Why CISOs Are Gaining Power

Geetha Nandikotkur • September 22, 2020

CISOs are gaining additional discretionary powers to make risk-based decisions, especially as organizations implement the ISO 27035-3 incident response standard, says Khawaja Mohammad Ali, CISO of a large federal bank in Pakistan.

COVID-19

5 Chinese Suspects Charged in Connection With 100 Breaches

Latest

Account Takeover Fraud

Police Crack SMS Phishing Operation

Jeremy Kirk • September 24, 2020

Australian police say they've broken up a sophisticated SMS phishing scheme designed to collect personal details and bank login credentials. It's a rare success in the fight against unsolicited text messages.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Update: 'Live Like You're Contagious'

Tom Field • September 23, 2020

With colder weather, the flu season and the holidays ahead, the northern hemisphere is at risk of another major COVID-19 outbreak. Pandemic expert Regina Phelps says it's time to change behavior, and that starts here: "Live like you're contagious."

Cybercrime

Attacks Using Lokibot Information Stealer Surge

Akshaya Asokan • September 23, 2020

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is warning of an uptick in attacks using LokiBot, an information stealer capable of sweeping up credentials. Fraudsters are using new methods to spread the malware.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

Ransomware Danger: Russian-Speaking Gang Targets Russians

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 23, 2020

Russian criminals operating online who want to stay out of jail need only to follow a few simple rules, the primary one being: Never target Russians. So it's surprising that security researchers have uncovered a new ransomware-wielding gang of Russian speakers that includes Russian victims on its hit list.

Cybercrime

'Dark Overlord' Hacker Sentenced to 5-Year Prison Term

Chinmay Rautmare • September 22, 2020

A U.K. resident who was a member of The Dark Overlord hacking group pleaded guilty to federal charges Monday and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The group targeted several healthcare organizations and others.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

Cybersecurity Leadership: Risk Exposure Awareness

Tom Field • September 22, 2020

It might be new, but are we ready to call this "normal?" In this latest in a series of CEO/CISO panels, cybersecurity leaders talk frankly about the new risk surface and the role emerging technologies play in helping us keep pace with our adversaries.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Leaked FinCEN Reports Reveal Sensitive Security Details

Doug Olenick • September 22, 2020

What will be the impact of the leak of investigatory documents from FinCEN - the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network? For starters, experts warn that FinCEN reports may reveal sensitive information tied to banks and law enforcement agencies' investigatory tools and tactics.

Application Security

CISA Pushes Government Agencies to Patch 'Zerologon' Flaw

Jeremy Kirk • September 22, 2020

U.S. government agencies are supposed to have patched the "Zerologon" vulnerability by now, about six weeks after Microsoft issued a patch. But CISA warns that too many agencies' systems remain unpatched.

Cybercrime

Exclusive: Hackers Hit Virgin Mobile in Saudi Arabia

Jeremy Kirk • September 21, 2020

Hackers compromised the network of Saudi Arabia's Virgin Mobile KSA, gained email system access and offered stolen data for sale on the dark web. According to a source with knowledge of the attack, the incident - remediated late last week - is one of a string of attacks against organizations in the Middle East.

Endpoint Security

Hacking Group Used Malware to Bypass 2FA on Android Devices

Akshaya Asokan • September 19, 2020

A hacking group targeting Iranian dissidents has developed malware that can bypass two-factor authentication protection on Android devices to steal passwords, according to Check Point Research. The hackers have also targeted victims' Telegram accounts.

DDoS Protection

Analysis: Online Attacks Hit Education Sector Worldwide

Chinmay Rautmare • September 18, 2020

Check Point Research analysts have observed a significant rise in online attacks against the educational sector worldwide since July. DDoS attacks have surged in the U.S., while European institutions have been hit by ransomware.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Researchers Find Mozi Botnet Continues to Grow

Prajeet Nair • September 18, 2020

Mozi, a relatively new peer-to-peer botnet, is now dominating global IoT network traffic, according to a new report from IBM's X-Force unit. The malware is being used to launch DDoS attacks as well as mine for cryptocurrency.