CyberSecure Specialist

05 Dec

Data Pipeline Challenges of Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning

Insights

Introduction In this post, we talk with Dr. Xiaowei Huang and Dr. Yi Dong (University of Liverpool) and Sikha Pentyala (University of Washington Tacoma), who were winners in the UK-US PETs Prize Challenges. We discuss real-world data pipeline challenges associated with privacy-preserving federated learning (PPFL) and explore upcoming solutions. Unlike traditional centralized or federated learning, PPFL solutions prevent the organization training the model from looking at the training data. This means it’s impossible for that organization to assess…

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05 Dec

ASD’s ACSC, CISA, and US and International Partners Release Guidance on Choosing Secure and Verifiable Technologies

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA—in partnership with the Australian Signals Directorate Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD ACSC), and other international partners—released updates to a Secure by Design Alert, Choosing Secure and Verifiable Technologies. Partners that provided recommendations in this alert include: The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK). New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ). Republic of Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and NIS’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Cyber threats…

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04 Dec

U.S. Offered $10M for Hacker Just Arrested by Russia

Information, Insights

In January 2022, KrebsOnSecurity identified a Russian man named Mikhail Matveev as “Wazawaka,” a cybercriminal who was deeply involved in the formation and operation of multiple ransomware groups. The U.S. government indicted Matveev as a top ransomware purveyor a year later, offering $10 million for information leading to his arrest. Last week, the Russian government reportedly arrested Matveev and charged him with creating malware used to extort companies. An FBI wanted poster for Matveev. Matveev,…

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04 Dec

CISA Releases New Public Version of CDM Data Model Document

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an updated public version of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Data Model Document. Version 5.0.1 aligns with fiscal year 2023 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) metrics. The CDM Data Model Document provides a comprehensive description of a common data schema to ensure that prescribed diagnostic activities within CDM solutions are consistent across all participating federal agencies. Agencies leverage the common data schema to accomplish…

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03 Dec

Why Phishers Love New TLDs Like .shop, .top and .xyz

Information, Insights, Malware

Phishing attacks increased nearly 40 percent in the year ending August 2024, with much of that growth concentrated at a small number of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) — such as .shop, .top, .xyz — that attract scammers with rock-bottom prices and no meaningful registration requirements, new research finds. Meanwhile, the nonprofit entity that oversees the domain name industry is moving forward with plans to introduce a slew of new gTLDs. Image: Shutterstock. A study…

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03 Dec

CISA and Partners Release Joint Guidance on PRC-Affiliated Threat Actor Compromising Networks of Global Telecommunications Providers

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA—in partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and international partners—released joint guidance, Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure. Partners of this guidance include:  Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD’s) Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)  Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ) This guidance was crafted in response to a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-affiliated threat actor’s compromise of “networks of major…

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26 Nov

Hacker in Snowflake Extortions May Be a U.S. Soldier

Information, Insights

Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing data from and extorting dozens of companies that used the cloud data storage company Snowflake, but a third suspect — a prolific hacker known as Kiberphant0m — remains at large and continues to publicly extort victims. However, this person’s identity may not remain a secret for long: A careful review of Kiberphant0m’s daily chats across multiple cybercrime personas suggests they are a U.S. Army soldier who is…

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21 Nov

Feds Charge Five Men in ‘Scattered Spider’ Roundup

Information, Insights

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles this week unsealed criminal charges against five men alleged to be members of a hacking group responsible for dozens of cyber intrusions at major U.S. technology companies between 2021 and 2023, including LastPass, MailChimp, Okta, T-Mobile and Twilio. A visual depiction of the attacks by the SMS phishing group known as Scattered Spider, and Oktapus. Image: Amitai Cohen twitter.com/amitaico. The five men, aged 20 to 25, are allegedly members of…

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21 Nov

CISA Releases Insights from Red Team Assessment of a U.S. Critical Infrastructure Sector Organization

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA released Enhancing Cyber Resilience: Insights from CISA Red Team Assessment of a U.S. Critical Infrastructure Sector Organization in coordination with the assessed organization. This cybersecurity advisory details lessons learned and key findings from an assessment, including the Red Team’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and associated network defense activity. This advisory provides comprehensive technical details of the Red Team’s cyber threat activity, including their attack path to compromise a domain controller and human…

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21 Nov

Kicking-Off with a December 4th Workshop, NIST is Revisiting and Revising Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers, NIST IR 8259!

Insights

In May 2020, NIST published Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers (NIST IR 8259), which describes recommended cybersecurity activities that manufacturers should consider performing before their IoT devices are sold to customers. These foundational cybersecurity activities can help manufacturers lessen the cybersecurity-related efforts needed by customers, which in turn can reduce the prevalence and severity of IoT device compromises and the attacks performed using compromised devices. In the nearly five years since this document…

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