Pandemic Impact: How Will Data Breaches Evolve?

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 5, 2020

Will the COVID-19 pandemic lead to a spike in the number of reported data breaches? Not necessarily, says cybersecurity expert Brian Honan. But he says that the rush to adopt cloud-based services and expanded remote services might change the types of breaches being reported.

Account Takeover

How Criminals Are Using PPE as a Money-Laundering Tool

Latest

Account Takeover

Screams, Porn Interrupt Virtual Hearing for Twitter Suspect

Jeremy Kirk • August 6, 2020

Chaos ensued when miscreants interrupted a virtual bail hearing on Wednesday for the suspected Twitter hacker, hijacking the feed with screams, chatter and, for a few brief seconds, pornography. The meeting details were public, and the meeting had not been password protected.

Endpoint Security

Garmin Reportedly Paid a Ransom

Doug Olenick • August 5, 2020

Garmin, a fitness tracker and navigation device firm, apparently paid a ransom to recover from a July 23 security incident that encrypted several of its systems, according to two news reports as well as expert analysis. The company says it's still experiencing 'temporary limitations" on services.

Endpoint Security

How WastedLocker Evades Anti-Ransomware Tools

Prajeet Nair • August 5, 2020

WastedLocker, a ransomware strain that reportedly shut down Garmin's operations for several days in July, is designed to avoid security tools within infected devices, according to a technical analysis from Sophos.

Governance & Risk Management

A Flaw Used by Stuxnet Wasn't Fully Fixed

Jeremy Kirk • August 5, 2020

Vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows print spooler, an aging but important component, will be discussed at the Black Hat security conference on Thursday. The vulnerabilities are rooted in patches that Microsoft created to fix issues exploited by Stuxnet, the malware that hampered Iran's nuclear program.

Biometrics

Behavioral Biometrics: Avoiding Mistakes

Suparna Goswami • August 5, 2020

Too many companies that are implementing behavioral biometrics to combat fraud lack a complete understanding of how to make the most of the technology, says David Lacey, managing director at IDCARE, Australia and New Zealand's not-for-profit national identity and cyber support service.

Application Security

Why Flash Player Removal Should Be a Priority

Doug Olenick • August 4, 2020

Adobe Flash Player, which has been patched hundreds of times during its lifetime to address vulnerabilities, will no longer be supported after Dec. 31, leaving an attack vector that can be exploited by malicious actors unless it's removed. That's why eliminating all instances of Flash Player is so urgent.

Cybercrime

Top Cybersecurity Challenge: 'More Capable Threat Actors'

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 3, 2020

The pace of online crime hasn't been flagging, as "more capable threat actors" - criminals and nation-states alike - have been bringing more advanced tools and tactics to bear on victims, says Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Microsoft May Be TikTok's Privacy and Security Lifeline

Jeremy Kirk • August 3, 2020

Is Microsoft coming to TikTok's rescue? It appears that's a very strong possibility following President Donald Trump's threat Friday to ban the app in the U.S. Microsoft hasn't committed to buying part of TikTok, but says if it did, it would bring the popular app world-class security and privacy protections.

Cybercrime as-a-service

EU Issues First Sanctions for Cyberattacks

Akshaya Asokan • August 1, 2020

The European Union has imposed its first sanctions against individuals and entities from Russia, China and North Korea for their alleged roles in hacking activities and cyberattacks that targeted EU citizens and organizations.

Cybercrime

FastPOS Malware Creator Pleads Guilty

Akshaya Asokan • August 1, 2020

A member of the infamous Infraud Organization who was the creator of a malware strain called FastPOS has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. Valerian Chiochiu assisted other cybercriminals through the Infraud site before authorities shuttered it in 2018, prosecutors say.

Endpoint Security

Boot-Loading Flaw Affects Linux, Windows Devices

Akshaya Asokan • July 31, 2020

A vulnerability that can impede the boot-loading process of an operating system could potentially affect billions of Linux and Windows machines, according to Eclypsium. The flaw, called "BootHole," could enable an attacker to gain near total control of an infected device.

Account Takeover

Analysis: The Hacking of Mobile Banking App Dave

Nick Holland • July 31, 2020

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the hacking of Dave, a mobile banking app. Plus: Sizing up the impact of GDPR after two years of enforcement and an assessment of IIoT vulnerabilities.