CyberSecurity Updates

17 May

You may not care where you download software from, but malware does

Information

Why do people still download files from sketchy places and get compromised as a result? One of the pieces of advice that security practitioners have been giving out for the past couple of decades, if not longer, is that you should only download software from reputable sites. As far as computer security advice goes, this seems like it should be fairly simple to practice. But even when such advice is widely shared, people still download…

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17 May

Belkin Wemo Smart Plug V2 – the buffer overflow that won’t be patched

Information

by Paul Ducklin Researchers at IoT security company Sternum dug into a popular home automation mains plug from well-known device brand Belkin. The model they looked at, the Wemo Mini Smart Plug (F7C063) is apparently getting towards the end of its shelf life, but we found plenty of them for sale online, along with detailed advice and instructions on Belkin’s site on how to set them up. Old (in the short-term modern sense) though they…

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16 May

Russian Hacker “Wazawaka” Indicted for Ransomware

Information, Insights

A Russian man identified by KrebsOnSecurity in January 2022 as a prolific and vocal member of several top ransomware groups was the subject of two indictments unsealed by the Justice Department today. U.S. prosecutors say Mikhail Pavolovich Matveev, a.k.a. “Wazawaka” and “Boriselcin” worked with three different ransomware gangs that extorted hundreds of millions of dollars from companies, schools, hospitals and government agencies. An FBI wanted poster for Matveev. Indictments returned in New Jersey and the…

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16 May

ChatGPT’s Chief Testifies Before Congress, Calls for New Agency to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

Information, News

The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT told Congress on Tuesday that government intervention “will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful” AI systems. “As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are too,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified at a Senate hearing Tuesday. Altman proposed the formation of a U.S. or global agency that would license the…

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16 May

Arnica’s real-time, code-risk scanning tools aim to secure supply chain

Data Breaches, Malware, Social Engineering

Software supply chain security provider Arnica has added new real-time scanning tools to its namesake code-security suite, including static application security testing (SAST), infrastructure as code (IaC) scanning, software component analysis (SCA), and third-party package reputation checks. With the enhancements, the company claims to provide a comprehensive security solution that identifies and prevents the introduction of code risks in real time using a pipeline-less approach. “Arnica implements a pipeline-less security approach, which means that all…

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16 May

Aqua Security releases Real-Time CSPM to tackle multi-cloud security risks

Data Breaches, Malware, Social Engineering

Cloud native security vendor Aqua Security has announced the launch of Real-Time CSPM, a new cloud security posture management solution designed to provide visibility and risk prioritization across multi-cloud security risks. Real-Time CSPM uses “real-time scanning” to pinpoint threats that evade agentless detection and reduce noise so security practitioners can identify, prioritize, and remediate the most important cloud security risks, according to the firm. It is the latest addition to the Aqua Cloud Security Platform.…

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16 May

Re-Victimization from Police-Auctioned Cell Phones

Information, Insights

Countless smartphones seized in arrests and searches by police forces across the United States are being auctioned online without first having the data on them erased, a practice that can lead to crime victims being re-victimized, a new study found. In response, the largest online marketplace for items seized in U.S. law enforcement investigations says it now ensures that all phones sold through its platform will be data-wiped prior to auction. Researchers at the University…

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16 May

CISA and Partners Release BianLian Ransomware Cybersecurity Advisory

Attacks, Insights, Malware

CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) with known BianLian ransomware and data extortion group technical details. Microsoft and Sophos contributed to the advisory. To reduce the likelihood and impact of BianLian and other ransomware incidents, CISA encourages organizations to implement mitigations recommended in this advisory. Mitigations align with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) developed by CISA and the National Institute of…

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16 May

New APT targets South and Southeast Asia with custom-written backdoor

Data Breaches, Malware, Social Engineering

Lancefly, an APT group, is using a custom-written backdoor in attacks targeting government, aviation, education, and telecom organizations in South and Southeast Asia in an activity that has been ongoing for the past five years, according to Symantec. The group has been seen carrying out the activity with the motive of intelligence gathering. Lancefly has been deploying the Merdoor backdoor in highly targeted attacks since 2018 to establish persistence, execute commands, and perform keylogging on…

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15 May

World Backup Day: Avoiding a data disaster is a forever topic 

Information

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. Make sure you’re able to bounce back if, or when, a data disaster strikes. “Backup refers to copying physical and virtual files, or databases, to a secondary location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe. Backing up data is pivotal to any successful disaster recovery plan.” Honestly, this definition should be justification enough for you to consider backing up your files. However, since it…

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