Screen capture of Al-Qaeda-associated website soliciting cryptocurrency donations for activities in Syria (Source: Justice Department)

US Seizes $2 Million in Cryptocurrency From Terrorist Groups

Scott Ferguson • August 13, 2020

The U.S. Justice Department has seized more than $2 million worth of cryptocurrency from terrorists groups who solicited donations via social media and waged fraud campaigns.

Governance & Risk Management

How Was Reddit Defaced?

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Anti-Phishing, DMARC

SANS Institute Sees Its Breach as Teachable Moment

Chinmay Rautmare • August 13, 2020

The SANS Institute, which is known for its cybersecurity training courses, is now planning to turn its own data breach into a teachable moment for its membership.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Thwarting BEC Scams That Target Privileged Users

Geetha Nandikotkur • August 13, 2020

To help mitigate the risks posed by business email compromise scams that target privileged users, enterprises need to create a detailed enterprise risk management plan that spells out procedures to secure accounts, says Espen Otterstad, CISO at Norwegian telematics company ABAX AS.

Application Security

More Microsoft Zero-Day Flaws Being Exploited

Prajeet Nair • August 12, 2020

Two critical, zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer and multiple versions of the Windows operating system are being exploited in the wild, Microsoft and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warn, urging prompt patching.

Cybercrime

Maze Reportedly Posts Exfiltrated Canon USA Data

Doug Olenick • August 12, 2020

The Maze ransomware group has posted on its darknet website some data it claims it stole during a recent attack against Canon USA, according to the security firm Emsisoft.

Governance & Risk Management

Unsecured Database Exposed on Web - Then Deleted

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • August 12, 2020

While the exposure of insecure databases on the internet is relatively common, a recent incident featured an unusual twist - the data was mysteriously deleted.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Beware: AgentTesla Infostealer Now More Powerful

Akshaya Asokan • August 12, 2020

The operators behind the AgentTesla remote access Trojan have upgraded the infostealer with additional capabilities, including the ability to steal credentials from VPNs, web browsers, FTP files and email clients, Sentinel Labs reports. The low-cost malware is used in BEC scams and other campaigns.

Endpoint Security

The Risks Posed by Wireless Automotive Dongles

Jeremy Kirk • August 12, 2020

New research has uncovered widespread vulnerabilities in wireless dongles that plug into a vehicle's OBD-II port. The inexpensive IoT devices have put new power into the hands of consumers to monitor their vehicles or check fault codes, but they could also open up new vectors for attacks.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC Scam Costs Trading Firm Virtu Financial $6.9 Million

Doug Olenick • August 11, 2020

High-speed trading firm Virtu Financial says it lost $6.9 million in a business email compromise scam in May. The company is now suing its insurer for failure to cover the loss.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Using DNS Data for Cybercrime Intelligence

Jeremy Kirk • August 11, 2020

The Domain Name System, which is at the heart of the internet, is a rich source of data that can help organizations defend themselves against cybercrime. DNS pioneer Paul Vixie says monitoring DNS traffic is crucial, and it's advisable to run your own recursive resolver.

Account Takeover

Fighting Fraud: Understanding Threat Actors' Techniques

Suparna Goswami • August 11, 2020

The fight against fraud requires more than using the right technologies; it requires understanding threat actors' techniques, says Robert Villanueva of Q6 Cyber.

Critical Infrastructure Security

US Intelligence Adds More Details on Election Interference

Akshaya Asokan • August 8, 2020

Russia, China and Iran are all seeking to influence the 2020 U.S. Presidential election in November, according to a new report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that offers details about each country's plans and goals.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

FBI on China, Election Security and Impact of COVID-19

Tom Field • August 8, 2020

The day after President Trump issued executive orders to ban Chinese-owned social media apps TikTok and WeChat, Sanjay Virmani of the FBI's San Francisco office shared insights on the Chinese cyberthreat, election security and crime trends in the wake of COVID-19.