Authored by Vonny Gamot The official 40th birthday of the internet serves as a timely reminder that while it is a fantastic place, we must practice good digital hygiene to safeguard our privacy and identity so we can protect ourselves from the latest threats. Since its widely recognized creation on January 1st 1983, the internet
Month: January 2023
Threat actors have exploited Fortinet Virtual Private Network (VPN) devices to try and infect a Canadian-based college and a global investment firm with ransomware. The findings come from eSentire’s Threat Response Unit (TRU), which reportedly stopped the attacks and shared information about them with Infosecurity ahead of publication. eSentire said the threat actors tried to
by Paul Ducklin LAST STRAW FOR LASTPASS? IS CRYPTO DOOMED? Click-and-drag on the soundwaves below to skip to any point. You can also listen directly on Soundcloud. With Doug Aamoth and Paul Ducklin Intro and outro music by Edith Mudge. You can listen to us on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and anywhere
Why schools, hospitals, local governments and other public sector organizations are in a sweet spot for ransomware attacks Why are schools, hospitals and local governments firmly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals and why do public-sector entities fall into a sweet spot for ransomware attacks? What are the latest trends on the ransomware scene? A report
Jan 05, 2023Ravie LakshmananCyber Attack / Malware A financially motivated threat actor tracked as Blind Eagle has resurfaced with a refined toolset and an elaborate infection chain as part of its attacks targeting organizations in Colombia and Ecuador. Check Point’s latest research offers new insights into the Spanish-speaking group’s tactics and techniques, including the use
It has a way of sneaking up on you. Credit theft and fraud. Maybe it’s happened to you. Maybe it’s happened to a friend or family member. There’s a call from the bank, a notification in your financial app, or a charge on the statement that’s beyond explanation. Someone else has tapped into your funds.
US Financial regulators have warned banks about the security risks posed by the crypto market. In a joint statement issued on January 3, 2022, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) warned banking organizations of the “key risks
by Paul Ducklin Even though it’s already Day 4 of Year 2023, some of the important IT/sysadmin/X-Ops security stories of the holiday season are only popping up in mainstream news now. So we though we’d take a quick look back at some of the major issues we covered over the last couple of weeks, and
Are your virtual doctor visits private and secure? Here’s what to know about, and how to prepare for, connecting with a doctor from the comfort of your home. Telehealth services were one of the tech success stories of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as cloud-based services helped suddenly locked-down workers to stay productive, telemedicine consultations ensured
Jan 05, 2023Ravie LakshmananPrivacy / Data Protection The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Meta Platforms €390 million (roughly $414 million) over its handling of user data for serving personalized ads in what could be a major blow to its ad-fueled business model. To that end, the privacy regulator has ordered Meta Ireland to
A previously unknown strain of Linux malware is targeting WordPress based websites, according to research by cybersecurity firm Dr.Web. Dubbed Linux.BackDoor.WordPressExploit.1, the Trojan targets 32-bit versions of Linux but can also run on 64-bit versions. Its main function is to hack websites based on a WordPress content management system (CMS) and inject a malicious JavaScript
by Naked Security writer It looks like the sort of meeting room you might find in startups all over the world: diffuse lighting from windows down one wall, alongside a giant poster cityscape of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, with the Manhattan skyline towering behind it. The difference in this case is that that the computer
With many children spending a little too much time playing video games, learn to spot the signs things may be spinning out of control Across Europe, half of the population aged 6-64 plays video games, according to industry body ISFE. The number rises significantly for 6-10-year-olds (68%), and those aged 11-14 (79%) and 15-24 (72%).
Jan 04, 2023Ravie LakshmananVPN / Server Security Synology has released security updates to address a critical flaw impacting VPN Plus Server that could be exploited to take over affected systems. Tracked as CVE-2022-43931, the vulnerability carries a maximum severity rating of 10 on the CVSS scale and has been described as an out-of-bounds write bug
Pledging to follow healthier habits is consistently the most popular new year’s resolution. That January 1st promise looks different to everyone: snacking less often, going to the gym more often, drinking more water, drinking less soda, etc. This year, instead of a juice cleanse subscription, opt for a healthier habit that’s not an unappetizing shade
by Paul Ducklin A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CYBERCRIME FIGHTER Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more! Paul Ducklin talks to Peter Mackenzie, Director of Incident Response at Sophos, in a cybersecurity session that will alarm, amuse and educate you, all in equal measure. Click-and-drag on the soundwaves below to skip
Jan 02, 2023Ravie LakshmananOnline Scam / Cybersecurity Chinese international students in the U.K. have been targeted by persistent Chinese-speaking scammers for over a year as part of an activity dubbed RedZei (aka RedThief). “The RedZei fraudsters have chosen their targets carefully, researched them and realized it was a rich victim group that is ripe for
by Paul Ducklin PyTorch is one of the most popular and widely-used machine learning toolkits out there. (We’re not going to be drawn on where it sits on the artifical intelligence leaderboard – as with many widely-used open source tools in a competitive field, the answer seems to depend on whom you ask, and which
Jan 02, 2023Ravie LakshmananPrivacy / Location Tracking Google has agreed to pay a total of $29.5 million to settle two different lawsuits brought by Indiana and Washington, D.C., over its “deceptive” location tracking practices. The search and advertising giant is required to pay $9.5 million to D.C. and $20 million to Indiana after the states
The FCC is going after an alleged prolific robocall company, with a proposed record-breaking fine in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The regulator said an operation run by Roy Cox, Jr. and Michael Aaron Jones made billions of illegal robocalls via their Sumco Panama company and numerous other entities located in the US, Panama
by Paul Ducklin Remember quantum computing, and the quantum computers that make it possible? Along with superstrings, dark matter, gravitons and controlled fusion (hot or cold), quantum computing is a concept that many people have heard of, even if they know little more about any of these topics than their names. Some us are vaguely
Dec 29, 2022Ravie LakshmananServer Security / Citrix Thousands of Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway endpoints remain vulnerable to two critical security flaws disclosed by the company over the last few months. The issues in question are CVE-2022-27510 and CVE-2022-27518 (CVSS scores: 9.8), which were addressed by the virtualization services provider on November 8