Latest

Cybercrime

Ryuk Ransomware Delivered Using Malware-as-a-Service Tool

Prajeet Nair  •  October 28, 2020

The operators behind the Ryuk strain of malware are increasingly relying on a malware-as-a-service tool - the Buer loader - to deliver the malware, rather than botnets such as Trickbot and Emotet, the security firm Sophos reports.

Encryption & Key Management

Analysis: The Security of 5G Devices, Networks

Doug Olenick  •  October 28, 2020

So far, much of the discussion about 5G security has focused on avoiding the use of technology from Chinese manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE. But security experts are increasingly concerned that 5G network and device providers rushing products to market aren't devoting enough attention to security.

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Critical Infrastructure Security

FBI on Election: 'There's Going to be a Lot of Noise'

Tom Field  •  October 28, 2020

FBI agent Elvis Chan has dedicated the past four years to ensuring U.S. election security. With the Nov. 3 election less than a week away, he opens up on concerns about Russian, Chinese and Iranian interference and threats he'll be watching before and after the vote.

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COVID-19

CISOs' Pandemic Challenge: More Disruption, Less Budget

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  October 28, 2020

The imperative for CISOs during the COVID-19 pandemic is to do more with less. While disruptive attacks - as well as privacy concerns - keep rising, budgets are down. As organizations rapidly adopt new technologies, however, EY's Kris Lovejoy says CISOs must seize the opportunity to streamline.

Application Security

Apps Infected With Adware Found on Google Play Store

Chinmay Rautmare  •  October 27, 2020

Some 21 malicious Android apps containing intrusive adware were discovered on the Google Play Store, but most have now been removed, according to a new report from the security firm Avast.

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Standards, Regulations & Compliance

Advice on International Compliance With US Laws

Suparna Goswami  •  October 27, 2020

Even if a company has no operations in the U.S., it should follow the compliance guidance offered by the U.S. Department of Justice in June, says Benjamin Haley, partner at Covington & Burling LLP, an international law firm.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

French IT Services Firm Confirms Ryuk Ransomware Attack

Scott Ferguson  •  October 27, 2020

French IT services firm Sopra Steria is confirming that its internal infrastructure sustained a Ryuk ransomware attack that has disrupted its operations, with a full recovery expected to take weeks.

Cybercrime

Even in Test Mode, New Mirai Variant Infecting IoT Devices

Doug Olenick  •  October 26, 2020

A greatly enhanced variant of the powerful Mirai botnet is already infecting IoT devices even though it's operating in a test environment, according to researchers at cybersecurity firm Avira Protection Lab.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

KashmirBlack Botnet Targets Content Management Systems

Prajeet Nair  •  October 26, 2020

Security researchers at Imperva have uncovered a botnet that attacks vulnerabilities in websites' underlying content management systems and then uses these compromised servers to mine for cryptocurrency or send spam to more victims.

Critical Infrastructure Security

US Officials Blame Data Exfiltration on Russian APT Group

Jeremy Kirk  •  October 23, 2020

U.S. intelligence officials say a Russia-backed hacking group has compromised some state and local government computer systems since at least September and exfiltrated data. So far, however, the attackers do not appear to have attempted to otherwise interfere with or disrupt those networks.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Phishing Campaign Mimics Microsoft Teams Alerts

Chinmay Rautmare  •  October 23, 2020

Researchers have uncovered a fresh phishing campaign that mimics the automated messages of the popular business communication platform Microsoft Teams in an attempt to harvest users' Office 365 login credentials.

Forensics

LockBit Ransomware Uses Automation Tools to Pick Targets

Prajeet Nair  •  October 23, 2020

The operators behind the LockBit ransomware strain use automation tools and techniques that help the malware quickly spread through a compromised network and also assist in picking specific targets, according to Sophos.