated user data.
Cyber Trends
Research Shows Mature Data Privacy Programs Have Greater Benefits (PR Newswire) FairWarning, the proven leader in protecting the privacy of people and organizations by securing their most sensitive data, today announced the...
CERT NZ issues cyber attack warning (Sun Live) There has been an increase in the volume and sophistication of financially-motivated cyber attacks in the last six months.CERT...
Marketplace
3 Accelerators Solving Covid-19’s Cybersecurity Crunch (Forbes) Covid-19 isn’t the only faceless enemy out there. Cybercriminals are on the march, but these three accelerators are helping cybersecurity entrepreneurs fight back.
Secure Forte offers free cybersec audits for not-for-profits (CRN Australia) Discusses work with Child Abuse Prevention Service.
Sanctions-hit Huawei ramps up investment in Chinese tech sector (ETTelecom.com) Huawei Technologies has built up stakes in Chinese semiconductor companies and other tech businesses as the world's largest telecoms equipment maker b..
Twitter and Facebook Contend With Concerns Over Election Interference, Censorship (Wall Street Journal) When the New York Post published articles based on email exchanges with Hunter Biden, social-media companies saw the situation as one they spent years preparing for. Their actions drew a mixture of support and criticism.
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The Impossible Dilemma of Twitter’s ‘Hacked Materials’ Rule (Wired) The company’s flip-flopping on the policy after banning a shady New York Post story highlights the challenges facing social media in 2020.
How Mark Zuckerberg Learned Politics (Wall Street Journal) Facebook’s CEO long left politics and policy to deputies. No more. As the company’s influence has grown, and with it controversies, political acumen has become an essential tool.
TikTok has announced a bug bounty program on a global level in partnership with HackerOne (Digital Information World) This bug bounty program and the partnership with HackerOne will help TikTok to gain insight from the topmost security researchers.
KnowBe4 Wins Second Consecutive Award in Annual CyberSecurity Breakthr (PRWeb) KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced that it has been named the winne
Products, Services, and Solutions
Honeywell Secure Media Exchange (SMX) Expands To Better Protect Organizations From Both Malware & Firmware-Based Cybersecurity Attacks (Honeywell) Honeywell announces today the launch of Honeywell Secure Media Exchange (SMX) R201.1.
XM Cyber Achieves SOC 2 Type II Certification for Second Consecutive Year (PR Newswire) XM Cyber, the multi-award-winning leader in breach and attack simulation (BAS), advanced cyber risk analytics and cloud security posture...
Entrust Launches Next-Generation, Secure Cloud-Based Direct-to-Card ID Desktop Issuance Solution (BusinessWire) The new Entrust Sigma instant ID system leverages encryption, trusted HSM technology and secure boot to issue secure physical and mobile identities.
Blackpoint Cyber Announces Blackpoint RISK; A Customized Cyber Liability Insurance Solution for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) (PR Newswire) Blackpoint Cyber launched Blackpoint RISK – a cyber liability insurance solution created specifically for its partners and their customers....
IoT foundation launches vulnerability disclosure platform for IoT (The Internet Of All Things) VulnerableThings.com helps vendors prepare for IoT security regulations. and assist security researchers with
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Securing Internet-Connected Devices in Healthcare (NIST) The healthcare industry is increasingly relying upon internet-connected devices and solutions to improve patient care, organizati
Microsoft, government offices step up election security efforts (The Fulcrum) Microsoft and the U.S. Cyber Command recently announced steps to rein in the hacker network Trickbot. David Levine of the Allliance for Securing Democracy discusses what this means for election security in 2020.
Army launches Exercise Crocodile Smile VI, targets cyberspace (Vanguard News) The Nigerian Army will lauch Exercise Crocodile Smile VI, as is usual for the ember months, but to focus on the cyberspace and propaganda.
Army announce Nigeria first cyber warfare exercise – see wetin e dey about - BBC News Pidgin (BBC News Pidgin) Nigerian Army don announce say dem go conduct di first ever Cyberwarfare exercise for Africa from 20th October
Design and Innovation
US Army’s defensive cyber tools office to deliver new systems in the next year (C4ISRNET) The U.S. Army's PEO EIS defensive cyber operations office discussed the new developments and how it's operating during the pandemic.
Twitter Adds New Prompts to Alert Users Before Sharing Any Tweet Flagged for Misinformation (Social Media Today) Twitter has added another warning prompt to slow the spread of misinformation.
Instagram targets rule-breaking influencers (BBC News) The Facebook-owned platform says it is committed to stamping out hidden advertising.
Anti-deepfake software could be on Android phones in the near future (CNET) TruePic has developed technology that can be embedded in Qualcomm mobile chips to authenticate images from the moment they're taken.
Academia
Naval Academy officially opens new cyber building named after Rear Adm. Grace Hopper (Capital Gazette) Hopper Hall is the academy’s new center for cyber security studies. Although the academy celebrated its ribbon cutting Thursday, the building has been open with students attending in-person classes since mid-September, according to an academy press release.
Have you completed your cybersecurity homework? (Hindu) With technology now being the enabler of education, staying safe online too must become part of school culture
Hackers Smell Blood as Schools Grapple With Virtual Instruction (Wall Street Journal) Many K-12 schools that recently returned to virtual instruction handed out devices to students and teachers while trying to prevent computer networks from crumpling under the surge in use. Now, as this unique school year unfolds, hackers are circling.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Europe to crack down on surveillance software exports (POLITICO) EU needs to make sure ‘China or Russia are not simply given the newest technology,’ lead negotiator says.
China Lawmakers Pass Export Control Law Protecting Tech (Bloomberg) China passed a new law to restrict sensitive exports to protect national security, helping Beijing gain reciprocity against U.S. as tech tensions mount.
WSJ News Exclusive | China Warns U.S. It May Detain Americans in Response to Prosecutions of Chinese Scholars (Wall Street Journal) Chinese government officials are warning their American counterparts they may detain U.S. nationals in China in response to the Justice Department’s prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars, according to people familiar with the matter.
U.S. to Offer Loans to Lure Developing Countries Away From Chinese Telecom Gear (Wall Street Journal) The U.S. government is embarking on a push to persuade developing countries to shun Chinese telecommunications equipment, offering financial assistance to use alternatives that Washington says are safer and have fewer strings attached.
Former NSA chief: Russia can change 2020 election outcome, unlikely to do so (Washington Times) The former head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command said Sunday that Russia has the ability to upend the 2020 election but is unlikely to do so.
The United States Isn’t Doomed to Lose the Information Wars (Foreign Policy) China and Russia are ramping up their disinformation campaigns in the lead-up to the November vote. It’s time for Washington to fight back.
‘Weaponized truth’: How the US military plans to compete in the crowded information space (C4ISRNET) The military must empower everyday personnel as well as public affairs officials to combat and compete with adversaries in the information sphere, according to one public affairs professional.
Could Cyberattacks Stop the Cultural Genocide in Xinjiang? (Foreign Policy) State persecution of Muslims in the region depends on high-tech mass surveillance, leaving an open door for other countries to gather intelligence and infiltrate the…
The Abraham Accords plays into Iran’s hands and opens the door for al-Qaeda (Atlantic Council) President Donald Trump and the Gulf states might have fueled a more profound threat that extends Iran’s “axis of resistance” directly into their own houses, including a worrisome al-Qaeda component.
Germany, France push for digital sovereignty to mitigate American dominance (MediaNama) Germany and France are pushing for digital sovereignty in the EU to counteract dominance of American Big Tech firms.
Ukraine’s cybersecurity agency appears to backtrack on Huawei cooperation (KyivPost) Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to add Huawei’s response. The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, also known as SSSCIPU or Derzhspetszviazok, has allegedly removed information from its website about cooperation with Chinese tech giant Huawei, Ukraine’s Evropeiska Pravda news outlet reported on Oct. 16. On Oct. 15, the head of […]
Huawei wants Estonian government to re-evaluate communications networks regulation (Intellinews) Chinese communications giant Huawei has asked the Estonian government to review the draft of a regulation on the security of communications networks. ...
Huawei may have found an ally in Japan, for now (Telecoms) Japan will not bar Chinese kit makers – including Huawei – from supplying telecoms network equipment in the country, it emerged this week.
France and the Netherlands call for tough EU powers to curb Big Tech (CNBC) France and the Netherlands have proposed stricter EU rules to oversee large technology firms, such as Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon.
Scaling up the Cybersecurity of Nuclear systems in India (Analytics Insight) India is amongst the top five countries facing cyber threats and targeted attacks. With the advancement of technology, the incidence of security breaches and cyberattacks has heightened. That’s why scaling up cybersecurity in nuclear systems and models are important.
Dem Sens. Say DHS Biometrics Plan Is Unwanted Surveillance (Law360) Democratic senators urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to abandon its plan to broaden biometric testing for immigrants to include voice, eye and facial recognition, arguing the proposed expansion is a privacy invasion against already vulnerable populations.
Carney signs order allowing National Guard cyberspace unit to assist in election security (Delaware Business Now) Governor John Carney has signed Executive Order #46, authorizing the Delaware National Guard’s 166th Cyberspace Operations Squadron to assist in the 2020 election security efforts. The squadron’s cybersecurity capabilities will assist in protecting Delaware’s elections infrastructure, a release stated. Delaware, like other states, has been concerned about cyberattacks from foreign actors who seek to disrupt […]
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
FCC Asks For National Security Review Of 2 Telecoms (Law360) The Federal Communications Commission has asked the national security community to review whether Pacific Networks Corp. and China Unicom Americas present a risk if allowed to continue operating in the U.S.
Facebook and Twitter Cross a Line Far More Dangerous Than What They Censor (The Intercept) Just weeks before the election, the tech giants unite to block access to incriminating reporting about their preferred candidate.
The Media Just Passed a Test It Failed Four Years Ago (Wired) In an interview with WIRED, Columbia Journalism School dean Steve Coll says the media has learned some important lessons since 2016 about covering stolen email leaks.
A Way to Determine Whether the NY Post has a Trove of Hunter Biden's Emails (Reason) Some of Hunter's more innocuous emails might be checked with recipients.
Hunter Biden Emails Could Be ‘Absolutely Verified’ If Rudy Giuliani Released The Metadata, Expert Says (Daily Caller) Emails from a computer allegedly owned by Hunter Biden could be "absolutely verified" if the metadata for the files were made available to review.
Giuliani's 'October Surprise' already shows signs of backfiring (MSNBC.com) This week's revelations were supposed to make Joe Biden look bad. Instead, they're proving to be a far bigger problem for his GOP accusers.
Hunter Biden's alleged laptop - what's known, what's not (KNX) Trump and his allies have launched a late effort to tarnish Joe Biden by tying him to his son Hunter Biden’s overseas business interests, publicizing emails and photos supposedly from a laptop alleged to have been abandoned by the younger Biden.
In Reversal, Twitter Is No Longer Blocking New York Post Article (New York Times) The latest change underlined how rapidly social media platforms are shifting their positions in the days leading up to the election.
Twitter still holding The Post’s account hostage over Hunter Biden links (New York Post) Twitter has refused to unlock The Post’s account unless the news organization deletes six tweets about its own reporting on Hunter Biden’s emails — despite a policy change sp…
European Regulator Turns Up Heat on Ad Tactics Used by Google and Rivals (Wall Street Journal) Tactics Google and other large online-ad players use in digital ad auctions violate EU privacy law, investigators for Belgium’s privacy regulator wrote in an internal report, a preliminary finding with implications across the continent.
IAB Europe’s ad tracking consent framework found to fail GDPR standard (TechCrunch) A flagship framework for gathering Internet users’ consent for targeting with behavioral ads — which is designed by ad industry body, the IAB Europe — fails to meet the required legal standards of data protection, according to findings by its EU data supervisor. The Belgian DPA…
EU investigating Instagram over potential child data breach (Yahoo Sports) Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner is looking into complaints that Instagram has made contact information on business accounts publicly available to anyone accessing the app.
Some states plan to forge ahead with their own Google probe, as federal lawsuit appears imminent (Washington Post) A group of powerful Democratic and Republican state attorneys general plan to forge ahead with their own antitrust investigation into Google even after the Department of Justice files its imminent lawsuit against the search-and-advertising giant.
Senator Questions US Healthcare Giant Over Cyber-Attack (Infosecurity Magazine) Universal Health Services questioned over cybersecurity after suffering ransomware attack
British Airways hit with UK data watchdog's biggest-ever fine (ETCIO.com) Britain's data protection watchdog said on Friday it has fined British Airways 20 million pounds - its biggest such penalty to date - for failing to p..
British Airways fined £20m over data breach (BBC News) The fine is the largest ever issued by the Information Commissioner's Office.
Irish regulator probes Facebook's handling of children's data on Instagram (Reuters) Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched two inquiries into Facebook Inc <FB.O> after concerns were raised about the social network giant's handling of children's personal data on Instagram.