Facebook Messenger

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.

Data Breach

China Hacking Underground Shows Rising Prowess

Latest

Cybercrime

Judge Approves Final $115 Million Anthem Settlement

Jeremy Kirk • August 20, 2018

A federal judge in California has given final approval to a $115 million settlement involving health insurer Anthem over its 2015 data breach. The settlement is the largest ever reached in a data-breach related class action suit, but most victims will see no money.

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.

Data Breach

D-Link Routers In Brazil Fall To DNS Tampering

Jeremy Kirk • August 13, 2018

Cybercriminals in Brazil have capitalized on older vulnerabilities in D-Link routers for financially motivated phishing attacks. The attackers changed DNS settings to use their own malicious DNS server, allowing for seamless shifts to phishing sites.

Compliance

HIPAA Security Rule Turns 20: It's Time for a Facelift

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • August 10, 2018

As the HIPAA security rule turns 20, it's time for regulators to make updates reflecting the changing cyberthreat landscape and technological evolution that's happened over the past two decades, says security expert Tom Walsh.

Application Security

New Privacy Issues for Amazon

Nick Holland • August 10, 2018

An analysis of the privacy issues Amazon will face as it dives deeper into the healthcare business leads the latest edition of the ISMG Security Report. Also featured: A preview of ISMG's Security Summit in New York Aug. 14-15.