Cyber Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Officials on Watch for Disinformation If 2020 Election Results Are Delayed (Wall Street Journal) Officials face an immediate challenge after Election Day: Spread of disinformation that could become more damaging the longer it takes to declare a winner.
Analysis | The Cybersecurity 202: The 2020 election is far more secure than four years ago. But experts are still eyeing these five things. (Washington Post) We’re not out of the woods yet.
Opinion | 7 Ways to Get Through the Next Few Days (New York Times) It starts with believing in, and then protecting, our electoral system.
Russian Election Threat Potent, But Interference So Far Slim (SecurityWeek) Russian interference has been minimal so far in the most tempestuous U.S. presidential election in decades. But that doesn’t mean the Kremlin can’t inflict serious damage.
QAnon received earlier boost from Russian accounts on Twitter, archives show (Reuters) Russian government-backed social media accounts nurtured the QAnon conspiracy theory in its infancy, earlier than previously reported, according to interviews with current and former Twitter executives and archives of tweets from suspended accounts.
U.S. Cyber Command Shares More Russian Malware Samples (SecurityWeek) The U.S. Cyber Command this week released new malware samples associated with the activity of Russian threat actors Turla and Zebrocy
How election officials protect results data from cyberattacks, disinformation (newswest9.com) The FBI has warned of bad actors or cybercriminals disrupting election night reporting websites. Here’s what you need to know going into Tuesday.
It's an urgent plea this Election Eve: Don't click on ransomware disguised as political ads (TechRepublic) Remote work and social media have made it easier for businesses to be impacted by security breaches. Here's why, and how organizations can protect themselves.
Pioneers of "Double Extortion" Say Maze Ransomware Project is Over (SecurityWeek) While it could possibly be the end of the Maze ransomware brand, the security industry does not believe the Maze operators will disappear quietly into retirement.
Criminals Are Using Google Drive to Infect Hospitals With Ransomware (Slate Magazine) Just one recipient willing to ignore warning signs can be enough to undo those layers of protection.
Russia-Based Hackers Plan New Wave of Attacks Against U.S. Hospitals: Security Firm (Insurance Journal) A Russia-based ransomware group responsible for a new wave of attacks against U.S. hospitals is laying the groundwork to cripple at least ten more,
CISA Updates Advisory on Large-Scale Impending and Credible Ransomware Threat to Healthcare to Include Additional IOCs (JD Supra) On Oct. 28, a joint cybersecurity advisory was published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI and the Department of...
A massive hacking network that Microsoft and the US military tried to stop last month is already back — and it could be a bad sign for Election Day (Business Insider) Trickbot's quick resurgence raises concerns about Election Day. Experts warn that it could be used to target elections offices and cause chaos.
Live off the Land? How About Bringing Your Own Island? An Overview of UNC1945 (FireEye) We observed a group we track as UNC1945 compromise telecommunications companies and operate against a tailored set of targets.
Maze, a notorious ransomware group, says it’s shutting down (TechCrunch) But security researchers aren't celebrating just yet.
Infamous Maze ransomware group announces it's shutting down (SiliconANGLE) Infamous Maze ransomware group announces it's shutting down
Maze ransomware group call it quits (iTnews) Security experts dubious.
Maze Ransomware Operators Shutting Down Their Operations (HackRead) In a bizarre announcement, the Maze ransomware gang revealed that their only aim was to reveal the security lapses at their targets.
CVE-2020–25213: WordPress Plugin WP-File-Manager Actively Being Exploited in the Wild (SonicWall) WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP. WordPress is used by more than 60 million websites. 38% of the web is built on WordPress. Its plugin architecture allows users to extend the features and functionality to tailor the websites to their specific needs.
Hacker group uses Solaris zero-day to breach corporate networks (ZDNet) The zero-day appears to have been bought off a black-market website for $3,000.
Security warning after Abertay researchers find 75,000 files on seemingly empty USB drives (The Courier) Thousands of highly sensitive documents have been retrieved by Dundee cyber experts from seemingly empty USB drives.
Caveat Venditor, Used USB Drive Owner by James Conacher, Karen Renaud, Jacques Ophoff (SSRN) USB drives are a great way of transferring and backing up files. The problem is that they are easily lost, and users do not understand how to secure or properly
Google researchers disclose high-severity vulnerability affecting GitHub (Computing) The bug makes GitHub Action's workflow commands vulnerable to injection attacks, according to researchers
As Businesses Go Remote, Hackers Find New Security Gaps (Dark Reading) Improper access control, information disclosure, and SSRF are among the most impactful, and most awarded, security flaws found this year.
Cyber-Criminals Target Naked Zoom Users (Infosecurity Magazine) Fresh sextortion campaign tells Zoom users they could be the next Toobin
Vulnerability Summary for the Week of October 26, 2020 (CISA) The CISA Weekly Vulnerability Summary Bulletin is created using information from the NIST NVD. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the Bulletin may not yet have assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.
CivMix website is back online after cyber attack (Times Union) The CivMix news and commentary website, which had gone dark for several weeks due to a...
Deen: Prevention measures being taken following cyber attack (Weatherford Democrat ) Parker County Judge Pat Deen described what is known about a cyber attack incident that occurred on Oct. 16, saying the county is doing everything it can to restore and
Cyber Attack Targets Central Florida Orthopedic Patients (RY Orthopedics) Cyber Attack Targets Central Florida Orthopedic Patients
Data Breach Hits 1 Million Swedes as Insurance Firm Admits Error (BNN Bloomberg) One of Sweden’s biggest private insurers says it inadvertently allowed some of the world’s biggest tech companies to gain access to private data in a breach that affected up to 1 million clients.
Lazda And Eatigo Suffer Data Breach; Millions Of Account Details Sold Online (Information Security Buzz) It has been reported that Lazada, one of the top e-commerce sites in South east Asia has suffered a serious data breach. 1.1 million RedMart accounts was sto
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Oracle Issues Out-of-Band Update for Critical Vulnerability Exploited in Attacks (SecurityWeek) Oracle has released an out-of-band security alert for CVE-2020-14750, a critical remote code execution vulnerability affecting WebLogic Server
Cyber Trends
2021 Cyber Threat Trends Outlook (Booz Allen Hamilton) The year 2020 has been unlike any we have experienced, and this is true with regard to cyber threats, too. If this year has taught us anything, it is the importance of preparing for known threats.
The Australasia Region is Targeted By Threat Actors of Varying Levels of Sophistication (Anomali) Anomali Threat Research has conducted analysis on numerous types of malicious cyber activity that affect the Australasia region. Australasia is targeted by threat actors and groups for its close ties to Western governments, geographical location to areas with high volumes of trade, and numerous other reasons.
A quarter of cyber security incidents are Covid-related, NCSC (Computing) Security agency reports a 20 per cent increase in the total number of incidents compared with the annual average
Hackers have only just wet their whistle. Expect more ransomware and data breaches in 2021. (TechRepublic) The COVID-19 pandemic provided a huge opening for bad actors this year, thanks to remote work. Security experts expect more advanced cybersecurity threats in the coming year.
Cybersecurity threats to corporate America are present now 'more than ever,' SEC chair says (CNBC) "I know companies are burdened in many ways ... but this is one of those things we just can't lose sight of," said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton.
Small can be ugly when it comes to third-party cybersecurity (BetaNews) Digital transformation initiatives often involve closer relationships with other businesses, but these can expose a company to additional risk if the other party's security isn't up to scratch.
CSA Dives Deep Into 'Egregious' Cloud Computing Threats (ADTmag) The Cloud Security Alliance does a deep-dive analysis of nine of last year's Egregious 11: Top Threats to Cloud Computing.
Parks Associates: 35% of US Broadband Households Experienced A Data Security Problem in the Past 12 Months (PR Newswire) Consumer research from Parks Associates finds 35% of US broadband households report having a data security problem in the past year, including...
Marketplace
CIA cloud program awarded? CISA cyber program under protest (Federal News Network) Contractors should get ready for a busy holiday season with final solicitations expected to come from DISA, NIH and DHS for mega-contracts.
CISA's first shared-services offering is delayed by protest (FedScoop) The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s first shared-services offering has hit a snag, with HackerOne protesting the award of the vulnerability disclosure policy (VDP) platform contract. HackerOne filed a bid protest of the General Services Administration’s $13.5 million award to EnDyna, Inc. with the Government Accountability Office on Oct. 9. The goal of the contract …
MicroWorld joins hands with Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) (CRN - India) MicroWorld Technologies Private Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India for collaboration in the area of cyber security. Through this MoU CERT-In and MicroWorld propose to work together to enhance the overall security of the …
Career in cybersecurity or ethical hacking: Where to study, starting salary and job interview questions (India Today) The field of cybersecurity is fast developing as crime rates are rising in the digital space. Here are the qualifications you need, the starting salary and job interview tips to become an ethical hacker or a cybersecurity expert.
Akamai: A Utility In Tech's Clothing (Seeking Alpha) Akamai has a strong balance sheet, secure revenues, and a positive growth outlook. Cybersecurity has become a big issue in the past year. Through its latest acquisition, Akamai continues to establish its dominance in the space.
What to Expect From Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on Election Day (New York Times) The sites are key conduits for communication and information. Here’s how they plan to handle the challenges facing them before, on and after Tuesday.
What Social Media Companies Have Fixed Since the 2016 Election (Medium) And a few things they haven’t
Five Days of Facebook Fact-Checking (Columbia Journalism Review) <p>Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, has been back in Congress this week to talk about the need to reform how social-media platforms moderate content—a realm within which Facebook is trying to establish a “best in class” reputation. New research from the Tow Center shows that the platform is falling short. In order to understand how consistently […]</p>
Counter Threat Solutions Named to Washington Business Journal's Top 25 Largest Cybersecurity Firms in Greater D.C. (PR Newswire) Reston-based consulting firm Counter Threat Solutions LLC (CTS) has earned a spot on the Washington Business Journal's list of the 25 largest...
What Are The Fastest Growing Cybersecurity Skills In 2021? (Forbes) Application Development Security, Cloud Security and Risk Management skills are the most marketable and lucrative in cybersecurity today, providing an average $13,557 salary boost.
Peter Cochrane: Where are the generalists we need today? (Computing) We need more generalists with a broad multi-disciplinary education and experience, but education is heading in the opposite direction
Mark Adams Named Chief Security Officer of Adobe (SecurityWeek) Mark Adams, former chief security officer (CSO) at Blizzard Entertainment, has been named the CSO of Adobe
The Maritime Security Resilience Alliance & MPS-ISAO Welcome Wanda Gordon, Director of Global Security Strategy (EIN News) The Maritime Security Resilience Alliance (MSRA) and the Maritime & Port Security Information Sharing & Analysis Organization (MPS-ISAO) are thrilled to announce the appointment of Wanda Gordon, as Director of Global Security Strategy.
Power Moves: DataTribe's John Funge on his new managing director role and a key learning for startups (Technical.ly Baltimore) Plus, CareFirst's Healthworx has a new director of innovation, and more leadership moves at Innovation Works, Catalio Capital Management and Baltimore Homecoming.
Products, Services, and Solutions
Google Announces New VPN for Google One Customers (SecurityWeek) Google announced that Google One customers, those who subscribe to the 2 TB plan, are being offered a free VPN service for more protection while using the internet
Digital Guardian Rolls Out Protection Against Ryuk Ransomware (BusinessWire) Digital Guardian Rolls Out Protection Against Ryuk Ransomware: Free Content Pack for Customers
IBM releases Code Risk Analyzer to shift security left (SD Times) IBM created a focused effort to bring security and compliance analytics to DevSecOps called Code Risk Analyzer.
AT&T teams up with IBM to connect hybrid cloud to MEC (FierceTelecom) AT&T and IBM have teamed up to offer hybrid cloud services at the mobile network edge for enterprises in order to give them right-sized solutions. AT&T has turned its network core into a software virtual network function that can work with IBM's Satellite Cloud platform to deliver services and applications to enterprises through AT&T's multi-access edge network (MEC.)
Exein announced an innovative embedded security solution (Cloud7) Platform agnostic, the Exein Core is a developer tool operating as an embedded component from within hardware. Once grafted into
CyGlass and Redington Join Forces to Address Growing Cybersecurity Market in India (PR Newswire) CyGlass, a SaaS AI-driven network threat detection solution, and Redington, India's pre-eminent technology distributor, have formed a strategic...
ABB teams up with Forescout to enhance its cyber security portfolio for customers (Process and Control Today) ABB adds to their industrial control system cyber security capabilities across the energy and process industries sectors
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Officials on Watch for Disinformation If 2020 Election Results Are Delayed (Wall Street Journal) Officials face an immediate challenge after Election Day: Spread of disinformation that could become more damaging the longer it takes to declare a winner.
Election security pros focus on effective partnerships (CyberScoop) U.S. government security experts share their thoughts on industry collaboration to improve election security at CyberTalks 2020.
Voting Security Has Come A Long Way Since 2016 — But Vulnerabilities Remain (NPR) More voters will use paper ballots this year than in 2016, but in a number of key ways, U.S. election security still has a long way still to travel.
How to Prevent Pwned and Reused Passwords in Your Active Directory (The Hacker News) How to Protect Yourself From Pwned and Password Reuse Attacks
Cyber Security as Competitive Advantage (Channel Futures) Having good cyber security not only protects your business from threats and breaches--which could be costly due to outages and remediation--but it also boosts your brand.
Zero trust in hybrid environments (GCN) A zero-trust security infrastructure must employ machine learning to maintain better oversight of today’s complicated network perimeter.
Number of CERT-In empanelled cybersecurity auditors reduced to 33 (MediaNama) The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has slashed the number of empanelled information security organisations from 90 to 33.
Defence stands up 'VERA' remote working solution in 11 weeks (iTnews) Bypasses secure IT network with protected-level Office 365.
Design and Innovation
Indian Army Launches WhatsApp-Like Indigenous Messaging App SAI (NDTV Gadgets 360) SAI will be utilised by the Indian Army to facilitate secure messaging within the service.
Simeio Solutions expert says: “Most breaches are from exploited passwords. Let’s get rid of them.” (Intelligent CIO North America) James R Quick,Director, Solutions & Advisory for Simeio Solutions, tells us it’s time to get rid of passwords and instead automate and secure the authentication process. There are two things we can do to secure our corporate assets; get rid of users or eliminate passwords. I say that tongue and cheek, but there’s truth to […]
Academia
DHS, NSA Award Millions to Universities for Cybersecurity Workforce Development Plans (Nextgov.com) Agencies tasked with implementing a 2017 executive order envision a national network of technical institutes.
University Of Kentucky Officials Have Been Alerted To Ransomware Threat (Lexington, KY Patch) These cyberattacks target higher education and health care facilities.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Khamenei says Iran's U.S. policy not affected by who wins election (Reuters) Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday the U.S. presidential election's result will not impact Tehran's policy towards Washington.
German defense minister takes hard-line stance on Huawei (Washington Examiner) Chinese telecommunications giants including Huawei are headed for a major defeat in Germany under an update of the regulatory framework, according to Berlin’s top defense official.
All Bark No Byte? Unease Over Irish Performance as EU's Lead Data Watchdog (SecurityWeek) Two years after the EU launched its landmark GDPR data rights charter, there are signs Ireland is faltering in its outsized role as regulator of many of the most powerful digital giants.
Heavier fines for data breaches, more support for legitimate uses under amended PDPA (The Business Times) Companies will be penalised more heavily for data breaches while also getting more freedom to use personal data to innovate under changes to Singapore's data protection laws passed in Parliament on Monday (Nov 2). Read more at The Business Times.
U.S. Cyber Command Expands Operations to Hunt Hackers From Russia, Iran and China (New York Times) Building on a 2018 effort, Cyber Command sent teams to Europe, the Middle East and Asia to learn more about how adversaries could threaten the election this year.
US Cyber Command expands operations against Russia, China and Iran (CNN) US Cyber Command expanded its operations aimed at identifying malicious foreign cyber actors before Tuesday's presidential election, using missions to not only seek out Russian hackers, but those from Iran and China as well, a US official confirmed to CNN.
U.S. Fires Up ‘All Government’ War on Cyber Election Threats (Yahoo) Haunted by Russia’s brazen effort to meddle in the last election, federal and state officials have erected what they believe are formidable barriers to thwart cyber-attacks ahead of Tuesday’s presidential vote.
Meet the Wyoming National Guard’s Everest-climbing, ranch-owning, one-man Election Day cybersecurity army (Army Times) Chief Warrant Officer 4 Warren Burgess will anchor Wyoming's Election Day cybersecurity efforts.
Colorado Secretary of State emphasizes security ahead of Election Day (KUSA.com) Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said the state regularly tests its elections systems to make sure they are not vulnerable to foreign actors.
What DOD's Use Of Cyber Scores May Mean For Contractors (Law360) Attorneys at Rogers Joseph examine how the U.S. Department of Defense might use its soon-to-be-mandated cybersecurity compliance self-assessment scores in solicitations and other contract actions as part of its responsibility determinations or as technical evaluation criteria, and suggest where further agency guidance would help contractors.
Senate Confirms Skinner as Next DISA Director (Air Force Magazine) The Senate on Oct. 26 approved Maj. Gen. Robert J. Skinner as the next head of the Defense Information Systems Agency, and for a promotion.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
Snowden to Apply for Citizenship in Russia (Voice of America) Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden said on Twitter Monday that he and his wife are applying for Russian citizenship, in addition to their American citizenship. Snowden, 37, also announced he and Lindsay Mills are expecting a baby boy. “After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son. That's why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we're applying for dual US-Russian citizenship.”
Edward Snowden Seeks Russian Citizenship (Wall Street Journal) The former U.S. intelligence contractor said he would seek a Russian passport and dual citizenship to ensure he remains with his first child, who is due to be born in the country toward the end of year.
Irish Watchdog Must Pay Activist's Costs In Facebook Suit (Law360) Ireland's Data Protection Commission has been saddled with a hefty legal bill after a judge ordered the regulator to pay most of a privacy activist's legal costs in a case on data transfers by Facebook from the European Union to the U.S.
$100 million botnet scheme earns Russian man 8 years in prison (CyberScoop) A U.S. judge sentenced a Russian national to eight years in prison over his role in stealing personal and financial information via a botnet conspiracy that aimed to generate an estimated $100 million.
Russian Cybercriminal Sentenced to Prison for Role in $100 Million Botnet Conspiracy (US Department of Justice) A Russian national was sentenced Oct. 30 to eight years in prison for his role in operating a sophisticated scheme to steal and traffic sensitive personal and financial information in the online criminal underground that resulted in an estimated loss of over $100 million.
CCPA Litigation Update: How the CCPA (and other Privacy Risks) Raise the Risk of Potential Shareholder Claims (JD Supra) California became the first U.S. state with a comprehensive consumer privacy law when the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) became operative on...
AT&T Customers Fight To Revive NSA Spying Suit At 9th Circ. (Law360) A proposed class of AT&T customers alleging the National Security Agency unlawfully surveilled millions of Americans urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to revive their 11-year old case, arguing that a ruling on the merits of their claims wouldn't reveal state secrets or undermine national security.
Cisco Wants New Trial After $1.9B Patent Loss To Centripetal (Law360) Cisco Systems Inc. on Monday said it should get a new trial and should not have to pay a $1.9 billion judgment for allegedly infringing network security patents owned by Centripetal Networks, slamming a Virginia federal judge's order following a monthlong bench trial for including new liability and damages theories.
Huawei Sues Trump Admin. For 'Stonewalling' FOIA Requests (Law360) Chinese telecom firm Huawei Technologies Co. has sued the federal government over trade and criminal prosecution documents it says are long overdue for release, saying the Trump administration appears intent on "stonewalling" its requests.
Suspended Sentence For IT Worker Who Hacked City Bank (Law360) An "arrogant" IT specialist has been handed a suspended prison sentence and fined £800 ($1,033) after he went on a cybercrime spree at the bank where he worked, hacking into cameras to take pictures of colleagues, City of London police has said.
