SIM hijacking attacks can result in account compromises by stealing one-time passcodes sent over SMS.

AT&T Sued Over $24 Million Cryptocurrency SIM Hijack Attacks

Jeremy Kirk • August 16, 2018

A cryptocurrency investor is suing AT&T for $240 million, alleging he lost $24 million in virtual currency after the carrier failed to stop two separate attacks where his phone number was commandeered by attackers. The incident highlights the dangers of using a phone number as an authentication channel.

Data Breach

WannaCry Outbreak Hits Chipmaker, Could Cost $170 Million

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Endpoint Security

Google Hit With Lawsuit Over Location Tracking

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 21, 2018

A lawsuit accuses Google of "the surreptitious location tracking of millions of mobile phone users." The legal action was sparked by a report demonstrating that some Google apps tracked and time-stamped users' locations even if a user deactivated the "location history" setting.

Endpoint Security

Convergence of OT and IoT: The Security Challenges

Varun Haran • August 21, 2018

Upcoming enterprise IoT ecosystems and conventional OT networks share similar security challenges, and as the two converge, organizations need to re-evaluate core security processes, says Richard Bussiere of Tenable Network Security.

Encryption & Key Management

Crypto Wars Continue, as Feds Seek Messenger Backdoor

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 20, 2018

It's déjà vu "FBI vs. Apple" all over again, as Reuters reports that the Justice Department is seeking to compel Facebook to build a backdoor into its Messenger app to help the FBI monitor an MS-13 suspect's voice communications.

Cybercrime

Australian Teenager Pleads Guilty to Hacking Apple

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 17, 2018

An Australian teenager was such a fan of Apple that he hacked into the technology giant's mainframe, according to media reports. The teen has pleaded guilty to stealing 90 GB of sensitive information. But Apple says no customers' personally identifiable information was exposed.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-state attacks

Trump Pulls Gloves Off on Offensive Cyber Actions

Jeremy Kirk • August 17, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential order on Wednesday that revokes a set of Obama-era guidelines for offensive cyber operations, The Wall Street Journal reports. The policy change may satisfy critics who contend the U.S. should be able to move faster, but it raises risks of escalating cyber conflict.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Planning for the Shifting Threat Landscape

Varun Haran • August 17, 2018

The best way to take a holistic approach to the current threat landscape is to define security issues as business problems and then put the problem before the solution - not the other way around, contends RSA CTO Zulfikar Ramzan.

Anti-Malware

Fighting Sandbox-Evading Malware

Varun Haran • August 17, 2018

Malware detection needs to shift to detecting anomalous behavior, rather than depending on signature-based detection technologies to deal with such threats as sandbox-evading malware, says Verizon's Ashish Thapar.

Finance

Widespread Phishing Campaign Targets Financial Institutions

Nick Holland • August 17, 2018

A phishing attack on Wednesday fueled by the Necurs botnet targeted at least 2,700 banking institutions of various sizes in the U.S. and around the world, explains Aaron Higbee of Cofense, which detected the attack.

Data Breach

The Industrial Internet of Things: Emerging Risks

Nick Holland • August 17, 2018

Leading the latest edition of the ISMG Security Report: Chris Morales of the cybersecurity firm Vectra discusses how the industrial internet of things is changing the nature of industrial espionage and disruption.

Next-Generation Technologies & Secure Development

Analysis: Updates to STIX, TAXII Standards

Varun Haran • August 16, 2018

The STIX and TAXII standards for threat intel interchange have undergone a major upgrade to v2.0. LookingGlass CTO Allan Thomson, who's been closely involved in its development, describes the role of these enhanced standards.

Blockchain Applications

How Hackers Are Targeting Initial Coin Offerings

Jeremy Kirk • August 15, 2018

The proliferation of cryptocurrency and blockchain projects is posing enticing new opportunities for hackers, says Aleksandr Lazarenko of Group-IB.

Endpoint Security

Tracking Cybersecurity Threats in Manufacturing

Nick Holland • August 13, 2018

With the rise of the industrial internet of things comes a far broader attack surface in the manufacturing sector. Chris Morales of Vectra outlines findings of a new report on cyberattack trends in the manufacturing sector.