CyberSecure Specialist

28 Feb

Updates on NIST’s Interagency International Cybersecurity Standardization Working Group

Insights

Last November, I was pleased to chair the most recent meeting of the Interagency International Cybersecurity Standardization Working Group (IICSWG) – a group NIST created in 2016. Our charge, from the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, was to build a coordination mechanism for government agencies to discuss international cybersecurity standardization issues, consistent with agencies’ responsibilities under OMB Circular A-119. Since then, IICSWG has grown as a forum to discuss cybersecurity and privacy standardization topics, examine the…

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28 Feb

CISA Releases Resource Guide for University Cybersecurity Clinics

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA released a Resource Guide for Cybersecurity Clinics to outline ways CISA can partner with and support cybersecurity clinics and their clients. University cybersecurity clinics train students from diverse backgrounds and academic expertise to strengthen the digital defenses of non-profits, hospitals, municipalities, small businesses, and other under-resourced organizations. They can help address the national cyber workforce gap by developing a talent pipeline for cyber civil defense and helping students see themselves in a cybersecurity…

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27 Feb

CISA, FBI, and HHS Release an Update to #StopRansomware Advisory on ALPHV Blackcat

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an update to the joint advisory #StopRansomware: ALPHV Blackcat to provide new indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated with the ALPHV Blackcat ransomware as a service (RaaS). ALPHV Blackcat affiliates have been observed primarily targeting the healthcare sector. CISA, the FBI, and HHS urge network defenders to review the updated joint advisory…

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27 Feb

Data Distribution in Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning

Insights

This post is part of a series on privacy-preserving federated learning. The series is a collaboration between NIST and the UK government’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), previously known as the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. Learn more and read all the posts published to date at NIST’s Privacy Engineering Collaboration Space or RTA’s blog.  Our first post in the series introduced the concept of federated learning and described how it’s different from traditional centralized learning…

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26 Feb

Travel Update! The NIST CSF 2.0 is HERE…Along with Many Helpful Resources…

Insights

Credit: Natasha Hanacek, NIST The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) development process all started with Executive Order (EO)13636 over a decade ago, which called for building a set of approaches (a framework) for reducing risks to critical infrastructure. Through this EO, NIST was tasked with developing a “Cybersecurity Framework.” We knew that, to do this the right way, NIST would need to work alongside industry, academia, and other government agencies. This is exactly what we did—and have…

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26 Feb

CISA, NCSC-UK, and Partners Release Advisory on Russian SVR Actors Targeting Cloud Infrastructure

Attacks, Insights, Malware

CISA, in partnership with UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other U.S. and international partners released the joint advisory, SVR Cyber Actors Adapt Tactics for Initial Cloud Access. This advisory provides recent tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) cyber actors—also known as APT29, the Dukes, CozyBear, and NOBELIUM/Midnight Blizzard—to gain initial access into a cloud environment. The authoring agencies encourage network defenders and organizations review the joint advisory…

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25 Feb

FBI’s LockBit Takedown Postponed a Ticking Time Bomb in Fulton County, Ga.

Information, Insights

The FBI’s takedown of the LockBit ransomware group last week came as LockBit was preparing to release sensitive data stolen from government computer systems in Fulton County, Ga. But LockBit is now regrouping, and the gang says it will publish the stolen Fulton County data on March 2 unless paid a ransom. LockBit claims the cache includes documents tied to the county’s ongoing criminal prosecution of former President Trump, but court watchers say teaser documents…

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24 Feb

PSYOP campaigns targeting Ukraine – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Information

Video Coming in two waves, the campaign sought to demoralize Ukrainians and Ukrainian speakers abroad with disinformation messages about war-related subjects 23 Feb 2024 This week, ESET researchers revealed their findings about Operation Texonto, a disinformation/psychological (PSYOP) campaign where Russia-aligned threat actors sought to demoralize Ukrainians and Ukrainian speakers abroad with disinformation messages about war-related topics. Coming in two waves (in November 2023 and in late December 2023, respectively), the two campaigns spread false information…

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23 Feb

Everything you need to know about IP grabbers

Information

Digital Security You would never give your personal ID to random strangers, right? So why provide the ID of your computer? Unsuspecting users beware, IP grabbers do not ask for your permission. Márk Szabó 22 Feb 2024  •  , 6 min. read A common message that any user of a social platform like Discord might see sometimes are warnings about IP grabbers being included as links in messages on various servers. For someone who probably…

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23 Feb

Updated: Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) updated the joint fact sheet Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems. This update includes additional resources—from American Water Works Association, the WaterISAC, and MS-ISAC—to support water systems in defending against from malicious cyber activity.  The fact sheet outlines the following practical actions Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector entities can take to better protect water systems from malicious cyber activity…

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