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Anti-Malware

Trojanized Avast CCleaner Attack Targeted Major Tech Firms

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 22, 2017

An attack campaign involving a trojanized version of the CCleaner Windows utility, built and distributed by British developer Piriform, was much more extensive than it first appeared and may have installed backdoor software on endpoints at hundreds of large technology firms.

Breach Notification

Hackers May Have Traded on Stolen SEC Data

Jeremy Kirk  •  September 22, 2017

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will face the Senate Banking Committee next week following the agency's belated disclosure that in May 2016, hackers stole secret market data from the SEC's systems and apparently used it for "illicit gain through trading."

Breach Notification

Profiting From the SEC Breach

Eric Chabrow  •  September 22, 2017

Analyzing the impact of a breach of computers at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leads the latest edition of the ISMG Security Report. Also, exploring alternative plans to implement cybersecurity regulations on credit reporting bureaus in the wake of the Equifax breach.

Breach Notification

Equifax's May Mega-Breach Might Trace to March Hack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 21, 2017

Hackers behind the mega-breach at Equifax stole data in May, but they - or other attackers - penetrated the credit bureau's systems in March, exploiting a vulnerability for which Apache Struts had issued a patch, just four days prior.

Anti-Malware

Part of FTC Complaint Against D-Link Dismissed

Jeremy Kirk  •  September 21, 2017

A federal judge Tuesday dismissed three of six counts in a complaint filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission against IoT manufacturer D-Link that alleges its sloppy security practices deceived consumers. The FTC has until Oct. 20 to amend the complaint.

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CISO

Why Adding Technical Experts to Boards Is Urgent

Tracy Kitten  •  September 20, 2017

Given the current threat environment, it's urgent that organizations add technical experts to their boards of directors to help ensure the development of effective cybersecurity strategies, says Art Coviello, retired chairman of RSA.

Breach Response

Do CISOs Need IT or InfoSec Academic Credentials?

Eric Chabrow  •  September 19, 2017

In the latest edition of the ISMG Security Report: a look at the former Equifax chief information security officer and whether her lack of academic credentials in IT or IT security is relevant to the massive breach at the credit reporting agency.

Anti-Malware

Avast Distributed Trojanized CCleaner Windows Utility

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 18, 2017

For one month, the installer for a widely used, free Windows utility called CCleaner also installed a malicious payload that was designed to allow attackers to push additional malware onto infected PCs, warns Cisco Talos. Developer Piriform, owned by Avast, has released updates that expunge the malware.

Breach Preparedness

More Questions Raised After Equifax CIO, CSO 'Retire'

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 18, 2017

Pressure continues to mount on credit reporting bureau Equifax over its massive data breach. In its wake, Equifax announced that its CIO and CSO would "retire" immediately and said that the Apache Struts flaw exploited by attackers was known to the security team.

Compliance

Top Democrat Likens Equifax to Enron as FTC Launches Probe

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 16, 2017

Equifax is facing increased scrutiny from Congress, including a bill that would mandate free credit freezes for consumers, on demand. But a true fix would require Congress to give U.S. government consumer watchdogs more power.

DDoS

US Sanctions Iranian Nationals Over DDoS Bank Attacks

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 15, 2017

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced sanctions against 11 individuals and organizations linked to Iran, some of whom have been accused of helping to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks against dozens of U.S. banks from 2011 to 2013.

Anti-Malware

CDDC: One Secure Screen for Classified, Secret and Public Networks

Jeremy Kirk  •  September 15, 2017

Researchers in Australia says they've conquered a thorny problem: how to view information stored on multiple air-gapped networks at the same time without security or usability concerns. They've created a device, called the Cross Domain Desktop Compositor, that's been tested by the Australian Department of Defense.